Hieromartyr Antipas, bishop of Pergamus, disciple of St. John the Theologian (ca. 68).
Martyrs Processus and Martinian of Rome (ca. 67). St. Pharmuthius, anchorite of Egypt (4th c.). St. John, disciple of St. Gregory of Decapolis (9th c.). St. James, founder of Zhelezny Borok Monastery (Kostroma) (1442), and his fellow-ascetic St. James (15th c.). St. Barsanuphius, bishop of Tver (1576). Sts. Euthymius (1456) and Chariton (1509), abbots, of Syandema (Vologda).
Commemoration of the Appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos at Pochaev (the “Footprint”) (1340).
Hieromartyr Domninus, bishop of Salona in Dalmatia, and eight soldiers with him (ca. 100). St. Philip, bishop of Gortyna on Crete (180). St. Guthlac, hermit of Crowland (England) (714). St. Callinicus of Cernica, bishop of Rimnic in Romania (1868).
Repose of Elder Eulogius of St. George Kellion, Mt. Athos (1948).
Friday. [Acts 5:1–11; John 5:30–6:2]
Why did Ananias and Sapphira sin so
badly? Because they forgot that God sees their deeds and
thoughts. If they kept in mind that God sees everything
both internal and external more clearly than all people
see, even with regard to themselves, it would not have
entered their mind to lie in such a way before the
Apostles. This is why all of our sins and sinful plans
arise. We contrive to conceal everything from the gaze of
man, and think that everything is fine. People seem not to
see anything, assume we are in good shape; but this does
not change our essential nothingness. Knowing this, repeat
each of you to yourself: why doth Satan fill my heart to
lie before the face of God? His eyes which are brighter
than the sun see into the innermost recesses of the heart;
neither night nor sea, nor cave are concealed from Him.
Remember this and so arrange your inward and outward
behaviour, though it be unseen. If the All-seeing One were
alien to us, it would be possible to regard His
omniscience indifferently. But He is judge, and He often
pronounces His judgment, by virtue of His Omniscience,
sooner than we expect. It could be that He has already
pronounced judgment upon us the very moment we thought to
hide ourselves and our sins with a dark lie, saying,
“God doesn’t see!”