| The miraculous appearance of St Michael
the Archangel at Chonae is commemorated on this day.
All feasts associated with the Captain of the
Bodiless Powers are highly honoured by the Ukrainian Church as St
Michael was the ancient Patron of Kyivan Rus'.
The Patron of the Children of Israel, it was
natural for Saint Volodymyr to take the Archangel as the Patron of the
new people of God, the newly baptized members of his great Christian
empire. The Baptizer of Kyivan Rus'-Ukraine bore Icons of St Michael on
his royal robes and otherwise promoted his veneration.
For about four hundred years, the Icon of St
Michael eclipsed the Ukrainian Trident as the emblem of Ukraine. He is
still the Patron of Kyiv as he was a Patron of the Kozak Host, along
with St George.
The liturgical celebrations of St Michael and all
Angels urge us to imitate the Angelic life of obedience to God and His
ceaseless glorification. We especially imitate the Angels when we
earnestly sing the Trisagion, "Holy God, Holy Mighty etc." as
this is the Angelic hymn of praise to God the Holy Trinity.
On this day, we commemorate the martyrdom of the
first Lemko Saint, St Maxim Sandovich (1914).
The Holy Hieromartyr suffered persecution for his
efforts to serve his Orthodox people under the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Enduring many setbacks, St Maxim was undaunted. At the outbreak of World
War I, however, he was placed under arrest, he and his entire family.
He was then taken out to be shot. As he was marched
up against a wall, Father Maxim looked heavenwards and sighed,
"God, come to my assistance, Lord make haste to help me!"
Father Maxim's son, also Maxim, became a Priest and
carried on his father's mission. St Maxim Sandovich is especially and
deeply venerated by both Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Lemkos, as he is
the Patron of Lemkivschyna. |
