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Monday, June 17, 2019

A Warning from Persia’s Past


In the lives of the Holy Martyrs of Persia Manuel, Sabel, and Ismael (commemorated 17 June), the following is related:

      The Holy Martyrs Manuel, Sabel and Ismael, brothers by birth, were descended from an illustrious Persian lineage. Their father was a pagan, but their mother was a Christian, who baptised the children and raised them with firm faith in Christ the Saviour. Having grown into adults, the brothers entered military service. Speaking on behalf of the Persian emperor Alamundar, they were his emissaries in the concluding of a peace treaty with the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363). Julian received them with due honour and showed them his favour. But when the brothers refused to take part in a pagan sacrificial offering, Julian became angry, and annulling the treaty, he locked up the peace emissaries of a foreign country in prison, like common criminals. At the interrogation he told them, that if they scorned the gods worshipped by him, it would be impossible to reach any peace or accord between the two sides. The holy brothers answered that they were sent as emissaries of their emperor on matters of state, and not arguments about gods. Seeing the firmness of faith of the holy brothers, the emperor gave orders to subject them to fierce tortures. They suspended the holy martyrs, having nailed their hands and feet to wood, at their heads they thrust nails, and under their finger-nails and toe-nails they wedged sharp needles. During this time of torment the saints, as though not feeling the tortures, glorified God and prayed. Finally, they beheaded they holy martyrs. Julian ordered their bodies to be burned. But suddenly there occurred an earthquake, and the ground opened up and took the bodies of the holy martyrs into its bosom. After two days, following upon the fervent prayers of Christians, the earth returned the bodies of the holy brothers, from which issued forth a fragrance. Many pagans, having witnessed the miracle, came to believe in Christ and were baptised. Christian reverently buried the bodies of the holy Martyrs Manuel, Sabel and Ismael. This occurred in the year 362. And since that time the relics of the holy passion-bearers have been glorified with wonderworking.
      Having learned about the murder of his emissaries, and that the law-transgressor Julian was marching against him with a numerous army, the Persian emperor Alamundar gathered up his army and started off towards the border of his domain. In a large battle the Persians vanquished the Greeks. Julian the Apostate was killed by the holy GreatMartyr Mercurius (Mercury, Comm. 24 November).
      Thirty years later the pious emperor Theodosius the Great (+ 397) built at Constantinople a church in honour of the holy martyrs, and Sainted Germanos, Patriarch of Constantinople (Comm. 12 May), then still a priestmonk, wrote a canon in memory and in praise of the holy brothers.


It is striking how history is repeating itself.  Pres Trump is playing the part of Julian the Apostate by acting in a lawless manner, breaking a treaty and acting aggressively toward Persia/Iran without just cause.  We do not wish any evil to befall either Mr Trump or anyone else in the States (or the Iranian people), as happened to Emperor Julian and his soldiers, so we pray he will cease his provocations toward Iran.

One may also forgive Iran for not rushing to embrace the ‘freedom’ of the Holy American Republic and the rest of the post-Orthodox West; it is nothing but an invitation to debauched living.  Georgia and other Orthodox countries are learning this the hard way:

Two events were held simultaneously on Friday evening in front of the government administration building in Tbilisi, one led by LGBT activists and the other by defenders of the traditional family and traditional values, on the eve of the first Tbilisi Pride event scheduled for June 18-23.

The two sides were divided by a cordon of police, reports Interfax-Religion.

Georgia is a deeply traditional country, with more than 80% of the population belonging to the Orthodox Church, and the battle between traditional, Orthodox values and more liberal, secularized values is being prompted and aggravated not only by the nation’s LGBT community, but by the great Western powers, Archpriest David Isakadze, and others, believes.

“It is clearly evident who is controlling the processes in Georgia,” Fr. David said. “We truly want to be an independent country, not in word, but in deed. The U.S. authorities, in the person of the ambassador [Elizabeth Rood—O.C.] directly interfere in our internal affairs. She wants to control the processes here and exacerbate the situation, knocking people against one another,” Fr. David explained, noting that he and those of like mind are prepared to demand that the U.S. withdraw its acting ambassador if she does not immediately appeal to the participants in the LGBT event to disband.

The Georgian Patriarchate issued a statement on Friday, calling on the authorities to prevent the event, citing the divisions it causes in the traditional society that largely stands against the sinful nature of the LGBT lifestyle. At the same time, the Church declared that there must be no violence surrounding the events.

The interference is not limited to the U.S., of course. The Messenger Online recently interviewed Johannes Kahrs, the head of the Germany-South Caucasus Friendship Group of the German Parliament, who spoke about his nation’s active work in Georgia promoting Tbilisi Pride.

Asked what has changed in Georgia over the years, Kahrs responds: “I think people are getting more and more open, it’s something we didn't see before. This time we lobbied a lot with the head of your parliament and our colleagues, as well as with everyone we've met to give the upcoming Pride a chance in June.”

He further notes that he attended the first Pride events in Romania and Bulgaria and that a colleague attended the first event in Kiev. The first event “is always awful,” he says, but after 4 or 5 years “it gets normalized.”

“[Pride] is always good for the spirit of the city, because it’s a sign that the city is getting more liberal and accepting. It will certainly change the city. Some people might hate this change, but, in the long run, Tbilisi will profit from it. When it gets more liberal, more colorful, more open it is usually a good thing,” Kahrs claims.

 . . .


May God deliver, Iran, Georgia, the South, and the whole world from Washington City’s evil rule.

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Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!

Anathema to the Union!

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