On Saint Procopius

1Hesychius, a presbyter of Jerusalem, offers praise to the holy martyr Procopius the Persian, reflecting on the psalm that says 'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints' (Psalm 116:15).

Christ crowned Procopius with a noble sacrifice, seeing him as a brave and powerful bull, with a multitude of virtues and the power of the golden-horned, and with the flock of martyrs, and with the power to horn the enemies of the flock and the lions that threaten them, and with the various kinds of beasts, much like the apostle's saying that 'All things work together for good to those who love God' (Romans 8:28).

As a disciple of Paul, Procopius carried the theology of John and the warm disposition of Elijah, and he had the calling of Samuel from his youth, making him greater than Samson and equal to David, who defeated the giant Goliath by cutting off his head.

Procopius was also like Noah, who built the ark of salvation, and like Abraham, who denied his family and homeland, and like Isaac, who was willing to be a holocaust, a sacrifice to God.

In this way, Procopius gave testimony to the martyr by the death of the body, becoming a holocaust like Isaac.

Jacob wrestled with God, but Procopius wrestled for God, setting up a noble trophy throughout the world.

He shattered the idols that had once held sway over the world, not with an axe, but with the prophetic voice that led many nations and cities to Christ, much like Moses, who shattered a golden calf, an idol made of gold, and destroyed many thousands of Jews who blasphemed the law.

Procopius was a man of great purity, like Enoch of old, blameless, truthful, just, and godly, avoiding every evil thing.

The frankness of his confession established him as truthful, the conduct of his life presented him as just, and the outcome of his struggles proclaimed him godly, while his avoidance of pleasures, self-control of the stomach, disdain for luxury, austere dining, mortification of the body, and varied and multifaceted asceticism showed him to be one who avoided every evil thing.

As the book of Job says, Procopius was blameless, and no one could accuse or criticize him, as he was able to uncover the accusations of sinners and the slanders of the righteous.

No one dared to say of him, 'Does Procopius reverence the Lord in vain?'

Procopius did not have flocks of sheep or herds of camels, nor did he have donkeys or yokes of oxen to till the earth, having left no earthly possessions for himself.

Abel, having died, was judged like Cain (Genesis 4:8), and the earth had the body, heaven had the mouth, Hades had the tongue, the judge had the voice, and the clay had been returned to the clay, the merchant had lost his pearl, except that, having died, he has been judged like Cain.

Procopius, however, intercedes with God on behalf of his enemies and pleads for the Greeks.

As Jesus said, 'Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves' (Matthew 10:16), Procopius was indeed sent as a sheep in the midst of wolves.

3The farmer is anxious about the millstone being ground and fears the locust, while also dreading the bramble; he closely watches the sheaves, as the hail does not cease and the wounds struggle against the wind-borne plague.

However, once the grain is harvested with the sickle and falls into the hands of the harvester, and is then added to the measures and the wagons with the staff, and is carried to the threshing floor, where the winnowing fan rises, and after being tasted and sealed within the granary, it is guarded, the farmer becomes confident in it and rejoices as one who has grown rich, taking pride in not having labored in vain.

At times, the farmer will open the granaries, loosen the bolts, and throw open the doors to secure them.

On other occasions, he will boast about the grain placed among the merchants, taking pride in the labors of his household hands.

Similarly, the sower of the human race, the farmer of our nourishment, does not feel confident toward Adam until he has seen him moved from the earthly realm, until he has passed through the trials, and until he has navigated the challenges of philosophical dangers.

When Adam finally departs from the earthly realm, the farmer rejoices, is confident, and is dignified, saying to him: 'Well done, good and faithful slave.' Then he adds: 'Enter into the joy of your lord.' And he cries out: 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.'

In this, the farmer presents the proof of good things, demonstrating that to those who love God, all things work together for good (Romans 8:28).

Whether a person endures much tribulation, or the faithful are constrained by distress, or are seized by nakedness, or surrounded by dangers, or struck by a sword, none of these things will separate the faithful from Christ, nor will the soldier of the king be able to set them apart.

When the faithful are surrounded by siege, they rejoice because they behold Christ as the leader of their joy.

If they are constrained by distress, they are widened by turning toward the Teacher.

If persecution lies in wait, they do not concern themselves with earthly matters while awaiting heaven, but rather, they are made secure so that they do not stumble; if famine is imminent, they are satisfied by touching the bread of life.

If nakedness is imposed upon them, their spirit is clothed, they surround themselves with grace, and they feel no concern for foods or provisions; if danger is threatened, they recognize the General as their equal, the ally they recognize, and they do not allow the Word to be restrained in its boldness; if a sword is struck against them, even when struck, the tongue does not permit itself to be silent.

In the face of every attacker, they stand ready like innocent and pure lambs and ewes, receiving the command of the Shepherd with joy, who says: 'Behold, I am sending you as sheep in the midst of wolves' (Matthew 10:16), which means: take courage and go, hasten quickly, gather the nations, increase the flocks, terrify the wolves, and demonstrate the power of the Shepherd.

You are not less than Moses, nor are you second to Jeremiah, nor was the grace of Ezekiel entrusted to your hand; with you is the one who sent Elijah, and he will also send you, each as a prophet.

Consider who Moses was and to whom he was sent, and how the rod lifted up by him was made straight; for the lawgiver, though naked, was sent to hypocrites, yet the rod of the naked man subdues soldiers and commands armies.

You, however, instead of a full panoply, should arm yourselves with the following commandment: 'Become therefore prudent as the serpents and innocent as the doves.'

For prudence is indeed good, and innocence is equally wonderful, yet when the two are joined, the result has acquired both advantage and utility.

Neither prudence alone nor innocence in its pure state is able to justify or to save a person, which is why it is necessary to possess both the prudence of the serpents and the innocence of the doves together.

For the serpent is prudent but not innocent, and you can see the beast as being venomous and harmful, whereas the dove alone is innocent, making it an easy target for everyone's plots.

You must therefore combine innocence with prudence, becoming innocent in the affairs of life and prudent in spiritual things.

If you buy or sell a field or engage in any other worldly commerce, the innocent has been lost; for to be wronged is more brightly than to do wrong, and to be circumscribed is more profitable than to circumscribe to those who wish to gain the heavenly things rather than the earthly.

But if you study the law, then search for prudence and seek the purpose of the written things, considering how one should act and why, and what the letter intends of the law, and what the spirit of the...

4The prophecy has been given, and now it is time to consider whether the word is simple or whether the teaching is presented in parables.

As you move forward, pay attention to the agreements you receive regarding the army and strategy of the one who sends you.

You will be handed over to councils, but do not lose heart, for the Father is always with you, the Son is never distant, and the Spirit does not depart.

Angels will be your bodyguards.

You will be flogged in the synagogues, but you should rejoice greatly, for the wars fought on behalf of piety and the bruises from the whips are more becoming than the sun's rays.

You will be brought before rulers and kings as a testimony to them and the nations, and you should not become numb to this reality.

On my account, you will stand before rulers and be brought before kings for the sake of my glory.

The one who anointed kings, who set boundaries for rulers, who measured their step and gave them a scepter, is with you.

Consider this, that you are not led before kings and rulers as captives, but as a testimony to them, and to the nations, so that they may know the power of the one testified to by you, that the poor will restrain the rulers, the rustic people will intimidate the imperial council and silence the renowned senate, and the private citizens will shame the tyrants and intimidate the kings.

When you are handed over, do not worry about what you will say, for you will be given the words to speak, as it is written, 'it will be given to you in that hour what to say' (Matthew 10:19).

As tongues of the word and wisdom, you are also trumpets and heralds of life, and orators of the one who does not need human oration.

You are speaking with the spirit of your father guiding you, and the struggle and contest are for the sake of the one who has called you.

It is necessary to wait for grace from him, to expect the word of wisdom, to receive the gift of confession, and to hope for the full armor of God, which will protect you from the enemy, for the enemy cannot prevail against the armor that is forged by God.

A brother will hand over a brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise up against parents and kill them.

For you are hated by all because of my name, as it is written, 'you will be hated by all because of my name' (Matthew 10:22), but the one who endures to the very end will find salvation, as it is written, 'the one who endures to the end will be saved' (Matthew 10:22).

In this time of persecution, nature is divided, and grace is gathered, for the clay fights against itself, but the potter does not tolerate handing over the clay.

The earthenware vessels are crushed together, so that in the need of the potter's wheel they may become such, and thus they take on the memory of the potter and are taken by necessity.

Listen to the word, O faithful one, and keep the commandment, cultivating endurance with eagerness and reaping its fruit with great joy.

Gather the grape and tread the winepress, but do not speak at length about the difficulties of life, for they are varied and sorrowful, the things that come from a foreign land are hateful, and the continuous things are gloomy.

Few are those who offer comfort, while many mock and scorn, for philosophy is blasphemed and virtue is ridiculed.

Fear and anxiety grip you, and you are beset by struggles from your own relatives, with the care of your own things weighing heavily upon you, but do not dwell on these things, nor let them loosen your resolve.

Instead, fix your gaze eagerly on the royal cross, and contemplate the holy pasture of the Resurrection, where the king hangs on a tree, unjustly struck by his slaves, shamelessly spat upon by the guilty, and stripped of his royal attire.

And yet, it is in this very moment that the Resurrection is revealed, for the garments of the stripped one show his true wealth, the angels will present the power of the one who was struck, and the voices of those coming from heaven proclaim the glory of the one who was slapped.

Glory be to him, now and forever, and to the ages of ages.

Amen.