THE VENERABLE POLYCARP

July 24

From the Prologue

Polycarp possessed "love toward God and his fellow men, joy because of an untainted conscience, peace because of victory over all passions, patience in time of temptation and misfortune, goodness in submission toward all, benevolence toward the poor, undoubting faith in fulfilling the commandments, truth in fulfilling his vows, meekness in not knowing anger, restraint and so forth." So well did he govern the Lavra of the Caves in Kiev that, after his death, a worthy successor among the monks could not be found (for those who were worthy did not want to accept the rank of abbot out of humility), so that the brethren were compelled to take Basil, a secular priest, as their abbot. St. Polycarp reposed in the Lord in the year 1182 A.D.

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT CHRISTINA

Glorious martyr, the virgin Christina,

Of the Son of God, chosen bride,

Had in her father, the worst enemy

By him, was she torn apart by iron.

Daughter, the gods, if you do not acknowledge,

My daughter, will I not call you any longer.

Thus, the father said to the daughter: And to that the daughter replied:

For that, with you will I never be angry

The servant of Christ I am and you the servant of Satan.

Neither father nor friend in you do I see.

Daughter do not call me, happy that makes me,

The Lord is my father. My sweetness He is.

Infuriated beast the servants, the father ordered,

Her flesh to scrap that he her bones see!

From the tender body, the flesh fell,

All wound next to wound, nowhere flesh intact,

The holy martyr, a hand full of flesh grabbed

And in the middle of the profane face, struck the father:

O odious Urban, my flesh here it is,

Here beast, eat flesh of your own child!

That night, from his body Urban departed

And in Hades with the devil he united his soul.

Christina suffered and her blood shed,

Heroically she resisted against the world of enemies

Virgin Christina, martyr wonderful,

With the glory of the Son of God, glorified herself.