Apodosis of the Dormition. Martyr Lupus, slave of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica (306).
Hieromartyr Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons (202). Sts. Eutychius (ca. 540) and Florentius (547) of Nursia. St. Callinicus, patriarch of Constantinople (705).
New Hieromartyrs Ephraim (Kuznetsov), bishop of Selenginsk, and John Vostorgov, archpriest, of Moscow, and Martyr Nicholas Varzhansky (1918).
Hieromartyr Pothinus, bishop of Lyons (ca. 177). Martyrs Severus, Memnon the Centurion, and 38 others, of Thrace (ca. 305). Ebba the Younger, abbess, of Coldingham, Northumbria, and her companions (870). St. Anthony, bishop of Sardis (10th c.). St. Nicholas the Sicilian, who struggled on Mt. Neotaka in Euboea (Gr. Cal).
Repose of Abbot Ioannicius (Moroi) of Sihastria, Romania (1944).
Saturday. [I Cor. 4:1-5; Matt. 23:1-12]
He that is greatest among you shall
be your servant. As the Lord tells us, greatness is
measured not by birth, not by power, nor by abilities and
resources, but by the ability to arrange good for others.
He who is more tireless and acts more broadly in this vein
is greatest. As in a family, the greatest member is
sincerely concerned for the whole family, and he considers
it an honor and advantage to soothe all, to do such that
things will be good for everyone, so in a Christian
society he who wants to be greatest must take on complete
care for the Christian comfort of all those in his spheres
of existence, and in the area of activity which he has
chosen for himself. But it is even better to abandon every
thought about greatness and have heartfelt care for
greater service for the good of all those around you, and
then you will be greatest in the eyes of God, and people
will perhaps recognize you as such, also. If only all who
are greater would make this law of Christ the law of their
conscience, what prosperity and ease would arise
immediately among us! But the misfortune is that greatness
among us begins quickly to serve itself and its own
interests, and almost always joins this with demands of
being served itself rather than it serving others, and
soothes its conscience with the proper running of official
affairs. This is why there are many superiors, but good
does not prosper in our midst, and all good institutions
do not bring forth that good which is expected of
them.