The Sunday of All Saints

Theodotus lived in Ancyra of Galatia at the turn of the fourth century, a married man and an innkeeper by trade, distinguished by an uncommon kindliness toward the persecuted. When the rage of Diocletian’s persecution fell upon the Christians of the region, Theodotus turned his inn into a refuge: he supplied the faithful with everything they needed, hid them in his house, and there the holy Mysteries were celebrated in secret. He visited the confessors in prison, paid the bail of those he could ransom, and reverently gathered up and buried the bodies of the martyrs that had been thrown to the beasts or left exposed.

His most famous act of love was the burial of seven holy virgin-martyrs—Tecusa, who was his own aunt, together with Alexandra, Claudia, Phaine, Euphrasia, Matrona, and Julia—who had been drowned in a lake for refusing to deny Christ. Recovering their bodies from the water at great peril, Theodotus gave them honorable burial. This was reported to the governor. Brought to trial, Theodotus refused to sacrifice to the idols, exposed the folly of paganism, and confessed Christ as God; for this he was subjected to fearful tortures and at last beheaded. When they tried to burn his body, a sudden storm prevented them, and his relics were given to a Christian for burial.

His life is a living icon of this Sunday’s Gospel: he is the man who “confessed Christ before men” not merely with his lips at the tribunal but, long before, with his whole manner of life—his hospitality, his courage in burying the dead, his refusal to let fear of the authorities silence his charity. The Epistle’s catalogue of those who “escaped the edge of the sword” and others who were “slain with the sword” finds in him both kinds of witness.

Panagis Basias was born in Lixouri on the island of Cephalonia in 1801, to the devout and well-to-do Michael Typaldos-Basias and his wife Regina. Highly educated—he knew Italian, French, and Latin—he began his career as a grammar-school teacher, but was soon drawn by the preaching of the confessors Kosmas Flamiatos and Efsevios Panas to a more radical devotion to Christ and to the defense of the Orthodox faith of his people. He gave up his official post, withdrew for a time toward the monastic life at Vlacherna, and, recalled by the needs of his widowed mother and orphaned sister, returned to the world to live as an ascetic in its midst.

Ordained to the diaconate and then to the priesthood in 1836 by Archbishop Parthenios of Cephalonia, Father Panagis celebrated and preached daily and spent the remaining hours of each day among the poor, the sick, and the troubled, giving away his entire inheritance to those in need. He was a renowned confessor who, it was said, impressed the image of Christ upon the souls of his spiritual children, and God granted him the gift of prophecy. A “fool for Christ” in the contemporary world, he reposed on June 7, 1888, and was glorified as a saint by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Cephalonia in 1986. He embodies the hundredfold of today’s Gospel: a man who left house, wealth, and worldly standing “for Christ’s name’s sake” and received instead a spiritual family that flocks to him still.

Tarasios and John are remembered among the martyrs of June 7, who completed their witness to Christ by the sword, John being beheaded together with Tarasios. Little of their detailed history survives, but the Church preserves their names and their crowns, and they take their place among “so great a cloud of witnesses” gathered up in this Sunday’s commemoration.

Zenais (Zenaida) is commemorated as a martyr and wonderworker whose veneration was once widespread in Constantinople, where a church was dedicated to her and her synaxis was kept. The surviving accounts are brief, but her title “Wonderworker” testifies to the miracles worked through her after her repose—a sign of that intercessory boldness before God which is the inheritance of the saints.

Among the righteous of this day the calendars also name Sebastiane the Wonderworker. As with several of the day’s commemorations, little biographical detail has come down to us; the Church honors her sanctity and her name even where the full record of her life has been lost—itself a quiet testimony to the multitude of “the saints known only to God” whom this Sunday exists to honor.

• “Not by a power of his own, but by the help of grace from above, the confessor makes his confession.”—St. John Chrysostom
• “Belief only within one’s soul does not suffice; He desires also the belief confessed with the tongue.”—Blessed Theophylact
• “Do not compare love of God merely with love of parents, brothers and sisters and wife. If you are serious, compare it with the love of your very life.”—St. John Chrysostom
• “The fewer possessions we have, the greater the attachment.”—Blessed Theophylact
• “Instead of their relatives of the flesh they will have kinship with God and fraternity with the saints.”—St. Cyril of Alexandria
• “Instead of lands, Paradise; instead of houses of stone, the heavenly Jerusalem.”—Blessed Theophylact
• “’A hundredfold’ means that which is incomparably better as regards the future in heaven.”—St. Theodore the Stratelates
• “He not only gives us these good things, but adds to them eternal life.”—Blessed Theophylact

”Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.”

St. John Chrysostom (+407)

He urges them not from the good things only but also from their opposites. Mark His exact care: He said not “me,” but “in me,” implying that not by a power of his own, but by the help of grace from above, the confessor makes his confession. But why is He not satisfied with the faith in the mind, requiring also the confession with the mouth? To train us up to boldness in speech, and to a more abundant love and determination, and to raise us on high. And He addresses Himself to all—not to the disciples in person only, for the lesson is for every one who follows them.

Blessed Theophylact of Ochrid (+1107)

He exhorts them to bear witness even unto martyrdom, for belief within one’s soul alone does not suffice; He desires the belief confessed with the tongue. He did not say “Whosoever shall confess Me,” but “in Me,” that is, in My strength—for he who confesses does so aided by the grace which is from above. Everyone who confesses that Christ is God will find Christ confessing him to the Father as a true servant; but those who deny will hear the words, “I do not know you.”

”But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”

St. John Chrysostom (+407)

It is not by some power within yourself that you make your confession, but by the help of grace from above; whereas your being forsaken is the fault of you yourself, the forsaken person, not of God. We must confess with our mouths in order that we may be steadily trained to speak boldly. Observe too that the punishment is named twice and the reward once, for He knows this will be more apt to correct us; and having opened heaven to His disciple and set before him the fearful judgment-seat and the amphitheater of angels among whom the crowns are proclaimed, He bids them be prepared even for slaughter itself.

St. Remigius of Rheims (+533)

Here is to be understood that confession of which the Apostle speaks: “With the heart men believe unto justification, with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” That none might suppose he could be saved without confession of the mouth, the Lord adds “before men”; and He will deny the one who has denied Him, in that such a one shall have no access to the Father through Him.

Blessed Theophylact of Ochrid (+1107)

He exhorts them to bear witness even unto martyrdom. He says “in Me,” that is, in My strength, for he who confesses does so aided by the grace which is from above; but of him who denies He does not say “in Me,” showing that the denial follows from his having no aid from above.

”He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

St. John Chrysostom (+407)

He said this to bring fathers to greater gentleness and children to greater freedom, just where love might most tempt them to hinder one another. He bids parents not to attempt the impossible by assuming their love for their children can rightly be set against love toward God, and he instructs children not to make their love of parents greater than their love of God. And lest the saying seem too demanding, He turns it further still: do not compare love of God merely with love of parents, brothers, sisters, and wife—if you are serious, compare it with the love of your very life, for nothing is dearer to you than your life.

St. Jerome (+420) (Western, included for the order He establishes)

He had said, “I have not come to bring peace but a sword,” dividing people even against father and mother, that no one place family loyalty before religion. We must preserve a right order in all our relations: love your father, your mother, your children; but if a time comes when love for a parent and love for God are in conflict and both cannot be kept, then a forthright preferring of God is the higher loyalty.

Blessed Theophylact of Ochrid (+1107)

Do you see when it is that we must hate our parents and children? When they want us to love them more than Christ. And why speak of father, mother, and children? Hear what is even greater than this

”And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”

St. John Chrysostom (+407)

He commands not merely to stand against death, but against a violent death, and not violent only but ignominious too: “he that bears not his cross, and comes after me, cannot be my disciple.” He says nothing as yet of His own Passion, that when they had been instructed in these things they might more easily receive His word concerning it. Is it not a wonder that, hearing these things, their soul did not flee the body, with hardships everywhere at hand and the good things only in expectation? Great was both the power of the Speaker and the love of the hearers.

Blessed Theophylact of Ochrid (+1107)

Whoever does not renounce this present life and give himself over to a shameful death—for this is what the cross signified to the ancients—is not worthy of Me. But since many are crucified, such as robbers and thieves, He added “and followeth after Me,” that is, live according to My laws.

”Then Peter answered and said to Him, ‘See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?’”

St. John Chrysostom (+407)

“All which,” O blessed Peter? The rod? the net? the boat? the craft? These you call “all”? Yes—but not for display does he say it; rather, that by this question he may bring in the multitude of the poor. For when the Lord said, “If you will be perfect, sell what you have and give to the poor,” lest any poor man should say, “What then? if I have no possessions, can I not be perfect?” Peter asks, that you, the poor man, may learn that you are made in no respect inferior; and that you may hear the answer not from Peter, who was still imperfect, but from Peter’s Master, and so be confident.

Blessed Theophylact of Ochrid (+1107)

Even though it seems Peter had not forsaken much, being poor, understand that in truth he too forsook much—for the fewer possessions we have, the greater the attachment. But Peter also rejected every worldly pleasure, even natural affection for his parents; for these passions war against the poor as well as the rich.

”So Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’”

St. John Chrysostom (+407)

What does it mean that they will “judge the twelve tribes of Israel”? It means they will judge them as convicted—not that they will sit as jurymen, but just as the queen of the South will judge that generation and the Ninevites will condemn it. He did not say “the nations and the world” but “the tribes of Israel,” because the Jews and the Apostles had been brought up under the same law and customs; so when the Jews said they could not believe, He sets before them men reared in the same law who did believe, and thereby condemns the others. And as for Judas, the promise of the thrones is governed by the law spoken through Jeremiah: God’s good promises stand for those who remain worthy of them.

Blessed Theophylact of Ochrid (+1107)

Will they actually be seated on thrones? By the “throne” He indicates the great honor they will enjoy. Will Judas also be seated? No; for Christ said “which have followed Me,” that is, followed to the end, and Judas did not follow to the end. God often promises good things to the worthy, but if they change and become unworthy, as Judas did, those good things are denied. By “regeneration” understand the resurrection of the dead at the Last Judgment.

”And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.”

St. Cyril of Alexandria (+444)

So that no one should think that what was said applied only to the disciples, He extended the words to cover all who do likewise. The rest may not receive the very same as the disciples; yet instead of their relatives of the flesh they will have kinship with God and fraternity with the saints—the older men and women of the Church, beloved relatives through love. Instead of their fields they will receive Paradise; instead of their houses built of stone, the Jerusalem above, the mother of the firstborn.

St. John Chrysostom (+407)

Lest any, having heard “you,” should suppose this peculiar to the disciples—the enjoying of the first honors in the things to come—He extended the word and spread the promise over the whole earth, and from things present He establishes the things to come. This He says not that you should sit idle and leave alone what seems impossible, but that, considering the greatness of the reward, you should strive to enter in with entreaty to God.

St. Theodore the Stratelates (+319)

“A hundredfold” means that which is incomparably better as regards the future in heaven. When Mark says one will receive a hundredfold “in this age,” we should understand him as speaking of spiritual joys far exceeding earthly ones, inasmuch as they are pledges of future blessings.

Blessed Theophylact of Ochrid (+1107)

Christ broadened the promise to include everyone who does likewise. They will have, instead of family of the flesh, intimacy and brotherhood with God; instead of lands, Paradise; instead of houses of stone, the heavenly Jerusalem; instead of a mother, the venerable mothers in the Church; instead of a father, the priests; instead of a wife, all the faithful women—not in marriage, far from it, but in affection and spiritual care. The Lord does not bid us simply to separate from our families, but only when they impede our piety. See how good God is: He not only gives us these good things, but adds to them eternal life.

”But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

St. John Chrysostom (+407)

When He had raised the spirit of all and persuaded them to feel confidence, He added that “many that are first shall be last, and last first.” This is said without distinction of many, but it is spoken also of the unbelieving Pharisees, even as He had said before, “Many shall come from east and west and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out.”

Blessed Theophylact of Ochrid (+1107)

Christ is suggesting here the Jews and the Gentiles: for the Jews, who were first, became last, while the Gentiles, who were last, were put first. And so that you might clearly learn what this means, He adds the parable that follows.

Source: Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 34 (on Matthew 10) and Homily 64 (on Matthew 19)

Chrysostom’s two homilies that underlie much of the Catena above are worth reading in full for their pastoral psychology. On chapter 10 he dwells on why confession with the mouth is required and not faith alone: it trains the disciple to parrhesia—holy boldness—and binds love and resolve together. On chapter 19 he is at pains to democratize the promise: Peter’s “we have left all” is voiced, Chrysostom insists, on behalf of every poor believer, so that no one imagine sanctity is the preserve of those with much to renounce.

Source: The Explanation of the Holy Gospel According to Matthew

Theophylact, drawing on Chrysostom but writing with great economy, supplies the brief’s most quotable lines. His treatment of the hundredfold (19:29) is a small catechesis on the communion of saints: the one who leaves the natural family for Christ does not end up familyless but is given the Church—fathers in the priests, mothers in the venerable women, brethren in all the faithful—and Paradise in place of lands. He is careful to add the guardrail that Christ does not command the hatred or abandonment of family as such, but only their subordination when they “impede our piety.”

Source: Homily on the Sunday of All Saints (“On the Signs of God’s Chosen”)

Writing in nineteenth-century Russia, St. Ignatius reads this very Gospel as the Church’s deliberate portrait of the chosen. Confession, he argues, “requires decisive self-denial” and “must be triumphant,” made “with mind, heart, word, deed, and the entire life.” His distinctive contribution is to turn the eye inward: the hardest hindrance to confessing Christ is not society or family but the fallen self, so that taking up the cross means crucifying one’s own carnal mind and will.

The Gospel opens with confession (Matthew 10:32–33), and confession is precisely what makes a saint. The Greek word the Church hears today, homologeo, is to “say the same thing” as God—to declare openly what is true of Christ. The Fathers are unanimous that this confession is grace-empowered (“in Me,” not merely “Me”) and that it must pass from the mind to the mouth and from the mouth to the whole life. The Epistle’s roll-call of the faithful (Hebrews 11) is a catalogue of confession under every conceivable pressure—kingdoms, lions, fire, the sword, mockery, chains—and the saints of June 7, from the innkeeper Theodotus at his tribunal to Panagis Basias in the streets of Lixouri, show that the arena of confession is as often the ordinary day as the courtroom.

The hard sayings of Matthew 10:37–38 are not a command to despise family but a command to order all loves beneath the love of God. Chrysostom and Theophylact read them as a hierarchy of loves: father, mother, child, even one’s own life, are good, but they become idols the moment they are loved “more than Me.” The cross that follows is the concrete shape this reordering takes—a “living martyrdom,” in the language of the modern homilists, of dying daily to self-will. This theme binds the Gospel to the feast: the saints are simply those in whom this reordering was completed by the Holy Spirit.

Peter’s blunt question—“what shall we have?”—receives an extravagant answer (Matthew 19:28–29). The Fathers refuse to let the promise shrink to the Twelve: Cyril, Chrysostom, and Theophylact all insist that the “everyone” of verse 29 spreads the hundredfold over the whole Church. The renunciation is real, but the recompense is a transfigured abundance—kinship with God, the Church as family, Paradise for lands, and, crowning all, eternal life. The “regeneration” is the resurrection and the world to come, when the thrones of glory are revealed. Verse 30’s reversal (“the first last, and the last first”) guards the whole promise against presumption: the gift can be forfeited, as Judas forfeited his throne.

The Epistle’s image of the “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) is the theological heart of the feast. The saints are not absent spectators but a living company surrounding the runners still on the course, and the race is run “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” Placed on the Sunday after Pentecost, the feast makes a clear claim: the saints are the harvest of the Spirit. What the tongues of fire began in the Upper Room comes to fruition in every generation’s martyrs, ascetics, and righteous—which is why the Kontakion calls them “the first fruits of nature offered to the Planter of all creation.”

”From the heights Thou didst descend, O compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to Thee.”

As on every Sunday, the day’s witness begins with the Resurrection: it is the risen Christ who is the source of all sanctity, and the saints are those whom His descent and rising have “delivered from passion.”

”Adorned in the blood of Your Martyrs throughout all the world, as if clothed in purple and linen, through them Your Church cries out to You, O Christ God: Bestow Your bounties upon Your people, grant peace to Your habitation, and great mercy to our souls.”

The whole Church is pictured as a single body robed in the blood of its martyrs—a fitting hymn for a day that honors both the named martyrs of June 7 and the countless unnamed.

”As the first fruits of nature offered to the Planter of all creation, O Lord, the inhabited earth brings the God-bearing Martyrs. By their supplications, and the intercession of the Theotokos, preserve Your Church in profound peace, O greatly Merciful One.”

The kontakion supplies the feast’s governing image: the saints are creation’s first-fruits, the Spirit’s harvest, offered back to God who planted them.