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Orthodox Calendar for 14 December 2003
The Holy Prophet Nahum
He belonged to the tribe of Simeon and came from the place called
Elkosh, on the other side of the Jordan. He lived 700 hundred years
before Christ. Two hundred years after the prophet Jonah, he
prophesied the destruction of the city of Nineveh. The prophecy of
Johan led the citizens of Nineveh to repent and the Lord spared them
and did not perish them. Yet, in time they forgot the mercy of God
and returned to their sinful ways of life. The holy prophet Nahum
foretold their ruin. So, as they did not repent, they were not
spared. The whole city was completely ruined in earthquakes, floods
and fire, so that at the end one could not even tell the place where
it had been. Saint Nahum lived for forty five years and fell asleep
in the Lord leaving behind him the small book with his true
prophesies.
Saint Philaret the Merciful
Saint Philaret came from the town of Amnia in Paphlagonia. At first
Philaret was a very wealthy man, but distributing his property to the
poor his wealth was greatly reduced. He did not frighten facing
poverty, but with hope in God, Who said:" Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy "he continued to perform errands of mercy
not paying attention to the disapproval of his wife and children. One
day, while he was ploughing his land, a man came to him and
complained that his ox had died and that he could not continue his
work with only one ox. Philaret gave him one of his two oxen. He gave
his last horse to a man that was summoned to join the cavalry in the
war. He gave the calf of his last caw to a man, and when he noticed
that the caw was bewailing the separation from her calf, he called
the man back and gave him the caw as well. So, the aged Philaret
ended up without food in the empty house. Yet, he prayed to God and
in God he hoped. And God did not leave the righteous man to hope in
vain. At that time reined the Empress Irene with her young son
Constantine. According to the tradition of the time, the Empress sent
her emissaries throughout the Empire to seek the fairest maiden of
good family whom the young ruler would marry. By divine providence
the emissaries came to the house of Philaret and spotted his grand-
daughter Mary, the daughter of his daughter Ipatia, a meek and
beautiful maiden, and took her to Constantinople. The Emperor liked
the maiden and took her to be his wife, while he summoned Philaret
with all his family to live at the capital and granted him a high
rank and great riches. Philaret did not let the unexpected turn of
events go to his head, but giving thanks to God went on giving alms
much more than he used to. And he did this till the day he died. When
he was ninety years of age, he assembled his children to bless them
and counselled them to live their lives devoted to God and to obey
His law and in his discerning spirit, like Jacob before, he foretold
them all what would happen in their lives. Then he set off to the
Monastery of Rodolpheia where he gave up his soul to God. Before he
died his face became radiant as the sun and after his death his body
spread forth unusual sweet-smelling scent and his holy relics worked
many miracles. This righteous man of God departed this world in the
year 797. His wife Theozua, together with all his children and grand-
children lived their lives devoted to God and died in peace.
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