HOMILY 14 #

A Narrative of Archbishop Nektarios on Why We Commemorate the Holy Great Martyr Theodore the Recruit on the Saturday of the First Week of Lent

Come, faithful, and hear how Christ our God, who is good, did not leave us to be caught in the teeth of the raging evil one but, for our salvation, took flesh from the Most Pure Virgin, was crucified, was buried willingly—being impassible in His divinity—and rose from the dead and ascended in glory. Who is more merciful and compassionate than our God? For even a father, when his child disobeys, not only chastises but sometimes casts him away. And a master likewise punishes his servant with scourging, bonds, and hunger. Yet what has our God done for us? He created and honored us, but what good have we given Him in return? We have dishonored Him through envy and wrath, slander, and all manner of evil deeds and injustices. Yet He does not despise us but, forgiving all, awaits our repentance. But why speak at length? I shall begin to recount the glorious and great wonders of the Lord, which He works through His saints, as He has now performed this marvelous miracle through His holy martyr Theodore the Recruit.

Christ our God did not permit us to fall into the power of the enemy, nor did the wicked persecutor accomplish his desire. Now, therefore, let us understand the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: when the wrath of Julian the Apostate was kindled against our holy and precious Christian faith, this enemy of God sought every means to destroy the Christians and to show utter contempt for God. O, what a terrible calamity! Having abandoned God, he commanded honor to be given to idols. He gave no thought to how he might overcome his earthly adversaries but only how he might conquer the Christians. Many of the faithful suffered torments at the hands of this accursed one: their bellies were ripped open, their chests cut, they were frequently scourged, their eyes gouged out, their teeth torn out, their tongues cut off, their hands severed, their legs broken, their bodies burned with fire, and subjected to countless other cruel tortures—boiling cauldrons, iron spits, heated grids—these were his manifold instruments of torment. Yet even with all this, the Christian faith did not perish, but his wicked heart boiled over with yet greater rage.

The devil then put it into his mind not to kill or afflict anyone directly but to defile all the people of the city. When the sacred and divine days of the holy fast drew near, in which the faithful purify themselves through repentance for their sins, the wretched Julian summoned a governor who was of one mind with him and said: “Though I have tried many ways, I have not been able to force the Christians to accept my faith, and this greatly troubles me. But now, the gods have put a good thought in my heart: since the Christians especially honor this first week of the holy fast, I command that all food prepared for their nourishment be taken from the market and replaced with that which has been defiled by offerings to our gods. This will compel them to either eat of it or perish from hunger.”

Hearing this impious command from the godless emperor’s lips, the wicked governor rejoiced and said: “Now I see that your heart, O emperor, is in the hands of the gods; I shall quickly go forth and accomplish all that you have commanded.” But God, who created us, did not allow us to be defiled but preempted this wicked counsel of the lawless one. He revealed this impious plot to the patriarch Evdoxius by sending to him the great martyr Theodore. That very night, the martyr appeared before the patriarch and said to him: “O Patriarch! Quickly gather Christ’s flock and tell them not to buy anything from the market—neither food nor drink—for Julian the transgressor has ordered all to be defiled with offerings to idols.”

The patriarch then said to the saint: “How, Lord, can this be? For the rich may avoid the market for this one week, but the poor and the orphans must buy food daily.” The saint replied: “Prepare koliva and distribute it to them.” The patriarch asked: “What is koliva?” The martyr answered: “Boiled wheat—give it to them.” The patriarch then inquired: “Who are you, Lord?” The saint replied: “I am Theodore the Recruit, sent by God for your deliverance.” Having said this, the saint became invisible to him.

The patriarch, having heard these words, was filled with both awe and joy. That very night, he quickly summoned the bishops, abbots, priests, deacons, and a great multitude of the people and recounted to them the miracle that had been revealed to him by the holy martyr Theodore the Recruit. He then commanded the bishops and priests to announce it to the entire congregation that very night. And so, the faithful were informed. When that week had passed, and the apostate saw that his wicked scheme had failed, he ordered that the defiled food be removed from the market.

When the first Saturday of the holy fast arrived, the Orthodox cursed the wicked plot and sang a hymn of praise to Christ’s martyr Theodore, celebrating his honored feast. Therefore, it was established that every year on this day, we celebrate the feast of the glorious great martyr of Christ, Theodore the Recruit, on the first Saturday of Lent, in memory of this miracle. From then on, this week became known as “Theodore’s Week,” whereas before it had simply been called “the first week.”

But who can truly and worthily proclaim the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has delivered us so swiftly from the tyranny of the devil and the wicked plot of the accursed Julian? We, the Orthodox, shall glorify Christ’s martyr with hymns, saying: “O radiant light of the martyrs! O true gift of God! O protector and champion of the faithful, do not forget our poverty and wretchedness, but always intercede for us! As you once delivered the faithful from Julian’s evil schemes, so now deliver us from the destruction of our souls.”

To our God be glory, now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.