Holy Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas (1st c.).
St. Barnabas, ascetic of Vetluga (1445). Translation of the relics of St. Ephraim, founder of the Sts. Boris and Gleb Monastery (Novotorzhok) (1572). St. Arcadius, monk, of Vyasma (ca. 1592).
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “It Is Truly Meet” (Axion Estin) (10th c.).
Commemoration of the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to a monk on Mt. Athos, and the revelation of the hymn “It Is Truly Meet” (Axion Estin) (982). 222 Chinese New Martyrs of the Boxer Uprising, at Beijing and other places: Hieromartyr Metrophanes Chang (Chang Tzi-tzung), his wife Tatiana, his sons John and Isaiah, Isaiah’s fiancée Maria, the church-school teachers Paul Wang and Ia Wen, and others (1900). St. Barnabas of Basa near Limasol on Cyprus (Gr. Cal).
Repose of the recluse Melania of Eletz and Zadonsk (1836) and Ivan Vasilievich Kireyevsky, philosopher and Patristic translator (1856).
Wednesday. [Rom. 11:2-12; Matt. 11:20-26]
The Lord showed many signs in
Capernaum, Bethsaida and Chorazin; yet the number of those
who believed did not correspond to the power of the signs.
That is why He severely denounced these cities and
sentenced them: in the Day of Judgment it shall be more
tolerable for Tyre and Sidon, Sodom and Gomorrah, than for
these cities. We need to judge ourselves according to such
a model. How many signs has the Lord shown to Russia,
saving it from the most powerful enemies and subduing
peoples to it! How many treasures has He granted it,
pouring out unceasing signs—in the holy relics and
miracle-working icons scattered throughout all of Russia!
And yet in our days Russians are starting to turn aside
from the faith: one group is falling into total unbelief,
another group is falling away into Protestantism, a third
group is secretly weaving their own beliefs, thinking to
combine spiritism and theological ravings with Divine
Revelation. Evil is growing; evil beliefs and unbelief are
raising their head, while faith and Orthodoxy are
weakening. Will we not come to our senses? … We
will end up like the French, for instance, or
others.… But if that happens, how do you think it
will be for us on the judgment day, after God has shown so
many mercies to us? O Lord! Have mercy and save Orthodox
Rus’ from Thy just and righteous threatening!