The Meeting of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ.
Martyr Agathadorus of Tyana in Cappadocia (Gr. Cal). New Martyr Jordan of Trebizond, at Constantinople (1650). New Hieromartyr Gabriel, hierodeacon, of Constantinople (1676). St. Anthimus of Chios (1960).
Repose of Schemamonk Seraphim of Valaam (1860).
Tuesday. [Jude 1:1–10; Luke 22:39–42,
45–23:1]
The Meeting of the Lord. At this meeting the Lord is
surrounded on the one side by Simeon—righteousness
which awaits salvation, but not in righteousness itself,
and Anna—a life of strict fasting and prayer, made
alive by faith; and on the other side by substantial,
comprehensive and steadfast purity—the Virgin Mother
of God, and by humble, silent submission and devotion to
the will of God—Joseph the Betrothed. Transfer all
of these spiritual attitudes to your heart and you will
meet the Lord; not carried to you, but coming to you
Himself. You will take Him into the embrace of your heart,
and you will sing a hymn which will pass throughout the
heavens and gladden all the angels and saints.
Meat-fare Sunday (35th). [I Cor. 8:8–9:2; Matt.
25:31–46]
The great judgement! The judge cometh in the clouds,
surrounded by a countless multitude of bodiless heavenly
powers. Trumpets sound over all the ends of the earth and
raise up the dead. The risen regiments pour into the
determined place, to the throne of the Judge, having
already a foreboding of what verdict will sound in their
ears, for everyone’s deeds will be written on the
brow of their nature, and their very appearance will
correspond to their deeds and morals. The division of
those on His right hand and those on His left will be
accomplished in and of itself.
At last all has been determined. Deep silence falls.
In another instant, the decisive verdict of the Judge is
heard: to some, “Come,” to the others,
“depart.” “Have mercy on us, O Lord,
have mercy on us! May Thy mercy, O Lord, be on us!”
they shall say, but then it will already be too late to
plead. We need to take the trouble now to wash away the
unfavourable marks written upon our nature. Then, at the
judgment, we would be ready to pour out rivers of tears in
order to wash ourselves; but this would do no good. Let us
weep now, if not rivers of tears, then at least streams;
if not streams, then at least drops. If we cannot find
even this much, then let us become contrite in heart, and
confess our sins to the Lord, begging Him to forgive them,
and promising not to offend Him any more through violation
of His commandments. Then, let us be zealous to faithfully
fulfil this promise.