Hieromartyr Symeon, bishop in Persia, and those with him: Hieromartyrs Abdechalas and Ananias, priests; Martyrs Ustazad and Azat, eunuchs; Fusicus, Ascitrea, and 1,150 others (344). St. Acacius, bishop of Melitene (ca. 435). St. Zosimas of Solovki (1478).
Martyr Adrian of Corinthus in Persia (251). St. Agapitus, pope of Rome (536). Uncovering of the relics of St. Alexander, founder of Svir Monastery (1641). St. Paisius, foolfor- Christ, of Kiev (1893).
Repose of Hieroschemamonk Constantine of Ekaterinburg (1960).
Saturday. [Rom 6:3–11; Matt. 28:1–20]
The Lord sleeps bodily in the tomb; in
soul He descended into hades and preached salvation to the
souls there. The Old Testament saints were not in heaven,
although they abode in the consoling faith that they would
be brought there as soon as the Promised One came to
earth, having lived by faith in Him. There also the
Forerunner foretold of His coming. When the Lord
descended, all who believed cleaved to Him and were lifted
up by Him into heaven. But even that heaven is only the
threshold of the true paradise which will be revealed
after the general resurrection and judgement., Although
all of the new-testament saints also are blessed in
heaven, they await an even more perfect bliss in the age
to come, with a new heaven and new earth (cf. Rev. 21:1),
when God will be all in all (cf. I Cor. 15:28).