SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2024

Twenty-first Sunday After Pentecost

The angels of God were celebrated by men from earliest times but this celebration was often turned into the divinization of angels (II Kings 23:5). The heretics wove all sorts of fables concerning the angels. Some of them looked upon angels as gods; others, although they did not consider them gods, called them the creators of the whole visible world. The local Council of Laodicea (four or five years before the First Ecumenical Council) rejected the worship of angels as gods and established the proper veneration of angels in its Thirty-fifth Canon. In the fourth century, during the time of Sylvester, Pope of Rome, and Alexander, Patriarch of Alexandria, the present Feast of Archangel Michael and all the other heavenly powers was instituted for celebration in the month of November. Why precisely in November? Because November is the ninth month after March, and March is considered to be the month in which the world was created. Also, as the ninth month after March, November was chosen for the nine orders of angels who were created first. St. Dionysius the Areopagite, a disciple of the Apostle Paul (who was taken up into the third heaven), described these nine orders of angels in his book, On the Celestial Hierarchies, as follows: six-winged Seraphim, many-eyed Cherubim, God-bearing Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. The leader of all the angelic hosts is the Archangel Michael. When Satan, Lucifer, fell away from God and drew a part of the angels with him to destruction, then Michael stood up and cried out before the faithful angels: ``Let us attend! Let us stand aright! Let us stand with fear!'' and all of the faithful angelic heavenly hosts cried out: ``Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God of Sabaoth! Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory!'' Concerning the Archangel Michael, see Joshua 5:13-15 and Jude 1:9. Among the angels there reign perfect oneness of mind, oneness of soul, and love. The lower orders also show complete obedience to the higher orders, and all of them together to the holy will of God. Every nation has its guardian angel, as does every Christian. We must always remember that whatever we do, in open or in secret, we do in the presence of our guardian angel. On the day of the Dread Judgment, the multitude of the hosts of the holy angels of heaven will gather around the throne of Christ, and the deeds, words, and thoughts of every man will be revealed before all. May God have mercy on us and save us by the prayers of the Archangel Michael and all the bodiless heavenly powers. Amen.

THE READING FROM THE EPISTLE OF THE ST. AP PAUL TO THE GALATIANS (2: 16-20)

Brethren, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

THE GOSPEL READING FROM SAINT LUKE (8: 5-15)

The Lord told this parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Then His disciples asked Him, saying, “What does this parable mean?” And He said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”

A miracle of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica: Demetrius was a commander of Thessalonica during his life and remained so after his repose. People have felt his presence in Thessalonica, especially in times of great calamities. He protects the city, wards off misfortunes, repels invaders, and helps all who invoke his name. Here is a wonderful example of his unusual aid to people in need. Once, the barbarians attacked Thessalonica and were unable to overtake it. Infuriated at this, they pillaged the countryside and bound and carried off two beautiful maidens whom they gave as a gift to their prince. These maidens knew how to embroider well. When the prince saw their handiwork, he said to them: ``I hear that there is a great god in your land, Demetrius, and that he works great miracles. Embroider his face on this linen.'' The maidens told him that St. Demetrius was not a god but rather God's servant and the helper of Christians. At first, they refused to embroider the face of the saint, but when the prince threatened them with death, they carried out the command and completed the task by St. Demetrius's Day. On the eve of the feast, they looked at their embroidery and wept sorrowfully, as they had to spend the feast day in slavery and had to give that embroidered image of their beloved saint to an impious barbarian. Both maidens prayed to St. Demetrius to forgive them. Then St. Demetrius appeared to them and took them both away, as an angel had once taken the Prophet Habakkuk. He brought them to Thessalonica and set them in his church. A solemn all-night vigil was being celebrated, and many people were there. When they learned of the miraculous rescue of these Christian maidens, all glorified God and St. Demetrius, His great servant and commander.

ЧИТАЊЕ ИЗ ПОСЛАНИЦЕ ГАЛАТИМА СВ. АПОСТОЛА ПАВЛА (2,16-20)

Браћо, дознавши да се човек неће оправдати делима закона, него само вером Исуса Христа, и ми веровасмо Христа Исуса да се оправдамо вером Христовом, а не делима закона: јер се делима закона никакво тело неће оправдати. Ако ли се ми који тражимо да се оправдамо Христом, нађосмо и сами грешници, дакле је Христос греху слуга? Боже сачувај! Јер ако опет зидам оно што развалих, показујем се да сам преступник. Јер ја законом закону умрех да Богу живим; с Христом се разапех. А ја више не живим, него живи у мени Христос. А што сад живим у телу, живим вером Сина Божјег, коме омилех, и предаде себе за мене.

Читање светог Јеванђеља по Луки (8,5-15)

Рече Исус причу ову, изиђе сејач да сеје семе своје; и кад сејаше, једно паде крај пута, и погази се, и птице небеске позобаше га, А друго паде на камен, и изникавши осуши се, јер немаше влаге. И друго паде у трње, и узрасте трње, и удави га. А друго паде на земљу добру, и изникавши донесе род сто пута онолико. Говорећи ово повика: Ко има уши да чује нека чује. А ученици Његови питаху Га говорећи: Шта значи прича ова? А Он рече: Вама је дано да знате тајне царства Божијег; а осталима у причама, да гледајући не виде, и чујући не разумеју. А прича ова значи: Семе је реч Божија. А које је крај пута то су они који слушају, али потом долази ђаво, и узима реч из срца њиховог, да не верују и да се не спасу. А које је на камену то су они који кад чују с радости примају реч; и ови корена немају који за неко време верују, а кад дође време кушања отпадну. А које у трње паде, то су они који слушају, и отишавши, од бриге и богатства и сласти овог живота загуше се, и род не сазри. А које је на доброј земљи то су они који реч слушају, и у добром и чистом срцу држе, и род доносе у трпљењу. Ово говорећи повика: Ко има уши да чује нека чује.

РАСУЂИВАЊЕ Чудо св. Димитрија Солунског. Св. Димитрије био је за живота војвода Солунски, и остао је то по смрти. Његово присуство у Солуну људи су осећали нарочито приликом великих беда. Он заштићава град, отклања невоље, одбија завојеваче, и помаже свакоме ко његово име призове. Ево једног дивног случаја његове необичне помоћи људима у беди. Једном нападоше варвари на Солун, и не могоше га узети. Гневни због тога они попленише сву околину, и одведоше у ропство две красне девојке, које дароваше своме кнезу. А девојке те знадоше добро рукама да везу. Када кнез виде неке њихове ручне радове, рече им: „чујем да у вашој земљи има велики Бог Димитрије, и он велика чудеса твори, извезите на платну лик његов". Девојке му рекоше, да св. Димитрије није Бог него слуга Божји и помоћник хришћанима, и најпре се опираху да везу лик светитељев, но када им кнез припрети смрћу, оне заповеђено учинише, и посао до дана св. Димитрија завршише. Уочи дана празника, дакле, оне обе гледаху у свој вез и плакаху тугујући једно због тога што тај празник проводе у ропству, а друго због тога што везени лик свога омиљеног светитеља морају да даду нечестивом варварину. И мољаху се обе девице св. Димитрију, да им опрости. Тада се јави св. Димитрије, и узе обе девојке, као негда ангел пророка Авакума, пренесе их у Солун и постави у своју цркву. У цркви се служаше свеноћно бденије, и народа беше врло много. И сазнавши за чудесно спасење ових хришћанских девојака, сви прославише Бога и Његовог великог слугу и војводу св. Димитрија.