The PriestMartyr Cyprian, the Holy Martyress Justina and the Martyr Theoktist

Taken from today's reading in the Menologion (Old Calendar)

The PriestMartyr Cyprian, the Holy Martyress Justina and the Martyr Theoktist perished at Nicomedia in the year 304.

Saint Cyprian was a pagan, a native of Antioch. While still in early childhood he was given over by his misguided parents for service to the pagan gods. From seven years of age until thirty, Cyprian studied at the most outstanding centres of paganism -- on Mount Olympus, in the cities of Argos and Tauropolis, in the Egyptian city of Memphis and at Babylon. Having attained to eminent wisdom in pagan philosophy and the sorcerer's craft, on Olympus he was consecrated into the pagan priesthood. Having discovered great power by the summoning of unclean spirits, he beheld the very prince of darkness, and conversed with him and received from him an host of demons in attendance.

Having returned to Antioch, Cyprian became revered by the pagans as an eminent pagan priest, amazing people by his ability to conduct spells, to summon pestilence and plagues, and to seance the dead. The mighty pagan priest brought many an human soul to ruin, teaching them magic-spells and service to demons.

But in this city there lived a Christian -- the Virgin Justina. Having turned her own father and mother away from pagan error and led them to the true faith in Christ, she dedicated herself to the Heavenly Bridegroom and spent her time in fasting and prayer, remaining a virgin. When the youth Aglaides proposed marriage to her, the saint responded with a refusal. Agalides turned to Cyprian and sought his help for a magic-spell to charm Justina into marriage. But no matter what Cyprian tried, he could accomplish but nothing, since the saint by her prayers and fasting wrecked all the wiles of the devil. By his conjured spells Cyrian set loose demons upon the holy virgin, trying to rouse in her the fleshly passions, but she dispelled them by the power of the Sign of the Cross and by fervent prayer to the Lord. Even one of the demonic princes and Cyprian himself, by the power of sorcery having assumed various guises, were not able to sway Saint Justina, guarded round about by her firm faith in Christ. All the spells dissipated, and the demons fled at the mere look or even name of the saint. Cyprian in a rage sent down pestilence and plague upon the family of Justina and upon all the city, but this was beaten back by her prayer. Cyprian's soul, corrupted by its domination over people and by its incantations, showed up in all the depth of its downfall, and the abyss of nothingness of that which he served. "If thou dost take fright at even the mere shadow of the Cross and the Name of Christ indeed maketh thee to tremble, -- said Cyprian to Satan, -- then what wilt thou do, when Christ Himself is come before thee?" The devil thereupon flung himself upon the pagan priest who was in the process of repudiating him, and began to beat and strangle him. Saint Cyrian then first tested for himself the power of the Sign of the Cross and the Name of Christ, in guarding himself from the fury of the enemy. Afterwards, with deep repentance he went to the local Bishop Anthymos and consigned all his books to the flames. And the very next day, having gone into the church, he did not want to emerge from it, though he did not yet accept Holy Baptism.

By his effort to follow a righteous manner of life, Saint Cyprian discerned the great power of fervent faith in Christ, and redeemed his more than thirty year service to Satan: seven days after Baptism he was ordained reader, on the twelfth day -- sub-deacon, on the thirtieth -- deacon, and after a year he was ordained priest. And in a short while Saint Cyprian was elevated to the dignity of bishop. The PriestMartyr Cyprian converted to Christ so many pagans, that in his diocese there was no one left to offer sacrifice to idols, and their pagan-temples fell into disuse. Saint Justina withdrew to a monastery and there was chosen hegumeness. During the time of the persecution against Christians under the emperor Diocletian, Bishop Cyprian and Hegumeness Justina were arrested and brought to Nicomedia, where after fierce tortures they were beheaded with the sword. The Soldier Theoktist, looking upon the guiltless sufferings of the saints, declared himself a Christian and was executed together with them. Knowing about the miraculous conversion to Christ of the holy PriestMartyr Cyprian, a former servant of the prince of darkness and by faith shattering his grip, Christians often resort to the prayerful intercession of the saint in their struggle with unclean spirits.

Ben Stein - How to Ruin the U.S. Economy

Click here to view original article - Posted on Monday, October 6, 2008, 12:00AM

1) Have a fiscal policy that creates immense deficits in good times and bad, burdening America's posterity with staggering burdens of repaying the debt.

2) Eliminate regulation of Wall Street and/or fail to enforce the regulations that already exist, instead trusting Wall Street and other money managers and speculators to manage other people's money with few or no regulations and little oversight.

3) Have an energy policy that disallows producing our own energy and instead requires that we buy energy from abroad, thus making our oil prices highly volatile and creating large balance of payments deficits, lowering the value of the dollar and thus making the problem get progressively worse.

4) Have Congress mandate that banks and other financial entities lend money to persons they know in advance to have poor credit ratings or none at all.

5) Allow investment banks, insurers, and banks to bet their entire net worth and then some on the premise that borrowers known to be improvident will in fact repay those loans.

6) Allow the creation of large betting pools called "hedge funds" that can move markets and control the outcome of trading, thus taking a forum for savings and retirement for families and making it into a rigged casino game that exists primarily to fleece suckers like ordinary working men and women.

7) Have laws that protect corporate officers from being sued for misconduct but at the same time punish lawyers in the private sector who ferret out such misconduct and try to make accountable the people responsible for shareholder and investor losses. If one of those lawyers gets particularly aggressive in protecting stockholders, put him in prison.

8) Appoint as head of the United States Treasury Department a man whose whole life was spent on Wall Street, who became fantastically rich through his peddling of junk bonds at his firm while the firm later sold short those same sorts of bonds.

9) Scare Americans into putting up $750 billion of their hard earned money to bail out the billionaires and their friends who created the market for loans to poor credit risks (The "subprime" market) and the unbelievably large side bets on those loans, promising that such a bailout would save the retirement savings of Americans, then allow the immense hedge funds to make the market crater immediately afterwards.

10) Propose to save the situation by surtaxing the oil industry, which is owned by our fellow Americans, mostly in their retirement plans, thus penalizing Americans for investing in companies that efficiently and legally produce an indispensable product.

11) Insist that the free market requires that banks and insurers with friends of the Secretary of the Treasury be saved but allow other entities not so fortunate to fail, thus creating total uncertainty and terror among financial institutions, and demolishing all of the confidence built up in financial circles since the days of FDR.

12) Then have the Republican candidate say he would keep on the job the Treasury Secretary who facilitated the crisis, failed to protect the nation from the crisis, got the taxpayers to pony up to save his Wall Street buddies, and have the Democratic candidate, as noted, say he would save the day by taxing the stockholders of energy companies.

There, that should do it.

America "lacks the guts" to oppose the bailout

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/JJ02Dj02.html

How long will we continue to artificially prop this up??

We are powered-up again.

Our power is back. It looks like things are closer to getting resolved up here in northeast Harris county. Our grocery stores are open, and it appears that gas lines are getting shorter. Still is looks like Centerpoint still has alot of work ahead.

A month? Come on....

Officials are telling Houstonians to prepare to be without electric power for up to 1 month. Bull-oney!

We will probably need to leave town if we cannot get power back in a few days.

Were out of the woods...IKE was ok for us.

No damage to our property, but lots of downed trees in our neighborhood. One of our neighbors had their tree fall on both of their vehicles... It was an interesting ride. I was able to take some video that I'll get imported and uploaded once the power comes back on.

IKE Track Update...

We're fixin' to see the southern eyewall in a bit... It's been and interesting night. We're a little sleepy.

IKE Track Update...

It's starting to get gusty at the house...

IKE Track Update...

We're not seeing any real wind yet. But it looks like we will be...

Track IKE's path relative to Ben's house

Here is a link to track the path of Hurricane IKE relative to my house.

Prayers for deliverance from severe storms

From the blog of Fr. Joseph Hunneycutt:

O Lord Jesus Christ

As you saved your apostles from perishing in a storm by calming wind and waves on your command, so now keep us safe and sound in this hurricane season. Grant us favorable and benign weather. Protect us from the unpredictable elements of nature. Steer us from storm, flood, fire, illness, injury, disaster and sudden death. Preserve us from all evil and harm for we, though sinful, are nonetheless the work of Your hands. And You together with your Father who has no beginning and Your all holy good and life giving Spirit are our God in whom we live, move, and have being. Now and ever and unto ages and ages. Amen.

Most Holy Theotokos ...

Seeing how your holy and powerful maternal intercessions and safe haven for the storm tossed, count us worthy of your prayers during this season of uncertain and threatening weather. Beg your divine human Son to grant us mercy, forgiveness, health, safety and salvation over the coming months. For He is sure to listen to you, His mother, the woman whom all generations call blessed. Amen.

All Holy Prophet Elias ...

As the Lord gave you control over droughts and rainfall to prove His power to the wayward and unbelieving, plead with Him to keep stormy weather, heavy rains and destructive winds away from us. Help us with your heavenly intercessions for we know the prayer of a righteous man like you is powerful and effective as God is wondrous in His Saints. Amen.

Holy Father Herman of Alaska ...

While you were alive on Earth, your prayers kept your spiritual children safe from tidal surge and forest fire and after your death your heavenly intercessions calmed stormy seas saving Saintly Bishop Innocent from peril. Do not less for us in your fatherly love for your adopted land. Implore your Master to safeguard for us from such dangers too for we know God is wondrous in his Saints. Amen.

Holy St John of San Francisco ...

During your earthly sojourn in the Philippines, your prayers kept typhoons at bay from your flock. Brace us living in the land where your wonder working relics rest with your heavenly intercessions as well. Appeal to the Ruler of All for our reprieve from such hazard and menace. For we know God is wondrous in his Saints. Amen.

Thanks to Fr Don Shadid & FWD from Bishop Thomas.

IKE Track Update...

... Are we dodging the bullet?

IKE Track Update...

IKE hasn't turned as much as I thought it would. Barometric pressure over Galveston is the lowest of all coastal areas this morning - this means that this track will probably not change much. Granted, this is an estimate, and hurricanes do not travel in straight lines. I am 50 miles inland, but this is still capable of 100 MPH gusts...and sounds like will be given to the formation of tornadoes...

Hurricane IKE is on an interesting path...

So... I think that it's going to turn more, but a few of my neighbors are freaking out. I got some new tapes for the vid cam, just in case .