THE COMING MONTH, 2

The holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew (16th / 29th), who along with St John the Theologian is the only Apostle to be counted among the Twelve and to be an Evangelist (the writer of one of the four Gospels). Much of his early discipleship, including his calling, is recorded in the Gospels. After the Day of Pentecost he continued to preach Christ among the Jews. Some eight years later, he set down his Gospel, writing in Aramaic. This is the only book in the New Testament not to have been written originally in Greek. However, it was then translated into Greek by Saint James, the Brother of God and first Bishop of Jerusalem, and it is from this version that it is known to us, because the original Aramaic version has been lost. St Matthew later preached in Parthia and reached the city of Hierapolis on his missionary journey. St Symeon Metaphrastes reports that here, having converted many of the people and being now well stricken in age, he died in peace. However, another tradition, reported by Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos, says that he retired to a period to live in silence, and that the Saviour appeared to him giving him a rod which He instructed him to plant in the city of Myrmena. He journeyed to this place and was received by the Bishop Plato. As soon as he planted the rod, it grew into a delightful tree, laden with delicious fruits from which nectar fell. Nearby a spring of water welled up, and those who bathed therein were healed of their infirmities and their passions. Through this, many more people were converted, although the king of that place did not convert and had the Apostle arrested and tortured. He died as a martyr, being burned at the stake. However, miracles were worked through his sacred relics and his prayers for the king continued. At the last, the king, whose name was Fulvianus, converted and was baptised taking the name Matthew. On the death of the Bishop Plato some time later, the King himself was consecrated to be Bishop and continued the ministry of the holy Apostle, whom he had martyred, in bringing his people to Christ. He also is commemorated as a Saint and celebrates on this day. Some sources appear to locate the town of Myrmena in Parthia, but others indicate it was in Ethiopia.

The Venerable Antony of Iezer (23rd November / 6th December) was a great monastic father who lived in what is now Romania in the eighteenth century. He was a priest, and resolved to take up the monastic life. Such was his ardour that he soon surpassed the other monks in his ascetical practices. Desiring to live in stillness he thought to move to Mount Athos. His abbot blessed him to seek the Bishop’s permission to do this, but the Bishop seeing that he would bring innumerable blessings to his people forbade him to leave his native land. St Antony therefore retired instead to the Skete of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple at Iezer in the mountainous district of Vilcea. Here the church had fallen into ruin after being destroyed by a fire. The saint set about restoring it, and separating himself from the group of disciples whom he had gathered, he lived a little way away from the Skete in a small cave, where he could practice more perfect stillness and be in solitude. In this reclusion, he suffered many things from the demons, but he remained resolute. He lived a very austere life eating only a little bread after the ninth hour (3p.m.) and never lying down to sleep, but resting a little sitting upon a rock. Through these austerities he became bent double, but such was the grace he received that his prayer was unceasing and his tears flowed continuously. He spent twenty-eight years in his cave hermitage, and a fortnight before the event he was forewarned of his death. He summoned his disciple, Nicolas, and bade him lay him to rest in the grave he had prepared for himself near the entrance to his cave. He fell asleep in peace in the year 1742.