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July 31
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Saturday |
New Style
August 13
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8th Week after Pentecost.
Tone 6.
Заговенье на Успенский пост. |
 Fast-free period.
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Forefeast of the Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord. Righteous Eudocimus of Cappadocia (9th c.).
Martyr Julitta, at Caesarea in Cappadocia (304-305). New Monk-martyr Dionysius of Vatopedi, Mt. Athos (1822) (Конст.).
New Hieromartyrs Benjamin (Kazansky), metropolitan of Petrograd, and Sergius (Shein), archimandrite, and with them New Martyrs George Novitsky and John Kovsharov, at Petrograd (1922). New Hiero-confessor Basil (Preobrazhensky), bishop of Kineshma (1945).
Righteous Joseph of Arimathea (1st c.). St. Germanus, bishop of Auxerre (448). St. Neot, hermit, in Cornwall (ca. 877). St. John the Exarch of Bulgaria (ca. 917-927). St. Arsenius, bishop of Ninotsminda, Georgia (1082). Consecration of the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos of Blachernae (Gr. Cal). Translation of the relics of Apostle Philip to Cyprus (Gr. Cal).
Repose of Elder Gerasim the Younger, of the St. Sergius Skete (Kaluga) (1918).
Thoughts for Each Day of the Year
According to the Daily Church Readings from the Word of God
By St. Theophan the Recluse
Saturday. [Rom. 13:1-10; Matt. 12:30-37]
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. What you put in the treasury is what you receive: if you put in gold—you will take away gold; if you put in copper—you will take away copper. Of course, copper can be passed off as gold; but an expert will immediately recognize the forgery. How can we make it so that in our treasury there is only gold; that is, so that in the heart there is only good? The heart by its nature is a treasury of good things; evil came later. Take an anatomical knife of attentiveness and lack of self pity, separate what is unnatural and cut it out. One after the other the evil will leave, while the good will become strengthened and spread; what will remain, at last, will be only good. The question is how to determine what is natural and unnatural. Do not listen to today’s naturalists;[1] they explain everything inside out: what is natural, for them is unnatural; while what is unnatural, for them is natural—they call evil good, and good evil. Look at what the Lord says in the Gospels and the holy apostles in their writings, and according to their instructions determine what is natural. In such a manner, at last, you will gather much good and will bring it forth out of your heart. Pray to the Holy Spirit: “O treasury of good things, entreasure good in my heart!”
[1]By “naturalists” is meant those people who rely on natural science for answers, and deny religion.