In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. We commemorate the boy who was lifted to Heaven and heard the angels sing the Trisagion, during the earthquake in Constantinople in 447. Amen.

In the year 447, Constantinople shook for 4 months in a series of terrible earthquakes. The emperor Theophilus, the Patriarch Proclus, and the multitude of people prayed to God together. And yet, the earthquakes became more pronounced, and a young boy was lifted up by the quakes before everyone’s eyes. When the young boy was thrown back to the ground, he told everyone he saw the holy angels in Heaven singing, “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us” and a voice told the boy to relay this prayer to the Patriarch for everyone to pray in this manner before God. The Patriarch quickly instructed the people to pray this hymn, and the earthquake subsided. And till this day, we pray this in every Divine Liturgy.

In every calamity or suffering, we may suffer in silence and in solitude, or we may suffer in great numbers together. And yet, we are to make supplications before God, out of our simple and pure faith, to lean on God for His infinite Mercy. As we read St Luke 6:17-23 and elsewhere in Holy Scriptures, there are often a great number of people who sought the salvation and healing of our Christ and Lord.

And in Galatians 5:22-6:2, when we face calamity as a people together, whether it be poverty, disasters, disease, or other suffering, we are to lift one another and relieve the burdens of others in our communities, and so fulfill the Law of Christ. The Law of Christ is plain and simple, that we are always to be charitable to the needs of those in need, and not to horde material possessions to ourselves, for in possessions we gain nothing in Christ, and only in leaving possessions behind us, do we find Christ, and do we have Christ in our beings.

Not every calamity is material or physical. We are admonished in Ezekiel 3:17-19 to also guide those in spiritual need, to walk towards God. We must not fail in showing the Light and Truth of God to people who cross our paths, especially in deed, and if not, in kind words that guide and steer people towards God. And let us be encouraged that God does not forsake us, in any calamity we face, as long as we always repent and pray unto Him (Psalm 103:1-4).

Let us always remember the Trisagion, “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us”, and be encouraged that we are to lift each other’s burdens, and together struggle towards God.

Let us pray, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Let us close by praying the thanksgiving prayer:

It is truly meet to call thee blest, the Theotokos, ever blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption thou gavest birth to God the Word: True Theotokos, we magnify thee.

O virgin Theotokos, rejoice; O Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast borne the Savior of our souls, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fr Raphael+

Readings
Ezekiel 3:17-19
Psalm 103:1-4
St Luke 6:17-23
Galatians 5:22-6:2