Dear brothers and sisters, today, in addition to the feast of the Conception of the Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord, John, which is well known to us from Holy Scripture, we commemorate the wondrous appearance of the Hawaiian Myrrh-Streaming Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.
For those of us living abroad, this is a special day, as this wonderworking icon has visited many of our churches in various dioceses, as well as countries throughout the world. It is well known that through this icon many Orthodox Christians have been healed of very serious illnesses.
I would like to remind all of you, brothers and sisters: if you have this icon in your prayer corner at home, or even a small printed reproduction of it, please read the troparion or a prayer to the Mother of God today. Venerate the icon, bring your petitions before the Most Holy Theotokos, and anoint yourselves with myrrh from a piece of cotton, if you have one. According to your faith, the Mother of God will grant you all that is necessary for the salvation of your soul.
On October 8 according to the new calendar, or September 25 according to the old calendar, we will also celebrate the feast of Venerable Sergius, the Wonderworker of Radonezh. In addition to the special celebration at the Holy Trinity–St. Sergius Lavra in the city of Sergiev Posad, our Synodal Cathedral will celebrate its patronal feast. The ascetic labors of Venerable Sergius are well known to all Orthodox Christians, and indeed to many others as well.
“Once, a young man set out in search of God. He erected a cross, built a simple dwelling, and began to pray. This was in the distant fourteenth century, when Byzantium, from which we had received baptism, had long been awaiting the end of the world. No one expected holiness to arise in our cold, recently baptized lands. Yet it shone forth.
“The mother of the future Sergius was devout. She fasted strictly on Wednesdays and Fridays. Although pregnancy did not relieve her of her household duties, she tried never to miss a church service. Her disposition was passed on to her son.”
And so, during the Divine Liturgy, at its most sacred moments—the reading of the Gospel, the singing of the Cherubic Hymn, and the exclamation “Holy things are for the holy”—the unborn child cried out.
The priest explained to the astonished parishioners that the little Forerunner, while still in Elizabeth’s womb, had sensed the nearness of Christ and leaped for joy…
The parishioners listened and thought to themselves: “What manner of child shall this be?” (Luke 1:66).
Later, as the young man grew toward “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13), his relationship with the world around him changed. Through many ascetic labors, he grew in spiritual stature, enduring the hardships and trials that are well known to us from his life.
“What matters most is that the life of the venerable saint was always centered within the Liturgy. His experience of this Service of services, and his celebration of it, may constitute one of the principal lessons of his life. We cannot imitate the Abba’s strict fasting, his many years of struggle with demons in the wilderness of the forest, his patience, and his many other ascetic labors. But we can—and must—attend divine services on Sundays and feast days, remain attentive during them, participate in the Mysteries of the Church, and respond with our hearts to the reading of the Gospel and the other sacred moments.”
O Venerable Father Sergius, pray to God for us!
+ Bishop Theodosy of Manhattan
Image Source:
-https://www.facebook.com/HawaiianIcon/posts/2026-visitation-of-the-wonderworking-hawaiian-myrrh-streaming-iveron-icon-to-the/1015374504214672/
-Holy Trinity Monastery’s Jordanville bookstore
