In Honor of St. Demetrios the Great Martyr and Myrrh-flowing from Thessalonica
FR. COSTA’S MESSAGE OF THE WEEK, October 25, 2009

“A man is not a martyr only if he is commanded to sacrifice to the gods, and then dies rather than sacrifice; but he is also a martyr if he obeys any commandment which is likely to lead to his death. This is obviously martyrdom” (St. John Chrysostom).
At the end of his tenth homily on the Gospel of St. Matthew, St. John Chrysostom wrote: “To this alone should we train ourselves, to bear all trials with courage, and not inquire as to the how or why of them. It is God’s affair alone, to know when our sufferings will come to an end. It is our duty to bear with gratitude the affliction which God ordains for us...So let us put all discouragement aside, and give glory in all things to God, who directs all things for our best good.”