Forefeast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. St. Gregory of Decapolis (816). St. Proclus, archbishop of Constantinople (446-447).
Martyr Dasius of Dorostolum in Moesia (284-305). Martyrs Eustace, Thespesius, and Anatolius, of Nicaea (312). Hieromartyr Nerses, bishop of Shahrqart (Kirkuk), and his disciple Martyr Joseph, and those martyred with them in Persia: Hieromartyrs John, Shapur, and Isaac, bishops of Seit Selok; Martyrs Guhshtazad, eunuch, Mari, Sasan, Tima, Noah, and Zaun, of Lashom; and Bautha, Denachis, Thecla, Dinaq, Tatun, Mama, Mazakya, Ana, Abyat, and Hatay (343). St. Parasceva (Rodimtseva), abbess of Toplovsky Convent (Simferopol) (1928).
New Hieromartyrs Macarius (Karmazin), bishop of Dnepropetrovsk, Arsenius (Dmitriev), abbot, of the Tikhvin Monastery, Eutychius (Kachur), abbot, of the St. Marcian Skete (Ukraine), and Hilarion (Pisarets), hieromonk of Glinsk Hermitage (1937). New Nun-martyr Ioannikia (Kozhevnikova), abbess of the Convent of the Entry of the Theotokos (Tikhvin) (1937).
St. Isaac, bishop of Armenia (440). St. Theoctistus the Confessor, of Constantinople (855). Martyr Edmund, king of East Anglia (869). St. Sozomen of Cyprus (12th c.).
Friday. [I Tim. 4:4-8, 16; Luke 16:15-18, 17:1-4]
It is impossible but that offences
will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
Therefore, one cannot live offhand, uninhibitedly. One
must look around carefully not to tempt anyone. The mind
is arrogant and does not look at anyone; but it arouses
temptations all around in deed, and even more, in word.
Tempting increases and magnifies the woe of the tempter,
but he does not sense this and even further expands his
temptations. It is good that God’s threat in return
for tempting here, on the earth, is almost never fulfilled
in hopes of correction; it is put off until the future
judgement and retribution; only then will the tempters
feel how great is the evil of tempting. Here almost nobody
thinks about whether he tempts or doesn’t tempt
those around him in his deeds and words. Two sins which
are very great in the eyes of God are not regarded as
anything by people: tempting and condemnation. The
tempter, according to the word of the Lord, would be
better off not alive; he who condemns is already
condemned. But neither the former nor the latter think
about it and cannot even say whether they sin in any such
way. What blindness, indeed, surrounds us and how
carelessly we walk in the midst of death!
Thursday. [I Tim. 3:1-3; Luke 16:1-9]
The parable is about the denounced
unjust steward. Do you see how he managed to disentangle
himself from his misfortune! If only we would all manage
to arrange for ourselves a peaceful life upon our
departure from this life! But no: Children of this
world are in their generation wiser than the children of
light. Why did the steward go to such pains? Because
disaster was near. The nearness of misfortune aroused
energy and quick-wittedness, and he quickly settled
everything. But is our misfortune not near? Death could
overtake us at any moment, and then: give an account of
thy stewardship. Everyone knows this, but almost
nobody moves. What is this insanity? Nobody thinks he will
die right now, but all suppose that they will live another
day or two; they don’t know the time, only that
death will come sometime later. This is why misfortune is
seen as something in the future. Misfortune is ahead, and
any thought about what to do in case of misfortune is put
off. Nobody thinks to remain incorrigible his entire life,
but he simply puts off changing for the present day. But
since one’s entire life is composed of present days
and hours, any concern for change just does not
come.