Holy Martyr Agatha of Palermo in Sicily (251). St. Theodosius, archbishop of Chernigov (1696).
New Martyrs Matushka Agatha (Agafia) (1938), and with her schemamonk Eugene (1939) and Righteous Paramon (1941), of Belorussia.
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Seeking of the Lost” (17th c.).
St. Theodosius of Skopelos in Cilicia (ca. 421). St. Avitus, bishop of Vienne (Gaul) (525). St. Polyeuctus, patriarch of Constantinople (970). New Martyr Anthony of Athens, at Constantinople (1774).
Repose of Metropolitan Michael (Jovanovich) of Serbia (1897), Valeriu Gafencu of Bessarabia, Romania (1952), and Abbess Agnia of Nizhni-Novgorod (1954).
Wednesday.
Also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all
your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with
mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and
turn unto the Lord your God: for He is gracious and
merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness. Blow the
trumpet, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly …
let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride
out of her closet … let the priests, the ministers
of the Lord, weep and say: “Spare thy people, O
Lord!” (Joel 2:2–17).
Who now hearkens unto this voice, resounding in the
Church? If on the city squares a thunderous voice should
resound from heaven, saying, “Spare yourselves, O
people, so that the Lord will spare
you!”—perhaps someone would hear it and awake
from his ecstasy of pleasures, lusts and wine. The priests
do not cease to plead, “Spare O Lord!” But
from the Lord comes the just yet terrible answer, “I
will not spare, for there are none seeking to be
spared.” Everyone is standing with their back to the
Lord; they have turned from Him and forgotten Him.