συνοδικός
March 25 / March 12
2018 (7526)
Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστή • GREAT 40 DAYS • Μεγάλη Νηστεία • GREAT FAST
DAY 35
5th Sunday of Great Lent: St Mary of Egypt
Ε' Κυριακὴ τῶν Νηστειῶν Ὁσίας Μαρίας τῆς Αἰγυπτίας
A Church that makes great saints out of former prostitutes, murderers, and adulterers is both realistic about the corruption of our lives and optimistic that there is hope for every one of us to set things right and live faithfully because of the mercy of Jesus Christ. As we stand near the end of Great Lent, we have all learned at least something about our spiritual state. Perhaps we have wrestled with our passions and they have gotten the better of us. Perhaps we have not even tried to pray, fast or otherwise deny ourselves, or become more generous to the needy. Maybe we have not really pursued forgiveness, reconciliation, and repentance. Regardless, it should be clear to us all by now that we need healing and strength beyond our own power, for we are all weak, sick, and so easily distracted. To recognize that is no shame, but simply the lesson learned by all the great sinners who have come to their senses and begun the journey home. Before we begin the journey to the cross on Palm Sunday, there is still time to examine our souls with brutal honesty, confess and repent, and take the steps we can to follow in the way of Jesus Christ. He made holy people out of prostitutes and power-mongers and He will do the same with us, if we will only repent with courageous honesty and humility. Yes, there is hope even for you and me through humble repentance that opens us to the mercy of the Lord.
• The LYDDA or "the Roman" (in Lydda on a Pillar) Icon of the Mother of God (39) Not Made by Hands // JUN 26 // MAR 12 //
According to Tradition, the Apostles Peter and John were preaching in Lydda (later called Diospolis) near Jerusalem. There they built a church dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos, then went to Jerusalem and asked her to come and sanctify the church by her presence. She sent them back to Lydda and said, "Go in peace, and I shall be there with you." Arriving at Lydda, they found an icon of the Virgin imprinted in color on the wall of the church (some sources say the image was on a pillar). Then the Mother of God appeared and rejoiced at the number of people who had gathered there. She blessed the icon and gave it the power to work miracles. This icon was not made by the hand of man, but by a divine power. Julian the Apostate (reigned 361-363) heard about the icon and tried to eradicate it. Masons with sharp tools chipped away at the image, but the paint and lines just seemed to penetrate deeper into the stone. Those whom the emperor had sent were unable to destroy the icon. As word of this miracle spread, millions of people came to venerate the icon. In the eighth century, Saint Germanus, the future Patriarch of Constantinople (May 12) passed through Lydda. He had a copy of the icon made, and sent it to Rome during the iconoclastic controversy. It was placed in the church of Saint Peter, and was the source of many healings. In 842, the reproduction was returned to Constantinople and was known as the Roman Icon (June 26). The oldest sources of information for the Lydda Icon are a document attributed to Saint Andrew of Crete in 726, a letter written by three eastern Patriarchs to the iconoclast emperor Theophilus in 839, and a work of George the Monk in 886. The icon still existed as late as the ninth century.
There existed also another Lydda Not Wrought by Hand Image of the Mother of God. It was situated in a church built at Lydda by Aeneas, who had been healed by the Apostle Peter (Acts 9: 32-35). When the pagans and the Jews wanted to take this church away from the Christians, the governor gave orders that the church be locked up for three days, until some sign should appear for resolving the dispute. And when they opened the church three days later, they saw within it the Not Wrought by Hand Image of the Mother of God. Three of the Eastern Patriarchs (from Jerusalem, Antrioch and Alexandria) wrote about both of the Not Wrought by Hand Lydda icons in a Letter to the Iconoclast emperor Theophilos (829-842). The emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitos (912-959) spoke about the Letter in an historical account about the Not Wrought by Hand Image of the Saviour at Edessa (16 August).
Kiev boasts a wealth of wonderful ancient monasteries, yet the most mysterious of them is the Zverinets Monastery of the Archangel Michael of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (the UOC-MP), located in the capital’s Pechersky district, to the south of the Kiev Caves Lavra. The monastery derives its Russian name ("Zverinetsky") from either the word "zveri" (meaning "animals") or "zverinets" (meaning "a menagerie"). According to one version, the place was named after the local animal hunting that was once very popular in the thick forests of the area, which had a great variety of animals centuries ago. The "Tale of Bygone Years" (composed in the 12th century by Monk Nestor in Kiev) reads: There were a great forest and pine woods near the city (that is, Kiev), and people would hunt beasts there…
The Synaxis of Saints of Zverinets Caves individual days of celebration in addition to this general commemoration:
• Venerable MARKIAN (1045) Abbot of Zverinets Cave Monastery in Kiev // OCT 25 //
• Sainted LEONTIUS the Bishop and Wonderworker of Rostov (1073) // MAY 23 //
• Sainted MIKHAIL bishop of Your’jevo (1073) Abbot of Zverinets Cave Monastery in Kiev // SEP 6 //
• Venerable IONA (1074) Abbot of Zverinets Cave Monastery in Kiev // MAR 11 //
• Venerable MANUIL (1087) Abbot of Zverinets Cave Monastery in Kiev // JUN 17 //
• Venerable CLEMENCE (1092) Abbot of Zverinets Cave Monastery in Kiev // NOV 25 //
• Venerable THEODOR Kalika (caligae, calicae; καλίγιον) (1096) of Zverinets Cave Monastery in Kiev // FEB 17 //
• Venerable ANDRONIK the Grave Digger (1096) Hermit of Zverinets Cave Monastery in Kiev // MAY 17 //
• Venerable IOANN (1096) of Zverinets Cave Monastery in Kiev // JUN 24 //
• Hosiosmartyrs of Zverinets Caves murdered by cumans (1097) // JUL 20 //
The Cumans (Polovtsi) were a Turkic:116 nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confederation. After the Mongol invasion (1237), many sought asylum in Hungary, as many Cumans had settled in Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey before the invasion. The Cumans initially managed to defeat the Great Prince Vladimir Monomakh of Kievan Rus’ in 1093 at the Battle of the Stugna River, but they were defeated later by the combined forces of Rus principalities led by Monomakh and were forced out of the Rus’ borders to the Caucasus. In these battles some Pecheneg and Oghuz groups were liberated from the Cumans and incorporated into the Rus’ border-guard system. Khan Boniak launched invasions on Kiev in 1096, 1097, 1105, and 1107. In 1096, Boniak attacked Kiev and burned down the princely palace in Berestove; he also plundered the Kievan Cave Monastery. Boniak was defeated near Lubny in 1107 by the forces of the Kievan Rus’ princes. The Cumans led by Boniak crushed the Hungarian army led by Coloman in 1099 and seized the royal treasury. In 1109, Monomakh launched another raid against the Cumans and captured "1000 tents". In 1111, 1113, and 1116, further raids were launched against the Cumans and resulted in the liberation and incorporation of more Pecheneg and Oghuz tribes.
• Sainted MINAS Bishop of Polotsk (1116) // JUN 20 //
• Sainted LASARUS Bishop of Perejaslavl’ (1117) Abbot of Zverinets Cave Monastery and Vydubichi in Kiev // SEP 6 //
• hieromartyr PHILARET Kochubey (1933) Archmandrite of Zverinets Cave Monastery // DEC 1 //
• New Hieromartyr IOASAF (duke Vladimir Zhevakhov or Dzavakhishvili) of Kiev, refounder of Zverinets Cave Monastery, bishop of Mogilev, also of Russia and Minsk (1874-1937) day of martyrdom in Kursk // NOV 21 //
Οἱ Ἅγιοι Ἐννέα Μάρτυρες οἱ ἐν Περσίδι
• Martyr EGDUNUS & 7 Companions Christians Martyrs (303) suspended upside-down over a fire in Nicomedia until they were suffocated by the smoke
• Venerable Abbot SIMEON 西麦翁 the New Theologian 新神学家 (1021) and his Elder SYMEON 西麦翁 the Reverent 可敬者 of the Studium (also known in English as Symeon the Pious or Symeon the Studite) (918-987)
Ὁ Ὅσιος Συμεὼν ὁ Νέος Θεολόγος
Ὁ Ὅσιος Συμεὼν ὁ Εὐλαβής
上帝的载体、伟大的神父西麦翁出生于帕夫拉戈尼亚的加拉提亚。他在君士坦丁堡接受了教育，并成为国王瓦西里和君士坦丁 波尔菲罗基尼图斯的朝臣。为了追寻基督，西麦翁放弃了世间的一切，并隐退到了一座修道院。在西麦翁长老的带领下，他潜心修行。后来西麦翁成了圣马马斯修道院的院长，到了晚期，他成了一名隐士。西麦翁是继圣格里哥利之后另一位伟大的神学家。在西麦翁的心中享有上帝的恩典。他的教诲具有真正的属灵和神学的启示。西麦翁于公元1032 年去世，他的圣髑仍然具有施行奇迹的能力。
Life (Vita) of Simeon the New Theologian was written by his cell-attendant and disciple, the Monk Nikita Stethatos.
• Repose of Schemamonk ANTHONY the Gorge-dweller, of Zelenchug Monastery in Kuban (1908)
• Hieromartyr KIRION II (George Sadzaglishvili) Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia (1855-1918) murdered in the patriarchal residence at Martqopi Monastery
• Hieroconfessor ALEXANDER Derzhavin, presbiter, priest (1864-1933) day of death in exile in Zigrn’, Komi
• New Hieromartyr JOHN Plekhanov, presbiter, priest; the Cook of St patriarch Tikhon Belavin (1879-1938) day of martyrdom, shoted and graved at Butovo, Moskow
• New Hieromartyr CONSTANTINE Sokolov, presbiter, priest (1875-1938) day of death in KZ at Siberia
• Hosiosmartyr archmandrite VLADIMIR Volkov (1878-1938) day of martyrdom, shoted and graved at Butovo, Moskow
• New Hieromartyr SERGIUS Skvortsov, presbiter, priest (1896-1943) day of death in KZ NKVD at Kujbyshev
Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἀαρών
亞倫，舊約聖經人物，摩西的兄長，屬利未支派。他是古以色列人的第一位大祭司，亦是祭司職位的始創人。當摩西向埃及法老王請求釋放以色列人時，他是代表摩西與埃及法老打交道的發言人。以色列人民出走時，與摩西為伴。雖然期間他曾帶領以色列人拜金牛犢，但仍然得到原諒。在建造約櫃和聖所之後，他和他的兒子們被授予聖職為祭司，並被稱為亞倫子孫。以色列人出了埃及地後四十年，五月初一日，祭司亞倫遵著耶和華的吩咐上何珥山，就死在那裏。亞倫死在何珥山的時候年一百二十三歲。
• Sainted ALPHEGE 阿尔斐吉 the Elder, Bishop of Winchester (951)
Also called "the Bald".. He became Bishop of Winchester in England in 935. He encouraged many to become monks, notably his relative St Dunstan, whom he ordained priest.
• CYRUS 基若 (Abba-Cyr) monk of Alexandria (6th c.)
• Righteous Martyr King DEMETRIUS 迪弥特里 (Demetrius II the Brave, the Self-Sacrificer or the Devoted) Tavdadebuli of Georgia (1259-1289) of the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia in 1270–1289
Ὁ Ἅγιος Δημήτριος βασιλεὺς τῆς Γεωργίας
Son of King David VII and his wife Gvantsa, Demetrius was only 2 years old when his mother was killed by the Mongols in 1261. He succeeded on his father's death in 1270, when he was 11 years old. He ruled under the regency of Sadun Mankaberdeli for some time. In 1277–1281, he took part in Abaqa Khan's campaigns against Egypt and in particularly distinguished himself at the Second Battle of Homs (29 October 1281). Although he continued to be titled "king of Georgians and Abkhazians, etc", Demetrius’s rule extended only over the eastern part of the kingdom. Western Georgia was under the rule of the Imeretian branch of the Bagrationi dynasty. King Demetrius was considered quite a controversial person. Devoted to Christianity, he was criticized for his polygamy. In 1288, on the order of Arghun Khan, he subdued the rebel province of Derbend at the Caspian Sea. The same year, Arghun revealed a plot organized by his powerful minister Buqa, whose son was married to Demetrius's daughter. Bugha and his family were massacred, and the Georgian king, suspected to be involved in a plot, was ordered to the Mongol capital, or Arghun threatened to invade Georgia. Despite much advice from nobles, Demetrius headed for the Khan’s residence to face apparent death, and was imprisoned there. He was beheaded at Movakan on 12 March 1289. He was buried at Mtskheta, Georgia, and canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church. He was succeeded by his cousin Vakhtang II.
• Venerable Stephen DRAGUTIN 德拉古庭 (monk Theoctistus 德奥克提斯特 Dragutin) of Serbia (1316) the King of Serbia from 1276 to 1282 and King of Syrmia (Srem) from 1282 to 1316
Dragutin was the eldest son of king Stefan Uroš I of Serbia by Helen of Anjou, he married Catherine, daughter of Hungarian king Stephen V. He was the leading Hungarian proponent in Serbian politics, and because of this he came in conflict with his father, from whom he then usurped the throne in 1276 with help of Hungary, after a clash with his forces at Battle of Gacko. He ruled Serbia until his abdication in 1282, when he became ill, he continued to rule the royal domains of Syrmia as King of Syrmia, and his younger brother succeeded him as ruler of Serbia. Later he became a monk and changed his name to Teoktist.
• Righteous ELEAZAR the High Priest, Aaron's third son by his wife Elisheba. He married a daughter of Putiel who bore him a son, Phinehas
• Sainted GREGORY 格里高利 the Great (the Dialogist) Pope of Rome (604)
Ὁ Ἅγιος Γρηγόριος ὁ Διάλογος πάπας Ρώμης
格里哥利是元老郭尔迪亚努斯的儿子，后来，格里哥利也成了一名元老，并担任罗马市长。他的父亲离世后，他就进入了修行生活。格里哥利用自己的财产在西西里修建了6 座修道院，在罗马修建了第七座修道院，以纪念宗徒安德烈，他本人就在这座修道院割发成为一名修士。格里哥利的母亲西尔维亚进入了一座女修道院，成为一名修女。教宗佩拉吉乌斯二世去世后，格里哥利被封为教宗。但是他却脱离了这荣誉和权威，隐藏到了深山峡谷中。但是上帝将他的踪迹向那些寻找他的人显露，方法如下：在格里哥利的藏身处出现了一条火柱，从地面直通到天上。格里哥利非常有慈爱之心，他的全部收入都为穷人修建了藏身所之类的慈善机构。他经常邀请不幸的人同他们一同共餐。他将时间都用于撰写属灵著作。他之所以被称为对话者，是因为他写了一本书同名书《对话集》。在这本书中，他赞扬了意大利圣人。同时，他也撰写了在大斋期内的星期三和星期五举行的《先备圣体礼仪》。他的首席辅祭裴特若曾看到，当他坐下来写书的时候，在他的头上有一只鸽子在飞翔。格里哥利于公元604 年安息主怀。
• Venerable LAWRENCE (Lavrentios) the Martyr of the "300 Allemagne Saints" in Cyprus (12th c.)
Ὁ Ἅγιος Λαυρέντιος ὁ Μάρτυρας
• M MAMILIAN (Maximilian) in Rome
• M MAXIMILIAN (also known as Maximilian of Tebessa) of Theveste (296)
He was the son of Victor, a Christian soldier in Numidia. According to the law which obliged the sons of soldiers to serve in the army at the age of twenty-one years, his measure was taken, that he might be enrolled in the troops, and he was found to be of due stature, being five Roman feet and ten inches high, that is, about five feet and a half of our measure. But Maximilian refused to receive the mark, which was a print on the hand, and a leaden collar about the neck, on which were engraved the name and motto of the emperor. His plea was, that in the Roman army superstitions, contrary to the Christian faith, were often practised, with which he could not defile his soul. Being condemned by the proconsul to lose his head, he met death with joy in the year 296.
• Venerable MARY of Egypt // 5TH SUNDAY OF THE GREAT LENT // APR 1 //
Holy Mother Mary, pray to God for us! Amen.
• Young Martyr MAXIMILIAN (295) who refused to do military service and was therefore executed in Thebeste in Numidia in North Africa
• Abbot MURA (Muran, Murames, Muranus, Muru) Mc Feredach (645) born in Donegal in Ireland, he became Abbot of Fahan in County Derry. He is the Patron Saint of Fahan where his cross still stands
• Venerable NICODEMUS 尼科德默 of Mammola in Calabria (990)
• PAUL 帕弗罗 Aurelian (also known as Paulinus or Pol of Léon) bishop of Leon in Britta (572/575) a Romano-Briton by origin, he was born in Wales and became a monk with Sts Illtyd, David, Samson and Gildas. He lived for a time on Caldey Island, from where he went to Brittany. He established a monastery at Porz-Pol on the Isle of Ouessant and finally went to Ouismor (now Saint-Pol-de-Léon) where he became bishop
• M PETER of Nicomedia (303)
• PETER the Deacon (605) disciple, secretary and companion of St Gregory the Great, and Patron Saint of Salussola in Italy
Peter, usually described as a Benedictine, was the disciple, secretary, and companion of Saint Gregory the Great, to whom the great pope dictated the four books of his Dialogues. Peter is venerated as the patron of Salassola in the diocese of Biella near Venice in Italy.
• Righteous PHINEAS 非尼哈 the High Priest of Israel (1500 B.C.) grandson of Aaron Ὁ Ἅγιος Φινεὲς ὁ Δίκαιος
Phinehas was a priest during the Israelites' Exodus journey, the grandson of Aaron and son of Eleazar, the High Priests (Exodus 6:25). He distinguished himself as a youth at Shittim with his zeal against the Heresy of Peor. He was displeased with the immorality with which the Moabites and Midianites had successfully tempted the Israelites (Numbers 25:1–9) to inter-marry and to worship Baal-peor, so he personally executed an Israelite man and a Midianite woman while they were together in the man's tent, running a javelin or spear through the man and the belly of the woman, bringing to an end the plague sent by God to punish the Israelites for sexually intermingling with the Midianites. Phinehas is commended for having stopped Israel's fall to idolatrous practices brought in by Midianite women, as well as for stopping the desecration of God's sanctuary. After the entry to the land of Israel and the death of his father, he was appointed the third High Priest of Israel, and served at the sanctuary of Bethel (Judges 20:28).
非尼哈是大祭司亚伦的孙子，以利亚撒的儿子 (出埃及记 6:25），年轻时在什亭出于“神圣的妒忌”抵抗毗珥异端：摩押人和米甸人用妇女诱惑以色列人（民数记 25:1-9）去崇拜巴力毗珥。这一事件紧接在巴兰的故事之后。摩押头目巴勒聘请巴兰诅咒以色列人。巴兰无法诅咒他们，因为上帝将祝福以色列的话放入他的口中，于是回到自己的国家。民数记断言巴兰和毗珥事件之间有直接联系，说到摩押妇女“因巴兰的计谋，叫以色列人在毗珥的事上，对耶和华行事不忠实”（民数记 31:16）。摩西下令杀死所有的拜偶像者，和以色列人全会众在会幕门口哭泣，但这时西缅支派一个宗族的首领撒路的儿子心利，公然藐视摩西，公开带回米甸首领苏珥的女儿哥斯比。这时以利亚撒的儿子非尼哈生出“神圣的忌邪”，跟随他们进去，用长矛将两人由腹中刺透。于是，以色列人中的瘟疫得以止息，那时已经有二万四千人死亡。非尼哈得到耶和华的承认，“使我的怒气从以色列人转消；因他在他们中间，以我的忌邪為心，使我不在忌邪中把他们除灭。”（民数记 25），因此非尼哈和他的后裔被任命了永远祭司的职任。基督教的启示录也表现了这种情绪（启示录 2:14）。启示录描述耶稣向亚细亚七个教会中的一个说：“然而有几件事我要责备你：因为在你那里，有人持守巴兰的教训；这巴兰曾教导巴勒，将绊脚石放在以色列子孙面前，叫他们吃祭偶像之物，并且行淫乱。” 非尼哈还作为祭司，拿着圣所的器皿和吹大声的号筒，参与了以色列军队对米甸的攻击。这场战役杀了米甸的五王，和比珥的儿子巴兰。根据以色列人计算总数，以色列人在远征中没有失去一名男子（民数记 31）。以利亚撒的儿子非尼哈在约书亚记中再次出现。当时流便支派、迦得支派和玛拿西半支派，在约旦河以东建立了大祭坛，其余以色列人认为这将成立一个新的宗教中心，于是派非尼哈前去调查（约书亚记 22:9-34）。除了这些事件，非尼哈为与便雅悯支派战争的首席顾问。他在诗篇 106:28-31中也受到了纪念。按照历代志 6:4-8，他与撒督的关系如下：非尼哈生亚比书，亚比书生布基，布基生乌西，乌西生西拉希雅，西拉希雅生米拉约；米拉约生亚玛利雅，亚玛利雅生亚希突，亚希突生撒督。
• Venerable THEOPHANES 德奥梵 the Sygrian, the Chronicler and the Confessor (818)
Ὁ Ὅσιος Θεοφάνης ὁ Ὁμολογητής Ἐπίσκοπος Σιγριανής
He has the appellation "the Chronicler" because he wrote a history covering the years 284-813 entitled Chronographia.
Saint Theophanes' parents, Isaac and Theodota, were as pious as they were rich. Upon her husband's death, Theodota undertook the education of her son. Married when he was twelve years old, Theophanes persuaded his wife to remain a virgin. He made her enter the monastery of Pringuipou. After distributing his goods to the poor, he embraced monastic life on Mount Sigriana in the Great Agros, on the Asiatic shore of the Bosphorus, now called Koursiounlou by the Turks. The Iconoclast Emperor Leo the Armenian, raised to the throne of Constantinople in 813, pursued the Saint. He summoned him to Constantinople and called upon him to join his heresy. Upon his refusal he was thrown into prison. He was exiled to Samothrace where he died some time after in 817.
德奥梵被称为西格里阿尼，因为这是他的出生地。德奥梵同国王莱翁 伊索里安和他的儿子科普罗尼摩斯沾亲。德奥梵拥有很多财富且名声显赫。但当主基督开始支配他的灵时，所有的这一切在他看来都微不足道。德奥梵反抗自己的婚姻，当他被迫结婚时，他同新娘商议，他们的生活将如兄妹般贞洁，并获得了成功。当德奥梵的父母去世后，他的妻子进入了一座女修道院，而德奥梵则进入了一座男修道院。他所在的修道院位于西兹库斯省的西格里阿尼山。曾经荣华富贵的德奥梵在修道院里就如同一个穷人一样。所有的人都对他的改变而感到惊讶。由于他坚定的信仰、禁欲，及其智慧而使其闻名遐尔，这样，他受到邀请参加了第七次普世大公会议（公元783 年在尼西亚举行）。在这里，圣像崇拜得到了认可。由于他的纯洁和简朴，上帝赐予了他施行奇迹的能力，利用这个恩典，他治愈了各种疾病，尤其是狂躁病和精神病。德奥梵为所有患有疾病和身遭不幸的人向上帝祷告，通过他的祷告来帮助这些人。当他生病或是患长期性病症时，他拒绝向上帝作祷告，以使其重新恢复健康，而是在感激中忍受病痛。当凶恶的亚美尼亚人莱翁统治期间，再次出现了破坏圣像运动，当时德奥梵被带到君士坦丁堡，被投入了监狱；在那里，他忍受了两年的困难、痛苦和羞辱。之后，国王将其流放到萨莫色雷斯岛，他早先就对此作出过预言，并将其告诉了监狱的看守。当他到达萨莫色雷斯岛后，仅仅活了23 天的时间就归入主怀，并获得了荣誉的冠冕。
Fifth Sunday of Great Lent - St Mary of Egypt
SYNAXARION
On the fifth Sunday of Holy and Great Lent, we commemorate Saint Mary of Egypt. By her example, we are reminded of the extraordinary power of repentance and God's mercy, by which even the greatest sinner may be transformed and sanctified. The recorder of the life of this wonderful saint is St Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem. A hieromonk, the elder Zossima, had gone off at one time during the Great Fast on a twenty-days' walk into the wilderness across the Jordan. He suddenly caught sight of a human being with a withered and naked body and with hair as white as snow, who fled in its nakedness from Zossima's sight. The elder ran a long way, until this figure stopped at a stream and called, "Father Zossima, forgive me for the Lord's sake. I cannot turn around to you, for I am a naked woman." Then Zossima threw her his outer cloak, and she wrapped herself in it and turned around to him. The elder was amazed at hearing his name from the lips of this unknown woman. After considerable pressure on his part, she told him the story of her life.
She had been born in Egypt and had lived as a prostitute in Alexandria from the age of twelve, spending seventeen years in this way of life. Urged by the lustful fire of the flesh, she one day boarded a ship that was sailing for Jerusalem. Arriving at the Holy City, she attempted to go into one of the churches to venerate the Precious Cross, but some unseen power prevented her from entering. In great fear, she turned to an icon of the Mother of God that was in the entrance and begged her to let her go in and venerate the Cross, confessing her sin and impurity and promising that she would then go wherever the Most Pure One led her. She was then allowed to enter the church. After venerating the Cross, she went out again to the entrance and, standing in front of the icon, thanked the Mother of God. Then she heard a voice saying, "If you cross the Jordan, you will find true peace." She immediately bought three loaves of bread and set off for the Jordan, arriving there the same evening. She received Holy Communion the following morning in the monastery of St. John the Baptist, and then crossed the river. She spent the next forty-eight years in the wilderness in the greatest torments, in terror, in struggles with passionate thoughts like gigantic beasts, feeding only on plants.
Later, when she was standing in prayer, Zossima saw her lifted up in the air. She begged him to bring her Holy Communion the next year on the bank of the Jordan, and she would come to receive it. The following year, Zossima came with the Holy Gifts to the bank of the Jordan in the evening and stood in amazement as he saw her cross the river. He saw her coming in the moonlight and, arriving on the further bank, make the sign of the Cross over the river. She then walked across it as though it were dry land. When she had received Holy Communion, she begged him to come again the following year to the same stream by which they had first met. The next year Zossima went and found her dead body there on that spot. Above her head in the sand was written: "Abba Zossima, bury in this place the body of the humble Mary. Give dust to dust. I passed away on April 1, on the very night of Christ's Passion, after Communion of the Divine Mysteries." For the first time, Zossima learned her name and also the awe-inspiring marvel that she had arrived at that stream the previous year on the night of the same day on which she had received Holy Communion - a place that he had taken twenty days to reach. And thus Zossima buried the body of the wonderful saint, Mary of Egypt. When he returned to the monastery, he recounted the whole story of her life and the wonders to which he had been an eyewitness. Thus the Lord glorifies repentant sinners. She entered into rest in about the year 530.
St Mary is remembered today, as we reach the end of the Great Fast, to arouse the energy of the slothful and to urge sinners to repentance, imitating her example. She is also commemorated on April 1. The Righteous Zossima, who buried St Mary, is commemorated on April 4.
O Christ our God, through the intercessions of our venerable Mother Mary of Egypt, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
愿上帝怜恤我罪人
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
for the sake of the prayers
of Thy most pure Mother,
our holy and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us.
Amen.
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Blessed be God.
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