Only by the Grace of and only to the Glory of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, Unbegotten; God the Son, Onlybegotten; and God the Holy Spirit from the Father Proceeding: Celtic Orthodox Christian Monthly "If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." [Galatians 1:10]

Why does the world act as if  Christ’s Life, Death and Resurrection were not enough?   There is a constant insistance on sin that permeats our era which is intended to call Jesus’ saving actions into question.  Madmen following their mad god, actually demons, reject Christ and turn on their fellows like rabid dogs.

Yet God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were, are, and always will be with us.  They are eternal.  Christ is present in us by the Eucharist so that we may have eternal life with God.

Sadly, as on that first Good Friday and Easter, the nations are arrayed against God and those who accept him.  They attack the very sites of Christ’s Incarnation and Life among men. “But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them: thou shalt bring all the nations to nothing.”  Now, as on that day, long ago, their actions are futile.

They are impotent in their rage against the Almighty and Omnipotent God.  They may distract us by making us dispair that our goods, our family, and even our lives will be lost, but God is with us.

Understand, you unbelievers and idolaters of false gods, nations, and ideologies, and submit yourselves unto Him and join His family united by the Body and Blood of Christ, and be saved. Christ supplies the means.  His Life Death and Resurrection are enough to redeem, and renew all who accept Him.

May the Light of Christ's Resurrection bless and guide your lives now and always.

Ap-Ep Maelrúain, Céle Dé
Metropolitan
Abbot-Bishop of New Tallaght
and Archbishop of Armagh

1.  Consider our website as a learning resource, although you are welcome to use the prayers for daily use.  In this case, a traditional Byzantine Orthodox church is recommended to attend, as the theology is the closest to the early Christian attitudes as found in the Celtic traditions.  Therefore, it is best to find such a church, especially one of the “old calendar” variety which usually is more careful to follow the teachings of the Saints unchanged.  Please keep in touch with us, however, because your salvation is important to us, and we would like to know if your needs are met wherever you live.  You are not saved alone, but by God’s grace, and although this is a direct experience, the guidance, teaching, and Holy Sacraments of the Orthodox Christian Church is required.  Entering into the Christian Church is not a guarantee of “eternal security” (which is a heresy... otherwise Judas Iscariot would not have betrayed our Lord).  Rather, any involvement in the Christian faith means that a person is committing themselves to a lifetime of learning and growing spiritually.

2.  Even as somebody just beginning to learn about the Celtic Rite, there are ways to help it to grow.  We would appreciate our website being put on more search engines, etc.  Some links to our website would be welcome, if these are approved by our Bishops and would be a link to a site which does not promote incorrect innovations in Christian teachings.  If we live near you, we might visit.  (Keep reminding us please.)

3.  If you are interested in the intense training and other requirements for Ordination, it might be an option to start a parish.  In that case, please direct your inquiries to one of our Bishops.  For those who have had previous theological training, some of the study requirements may be passed by testing, although there are some strict requirements as well.  Although our website has
constant inquiries from those who are looking for a parish, actually starting a parish requires much time, dedication, and care; dedication to God and to the people in the parish.

It is impossible to be saved outside of the traditional Orthodox Christian Church, which has all the teachings of Jesus and the Holy Apostles, as well as the divine gifts of the Holy Mysteries which  Christ gave to us.  Anybody may put the title “Christian” on their teachings, but the term originally meant “little Christ,” and implied that such a person had the particular teachings of Christ and the Holy Apostles, not newer innovations or “heresies” which might lead a person away from the truth.  The  theology (teachings about God the Word) of the Celtic Christians is as important as the prayer life and Liturgics.  Too often, this theology is overlooked or glossed over by modern Seminary programs.  If you look up the magazine archives on our website (at Yahoo), look under the magazine installments for June, July, and August of 2001.  (Also see this month’s Saints below.)  Some of the most important of the early Saints are listed in these articles; Saints who were important as writers in the church.  Their ideas were well expressed, although they could be lengthy.  They knew several languages.  The analysis of the Beatitudes by St. John Chrysostom, for example, assumed an understanding of the Aramaic language.  This is not surprising, because although St. John Chrysostom spoke Greek, he grew up in Antioch, where Syriac (eastern Aramaic) was commonly known and spoken.  St. John Chrysostom was one of many Saints who have revealed Scripture, guided us in our faith and direction.  These Saints studied with monks who remembered the teachings and practices of the church back to the time of St. Mark the Evangelist, who founded the first Christian Seminary in Egypt.  These Saints did not invent any new doctrine, but they passed on the teachings they had heard from the Holy Apostles.  The early Celtic Christians such as St. Patrick studied directly with monks who had studied with the desert fathers of Egypt, St. John Chrysostom, and others, in a continuous “chain of charity” which connected them with our Lord Jesus Christ.

How can my church enter into Communion with the Celtic Orthodox Christian Church?
If the hierarchs of your church accept our Our Bishops' Statement of Faith (http://celticchristianity.org/horosm.html), then intercommunion might be a possibility. If they do not follow the Christian Faith, it should be a matter of concern to you.

My church started following Orthodox belief and practice, is that sufficient?
The Heavens rejoice when the hierarchs, clergy and the laity of a non-Orthodox church truly accept the Faith of Christ's Undivided Church.  If such is the case, to complete the change, we will provide guidance as needed and ordain your hierarchs and clergy as Orthodox clergy for your church and its specific Orthodox practices and rule of life.  Your church then will truly be part of the Body of Christ.

Saint Irenaeus of Lyons wrote in the Second Century that only the combination of fidelity to the Christian Faith and the succession of Grace in the Apostolic succession of Bishops is sufficient for a church to be a member of the Body of Christ. That is the view of the Undivided Church. The Church is a community of common belief and Grace.

Why do we ask the Saints for their Aid?
The Saints are those who have acted in synergia (cooperation) to such a degree that they have become living icons of Christ, true Christianoi, "little Christs", truly recipients of Theosis. That is one reason for their veneration and recitation of their virtues, as in the Akathist to the Theotokos or the Litany of St. Brogan. True worship is appropriate to God alone.

God became man in part for the sake of allowing human frailty to approach God. The publication of the attributes of the Saints are to further insure that approachability and assure us of the possibility of human Salvation.

Christ is the Lord of our salvation. The Saints are guides through both the examples of their lives and the Divine energies which they reflect through their cooperation (synergia) with God.

Some say a church may consist of oneself and God, but the Church is the Community of Saints. Faulty people pray for one another.  How much more pleasing to God is  the prayer of one He has found worthy of being a means of revelation of His Glory in healings, wonders or Theologia?  Therefore we ask such people, the Saints, for their aid.

It is odd that people question this, but errors are growing in popularity because of many Orthodox jurisdictions fail to properly instruct laity and clergy in this important subject.   As a result some Orthodox preach the protestant belief that the Saints have nothing to do with our Salvation.  Their failure becomes an excuse to teach ideas which thoroughly ignore and reject the Saints. The Saints are not present in the flesh, but like our fellow worshippers who are still present in the flesh, they are our helpers in our Christian life.  To reject the Saints is to reject Christ Who sent them.  We must not let this happen.

This year, the greatest of the Christian Feasts, the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, falls on the old calendar date of April 22^rd, new calendar date Sunday May 5^th. This is the greatest day of the year, and is the day we break our long fast. In the Celtic Rite this fast from meat may be as long as eighty days, from the day after the Epiphany, "Jesus' fast," through Lent. An old tradition of the "Easter basket" was that some people brought a basket of foods that break the fast into the church to be blessed and shared with others or given to the poor, such as meats, cheese, eggs, etc. Sometimes butter was shaped into lambs, and later other sweets or cakes were made into lamb shapes. A Protestant writer, Beatrix Potter, made the "bunny" popular, but originally the lamb was the preferred symbol, as the symbol of both the Old Testament offering at the Passover, and also the New Testament perfect offering of our Lord Jesus Christ. In some churches a light meal is offered after the Divine Liturgy, late at night, consisting of olives, some lunch meats, cheese, some bread and wine. In other churches, there are endless toasts, and more complex fruit and nut breads are brought as well as meats and cheeses. There is no "special" meat, although roast lamb is traditional in some places. In any case, it is a time to share joy with others. (But, please, do not turn this day into a commercial holiday... a little fun with Easter baskets is fine, but loads of toys will distract children from the importance of the Resurrection.) Many times is said, "Christ is Risen!" and the answer returns, "He is Truly Risen!" This is said in as many languages as possible.

The movable calendar based on the Sunday of the Resurrection has much more importance than the calendar of fixed dates. For forty days after the Resurrection of our Lord, we are in the period of Paschaltide. After that is the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ into Heaven on Thursday, forty days after His Resurrection. At the beginning of the week of the Ascension, the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday just before the Ascension, are the traditional "Rogations," which means prayers said while walking from shrine to shrine. These prayers are also in the Breviary. The readings for the Rogations are long, because it is assumed that the shrines or relics of Saints are in different churches at some distance from each other, and that entire congregations will participate in these pilgrimages while reading and singing hymns. The Breviary has some suggestions of some different ways to arrange such an event. Due to working conditions in modern times, this event may be abbreviated to Sunday afternoon or the evenings of the other days, but some of it should be done as much as possible.

The first week of Paschaltide, known as "Bright Week" in the Byzantine Rite, is also called the "Octave" (first eight days) of the Resurrection. It is confusing, but the Sunday after the Resurrection is called in the Celtic Rite "the Close of Easter." This does not mean that the season of Paschaltide is over, but the daily readings and feasting associated with the Resurrection come to a close. (See the Breviary for readings associated with Holy and Great Friday, Holy Saturday, some of the readings of the Resurrection, and Lection readings throughout the season of Paschaltide. The Gospel of Matins is affected by this season.) The Sunday called "the Close of Easter" is sometimes called "Low Sunday" or "St. Thomas Sunday." It is not a very "low" Sunday; only in comparison to the Feast of the Resurrection. Among some groups, such as the Russians, there are some customs associated with this day such as visiting graves of relatives with a joyful giving of eggs, which are buried at the grave site. It is also nice to offer a lunch at church with honey, fish, etc., remembering the foods eaten by the Lord with the Apostles after the Resurrection (St. Luke 24:42). After the first Sunday after the Resurrection, the "Close of Easter," fasts on Fridays, Wednesdays, and for the Cele De, Mondays as well, resume. Although Paschaltide is a time of great joy, there is still a remembrance that we must prepare ourselves through fasting on some days. The Rogation days in the beginning of the last week of Paschaltide, just before the Ascension, are also fast days.

Paschaltide
Propers for Easter and Paschaltide include the Vigil and Mass of the Resurrection, the Dawn Mass of the Resurrection, Bright Week, and the rest of Paschaltide. Readings for the Vigil Mass and the Dawn Mass of Easter are not given here because they are long, and, even though they use some Collects for the Hours, these are special Collects for Easter, and the rest of the Hours and Mass are not in the usual order. The readings for other Masses in Paschaltide are given here because in Paschaltide the Gospel of the day is also done in the Hour of Matins, instead of doing the Matins Resurrection Gospel cycle of ten weeks. The readings in the Masses are given to show more commentary on the Matins Gospel. The Proper Collects have much more information, and are necessary in the Masses.
 

The Psalm of the Resurrection for the Gradual, described by St. Columba of Luxeiul and Bobbio, is Psalm 65 according to Greek and Latin numbering, or Psalm 66 according to Hebrew numbering ("Shout with joy to God, all the earth, sing ye a psalm to His Name; give glory to His praise..."). Psalm 150 may also be used at the Resurrection for the Alleluia, as well as the Irish "Trisagion" from Matins and other appropriate Matins hymns (written out in full for clergy and congregations of the Celtic Orthdoox Christian Church in the Liturgy of the Resurrection). Psalm 65 Greek numbering is repeated through the Octave. The other Lections through the Octave change, however:
 

Abbreviations:
OT: Old Testament or in place of the Old Testament reading.
E: Epistle, General Epistle, Book of Acts, or in place of the Epistle.
G: Holy Gospel, or in place of the Holy Gospel.
Apoc.: Apocalypse, also called The Revelation of St. John the Divine.
(During this entire season, the Matins Gospel is the same as the Gospel of the Mass.)

Monday of Easter
Matins Gospel: St. Mark 15:47 - 16:11
Mass: OT: Apoc.1:14-2:7; E: Acts 2:14-40; G: St. Mark 15:47-16:11.

Easter Tuesday
Matins Gospel: St. Mark 16:12-20
Mass: OT: Apoc. 2:8-17; E: Acts 1:15-26; G: St. Mark 16:12-20.

Easter Wednesday
Matins Gospel: St. John 11:1-45
Mass: OT: Apoc 5:1-13; E: I Cor. 15:47-48; G: St. John 11:1-45.

Easter Thursday
Matins Gospel: St. John 20:1-9
Mass: OT: Apoc 14:1-7; E: Acts 3:1-19; G: St. John 20:1-9.

Easter Friday
Matins Gospel: St. John 20:11-18
Mass: OT: Apoc 19:5-16; E: Act 5:17-41; G: St. John 20:11-18.

Easter Saturday
Matins Gospel: St. John 21:1-14
Mass: OT: Apoc 21:1-8; E: I Cor 15,31-45; G: St. John 21:1-14.

In the Celtic Rite, the Gradual and Alleluia for Sunday of the First Sunday after the Resurrection, the "Close of Easter," is just before the "Song of the Three Youths" from the Book of Daniel 3:1-45 (in a complete Old Testament, not a modern King James reduction which abridges this important section). This Gradual is recorded in the Lectionary of Luxeiul.

Close of Easter (Octave of Easter, St. Thomas Sunday, "Second Easter.")
Matins Gospel: St. John 20:19-31
Mass: OT: Is 61:1-7; E: I Cor. 15:12-28; Gradual: Dan 3:1-45;
G: St. John 20:19-31.

On the Second Sunday after the Resurrection, the Psalm order continues with Psalm 66 Greek numbering ("May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may He cause the light of His countenance to shine upon us, and may He have mercy on us...").

Second Sunday After Easter
Matins Gospel: St. John 3:16-24
Mass: E: Acts 3:1-13; G: St. John 3:16-24.

The Third Sunday after the Resurrection has Psalm 67 Greek numbering, ("Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered: and let them that hate Him flee from before His face...").

Third Sunday After Easter
Matins Gospel: St. John 4:5-42
Mass: E: Acts 2:22-28; G: St. John 4:5-42.

Wednesday after the Third Sunday after the Resurrection is a celebration called "Mid-Pascha." This is an important celebration, both in the ancient Celtic Rite, and also in the Byzantine Rite, and has similiar meaning in both. The Psalm is Psalm 68 Greek numbering, ("Save me, O God: for the waters are come in even unto my soul..."). In a very Byzantine analysis of icons which describe Byzantine Feasts, "The Meaning of Icons" by Lossky and Ouspensky, the Feast of Mid-Pascha is described as exploring the symbols of the waters of Baptism during the entire season of Paschaltide: the waters of death overcome by the Resurrection.

Mid Pascha (Wednesday, midway through Paschaltide.)
Matins Gospel: St. Luke 24:36-43
Mass: E: Acts 4:31-35; G: St. Luke 24:36-43.

On the Fourth Sunday after the Resurrection, Psalm 69 Greek numbering, "O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me..." is used.

Forth Sunday After Easter
Matins Gospel: St. John 9:1-38
Mass: E: Acts 4:36-5:11; G: St. John 9:1-38.

On the Fifth Sunday after the Resurrection, the Sunday just before the start of the Rogations, is Psalm 70 Greek numbering, ("In thee, O Lord, I have hoped, let me never be put to confusion: deliver me in thy justice, and rescue me..."), which follows the theme of the following days' Rogations.

Fifth Sunday After Easter
Matins Gospel: St. Mark 7:31-37
Mass: E: Acts 16:19-36; G: St. Mark 7:31-37.

On the Feast of the Ascension, Psalm 71 Greek numbering is used, ("Give to the king thy judgment, O God: and to the king's son thy justice: To judge thy people with justice, and the poor with judgment..."), remembering that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father, and is coming to judge the living and the dead according to the Nicene Creed.
 

Feast of the Ascension:
Matins Gospel:
(as O.T. reading) Acts 1:1-11 (The Ascension), and St. John 13:33-35; 14:1-14; Luke 24:49-53
The Mass:
(as O.T. reading) Acts 1:1-11;
E: Ephesians 4:1-13;
G: St. John 13:33-35; 14:1-14; St. Luke 24:49-53

On the Sunday after the Ascension is Psalm 72 Greek numbering, ("How good is God to Israel, to them that are of a right heart!..."). On Pentecost are special Gradual Psalms, and the Sunday after Pentecost, one of the All Saint days, also has special Psalms; a reminder given in a later newsletter.

Sunday after the Ascension:
Matins Gospel: St. John 17:1-26, same as the Mass
Mass: E: Acts 18:22 - 19:12 G: John 17:1-26 (Jesus's prayer for the whole world.)

It is amazing how all of these Psalms prophetically fit the themes of the Christian calendar, if the original order of the Graduals and Alleluias is followed. The use of the Psalms also illustrates how ancient is the selection of the Celtic Lections and Propers.

And the fixed calendar...
Some entries from the fixed date calendar of May are below. The Celtic Orthodox Christian Church uses the "Old Calendar," which means that the Julian date for a Saint is listed first, but the date that this falls on according to the Gregorian calendar is listed second. Notice that the month of May was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, although the reason for the connection is not stated. There is a poem in the marginal notes of the glossator of Oengus on May 1^st asking intercessions from virgin Saints, which might be the connection. Just as the correct honoring of the dead took place twice a year, one week after Pentecost, and also in the Celtic Rite on their ancient New Years November 1^st (All-Saints), the month of May may have once had a dedication to virgins. Folklore discouraged marriages in May, from the Roman times. May 1^st is the day when Jesus Christ began His preaching; and also has a poem which tries to clear up confusion about the major Saints named "James." In May is also a very important Feast of the Holy Cross, the first Finding of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem May 3^rd. The History of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John is given on May 6^th, the Celtic Rite date for his feast (two days before the Byzantine date). Of all the twelve Apostles, he is considered the "Theologian," and the symbol for his Gospel from the Book of Ezekiel is the eagle because he flies highest, according to the instructions to the Catechumins called the "Opening of the Ears" givin on Palm Sunday. The disciples of St. John are also very important: St. Polycarp of Smyrna was one of his direct disciples, and St. Irenaeus of Lyons who wrote against the heresies was a disciple of St. Polycarp. The Apostolic Succession from the Holy Apostles such as St. John is not only of the laying-on of hands, but the continued correct doctrine, as well as the command to go forth and teach the nations. Other important dates in May include: one of the dates for the Archangel Michael on May 9^th; Comgall of Bangor on May 10^th; the Prophet Job on May 11^th; Dympna on May 15^th who is an intercessor for the mentally ill; Brénann of Clúain (Bernaind, or Brendan of Clonfert) on May 16^th, who wrote the "Navigatio" describing a trip to the continent of North America; one of the Feasts of St. Mark the Evangelist on May 18^th; St. Vincent of Lerins who defended the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Mother of God although he was falsely accused of being "semi-pelagian" on May 24^th; St. Germanus of Auxerre, one of those who taught St. Patrick and who also studied with St. Vincent of Lerins, also doing great miracles in fighting Pelagianism, on May 28^th; and one of the Feast days of the Holy Apostle Thomas on May 30^th.
 

Some dates on the Fixed Calendar - May

1 May / 14 May
On the calends of May (is) Neth-Cóeme; the nativity of Philip who is highest.
Then began what is noblest, Jesu's delightful preaching.

Neth-choeme (My-Coeme), i.e. he was a brother of Coemgein of Glendalough and Abbot of Tir-da-glas.
James, the Lord's brother and Matthew the Apostle are here.
Philip, i.e. Philip the Apostle: this is not his birthday but his repose and read in the Passion of the Apostles.

From The Martyrology of Tallaght: Beginning of the fortelling of Jesus Christ. The Nativity of Philipus Apostle; Jacobus Apostle brother of the Lord; Nicodimus; Proculus; Quintianus; Eleutherius; Alaxandrus; Saturninus and twenty six soldiers; Felestivus; Agapitus; Quintinianus and twenty three, 'm' Gaius; Germanus; Apollonius; Petrus; Renovatus; Johannis; Frigia; Zefanus. Also: Mochoemi of Tir da Glas (Terryglas); Colmani i.e. Gobnine; Oseni; Ultain son of Mael Snechtai; Mancheni; Braccani Bishop; Ronani; Dicollo of Cluain Brain; Cellain descendant of Fiachra (in margin). Also: Banbain Bishop; Aedgain of Fobar.

[The major feast day for St. Philip the Apostle is April 22^nd. The history of St. Philip is there.]

[St. Matthew Celtic Rite dates: May 1^st, Nativity of Matthew May 6, Sept 21, October 7^th, October 22^nd. Psalm for St. Matthew: Psalm 129, "De Profundis" "Out of the depth I have cried to Thee."]

[St. James of the Knees was the first Bishop of Jerusalem, also called the Brother of the Lord, a son of St. Joseph who witnessed Christ's birth, shared his inheritance from Joseph with Jesus, and also worshiped Jesus from then on, who was the first Bishop of Jerusalem, see the Protevangelium of St. James. St. James was the son of Joseph by his former wife. He was not one of the Twelve Apostles, but one of the Seventy, and his position as first Bishop of Jerusalem led all the Apostles and Bishops when they met at Councils. See his history December 27^th. Roman date of celebration: May 1 with Philip according to Gelasian and Gregorian Sacramentaries traced to the dedication of the Church of the Apostles at Rome, originally dedicated to Ss. Philip and James by Pope John III A.D.563 (see notes and the history of St. James the Brother of the Lord on December 27^th). Philip's name on May 1st originally stood alone, according to manuscripts of Hieronymianum. Note that Oengus mentions St. Philip alone in his verse today, although the glossator also mentions St. James and also St. Matthew. Celtic dates of celebration: March 15^th another date when his ordination at Jerusalem is commemorated; December 27^th, and May 1^st. St. James died in the year 62. Both Oengus and the Martyrology of Tallaght sometimes confuse the "Brother of the Lord" with James the son of Alphaeus or James the son of Cleophas, although the location where each James preached and died was different according to the poem below. On July 15^th in the Celtic Rite, the Twelve Apostles are commemorated.]

Marginal notes from The Martyrology of Tallaght:
Though you be in ignorance
of the wondrous renowned Jameses,
I will reveal them to you, without baseness.
I have studied them with full science.
James son of Cleophas and Mary
chief of the noble high Apostles, [of the noble Apostles, not "of the Twelve"]
suffered Martyrdom on the eighth of the calends of April [March 25^th]
'twas not only terrible, it was a fierce deed.

On the tenth of the calends of July, Alpheus' son, [June 22^nd, one of the Twelve Apostles.]
fair James, with grace,
after he had preached in Syria
north in Persia he died.
James the distinguished son of Zebedee [One of the Twelve Apostles.]
a chief Apostle of God's people,
suffered Martyrdom on the eighth of the calends of August [July 25^th]
He was a head of counsel of this world.
 

Another poem in the margin for today, a hymn asking intercessions of women Saints:
I put myself under the protection
of Mary virgin maiden,
of Brigit fair and fervent,
of Cuangus of great purity,
of Moninne and Midnat,
of Scire, Sinech, Samthann,
of Caite, Cuaca, Coemell,
of Craine (?), Coip, Cocnat,
of Ness the glorious of Ernaide,
of Derbfiled and Becnat,
of Ciar and Crone and Cailann,
of Lassar, Locha,and Luaithrenn,
of Ruinne (?), Ronnat, Rignach,
of Sarnat, Segnat, Sodelb,
and of the virgins everywhere,
north, south, east, west.
I put myself under the protection
of the chosen Trinity,
of the prophets, of the true Apostles,
of the monks, of the Martyrs,
of the widows and the Confessors,
of the virgins and the faithful,
of the Saints and the holy Angels,
against every ill to safeguard me
against demons and evil men,
against (dornom ?) and foul weather,
against sickness and straits,
against cold and hunger,
against distress and (escu[n]i ?),
against vengeance and dishonor,
against contempt and despair,
against mmisfortune and straying,
against the plague of wrathful doom,
against the evil of hell full of monsters,
with its abundance of torments.

TSI mentions a Brieuc, an Irish son of an Ulster prince, who was a missionary monk and founder of a monastery at the present place called St. Brieuc in Brittany. (He had been traveling to Rome on pilgrimage.)

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2 May / 15 May
The departure of Saturninus, who has come unto Christ,
with the death after a long sigh of Nechtán, Patrick's fosterling.

Nechtan. Nechtain, Patrick's fosterling, of Cell Umhe in Conailli, and he was a son of Liamain, i.e. Liamain daughter of Carplann [Calpurn] was his mother, and at Findabair Aba on the brink of the Boyne in Bregia is Patrick's fosterling. When he was dying and Patrick at his departure, he asked for a drink, for Patrick beheld his reward and his glory in heaven before he died.

Liamain daughter of Calpurn, Patrick's sister, Nechtan's mother.

From The Martyrology of Tallaght: Saturninus; Hippolitus; Eupolitis; Elpidius; Hermoginis; Zefanus; Celestinus; Germanus; Quintinus; Urbanus; Bellecus; Alaxandrus; Maria; Privata; Transilla; Saturninus and six others. Also: Nechtain "o Chill Unci i Conaillib" [Irish untranslated by editors]; Aedain son of Cuansae; Enain; Colmain.

TSI lists another Irish Saint named Ultan today, a brother of Fursey and Foillan who helped missionize in France and who died in A.D. 686. Ultan is pronounced "Ool-thawn" and is a very old Celtic name. (Ultan of Ard Breccáin is listed by Oengus on September 4^th, and the glossator says, "Ultan was elected into the Abbacy of Mochta in Louth, and before him Fursa had been put thereout." which might be the same Ultan, but TSI makes no reference to the Ultan on September 4^th that Oengus lists. The September 4^th Ultan is famous for both feeding and caring for children orphaned after a plague, and also protecting Ireland from invading ships by holding up his left hand, his right hand not being free when he was asked. That Ultan said that if his right hand had been free it would have protected Ireland forever, but his left hand would only stop that one invasion.)

TSI says that this May 2^nd Ultan labored in Fursey's mission in East Anglia and then rejoined Fursey on the continent in France. Ultan administered several Irish centers such as Fursey's monastery at St. Quentin at Nivelles (see October 31^st, St. Quentin's Feast day happened to also be the date Foillan was Martyred, that Ultan saw in a vision). After Foillan, Ultan governed Perrone. Amatus, who had been banished by Theodoric, found refuge in the monastery at Peronne when Ultan was in charge, according to records. Ultan helped teach the Liturgy, Scripture, and chant to St. Gertrude's monks and nuns at Nivelles. (See March 17^th: at the end of St. Gertrude's life, Ultan sent reassuring word to her that St. Patrick and his chosen angels would accompany her to heaven on his own Feast day.) Ultan finally ruled the hospice for pilgrims and the monastery at Fosses that Foillan had built by the generous endowment of Gertrude's mother. Ultan died at Fosses in 686, and Fosses became another Irish monastery in France. A little "Hill of St. Brigid" has a chapel dedicated to her that looks down on the town of Fosses.

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3 May / 16 May
The first finding of Christ's Cross with (its) many virtues:
the death of Conlaed, a fair pillar: the great feast of the Virgin Mary.

(old Feast of her Conception).

The prime finding of the wood of the Cross, i.e. the authentic finding of Christ's Cross in the time of Constantine son of Helena. [See note on September 15^th.] "...discovery of the Holy Cross of Christ which was found at the time of Constantine the son of Helen, and therefore the Cross was found, because the Romans under Titus and Vespasian destroyed Jerusalem, and the Cross was stolen in the fortieth year after the Passion of the Lord."

Death of Conlaed. He was a Bishop of Kildare, and wolves devoured him in Sceich Condlaid beside Liamain in Mag Laigen.

Conlaaed Bishop of Kildare. Con-laed i.e. half (leth) to wolves (coin), because wolves devoured him when he was proceeding to Rome in despite of Brigit. And he was Brigit's chief astisan, and from him Leth Conlaid in Kildare is named. Roncenn was his orginal name. [See August 18^th and April 14^th, the three greatest artisans of Ireland, and note on their importance and rank as Bishops.]

Mochonna of Daire cum Conlaed.

The great Feast of the Virgin Mary. "Conception of the Virgin Mary. [LL. 360a i.e. this beginning of her, as others believe, but in the month of February or in March the fact is this, that she was born after seven months, as has been told, or any other Feast of hers, as you please (quae libet)." LB. See Rev. H Thurston, S.J. in The Month, May, 1904.] This date for the Conception of the Virgin Mary would make her birth on September 8^th a premature birth of only four months. This date does not refer to the Annunciation, as that date is exactly nine months away from Christmas. The important thing is that May 3^rd, and the days of May, are dedicated to the Virgin Mary, although the actual meaning of this is obscured today.] [See May 7^th, some controversy as to which date these occurred.]

From The Martyrology of Tallaght: Discovery of the Cross of Christ; the Conception of the Virgin Mary;Eventius; Teodolus; Ambrosius; Rufina; Musa; Saturninus; Marianus; Fortunatus. Also: Condlaed (Roncend former or foremost) of Cell Dara; Scandal of Cell Conbraind; Barrfind of Druim Culinn; Saint Clothaig; Carpre Bishop of Mag Bile (Movilla); Aithgin of Both (Domnaig); Aedani; Neccain; Mochonnae or Moconna of Daire (also March 8^th); the daughters of Ossene; Dairchella of Glenn da Locha (Glendalough).

TSI says that Conleth (Conlaed) was especially known as an artificer in metals and a copyist and illuminator. Cogitosus says that in Kildare a golden crown was suspended above Brigid's tomb, and a silver crown above Conleth's tomb. A crozier belonging to Finbar of Termon-Barry made by Conleth is in the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin.

Finding of the True Cross (May 3/ 16)
Epistle: Phil. 2:5-11 (Jesus as Divine, humbling Himself to be obedient to death, and to Whom every knee should bow and tongue confess.)

Psalm 134:
Praise ye the Name of the Lord, O you, His servants, praise the Lord: You that stand in the house of the Lord; in the courts of the house of our God. Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good: sing ye to His Name, for it is sweet. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto Himself: Israel for His own possession. For I have known that the Lord is great: and our God is above all gods. Whatsoever the Lord pleased He hath done, in heaven, in earth, in the sea, and in all the deeps.

He bringeth up clouds from the end of the earth: He hath made lightnings for the rain. He bringeth forth winds out of His stores: He slew the firstborn of Egypt from man even unto beast. He sent forth signs and wonders in the midst of thee, O Egypt: upon Pharao, and upon all his servants. He smote many nations: and slew mighty kings: Sehon king of the Amorhites, and Og king of Basan, and all the kingdoms of Chanaan. And gave their land for an inheritance: for an inheritance to His people Israel.

Thy Name, O Lord, is for ever: Thy memorial, O Lord, unto all generations. For the Lord will judge His people: and will be entreated in favor of His servants. The idols of the gentiles are silver and gold, the works of men's hands. They have a mouth, but they speak not: they have eyes, but they see not. They have ears, but they hear not: neither is there any breath in their mouths. Let them that make them be like to them: and every one that trusteth in them.

Bless the Lord, O house of Israel: bless the Lord, O house of Aaron. Bless the Lord, O house of Levi: you that fear the Lord, bless the Lord. Blessed be the Lord out of Sion, Who dwelleth in Jerusalem.

Matthew 13:44-50 (The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, and a pearl of great price, and the net full of fishes, where the good fish are kept and the bad cast out. The end of the world the angels will separate the good from the bad.)

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5 May / 18 May
The Deacons Euthymius and Hilary past pains,
They went on the day of Festival whereon our Lord had Ascended.

The Deacon Justinus, i.e. Deacon Ius who is in Connaught at Fidarta in Mag Ai, and 'tis he that Baptized Ciaran of Cluain, and of France was he, as some think he was a certain Saint Eustinus, a deacon who suffered at Alexandria, and is among the martyrs of Saint Hilary the Bishop in Gaul. Eutimus and not Iustinus, as the codices have it. (St. Hilary of Poitiers - see also January 13^th.)

[The original Ascension, 40 days after Pascha, see May 15^th the original Pentecost, and March 27^th the original Pascha. Of course, Pascha is calculated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal Equinox as calculated by the Orthodox calendar, but the remembrance of the original dates of these events is kept in the Church.]

From The Martyrology of Tallaght: Primary Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. Herenna; Galla; Felicissus; Eutinus and not Justinus; Grigorius; Hilarius; Petivius; Bellus; Petrus; Marciasus; Erenneus; Archilaus; Necturus; Nicetus; Eutemus; Iohannis; Petrus; Zefanus and six others. Also: Euchbrit the Saxon; Faelan Find (the fair) of Cell Colmai; Senani. (See Justin's names'sake, August 4^th.)

TSI lists Diuma first Bishop of Mercia on this day, who died in A.D. 658. Prince Peada married king Oswy's daughter around 653, and was Baptized by Bishop Finan of Lindisfarne, and asked for missionaries into Mercia (central England, around modern Liverpool). Diuma was chosen, and brought three others with him. (Diuma was Irish, and the others were Anglo-Saxons trained by Aidan of Lindisfarne, including Cedd, Adda and Bettin.) Finan consecrated Diuma Bishop of all the Mercians at the request of Peada. (Bede remarks that the lack of clergy made it necessary for one Bishop to rule so many people.) Diuma lasted as Bishop only two years, but brought many to Christ. His monastery was dedicated to St. Peter, the present Peterborough, and was called "the first resting place of Christianity in central England." Mercia's first five Bishops were either educated in Ireland or Lindisfarne, including Diuma (May 5^th), Ceallach (October 6^th), Trumhere, Jaruman, Ceadda or Chad brother of Cedd.

Because a date is not listed for Jaruman in TSI, he may be commemorated with Diuma until his proper Feast day might be found. Bishop Finan consecrated Jaruman the fourth Bishop of Mercia. (Jaurman was Irish born, but he had spent time at Lindisfarne.) Bede says that Jaruman finally completed the conversion of the East Saxons. In 601 Mellitus who had been sent by Pope St. Gregory the Great had been forced to flee London. Paganism regained its foothold, but the East Saxon king Sigebert was Baptized in Northumbria by Finan of Lindisfarne, and Finan sent Cedd educated in Lindisfarne and Ireland to preach Christ's Gospel to Sigebert's people. In 664 a plague killed Cedd and all his Priests but one, and Christianity was gone from that area. The people reverted to charms, temples, and idols. Jaruman stopped the apostasy and turned the people again to the faith. Bede's information about Jaruman was from a disciple of Jaruman who accompanied him through the whole area. The people destroyed or left their fanes and altars, reopened their churches and named Christ as true God. Jaruman then returned to Mercia and served his people there until 669 when he reposed.

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6 May /19 May
A man who has written without stint fair stories of Christ crucified:
venerated by princes is the great nativity of Matthew the magnified (Evangelist)

Two Apostles: St. Matthew and St. John.

Escape of the Apostle John from the tub of boiling oil into which he was cast, in Rome,

before the Porta Latina by Domitian's order. Noah leaves the ark.

Going forth of Noah from the Ark. also Here comes the escape of the Apostle John from the tub of boiling oil into which he was cast in Rome before the Porta Latina by Domitian's order.

From The Martyrology of Tallaght: Matteus; Secundianus; Jacobus and translation of Johannis son of Zacharia; Gerontius; Jacobus; Saturninus; Maurianus and eighty others; Heliodorus; Concordius; Marina; Maria; Curice; Brigitona; Ausidia; Judith; Emeria; Acaca; Faustina; Victoris; Felicis; Marcellus; Maximus; Augustinus; Valerianus; Gaianus and seventy two others. Also: Colmain of Loch Echin.

St. Matthew - from the Bobbio Apostle's Creed, he said, 'From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.' Roman date of celebration: Sept 21 Celtic Rite dates: Nativity of Matthew May 6, Sept 21, October 7^th, October 22^nd, also May 1^st with Philip and James. Psalm for St. Matthew: Psalm 129, "De Profundis" "Out of the depth I have cried to Thee."

St. John, Apostle, Evangelist, and Theologian, also called "the Divine" - from the Bobbio Apostle's Creed, he said, 'I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, God and our Lord.' Roman dates of celebration: Dec 27^th, before the Latin gate May 6^th, with Cyrus Jan 31^st, with Paul June 26^th. Celtic Rite dates: Dec 27^th, escape of John from boiling oil, before the Latin Gate, May 6^th, May 25^th, John and Paul June 26^th. See "Theologian."

Note: There is a relationship in the Latin language of Jonah and John, and also oil with the belly of the whale. From the prayers before a funeral: "Free, O Lord, the soul of Thy servant, as Thou didst free Jonah from the belly of the whale." In Latin: "Libera, Domine, animam servi tui, sicut liberasti Ionam de ventre ceti." The late Latin term for oil is cetum. So, this miracle of St. John the Evangelist would have reminded people of the miracle of Jonah in the whale, and also of the Sign of Christ on the Cross and His Resurrection from the dead. Also the chastisement at sea of St. John is similar to Jonah, see his history below. In this way, all the miracles of the Saints remind us of the miracle of Christ's Resurrection. Also, it is tied to the day that Noah leaves the Ark. This is the day of the major Feast of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist.
 

Epistle: Romans 5:1-9 (General Lection for Apostles)
Psalm for St. Matthew: Gradual Canticle, 129 (A perfect Psalm illustrating prayer of the Publican in the Parable).
Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice: Let Thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If Thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall stand it? For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness: and by reason of Thy law I have waited for Thee, O Lord. My soul hath relied on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch even until night: let Israel hope in the Lord. Because with the Lord there is mercy: and with Him plentiful redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Psalm for St. John the Evangelist, referring to the boiling in oil and also to his chastisement at sea, see his history below : Gradual Canticle, 123.

If it had not been that the Lord was with us, let Israel now say: If it had not been that the Lord was with us, When men rose up against us; perhaps they had swallowed us up alive: When their fury was enkindled against us; perhaps the waters had swallowed us up. Our soul hath passed through a torrent: perhaps our soul had passed through a water insupportable. Blessed be the Lord, Who hath not given us to be a prey to their teeth. Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers: The snare is broken; and we are delivered.

Gospel: St. Matthew 9:9-13? (Gospel specific for St. Matthew, Jesus eating with him, Jesus saving sinners.)

Also: St. Matthew 4:18-20; John 21:15-19 or Luke 6:6-19 (General Lection for Apostles.)

(The Gospel specific for St. Matthew is appropriate for both Apostles on this day, because only through God's mercy was St. John also saved from boiling oil. As in the Gospel read on another of St. John's Feasts, on December 27^th with St. James, the Gospel of St. Matthew 20:20-23, the mother of St. John asks if her sons may sit on the right and left of Jesus in the Kingdom of heaven, and Jesus says that the Father would decide that, but then after that Jesus tells all the Apostles that the greatest shall be the servant of all. Today is a day we ask for forgiveness, not assuming that we will always be pulled out of boiling oil, but that God is merciful on sinners, even Publicans such as St. Matthew. St. Matthew was very fruitful, writing the first Holy Gospel, and St. John was also very fruitful, writing the last Gospel, Epistles, and the Book of Revelation. However, in all icons, at the right hand and left hand of Jesus is the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist, who was called "least in the kingdom of heaven," but who is always pictured next to Christ because St. John the Baptist Baptized our Lord. The two Psalms for today illustrate death and resurrection.)
 

Some of the History of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

St. John wrote the Gospel of St.. John, the general Epistles of St. John, and the Apocalypse. The Apostle and Evangelist John is also called "the Divine" as he was divinely inspired to write the Apocalypse, also called "the Book of Revelation of St. John the Divine," and also called Theologian (Theo meaning God, and Logos meaning Word), because he was one of the few Saints to talk about the nature of God Himself, beginning his Gospel, "In the beginning was the Word..." The term "Theologian" does not mean a student of theology, as incorrectly used today, but is an ancient Christian term reserved for very few of the Saints, a Saint with the highest and greatest insight into the nature of God Himself. Even St. Peter, whose faith is the rock that Jesus Christ said is the foundation on which Jesus would build His Church, is not called a Theologian, but instead, "Pansouphas" or All-Wise by the Church, a title of great importance, but not as great as "Theologos." St. John is the one Apostle who stayed with Christ on the Cross, with the holy mother of God so that Christ said from the Cross to her, "Woman, behold thy son," and to John, "Behold thy mother." (John 19:26-27), and St. John cared for her after that. St. John is also known as the "Beloved disciple" who leaned on Christ at the Last Supper.

St. John was the youngest of the Twelve Apostles, and was the brother of James the son of Zebedee. They were called by Christ the 'sons of thunder.' Zebedee was married to Salome, a daughter of Joseph who was Betrothed to Mary, so John would have been a step-nephew of Jesus. As an Apostle, and the one who cared for Mary until her repose, St. John was also an adopted brother of the Lord. The Apostles Peter, James, and John were especially close to Jesus, being with Him at the Transfiguration, at the raising of Jairus' daughter, and at the Garden of Gethsemane just before Jesus' arrest.

Of the writers of the four books of the holy Gospels, St. John is the one who soars to the heavens giving us direct news of God, and therefore St. John is given the symbol of the eagle, one of the four Cherubs from the prophecy of Ezekiel. (See September 21^st about the four Kerubs and the Gospels, beginning with the Gospel of St. Matthew.) It is stated by Blessed Theophylact that St. John received the other three Gospels after the Evangelist had been Martyred, and was asked if they were composed according to the truth. He not only approved the other Gospels, but when he composed the Gospel of St. John he completed what they had omitted, and elaborated what they had touched on briefly. Blessed Theophylact also mentions that St. John spoke about God the Word in the beginning of his Gospel so that "no one would think that God the Word was a mere man, that is, without divinity." Blessed Theophylact also points to St. John's title "Theologian," as St. John was the only person who wrote, "In the beginning was the Word..."

The wonderful inspiration from the Gospel of St. John is unique, "In the beginning was the Word..." (John 1:1); "For God so loved the world..." (John 3:16); "I am the bread of life..." (John 6:35, 48); "Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his Blood, you shall not have life in you..." (John 6:54); "...no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father." (John 6:66); "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." (John 8:58); "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (John 9:5); "I am the door..." (John 10:9); "I am the good shepherd." (John 10:11); "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30); "I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, although he be dead, shall live..." (John 11:25); "...Jesus wept." (John 11:35); "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself." (John 12:32); "He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth Him that sent me." (John 13:20); "...love one another, as I have loved you..." (John 13:34, 15:12, and 15:17); "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me." (John 14:6); "I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you forever..." (John 14:16); "...I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you..." (John 14:20); "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you..." (John 14:27); "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." (John 15:1); "I am the vine, you are the branches..." (John 15:5); "As the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you. Abide in my love." (John 15:9) "Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends..." (John 15:13); "...ask, and you shall receive; that your joy may be full." (John 16:24); "My kingdom is not of this world..." (John 18:36); '...there came out blood and water.' (John 19:34). "Peace be to you." (John 20: 19, 21) "As the Father hath sent me, I also send you." (John 19:21). "...lovest thou me?... Feed my sheep." (John 21: 15,16,17).

There are many other important quotes in the Gospel of St. John, and St. John himself said at the end of his Gospel that there were so many teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ that they could not all be put into one book, in fact, "I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written" (John 21:25). The Church often says that Scripture is part of Tradition: that the Apostles and Saints were witnesses to our Lord, and they recorded what they could in writing, but also they left a legacy in the Church of oral Tradition which the Church holds in reverence as well, precisely because the world itself could not contain all the books that could be written. The Gospel of St. John is famous for many one line quotes, but actually it is the Gospel which shows the logical development of discussions our Lord had with others, including His teachings concerning the Law and our relationship to God. In the same way, Jesus showed us His relationship to God the Father in the Gospel of John. In the Gospel of St. John it is clear to see that Jesus is fully divine as well as fully human.

Some scholars in the past questioned that one author could write the Gospel of St. John, which appears to jump around in subject matter. However, the Roman Catholic Priest John Gerhardt wrote a treatise concerning the "chiastic" structure of the Biblical Greek of the paragraphs and verses in the Gospel of John; not only did one man write the Gospel of St. John, but that the Gospel is one continuous poem from beginning to end with verses grouped in such a way to allow memorization of the entire book. (John Gerhardt was quoted in a book by Peter Ellis on the same subject, The Genius of John. Peter Ellis finds the main theme of the Gospel as Jesus walking on the water "It is I, be not afraid." John 6:20, which seems forced because it is not a central location or theme in the Gospel, although it may be the center of one of the chiastic groups. Other "centers" of the chiastic themes may be found. John Gerhardt taught religion in Brooklyn Preparatory School for many years, and happened be teaching there in 1971 - 1972 when the then-high school student Kristopher Dowling, now Bishop Maelruain, attended his class, one year totaling 120 hours of class time on St. John's Gospel alone. Soon after that time, Gerhardt's work on the Greek text of St. John's Gospel became very popular at the Master's and Seminary level at St. John's University in New York, because Gerhardt's work refutes those who seek to destroy the Bible by removing "extraneous" passages. Bishop Maelruain has some of John Gerhardt's working notes for the treatise.) A "chiastic" structure means that the subject matter repeats, but not in the way some earlier poetry styles did. (Many ancient poems repeat themes as A, A, B, B, C, C, D, D, etc.) The themes in a chiastic structure repeat in an A, B, C, B, A form, or rarely a simpler A, B, A form, or a more complex A, B, C, D, E, D, C, B, A form. Also, there are outer structures of groups of the chiastic sets of themes also grouped A, B, C, B, A, finally including the entire book in a great chiastic outline. In a few places where an Old Testament passage is quoted, these fall outside of the structure of the rest of the Gospel, but otherwise the entire Gospel of John is structured for poetic reflection and understanding. The Irish who greatly appreciated poetry, read the Gospel of St. John every other week at the Hour of Beginning of Night.

Some wonder about the age of St. John during the events, but St. John was a youth when he became an Apostle, and was a very old man when he died. He wrote the Gospel of St. John later in his life, when his understanding of Greek was better than his early years, and when he had seen the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem.

St. John's Gospel shows that Jesus instituted all seven Sacraments. Jesus sent out Apostles. Jesus is one in essence with the Father in heaven, the Father's only begotten Son in heaven, and at the same time a man. St. John quotes Jesus Christ at great length showing that He is completely God and at the same time completely man. St. John also shows that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, and is given to the Apostles by Jesus. This doctrine of the Holy Spirit would become a controversy later in the Church that would divide the Church, because St. John also points out that the doctrines of the Lord are very important to keep: the branches which are not of Jesus will be cast forth by the father (John 15:1, 6). In the second book of his Epistle St. John reminds us, "Whosoever revolteth and continueth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that continueth in the doctrine, the same hath both the Father and the Son." (II John verse 9). (The Creed as said by the Irish in the Celtic Missal is the original Creed, and has the doctrine of the Lord.) The reason that the Church does not ignore false doctrine within itself is this: "If any man come to you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into the house nor say to him: God speed you. For he that saith unto him: God speed you, communicateth with his wicked works" (the General Epistle: II John verses 10 and 11). As the Irish considered themselves to be the Church of St. John because of their love for his teachings, to be true to their mission, it is important to keep Orthodox doctrine.

The Apocalypse of St. John has always been considered the most difficult book to interpret in the Bible, and is about the Last Judgement, the Resurrection of the dead and the life in the age to come.. It has some famous passages, such as "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end..." (Apoc. 1:8, 21:6, 22:13); "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come." (Apoc. 4:8); "Behold, I come quickly..." (Apoc. 3:11, quoted several times...22:20). "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth." (Apoc. 21:1); "Behold, I make all things new." (Apoc. 21:5). In Greek, the phrase "I come quickly" grammatically suggests that the Lord is immediately with us, but the Last Judgement will not be at a time we may predict. This phrase has caused controversy, but St. John and St. James in their Epistles tell us to wait patiently for the Lord.

According to the writings of St. Prochorus, St. John chose the last lot deciding which lands he would missionize after Pentecost: that he would go to Asia Minor. He sighed three times, but then realized that his lack of trust in the Lord would cost him more difficulties. First, he spent a number of years with the Blessed Virgin Mary, but when he set out on his mission, he went with one of the seven Deacons chosen by Christ: St. Prochorus. St. Prochorus writes at great length about the mission, concentrating on the many miracles accomplished by Saint John, especially in the overthrowing of many demons worshipped by people in gentile nations. St. Prochorus does not record much on the theology of St. John, except for short sermons, that St. John was often informed by the Holy Spirit when people were planning evil against him, and that many great miracles were done in Christ's Name. Even in the abbreviated version below, the works of St. John recorded by Prochorus fill many pages. Prochorus says that St. John traveled with him after the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but some sources say there was a house in Ephesus where St. John resided with the Blessed Virgin Mary, today a place of worship. (In another book, it is recorded that St. John took the Blessed Virgin Mary to Ephesus for awhile to avoid some of the difficulties in Jerusalem, but she was living in Jerusalem when she died when she was around age 70.) The Blessed Virgin Mary was betrothed at a young age to the older St. Joseph. If she was fifteen at the time of Betrothal, and Jesus was crucified and resurrected at age thirty three, then she would have been forty eight or forty nine at the time of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. She was not too old to travel, but if she were in a shipwreck with St. John and St. Prochorus, the Deacon Prochorus probably would have noted this. (It is possible that St. John traveled before her Dormition, but later with St. Prochorus. This discrepancy should not lead us to reject the writings of Prochorus, but to look further for sources into the lives of the Apostles.) St. John also briefly met St. Andrew in Ephesus, according to the history of St. Andrew (November 29^th).

For his sins, St. John knew he would have peril at sea, and told Prochorus to meet him in Ephesus and wait three months. On their first voyage, the ship was lost in a storm, and all on shipboard were washed onto land one mile from Seleucia but John. Prochorus was blamed for sorcery, and it was claimed that John had stolen the ship's goods. Prochorus was arrested and put in jail. He was released by a passing notarius, and then walked forty days to Mareotis which is by the sea. While resting, he saw a great wave throw a man onto the beach, and running to help, found John alive after forty days and nights at sea. After they recovered, they went on to Ephesus.

John decided that they should not reveal themselves at first, so when they were asked to work at a bath house near the residence of the chief citizen Dioscorides, they went to work there, John as fire-man and Prochorus as water man. The caretaker of the bath house, a very strong woman named Romana, beat John and also claimed they were runaway slaves, and had papers drawn up so they would be enslaved. Demons lived at the bath house, and when it was built a human sacrifice of a youth or maiden had been put into the foundation. Three times a year a youth or maiden would be killed by the demon, on certain dates. Dioscorides was the owner of the bath house, and did not allow his son Domnus to go to the bath house on the dates the demons would attack, but one day the demon attacked anyway and Domnus was strangled. Romana was very afraid of punishment, so John raised Domnus from the dead. His father found out Domnus had died, and Dioscorides died himself of grief. Then John went to Dioscorides and raised him from the dead. Romana tore up the false papers of slavery. John catechized them, and Baptized Romana, Domnus, and Dioscorides. Then he cast out all the demons from the bath house.

On a feast day of the pagan goddess Artemis when everybody in the city wore white, John wore his sooty clothes from the bath house and stood at a prominent place just under the statue. The people were very angry that a person dressed like that should stand in such a place, and they began to throw stones at him, but none of the stones would touch him, only striking and breaking the statue. Then, an earthquake and heat killed two hundred out of their own fear, but John raised them again, and many asked for instruction and Baptism. John also healed a man who had been paralyzed for twelve years.

A demon from the temple of Artemis pretended to be a magistrate from Palestine, and claimed that he had arrest warrants for the "sorcerers" John and Prochorus. He convinced two court officers and also gave them money to put them in a house and kill them. Romana and Dioscorides found out, and Dioscorides confronted the officers saying that it was against the law to imprison untried persons, especially not in a house. Dioscorides said they could stay in his house until the charges could be tried and the accuser found. The demon finally appeared in his disguise, and loudly calling John and Prochorus sorcerers attracted a large crowd in front of the house of Dioscorides. John and Prochorus gave themselves up to the crowd who took them to the temple of Artemis. At the prayer of John, the idol of the temple of Artemis fell, and then the temple collapsed. Then John asked the demon how long he had lived there, and the demon replied two hundred forty nine years, and that he had incited the officers and people against John. John commanded the demon to leave in the Name of Jesus Christ, and the demon left the city. Many people then in the city believed and were Baptized, but some delivered him to the Proconsul who bound John and took him to the Emperor Domitian in Rome.

Domitian began a persecution of Christians. He made John drink poison, but that did not harm him. Then he put John into boiling oil, and John came out without any marks. The people said "Great is the God of the Christians!" and Domitian decided John was immortal and causing more trouble because of this publicity, so Domitian exiled John to Patmos. On the ship to Patmos, a young officer fell overboard, and unable to save him by their many gods, the crew claimed that this was because they did not serve the gods well enough. But St. John was able to save the man through the Name of Jesus Christ, a great wave throwing the man onto the ship. He also calmed a storm saving the ship, and healed a crew member who suffered from dysentery and was near death. The entire crew of the ship was instructed and Baptized before they landed at Patmos, and John insisted that they take him to exile on Patmos even so. The crew were afraid to leave John, who protected them from dangers, but John assured them that if they stayed in the grace they had received from our Lord Jesus Christ, that they would not be harmed in any place. In several sources Patmos has been called a penal colony, but according to Prochorus the inhabitants were free on the island, just not free to leave the island. There are some, however, that say that on Patmos were salt mines.

According to Prochorus, they arrived in the city of Flora on Patmos. A wealthy man named Myron took them into his home. He was the father-in-law of the governor Laurence, had a wife named Phoni, three sons who were orators, and a married daughter Chrisippida. The eldest son Apollonides was possessed by a demon, and this son fled the house when John came there. Myron thought that John and Prochorus were sorcerers causing their son to flee, but Myron decided to punish John and Prochorus. These two knew that Myron talked about them to his wife because of the Holy Spirit (this abbreviated version does not mention all the times the Holy Spirit informed St. John what others said about him). Apollonides wrote a letter to his father that said John and Prochorus were evil magicians, and that Coenops, a magician who the people thought was a god, said that John should be thrown to the beasts and put to death. Myron took the letter to the governor, who put John and Prochorus in jail, and then put them on trial. John told the governor about Jesus Christ, who was crucified and rose on the third day, and the governor said that it was silly to continue with this speech which caused John to be exiled in the first place, and that his brother-in-law (Apollonides) should be returned to his home at once. John said he would not stop preaching, but that he had no faults with his brother-in-law, and asked the governor to send Prochorus to him. John asked the governor to write a letter to Apollonides. John wrote, "John, the Apostle of Christ, to the spirit of divination who dwelleth in Apollonides the rhetor: I command thee, in the Name of Jesus Christ, to come out of the image of God and never again to enter into any other man. Depart from this island, and remain ever in the wilderness." When Prochorus brought the letter to Apollonides, the unclean spirit came out of him immediately, and he was filled with joy and calmness. He then went with Prochorus to the city of Flora, and went to the prison and released John from his chains. Then they returned to the house of Myron, and Apollonides told them about his many years possessed by the demon, and his release when Prochorus came to where the demon had made him flee. John then taught them about the power of the Crucified, our Lord Jesus Christ. The entire family was Baptized. The governor set John at liberty. However, Chrisippida wanted to wait for her husband to join her in belief, but even though he was sympathetic, he had to wait until his term as governor was over. She and her son were Baptized first, and St. John sent them back to live with her husband until her husband could be Baptized. He also told Myron and his family to give the money they intended to give to John to the poor, asking, as he and all the Apostles always asked, that Myron give the money to the poor out of his own hands.

Another man named Basil married to a woman named Grace asked John to help her to conceive a child. John told them that they must believe in Jesus Christ first, and when they were Baptized, then their wish was granted, and they had a son whom they named John.

A magistrate named Chrysus and his wife Seline had a son who was possessed, and John first admonished the magistrate for his sins. After the magistrate begged that we wished to follow Christ and said he believed in the Crucified Christ, John took the child's right hand and sealed it with the sign of the Cross three times while praying, and the evil spirit departed. Coming to John the next day with money, they asked for Baptism, and John told them to take the money and give it to the poor. "For the seal of Christ ye do not require money, but only a pure faith. As for this money, distribute it among those in need, and receive freely the grace of Christ." said John. John then Baptized them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Many people came to Myron's house and were instructed and Baptized by John.

Three years later, in the marketplace near the temple of Apollo a crowd had gathered of faithful and unbelievers. The priests of Apollo told them not to listen to that fraud who is exiled for sorcery and insults their immortal gods. In reply to the priests, John said, "Behold, in the Name of Christ, your house shall be made desolate!" and at that moment, the temple fell but nobody was injured. The priests beat John and took him to the governor saying that John the exile destroyed the temple of Apollo through sorcery. The governor Aquila bound John and Prochorus in chains and put them in the deepest dungeon. Myron and Apollonides asked that John and Prochorus be placed in their care, saying that all their possessions and they themselves would answer for them. Myron told them to stay at home, not because they were under "house arrest," but for their safety. But John said that Christ did not send him to rest in houses, but as "lambs among wolves" and "we must go through many tribulations to enter into the kingdom of the heavens." John said he was ready in the Name of Christ to bear dishonor, beatings, persecution and to die daily for Christ.

The next day a paralytic who was also a foreigner offered to share his small meal with John. John agreed, but heard a widow weeping about her only son at home who had become possessed, and she did not know where the temple of Apollo had gone so she could have the curse lifted. John cured her son in the Name of Jesus Christ, although she was confused and thought John was a priest of Apollo. Then John turned again to the paralytic and asked him who would serve the meal, and the man said he had inconvenienced them to ask them to serve him. But John said, "Nay, in the Name of Jesus Christ, rise up and serve us." The man then was healed, and rose up serving them with joy, praising God. The next day he came to John and asked to be Baptized, which John did.

A well educated Jew named Karus disputed with John over the Pentateuch. John showed him all the places that reveal the work and coming of Christ, and after a long discussion, Karus told John to be silent because he was mixed-up. At this, Karus was struck deaf and mute. The philosopher Areotes persuaded John to have mercy on Karus, and gestured Karus to prostrate himself. Then his deafness and muteness was taken away, and he asked for Baptism, which John gave him.

The evil magician Coenops then made trouble for John, after the priests of Apollo went to him and complained. Coenops did not want to leave his wilderness where he lived with unclean spirits, so he sent a demon to the house of Myron who arrived invisibly, but John knew he was there and told the demon not to leave until he would tell the reason he had come. The demon said that he was there because the priests of Apollo had asked Coenops to go to the city, but the demon had been sent instead to send the soul of John to eternal judgment. John asked if the demon had ever been sent on a similar errand, and the demon had killed a man, but he did not bring Coenops the soul. John asked the demon why he obeyed Coenops, and he replied that all the power of Satan was with Coenops who had a covenant with the princes of darkness, and they obeyed eachother. John then told Coenops that he was an Apostle of Jesus Christ, and commanded the demon to never enter the dwellings of men, nor return to Coenops, but go forth from the island into torment. The demon left the island, and Coenops saw that he did not return, so he sent another, but the same thing happened. Then Coenops sent two demons, one to try to kill John, and the other to watch and see what happened, and to bring back word. The demon that went in had the same thing happen, but the one on watch fled and told Coenops.

Coenops then took a multitude of demons with him into the city. The people venerated Coenops on his arrival. Then Coenops challenged the crowd to compare the wonders that he would perform compared to John. Coenops chose a boy whose father had drowned at sea, and said to John to raise his father. John said, "Christ hath not sent me to bring forth the dead from the sea, but to teach deluded people." Coenops told the people that he would do what John could not, and to seize John. Coenops held out his arms and struck the water, and became invisible. Then he appeared holding what looked like the boy's father. The boy agreed that it was his father, and the crowd decided to kill John, but Coenops said he had greater wonders than that. Another man had a son who was slain out of envy, and Coenops produced both the boy and his murderer. He asked John if John were amazed by this, and John said he was not amazed, and the signs of Coenops would soon come to nothing. The people then beat John until they thought he was dead, and Coenops told them to leave John without burial for the birds. At about 2:00 A.M. John told Prochorus to tell Myron that he was alive and would come there again. When the gathered disciples of John heard that he was alive, they rejoiced and left to find John, who was then standing in prayer. John told them not to be deceived by the signs of Coenops who only created phantoms. He told them to stay away from Coenops and stay at Myron's house.

Coenops then came with the three demons posing as those he had resurrected and the crowds to where John was, and told him that he had left him alive to see greater wonders. He told the people to hold John, while Coenops dove into the sea. The crowd shouted the greatness of Coenops, but John put his arms in the shape of a Cross and commanded the demons not to depart. And then John prayed, "O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who by the figure of Thy Cross didst enable Thy servant Moses to put Amalek to flight: bring down in the abyss of the sea the deceiver Coenops, that he may never see the sun again, or be numbered among the living." There was a great thunder and waves, but Coenops did not emerge, being taken as Pharoah's army. John then told the demons to depart from the island in the Name of Jesus Christ who was crucified and rose on the third day, and the demons vanished. Those family members who thought their loved ones had returned told John to bring them back. All decided to wait for the return of Coenops who would tell them what to do. They sat on the sand for three days and nights, and three of their children died from hunger and thirst. John then prayed for all the people to open their hearts, and told the people to depart home for food and drink. Then he prayed for Jesus to raise the children from the dead, and they returned to life. The bystanders confessed that John was truly a teacher, and they had been deceived. The next day the city appeared at Myron's doorstep and called for John, and Myron did not want John to go out. But John did not fear them, and instead went out and taught them about Jesus Christ our Lord the true Benefactor and guiding Light of men's souls, who had taken pity on the race of men in ignorance and deception, and was incarnate of the holy Virgin and without change became man though still God, like us in every way but in sin. He was crucified by His own will, and by death did away with death, overcoming hades and delivering the souls who were there. He arose on the third day, and sent his disciples and ministers into the world to preach His kingdom. He gave us authority over unclean spirits by the Holy Spirit, and also the power to work miracles and healings of illnesses, and because of this all nations are turning to the true God and Creator of all. John pleaded with them not to close their ears or hearts, but leave the lies and come to the light of truth. He continued in this sermon, and many believed and were Baptized in the house of Myron.

A well educated Jew named Philo in that city had a wife who had leprosy. However, he debated with John in the marketplace on the books of Moses, and took the opposite opinion of everything John said. This continued for three days, until John said, "Philo, Philo, the holy Scriptures do not require verbosity, but obedience to their teachings with a pure heart." Just then a man with a fever was placed on the ground by his kinsfolk, and John said, "In the Name of Jesus Christ, arise and go to thy home." The sick one rose up and thanked John, glorifying God. Philo ran to John and asked, "Teacher, what is love?" John answered, "O observer of the law, God is love and he who hath love hath God!" Philo then asked John home with him for the love of God so that they could eat bread together. As they entered his home, Philo's wife was healed. Then Philo changed his mind, and asked John not to be angry with him, but give himself and his wife Baptism. John instructed them and Baptized them.

A priest of Apollo who had visited Coenops tempted John to heal his son who was lame in both feet so that he could believe in the Crucified one. John told him, "If thou believest in Christ, He will heal thy son." The man said he wanted the healing first and then he would believe. John then told the man that he spoke blasphemy, and the priest of Apollo fell down with both of his feet lame. John then sent Prochorus to the house where the lame child was, with the message that he should rise up and come to him. The boy rose up and followed Prochorus. The paralysed priest saw his healed son, and cried out for mercy. John then took pity on him, making the sign of the Cross three times over him, and he was healed, and both the priest and his son was Baptized with their household.

John also healed a man who had suffered from dropsy for six years (which is swelling), to the point that he could not speak. He wrote to John to please have mercy, and John wrote back that he should regain his health, and immediately the man rose without any disease left. The crowd there, including the man healed from dropsy, asked immediately for Baptism, and John instructed them and Baptized them.

Governor Aquila's wife was in labor for three days and near death, and John's prayers delivered the child without harm. He told the mother that she should wait for forty days until she would be Baptized, but the governor was immediately Baptized. The governor was told to give the money he intended to give to John to the poor. John Ordained Priests to celebrate the Divine Liturgy with all the new members of the Church.

After three years in Flora, John and Prochorus went to another city on Patmos, Myrinousa. They arrived on the first of August, and found a young man bound in chains that the people were going to give to a demon in the river in the form of a wolf, who the people worshipped as a god. This sacrifice took place on the first day of every month. The demon appeared in the fourth hour of the day (10:00 A.M.), and John told the evil spirit he was speaking to him, and the demon was still. Then he asked it how long it had been there, and it answered one hundred sixty five years, and John commanded it in the Name of Jesus Christ the Son of the living God to depart and never return to the island, and to dwell in the desert and desolate places. The demon vanished. The man who had led John there asked who he was to command the gods, and John told him that he was an Apostle of Jesus Christ the Son of God, and that the one they called a wolf was an evil spirit. But Christ sent John to expel demons and show the truth. Then the man asked John to make him a servant of Christ, and John taught him and Baptized him in the river.

While John was teaching the man, the priests of the evil spirit brought out the youth who was to be sacrificed bound in iron. They waited long for the demon, and John came to them and told them that the wolf was a demon that he had cast out, and they should release the youth, the image of God, and let him go. This amazed and embittered the priests of Zeus. John told the boy to return to his parents in the city, who were not permitted in the area during the sacrifice. John took the swords from the hands of the priests, and after a while John entered the city and preached at the arcade, with many gathering to hear about Christ. A priest of Zeus had a son named Monan who bathed daily at the bath house in the city, and one day he was strangled by a demon in the bath house. His father asked John to help, and John went to the bath house and raised Monan from the dead. John went into the bath house, and asked the evil spirit how long it had lived there. It answered, "Six years. I formerly dwelt in the bath house at Ephesus owned by Dioscorides, whose son I strangled. Then I was cast out by thee. But I beseech thee, cast me not out from this place!" John said, "In the name of Jesus Christ the Crucified, I command thee to depart from this island and never again to dwell among men, but in a wild and uninhabited place." The demon vanished immediately. The priest then fell at John's feet and said he and his household was at the service of John, and asked John to tell him what to do. John instructed the family, and Baptized them all. They stayed there seven days.

Then they traveled to another city named Phlogeon, and almost all of the people of that city came to hear John. A widow who had raised her son alone since he was three years old came to John and asked him to take a demon away from her son who had recently been possessed. She had spent all her money on pagan priests who did nothing for her. John told her to bring her son. She went home and said to him, "Come, let us go to John, the Apostle of Christ, so thou mayst be healed." As soon as she said this, the demon left the boy. When she brought the boy, the crowd was amazed, and many believed and were Baptized by John. John and Prochorus stayed there for three days.

John knew that on the fourth day there would be a celebration of a feast of the pagan god Dionysus (Bacchus), so he went near their temple and told the people not to participate and to repent and have faith in Jesus Christ, reminding them that they were made in the image of God and honored with reason. John ignored the priests when they came out and told him to move away because he was disturbing their feast. The priests mingled with the crowd and lured them away from John. Then they bound John and took him to a far place where they beat him. They left him for dead, and returned to their festival. John lay on the ground, and prayed, saying, "O God and Father of our hope, Jesus Christ: as it was Thy good pleasure to do through Samson, bringing down the pillars of the great temple of the Philistines, so now grant the destruction of this temple of prodigality!" The temple fell down, crushing only the twelve priests. The people freed John and asked him not to slay them.

A sorcerer in that city named Noetian had a wife named Phora and two sons, Raz and Polycarp (see January 26^th? - St. Polycarp of Smyrna). Noetian had many books on the black arts for conjuring demons, and was very upset when John's prayers made the temple fall. He told John that he didn't blame him for making the temple fall, but that John should raise the twelve priests from the dead so that the people could be persuaded of his goodness of heart. But John said that if the twelve were worthy, they would not have been the only ones to perish, instead of multitudes of people. Noetian then claimed that he himself could raise them from the dead, and went a little bit away and conjured twelve demons disguised as the priests. But the demons said that they could not slay John, nor appear where he was, and that Noetian should bring the people to them to look at them. The Holy Spirit revealed this to John, who told Prochorus to take another path to the demons and tell them, "Thus saith John the Apostles of Christ: Get ye from this island to a dry place." Noetian immediately came and told the people to come and see the twelve priests, and then they should slay John, but before the people arrived at the place where the demons were, Prochorus had banished them through John's words. Noetian was unable to conjure them again, and waiting for many hours, the people realized that Noetian was a fraud. Then John came and told them not to slay Noetian. John said, "My children, let darkness pass into darkness. But since ye are sons of light, go to the light; and the darkness will not be able to overtake you, for the truth of Christ is within us." The next day many came seeking Baptism, and John taught them and Baptized two hundred twenty in the river. Noetian tried to turn the water into blood by sorcery, but John made the water pure again by prayer, "O Lord Jesus Christ, as Thou didst once divert and invisibly lay low those against Thy Prophet Elisha, so lay low Noetian and blind him, that he may regard Thee with the eyes of his soul." Blinded, Noetian had an insight into the need for the mercy of God. After many instructions, John Baptized Noetian, who brought John to his home. When John entered the house, all the idols fell and crumbled to dust. Noetian's wife and two sons were also Baptized, and so were the household servants. John and Prochorus stayed there ten days, and after that they left Myrinousa and went to Karo, three miles away, and were received by Faustus a Jew, who was Baptized with his family, and they stayed in Karo a long time.

The governor of Patmos was replaced by the administrator of the Cyclades Islands by a man named Mark, who was a pagan Greek but sympathetic to Christians, and visited all the cities on the island. A rich widow Procliana had a son, Sosipater. Proclaina was enticed by the devil to seduce her own son, but he resisted. Sosipater heard John preaching one day, and told him a story about a woman named Apati, which means deception, who sought to seduce her son, Mi-apatomenos which means undeceived, etc. Sosipater said it was right to praise the son and hate the mother, so John told him to go at peace to his home and have his mother as mother and not Apati. Sosipater begged John to come home with him, and John and Prochorus went. Procliana was angry that her son had brought others to the house, and after they left, she made him stay home until he would fulfill her lust. However, Sosipater followed after John for four days. His mother found him, grabbed him, and then claimed that Sosipater had unlawfully tried to seduce her. The governor Mark heard only one side of the story and ordered the Sosipater be sewn into a leather sack full of poisonous snakes and thrown into the sea, but John went to the governor and told him that the son was blameless. But Procliana claimed that John had convinced her son to do the shameful act, and witnesses said she kept herself at home and was discreet, so the governor ordered that John face the same penalty. John prayed silently to God, and the earth quaked, and the governor's and Procliana's hands withered. John and Sosipater waited near the bags of snakes. John prayed aloud to God to restore all. The earth stopped shaking and their hands were healed. The governor invited John to come with him to eat, and John went to his house and taught him. The governor then was Baptized. Then, John told Sosipater to return home, which he did not want to do. John and Prochorus returned with him, and Procliana had repented with many tears. John forgave her, taught her and she was Baptized. After that, she stood outside her house and gave money to the poor.

Nearly all the people of Patmos believed in Christ after awhile. When the Emperor Domitian was assassinated and the Emperor was Nerva who did not persecute Christians, John was freed and allowed to go where he wanted. John decided to return to Ephesus, but the people of Patmos and wept. John told them they were not concerned with the salvation of others, but they persuaded John to write down the events of Christ's life, and also the teachings of Christ. John and Prochorus went outside the city about a mile to Katapavsis which means Cessation, and climbed a high mountain. John fasted and prayed, and on the third day he had Prochorus go and get ink and paper from the city and return. John told him to leave him with the paper two days, but when Prochorus returned, John was still standing in prayer. John had Prochorus stand to the right of him, and a loud thunder scared Prochorus who fell down. John then raised him up and told him to sit there. Then John dictated the holy Gospel of St. John, which begins, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God..." After two days they were finished writing the Gospel, and descended the mountain, returning to Sosipater's house. Then the next day he asked Sosipater to bring good parchment, and Prochorus was told to copy the entire Gospel, so that both Patmos and Ephesus could have copies. While Prochorus wrote, John Ordained Bishops and Priests for the churches of Patmos. The Gospel was brought into the Church.

On Patmos it is also recorded that St. John wrote the Apocalypse, some say before the Gospel of St. John. John and Prochorus left the city to a cave in the wilderness. (Now there is a monastery above that cave.) John spent ten days with Prochorus and ten days alone. When he was alone he ate nothing, but only prayed, asking what he should do. A voice came to him saying, "John, John," and John asked what the Lord commanded. The Lord told John to wait and pray and other ten days without food. After that time, the angels came down to John and told him many great things beyond normal human comprehension. Prochorus returned, and was immediately sent out for pen and paper, and he returned again two days later, when John dictated the revelations he had received. The tradition that St. John wrote the Apocalypse is recorded by the early writers Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Irenaeus and Eusebius.

The next day John suggested that they leave and teach the people in the countryside of the island before departing. They went to a place called Agrikia, which had a priest of Zeus named Eucharis who had a blind son. The son of Eucharis listened to John, and being glad of the teachings, he asked if John would pray for him so that he could see John. John healed him by the sign of the Cross, and the boy's father Eucharis seeing this miracle to instruct him also, and the entire household was Baptized. The next day they left for Ephesus, all weeping and saying farewell. They boarded a ship, and John blessed them with the peace of the Lord, and they departed.

The ship carried many who were traveling to Asia Minor. After fourteen days, they left the ship at a city three miles form Ephesus. The Christians in Ephesus found out, and met them saying, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!" Dioscorides had reposed since they had left Ephesus, but Domnus took them home, and from there John taught many.

Clement of Alexandria (+217 A.D.) said that in the cities around Asia John saw a young man with potential for good, and John taught and Baptized him. But John entrusted this young man to the Bishop of that city, who did instruct the young man in the Scriptures, but did not watch his activities closely. The youth began to get drunk and steal, and he became friends with thieves who led him into the mountains as their leader to rob travelers on the roads. John came back to that city, and asked the Bishop there to return the treasure he had left in the Bishop's safekeeping, that is, the young man who was to learn the fear of God. The Bishop then said the youth had perished, that his soul was dead, but his body was a highway robber. John then searched out the youth himself, asking the robbers to take him to their leader. John cried out to the youth, "My son, return to thy father and despair not in thy fallen state! Thy sins shall I take upon myself! Stop and wait, for the Lord hath sent me to thee!" The young man stopped and fell at the Saint's feet, very ashamed and trembling. John kissed him and led him back to the city, rejoicing that he was bringing back a lost sheep. John instructed him in repentance, and forgave him. The youth continued after that in goodness and peace.

Another Christian found himself in debt without anything to pay back his creditors, and he asked a sorcerer to give him deadly poison to kill himself. This sorcerer gave him the poison, but the Christian went home with it, and made the sign of the Cross over the cup, and when he drank it all the harm was taken from the cup. Still needing to escape his creditors, he went back and asked for stronger poison. The sorcerer was amazed the man was still alive, but he gave him a stronger poison, and again, the man went home and again made the sign of the Cross over the cup before drinking it, and again he suffered no harm at all. He went back to the sorcerer a third time, saying that the poisoner was incompetent in his art, and the sorcerer asked what he had done. The man replied that he only had made the sign of the Cross over the cup before drinking it. The sorcerer then tested his poison on a dog, who died immediately. The sorcerer then went with the Christian to the Apostle and described what had happened. The sorcerer asked to be taught about Christ, and he was Baptized. The Christian was told to bring an arm load of hay which the Apostle turned to gold by the sign of the Cross and prayer, so that the Christian could pay his debts and keep his household. Then the Apostle returned to Ephesus to the house of Domnus, where he converted many more people.

John spent his last years as an ascetic, eating only bread and water, not cutting his hair, and dressing in simple linen clothes. He did not have the strength to preach even around Ephesus, but he did continue teaching the Bishops of the Church as long as possible, especially that they should teach the commandment of love. Jerome (September 30^th) says that when John became very weak, his disciples carried him to the church, but he could only say, "Little children, love one another." as his sermon. St. John explained to some close disciples that the reason he would only repeat this instruction was because it is the Lord's commandment, and "if ye keep it, it is enough."

St. John and St. Prochorus spent nine years in the first visit to Ephesus, and fifteen years in exile on Patmos, and another twenty six years back in Ephesus living at the house of Domnus (a total of 50 years after the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary). Then very early one morning before the sun had risen, he asked seven of his followers including Prochorus to come with him and bring spades. They went outside the city to a place, where he told them to sit. John then went a little apart and prayed. Then he returned and told his disciples to dig a cross-shaped trench as long as John was tall. He continued to pray. Afterwards, he lay in the trench and told Prochorus that he should go to Jerusalem, and he must end his life there. He embraced each disciple and told them to cover him with his mother earth, and they put some earth on him to his knees. He embraced them again and told them to cover him to the neck. Then he told Prochorus to put a thin veil over his face and embrace him for the last time because it was the last time he would be seen in this life. They were all filled with grief, and they embraced him again. Some say that when the sun arose he surrendered his spirit. The disciples returned to the city and told what had occurred in great detail. The people of the city begged them to show the site, but when they returned to the grave, John was not there, only his shoes. They then remembered the words the Lord said to the Apostle Peter, "If I will that he tarry until I come, what is that to thee?" They all then glorified God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who is due all glory and honor to the ages of ages. Amen.

The Byzantine date for the repose of St. John is May 8^th. See the calendar controversy February 17^th: the calendar according to the Alexandrian calculation was a few days different from the older Roman calendar, and this may have resulted in the date of celebration being May 6^th in Tallaght, Oengus, and also the Roman calendar for the date of John escaping boiling oil, which may have been the same day John reposed. Oengus does not mention St. John in his poem, only the glossator mentions him: see May 1^st. It is quite possible that an event that occurred in Rome is commemorated correctly on Roman calendars, but events further away from Rome might have other dates, such as the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, see note January 18^th and August 15^th. The repose of St. John is mentioned December 27^th in the Celtic calendar, but St. John is also commemorated that same date on the Byzantine calendar. On the eighth of May in the Byzantine Rite (old calendar, which would be May 21^st new calendar) a fragrant myrrh comes from the grave of St. John and the sick are healed then by the prayers of the holy Apostle. (Some Roman sources such as Butler's think that the date St. John surviving the boiling oil may actually be derived from the May date of the repose of St. John on the Byzantine calendar, which is another Feast of St. Michael on Western calendars.) The Byzantine Rite also celebrates a Feast of St. John on the 26^th of September, and also during the week after Christmas, although they move the dates of the celebrations during that week by one day each, giving the holy Birthgiver of God a special day of commemoration the day after Christmas, St. Stephen the day after that, etc. Since the Celtic Rite celebrates the St. James who is the brother of the Lord with St. John during Christmas week, and celebrates this day in Christmas week as the installation of St. James in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, it is possible that this day might be the date of the assignment of the missions to the Apostles, a conjecture which would need to be examined more closely.
 

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8 May / 21 May
Victor and Maxim, for Christ they have brought themselves:
for affection towards the King whom they have loved they bathed them in their blood.

Martyrs. Victor, i.e. the decapitation of Victor under the Emperor Maximian in the city called Mediolanum.

From The Martyrology of Tallaght: Victoris; Maximus; Cessus; Donatus; Lucius; Johannis; Saliva; Secundila; Marcia; Datica; Victoria; Stertitia; Rogata; Florida; Nina; Flavia; Julia; Famosa; Maria; Processa; Secunda; Felicia; Eupia; Maxima; Cutidus; Sinclitica; Fortunatus; Saturninus; Tertulus; Arestinus; Tamphus; Marinus; Lucus; Donatus; Rusticus; Marcianus; Datus; Batizus; Militus; Victorianus; Januarius; Odronus; Capitis; Cessus and ten others; Lurentius. Also: Odranus Bishop; Dommani at Tech Meic Findchon.

Marginal notes from The Martyrology of Tallaght: Eighth ides of May (May 8^th) in Glastonia, i.e. in Glastonbury, Saint Indrath Martyr, i.e. Indrechtach the faithful, i.e. for the faith he suffered Martyrdom.

TSI lists sixth century Gibrian today, who with his brother Tressan (February 7^th ) missionized with the permission of Archbishop Remigius in the area around Rheims in the forest near the Marne in France. The family of brothers and sisters were all missionaries, including the brothers Gibrian (May 8^th), Tressan of Avenay (Feb. 7^th), Helan, Germanus (not the earlier Germanus of Auxerre), Veron, Abramus, Petron and the sisters Franchia, Promptia, and Possena. There are parishes of St. Gibrian, St. Helan, St. Vran, Abraham, Strand and a grotto of Petron.

TSI lists Wiro, Plechelm, and Otger today, missionaries to the Netherlands. Wiro died in 739 A.D. The name Maelmuire (Votary of Mary) was Wiro's original Gaelic name, and he was born in County Clare. Wiro and Plechelm were Irish Priests, and the Deacon Otger began together as pilgrims to Rome, and stayed together after that. Wiro and Plechelm were Consecrated Bishops in Rome, perhaps by St. Sergius I, who was from the East, and instituted the four major Feast days of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Roman Rite, according to Byzantine tradition. (The Irish and Celtic Rite already had Feast days of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but the Roman Rite did not before that time: the Roman Rite before that emphasized the Twelve Apostles as major Feast days.) The two Bishop Saints were on record as attending a Synod called by Pope Sergius in 697. After returning to Ireland, they came back to Europe and settled in the Netherlands on land given by Pepin of Herstal near Roermond. They called the land "St. Peter's Hill" and they built a monastery and church there dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Because of their tireless preaching, the were called the Apostles of the Guelderland. Pepin went barefoot during Lent and other times as a penance from Wiro or Plechelm. All three companions were honored in the Low Countries.

[Today is the Byzantine commemoration of the repose of St. John, different from the Celtic date: see notes May 6^th and December 27^th, and May 25^th.]
 

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9 May / 22 May
The great manifestation of Michael (the Archangel); to the world it was a proven story:
the Passion of fair Cyril who was loved: Bishop Sanctáin the famous.

Manifestation, i.e. on Mount Garganus, of Michael, i.e. the proper name of a man. This may be the story of Garganus which is commemorated here: when he sought out his bull and shot an arrow into the bull and the arrow turned back of its own accord and by that Michael was manifested in the west.

Santan Great-head in Cell, i.e. (Cell) da les.

Bishop Sanctain, i.e. of Cell da leis is he, as Oengus says, [or] of Cell espuic Sanctain in Hui Cellaig in the east of Leinster.

From The Martyrology of Tallaght: Revelation of Michael the Archangel; Festivity of the Apostles; that is of the relics of Thomas and John and Andrew; the Passion of Quirillus; Gindeus; Zenonis; Affrodisius; Cendeus; Effenicus; Timotheus; Gordianus; of the Blessed and other two hundred fourteen and other martyrs twenty six. Also: Lamruaid; Brenaind of Biror (Brendan of Birr); Dabreccoc of Tuaim Dracon; Banban the wise; Sanctan Cendmar (Big-head) in Cell da Les; Memmertius Bishop and Confessor who because of immanent disaster instituted the singing of Litanies (the Rogations) before the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord.

TSI mentions an Irish hermit named Beatus today, one of the Apostles to Switzerland. The place of his hermitage is now called Beatenburg. He may have been of the first century, or the third century, it is unclear.

[The Romans also list St. Gregory of Nazianzus today, who is called "Theologian" by the Byzantines and Romans, and who also saved the city of Constantinople from the Arian heresy. The Celtic date of celebration of the Feast of St. Gregory Nazianzus is March 29^th (refer to that date). The Byzantine Rite celebrates him January 25^th and at the feast of the Three Hierarchs January 30^th. St. Gregory Nazianzen, who died in 390 A.D., is considered one of the highest authorities in the Church, and is one of the few Saints honored among the Byzantines as a "Theologian;" see the notes on the term "Theologian" under St. John the Apostle and St. Peter.]
 

St. Michael the Archangel May 9/22 -the great manifestation of Michael (the Archangel) (See September 29^th)

(The Epistle and Gospel are of the Sunday.)
For St. Michael: Psalm 137 entire:
I will praise Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: for Thou hast heard the words of my mouth. I will sing praise to Thee in the sight of the angels: I will worship towards Thy holy temple, and I will give glory to Thy Name. For Thy mercy, and for Thy truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy holy Name above all.

In what day soever I shall call upon Thee, hear me: Thou shalt multiply strength in my soul. May all the kings of the earth give glory to Thee: for they have heard all the words of Thy mouth. And let them sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord. For the Lord is high, and looketh on the low: and the high He knoweth afar off. If I shall walk in the midst of tribulation, Thou wilt quicken me: and Thou hast stretched forth Thy hand against the wrath of my enemies: and Thy right hand hath saved me. The Lord will repay for me: Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever. O despise not the works of Thy hands.
 

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10 May /23 May
Into the other world's realm of peace, wherein is every temple's noise,
may the hostful one convey us, Comgall the gifted, of Bangor.

Comgall son of Setna, son of Eochaid, son of Broen, son of Forgo, son of Ernan, son of Crimthan, son of Eochaid, son of Lugaid, son of Ross, son of Imchad, son of Feidlimid, son of Cass, son of Fiachra Araide.

Of Bennchor [Bangor]: Bennchor is so called because Conall Cernach, son of Amargen, went on a raid into Pictland, and carried off many cows. 'Tis then he heard that Cuchulainn was killed; so he put (chuir) the horns (benna) of the cows into the earth. Thus it is called Benn-chor. [translator's note - For another etymological legend about Bennchor see the dindsenchas of Indber mBiccni, Rev. Celt. xvi. 75.]

Mael-geimrid said:

Bangor delightful, pure, place of forgiveness of crimes:

a time will be for the power of the Abbots: it will be a dwelling of sharp-nosed dogs.

[Note: the name "St. Christopher" was the name given to "Reprobus" which means "dog-faced" because he was ugly. St. Christopher also came from Cana, so the term "dog-faced" may be related to a Latin pun. This verse might refer to the popularity of the name Christopher among the Irish, and possibly some Abbots of that name. See April 28^th - St. Christopher.]

From The Martyrology of Tallaght: Gordianus; Epimacis; Midoris Confessor; Protextatus; Quartus; Quintus; Majoris; Petrus; Divtius; Tecla; Furionis; Maria; Lucella; Probata; Moca; Maxima; Justus; Matrona; Jacobus; Januarius; Quirillus; Gindeus; Dioninus; Achacus; Crispionis; Zenonis; Affrondisius; Primitius. Also: Comgaill of Bennchor (Bangor) [Abbot] ninety one years of age, and of his principality [Abbacy], fifty years and three months and ten days; Aedo; Cormaic; Fintain; Condlai Bishop; son or sons of Lemain; Mosinoc of Cluain Caichni.

TSI says that Comgall of Bangor died A.D. 603. He was the founder of Bangor. (The Antiphonary of Bangor was used there, and the Celtic Prayer Book of the Celtic Orthodox Christian Church is a translations of its prayers.) De Blacam in The Black North says that Columban was not afraid of Romans or Gauls: Bangor-by-the-Sea gave him confidence against the world. Comgall spent many years at Clonenagh under Fintan (February 17^th) who had a very strict rule. Later his companions at Glasnevin included Colm cille, Cainnech, and Ciaran of Clonmacnoise. About 555 Comgall founded Bangor in Ulster, thirteen miles from Belfast, on the south shore of Belfast Lough. It was a cluster of wooden buildings, and not known for buildings but for scholarship and Sainthood. It was said to have seven choirs continuously chanting hymns to God. (See the Prayer Book: the Rule calls for prayers in shifts so that monks could have some sleep. Although TSI may be correct, the suggested practice of most of the Saints of Bangor was two shifts: most monks would sing all the Hours but Beginning of Night and Midnight, but on a rotating schedule some would cover those Hours too.) Some said that the severe Rule brought the punishment of God on Comgall in terrible diseases of his last years, but the large enrollment of students at Bangor is "almost unbelievable." From the Martyrlogy of Donegal: he "kindled in the hearts of men an unquenchable fire of the love of God." Comgall trained Columbanus (November 23^rd) and gave him twelve monks to go with him, including St. Gall (October 16^th). Although this was envisioned as the "second conversion of Gaul," it was not well-received there by Bishops who had Arian doctrine and were jealous of their dioceses. Still, St. Columbanus still had the effect of teaching many, and founding a great monastery at Luxeuil and then another in northern Italy at Bobbio, both of which gave us surviving books of Propers and Lections fitting the Celtic Liturgics. Comgall spoke Pictish as well as Irish, and also trained Moluag of Lismore (June 25^th), who took other Bangor monks there and founded over one hundred monasteries in Scotland. Comgall, with Cainnechof Aghaboe, sponsored Colm cille in a successful interview with Pictish king Brude. In Comgall's lifetime two of his monks: Meadhren and Maelrubha went from Bangor to Applecross. Bangor had a great influence on Christian Scotland for three centuries until the Norse came. It is said that the sea pirates murdered 900 brethren at Bangor, and despoiled the casket of Comgall. (Although the Abbey was restored in 1125 by Malachy, after that Henry II of England excluded "mere Irish" from Bangor. The Franciscans came in 1469, and the Augustinians a century later. England seized Bangor in 1617 when it seized the O'Neill estates.)

TSI also lists Cathal, Cataldus or Cataldo today, an Irish Saint from the seventh century, who died in Italy at Taranto. There are many churches, hospitals, etc. named for him in Italy, Sicily, Malta, and France. Cathal's name also appears in Latin and Greek on the eighth pillar in the nave of the Byzantine Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Cathal was a student at Lismore in Waterford, who became a professor there and went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He was shipwrecked on his return in Taranto. Later he was buried in the Cathedral at Taranto with a small gold Cross saying "Cataldus Rachau," which might mean Rath Cua or Rathan. Taranto was destroyed by Saracens in 927. On May 10^th in 1071 when the Cathedral was being rebuilt, the body of Cataldus was discovered. Four miracles occurred when the body was being moved to its new place of honor in the new Cathedral. More is known about the many miracles after that than his life, but something about him is recorded both in Ireland and Italy.
 

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11 May / 24 May
The triumph of Job without oblivion, to the King of Clouds he was manifest:
my Critóc, a fair servant (of God), and the Presbyter Cormac.

The triumph of Job, i.e. his liberation from his Martyrdom: or his death, i.e. when he routed the Devil, and he was freed from his martyrdom i.e.: the Liberation of Job from his Martyrdom which he suffered for thirty years but was tempted in his 59^th year and afterwards lived an additional 140 years.

My-Critoc, i.e. on the brink of the Dodder in Hui Dunchada in the east of Leinster.

Presbyter Cormac, i.e. Cormac the Priest in Ached Sinche, i.e. in Ached Findniche. And in Aran he is. 'Tis he that asked the Devil how he should reach heaven: to whom the Devil said: "If I were a cleric," etc.[LL. 360d et marg. inf.] [Concerning devils, both the Righteous Job, and also the Priest Cormac: see November 11^th: similar incidents are listed in the history of St. Martin of Tours. Also, an index of such incidents is listed there.]

From The Martyrology of Tallaght: Job Prophet; Antimus; Dimetrus; Atticus; Maius; Montanianus; Julius; Victurinus; Fortunatus; Cominus; Septimus; Primulus; Montanus; Nereus; Atticus; Inertus; Marnilus; Martinus Martyr; Translation of Victurinis and and similar brethren. Also: Coemgini Abbot; Findlogo; Critan son of Illadon; Cormac in Achad Findnaige (or Findnaigi); Lugair infirmus; Loegaire lobor (the leper); Colum cain (the fair); Lasrae virgin; Fintain of Cluain Cain; Mael Doid; Aeilgnei; Mochritoc i.e. Critan son of Illadon and Priest Cormac and in Arann he is; It is he who asked the Devil how he might attain Heaven to which the devil said (margin note); Dia mba cleirech (Margin note.)

Marginal notes from The Martyrology of Tallaght:
If he be a cleric, let him not be wrathful.
Let not his voice be raised. Let him not swear falsely.
Let him not be greedy. Let him not be treasure loving.
Let him not be miserly, lying.
Let him not be fault-finding at meals.
Do not slander thy fellow.
Thy side hal