Eastern Rite - Feasts of 14 February AM 7530

Today is the Feasts of the Repose of Our Venerable Father Constantine the Philosopher, in the Monastic Life, Cyril, Equal of the Apostles and Enlightener of the Slavs, of Our Venerable Father Auxentius, and of the Venerable Maron the Wonderworker and Hermit.

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Saint Cyril, Equal of the Apostles, Teacher of the Slavs (Constantine in the schema), and his older brother Methodius (April 6), were Slavs, born in Macedonia in the city of Thessalonica.

Saint Cyril received the finest of educations, and from the age of fourteen, he was raised with the son of the emperor. Later, he was ordained as a priest. Upon his return to Constantinople, he worked as a librarian of the cathedral church, and as a professor of philosophy. Saint Cyril successfully held debates with iconoclast heretics and with Moslems.

Yearning for solitude, he went to Mount Olympos to his older brother Methodius, but his solitude lasted only a short while. Both brothers were sent by the emperor Michael on a missionary journey to preach Christianity to the Khazars in the year 857. Along the way, they stopped at Cherson and discovered the relics of the Hieromartyr Clement of Rome (November 25).

Arriving at the territory of the Khazars, the holy brothers spoke with them about the Christian Faith. Persuaded by the preaching of Saint Cyril, the Khazar prince together with all his people accepted Christianity. The grateful prince wanted to reward the preachers with rich presents, but they refused this and instead asked the prince to free and send home with them all the Greek captives. Saint Cyril returned to Constantinople together with 200 such captives set free.

In the year 862 began the chief exploit of the holy brothers. At the request of Prince Rostislav, the emperor sent them to Moravia to preach Christianity in the Slavic language. Saints Cyril and Methodius by a revelation from God compiled a Slavonic alphabet and translated the Gospel, Epistles, the Psalter and many Service books into the Slavonic language. They introduced divine services in Slavonic.

The holy brothers were then summoned to Rome at the invitation of the Roman Pope. Pope Adrian received them with great honour since they brought with them the relics of the Hieromartyr Clement. Sickly by nature and in poor health, Saint Cyril soon fell ill from his many labours, and after taking the schema, he died in the year 869 at the age of forty-two. Before his death, he expressed his wish for his brother to continue the Christian enlightenment of the Slavs. Saint Cyril was buried in the Roman church of Saint Clement, whose own relics also rest there, brought to Italy from Cherson by the Enlighteners of the Slavs.

Troparion — Tone 4

Wisdom was your sister from birth; / you loved her, O voice of God, as a pure virgin / who adorned your soul and mind as a precious jewel, / so revealing you, O blessed man, to be another Cyril: / Wise in name and understanding!

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Saint Auxentius, by origin a Syrian, served at the court of the emperor Theodosius the Younger (418-450). He was known as a virtuous, learned and wise man, and he was, moreover, a friend of many of the pious men of his era.

Distressed by worldly vanity, Saint Auxentius was ordained to the holy priesthood and then received monastic tonsure. After this, he went to Bithynia and found a solitary place on Mount Oxia, not far from Chalcedon, and there he began the life of a hermit (This mountain was afterwards called Mt. Auxentius). The place of the saint’s efforts was discovered by shepherds seeking their lost sheep. They told others about him, and people began to come to him for healing. Saint Auxentius healed many of the sick and the infirm in the name of the Lord.

In the year 451 Saint Auxentius was invited to the Fourth Ecumenical Council at Chalcedon, where he denounced the Eutychian and Nestorian heresies. Familiar with Holy Scripture and learned in theology, Saint Auxentius easily bested those opponents who disputed with him. After the end of the Council, Saint Auxentius returned to his solitary cell on the mountain. With his spiritual sight, he saw the repose of Saint Simeon the Stylite (459) from a great distance.

Saint Auxentius died about the year 470, leaving behind him disciples and many monasteries in the region of Bithynia. He was buried in the Monastery of Saint Hypatius at Rufiananas, Syria.

Troparion — Tone 1

(Podoben: “When the stone had been sealed...”)
O citizen of the desert and angel in the body, / you were shown to be a wonderworker, our God-bearing Father Auxentios; / through fasting, vigil, and prayer, you received heavenly gifts, / healing the sick, and the souls of those who run to you with faith. / Glory to Him Who strengthened you. / Glory to Him Who crowned you. / Glory to Him Who, through you, works healing for all!

Kontakion — Tone 6

Delighting in abstinence, O divinely wise one, / since you curbed the desires of the flesh, / your faith was seen to increase; / and you blossomed as a plant in the midst of Paradise, / most sacred Father Auxentios,

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Saint Maron was born in the fourth century near the city of Cyrrhus in Syria. He spent almost all his time beneath the open sky in prayer, vigil, ascetical works and strict fasting. He obtained from God the gift of healing the sick and casting out demons. He counselled those who turned to him for advice to be temperate, to be concerned for their salvation, and to guard against avarice and anger.

Saint Maron, a friend of Saint John Chrysostom, died before 423 at an advanced age.

Some of Saint Maron’s disciples were James the Hermit (November 26), Limnius (February 23), and Domnina (March 1). Saint Maron founded many monasteries around Cyrrhus and converted a pagan temple near Antioch into a Christian church.

Troparion — Tone 8

By a flood of tears, you made the desert fertile, / and your longing for God brought forth fruits in abundance. / By the radiance of miracles you illumined the whole universe! / O our holy father Maron, pray to Christ our God to save our souls!