Feast Day: August 24th
The Life of Saint Cosmas Aitolos: His preaching, filled with the Grace of the Holy Spirit, was simple, calm, and gentle. It brought Christians great Spiritual benefit…
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Prayers
Apolytikion: By teaching the Divine Faith, thou hast richly adorned the Church and become a zealous emulator of the Apostles; for having been lifted up by the wings of Divine Love, that hast spread far and wide the message of the Gospel. O Glorious Cosmas, entreat God that He grants us His great Mercy.
Kontakion: Having led an irreproachable life on Athos, like Moses thou hast been deemed worthy of God’s manifestation; wherefore truly thou dost gladden the Church exceedingly by thy deeds and thy God-inspired words, O Father Cosmas, having contended for which, thou hast been adorned with a double Crown.
Megalynarion: Rejoice thou emulator of the Apostles, teacher and luminary of the Church; rejoice thou divine cultivator of piety, associate of Martyrs and peer of Angels.
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Quotes by Saint Cosmas
Humility and love are the two wings with which we will fly to Paradise.
When you cut a tree, its branches dry up immediately, and if you water its root, the branches are filled with force. So you, parents, can be likened to a tree: you are the root of your children, and when you water yourself with fasting, Prayers, alms and kind deeds, God preserves your children. If an apple tree gives sour apples, who is to blame: an apple tree or apples? An apple tree. So, do the right thing, parents, so that your “apples” become sweet.
Life is a Spiritual warfare. If you’re not fighting, you’re losing.
Let us say something about the thorns. Blessed Mary of Egypt was twelve years old when she fell into the hands of the devil. She lived in sin day and night. But the Merciful God enlightened her and she abandoned the world and went into the desert. There she led a hermit’s life for forty years. She was cleansed and became like an Angel. God wished to give her rest, so He sent the Holy Ascetic Zosimas to hear her Confession and to give her Holy Communion. The He received her Holy Soul into Paradise, where she rejoices with the Angels. If there is anyone here like Blessed Mary, let him immediately weep and repent, now that he has time, and let him be assured that he will be saved as was Blessed Mary.
The time will come when your enemies will take away from you even the ashes from your fires, but don’t give up your faith as others will do.
None was found worthy to give Birth to a Man to pay back that side which she owed except for the Lady Theotokos.
He who accepts present afflictions in the expectation of future blessings has found knowledge of the truth; and he will easily be freed from anger and remorse.
If a man insults me, kills my father, my mother, my brother, and then gouges out my eye, as a Christian it is my duty to forgive him. We who are pious Christians ought to love our enemies and forgive them. We ought to offer them food and drink, and entreat God for their Souls. And then we should say: “My God, I beg you to forgive me, as I have forgiven my enemies.”
Initially Grace arouses the conscience in a Divine manner. That is how even sinners have come to repent and so to conform to God’s Will.
I have a loaf of bread to eat; you do not have. Love tells me: Do not eat it alone, give some to your brethren and you eat the rest. I have clothes; love tells me: Give one garment to your brother and you wear the other one… I stretch out my hands to take what belongs to you, your money, all your possessions. Love does not allow me to take them. Do you see, my brethren, what gifts love has?
If you wish to be saved, seek no other thing here in this world as much as love.
Things will come out of the schools that your mind does not even imagine.
A time will come when people will speak from one distant place to another, as though they were in adjoining rooms–for example, from Constantinople to Russia.
God created woman equal with man, not inferior…My Christian, you must love your wife as your companion, not consider her as your slave, for she is a creature of God, just as you are. God was crucified for her as much as for you. You call God Father, she calls Him Father, too. Both of you have the same Faith, the same Baptism, the same Book of the Gospels, the same Holy Communion, the same Paradise to enjoy. God does not regard her as inferior to you.
This Prayer should never be absent from you: Lord Jesus Christ, Son and Logos of the living God, through the Theotokos and all the Saints, have mercy upon me, Thy sinful and unworthy servant.” Always say this Prayer both with your mouth and with your mind, day and night, wherever you may be, whether eating, walking, working, or sitting. Always meditate on it, as it benefits you a great deal, frees you here from every evil, delivers you there from eternal hell, and renders you worthy of going to Paradise, our Heavenly country.
If you want cure your soul, you need four things. The first is to forgive your enemies. The second is to confess thoroughly. The third is to blame yourself. The fourth is to resolve to sin no more. If we wish to be saved, we must always blame ourselves and not attribute our wrong acts to others. And God, Who is most compassionate, will forgive us.