THE VENERABLES JOHN

May 13

From the Prologue

All four venerables were the founders of the famous Iberian [Georgian] monastery on the Holy Mt. Athos. At first, St. John lived a life of asceticism in the Lavra [Monastery] of Athanasius and, after that, founded his monastery, Iviron. John died in the year 998 A.D. Euthymius and George translated the Holy Scripture into the Georgian language. Euthymius died in the year 1029 A.D. and George died in 1066 A.D. Gabriel was found worthy to receive the miracle-performing Icon of the Mother of God which arrived at the monastery by way of the sea.

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT GLYCERIA

Glyceria: sacrifice to the gods!

Orders the mindless judge,

Or into the fire, to be consumed you must -

Glyceria ridicules the judge

God is one; "the gods" are demons

Who confuse your mind.

What kind of sacrifice, O mindless man? One sacrifice, was it not on Golgotha,

Awesome sacrifice, divine and bloody,

That abolished all bloody sacrifices?

One sacrifice, after that sacrifice,

One sacrifice, the Lord seeks from us:

A pure heart; a prayerful altar,

Clean hands; works of mercy,

Faith, hope and charity [love], devout

Such a sacrifice, I endeavor to offer

To the Living God, my Creator;

God, All-holy such a sacrifice desires,

Not a corpse, bloody and dead.




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