Saints Cyril & Methodius
Bulgarian Orthodox Mission
(web address: www.bocdc.org)
Meeting
at St. Luke Orthodox Church
6801
Georgetown Pike, PO Box 1015
Mc Lean, VA 22101
Hieromartyr
Cosmas
Equal to the
Apostles
(celebrated on August 24)
Sunday, August 30, 2009
His Beatitude, Metropolitan JONAH
Orthodox Church in America
Diocese of Washington
Hieromartyr
Cosmas
Equal
to the Apostles
The New Hieromartyr Cosmas, Equal of the Apostles, in the
world Constas, was a native of Aitolia. He studied at first under the guidance
of the archdeacon Ananias Dervisanos, and afterwards continued his education on
Mount Athos, at the Vatopedi school renowned for teachers such as Nicholas
Tzartzoulios (from Metsovo) and Eugenius Voulgaris (afterwards in the years
1775-1779 the archbishop of Ekaterinoslav and the Chersonessus).
Remaining on Athos at the Philotheou monastery to
devote himself to spiritual labors, he was tonsured a monk with the name
Cosmas, and later was ordained hieromonk. The desire to benefit his fellow
Christians, to guide them upon the way of salvation and strengthen their faith,
impelled St Cosmas to seek the blessing of his spiritual fathers and go to
Constantinople. There he mastered the art of rhetoric and, having received a
written permit of Patriarch Seraphim II (and later from his successor
Sophronius) to preach the Holy Gospel.
So the saint began to proclaim the Gospel at first in
the churches of Constantinople and the surrounding villages, then in the Danube
regions, in Thessalonica, in Verroia, in Macedonia, Chimaera, Akarnania,
Aitolia, on the islands of Saint Maura, Kephalonia and other places.
His preaching, filled with the grace of the Holy
Spirit, was simple, calm, and gentle. It brought Christians great spiritual
benefit. The Lord Himself assisted him and confirmed his words with signs and miracles,
just as He had confirmed the preaching of the Apostles.
Preaching in the remote areas of Albania, where
Christian piety had almost disappeared among the rough and coarse people
entrenched in sin, St Cosmas led them to sincere repentance and improvement
with the Word of God.
Under his guidance, church schools were opened in the
towns and villages. The rich offered their money for the betterment of the
churches, for the purchase of Holy Books (which the saint distributed to the
literate), veils (which he gave women, admonishing them to come to church with
covered heads),for prayer ropes and crosses (which he distributed to the common
folk), and for baptismal fonts so that children could be baptized in the proper
manner.
Since the churches could not accommodate everyone
wanting to hear the wise preacher, St Cosmas with forty or fifty priests served
the Vigil in the fields, and in city squares, where thousands of people prayed
for the living and for the dead, and were edified by his preaching. Everywhere
that St Cosmas halted and preached, the grateful listeners set up a large
wooden cross, which remained thereafter in memory of this.
The apostolic service of St Cosmas was brought to a
close by his martyric death in the year 1779. At 65 years of age, he was seized
by the Turks and strangled. His body was thrown into a river, and after three
days, was found by the priest Mark and buried near the village of Kolikontasi
at the monastery of the Entrance into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Afterwards, part of his relics were transferred to various places as a
blessing.
He was glorified by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in
1961.
Saints
Commemorated Today
12th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST — Tone 3. Ss. Alexander (340), John (595), and Paul the New
(784), Patriarchs of Constantinople. Repose of Ven. Alexander, Abbot of Svir
(1533). Translation of the Relics of Rt. Blv. Great Prince St. Alexander
Nevsky (1724). Uncovering of the
Relics of St. Daniel, Prince of Moscow (1652). St. Christopher of Palestine (6th
c.). St. Fantinus of Calabria (9th c.). Synaxis of the Serbian
Hierarchs: Ss. Sava I (1237), Arsenius I (1266), Sava II (1269), Eustathius I
(ca. 1285), James (1292), Nicodemus (1325), and Daniel (1338), Archbishops;
Joannicus II (1354), Spyridon (1388), Ephraim II (after 1395), Macarius (1574),
Gabriel I (1659), Patriarchs; and Gregory, Bishop.
† May
Their Memory Be Eternal †
The newly departed servant George;
Archbishop GREGORY; Priests Peter, Ishmael, Leo, Homer, Victor, and Thomas;
Matushki Mary and Barbara; Readers John, Philemon, John, and Robert Michael; Alexander,
Sophia, Shafik, Michael, Steven, Christo, Radka, Anna, Dale, Mary, Carmel,
Thomas, Vasili, Mary Ellen, Andrew, Irene, Stamatia, Peter, Steven, Vera,
George, Marianthe, Panaigioti, Christophor, Rada, & Julia.
Those Who Are In Need of
Prayer
Priests
Milorad, Photius, Anthony, and Joseph; Presbyteras Marie, Miriam, Artemis,
& Marie; Matthew, Oliver, Zell, Charlie, Theresa, Catherine, Yonka, &
Bojanka.
The
Parish Council of SS Cyril & Methodius
(Elected
each year at the Annual Parish Meeting in January)
In support of our pastor the Very Reverend Timothy
Perry, who is appointed by the Orthodox Church in America, this year’s Council
members are:
Ms. Nadya Choparinoff, President
Mr. George Kochev, Vice-President
Ms. Elena Murphy, Treasurer
Ms. Elisabeth Sipkov-Piñeros, Secretary
Mr. Lawrence Woods, Council Member
Saint Vladimir's Seminary Dean, Chancellor, call for
greater cooperation with Saint Tikhon's Seminary
CRESTWOOD, NY [OCA
Communications] -- As reported on the web site of Saint Vladimir's
Seminary, the Very Rev. Chad Hatfield, seminary chancellor, and the Very Rev.
John Behr, dean, have been engaged in informal talks with the faculty and
administration of Saint Tikhon's Seminary to "bring the two seminaries
into closer alignment and greater cooperation."
"We are very pleased to be having this open and
constructive dialogue about the future of Orthodox theological education in the
US," says Father John.
"We all, at Saint Vladimir's and Saint Tikhon's
Seminaries, want to provide the best preparation and foundation for our
seminarians so that they can make the best of their abilities and serve the
Church fully as good pastors and faithful church leaders," says Father
Chad. "We are one Church serving diverse cultures across a great
continent. We need to find ways in which STOTS and SVOTS can cooperate, so that
together we will give all seminarians the best that our schools offer. We need a
joint vision that embraces the strengths of both institutions -- unity and diversity,
pastoral and academic."
The article expresses the hope that, as the two seminaries
will find ways "to begin many projects that will benefit the faithful of
this land in addition to present and future seminarians." Areas of
cooperation, according to the article, include continuing education,
long-distance and online programs, late vocations and diaconal training
programs, programs directed toward the Oriental Orthodox, doctoral programs,
the training of teachers, etc.
"The possibilities that open
up when we begin to cooperate," said Fr John, "are truly inspiring
and visionary."
Α
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