The holy venerable martyr Dometius lived in Persia during the 4th century. In his youth he was converted to the Faith by a Christian named Uaros. Forsaking Persia, St. Dometius withdrew to the frontier city of Nisibis (in Mesopotamia), where he was baptized in one of the monasteries, and also received the monastic tonsure. Fleeing the ill-will of some of the monks, St. Dometius moved to the monastery of Saints Sergius and Bacchus in the city of Theodosiopolis. The monastery was under the guidance of an archimandrite named Urbelos, a strict ascetic. In this monastery St. Dometius was ordained a deacon, but when the archimandrite decided to have Dometius made a presbyter, the saint, considering himself unworthy, hid himself on a desolate mountain in Syria, in the region of Cyrrhus. Many pagans were brought to faith in Christ by St. Dometius. At one time, the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363) arrived in the area, found St. Dometius praying with his disciples in a cave, and walled them up alive inside.
Trained in asceticism on the mountain, you were able to defeat the assaults of the devil by the power of the Cross, O holy Dometius. With great courage, you faced the battle and crushed the hostile emperor with the sword of faith. O glorious monk and martyr, God crowned you for your asceticism and your good fight.
You once turned from perishable goods and earthly thoughts which destroy. You became an inspiration for monks, O father Dometius, and you did not shake before the anger of the king who tried to turn you away from honoring Christ. You were killed for your valiant stand; and we sing a hymn of praise to your honor, remembering your death song: God is with me, and no one can prevail against me.
2 Corinthians 4: 13-18
Brothers and sisters: We have that spirit of faith of which the Scripture says, “Because I believed, I spoke out.” We believe and so we speak, knowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up along with Jesus and place both us and you in his presence. Indeed, everything is ordered for your benefit, so that the grace bestowed in abundance may bring greater glory to God because they who give thanks are many.
We do not lose heart, because our inner being is renewed each day even though our body is being destroyed at the same time. The present burden of our trial is light enough, and earns for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. We do not fix our gaze on what is seen but on what is unseen. What is seen is transitory; what is unseen lasts forever.
Matthew 24: 27-33, 42-51
The Lord said: “As lightning from the east flashes to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Where the carcass lies, there the vultures gather. Immediately after the stress of that period, ‘the sun will be darkened, the moon will not shed her light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the hosts of heaven will be shaken loose.’ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and ‘all the clans of the earth will strike their breasts’ as they see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory. He will dispatch his angels ‘with a mighty trumpet blast, and they will assemble his chosen from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.’ From the fig tree learn a lesson. When its branch grows tender and sprouts leaves, you realize summer is near. Likewise, when you see all these things happening, you will know that he is near, standing at your door.
“Stay awake, therefore! You cannot know the day your Lord is coming. Be sure of this: if the owner of the house knew when the thief was coming he would keep a watchful eye and not allow his house to be broken into. You must be prepared in the same way. The Son of Man is coming at the time you least expect. Who is the faithful, farsighted servant whom the master has put in charge of his household to dispense food at need? Happy the servant whom his master discovers at work on his return! I assure you, he will put him in charge of his property. But if the servant is worthless and tells himself, ‘My master is a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, to eat and drink with drunkards, that man’s master will return when he is not ready and least expects him. He will punish him severely and settle with him as is done with hypocrites. There will be wailing then and grinding of teeth.”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Thursday, August 6 –
