| Previous day |  |
Next day |
| Old Style
August 15
|
Sunday |
New Style
August 28
|
| 10th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone 1. |  Fast-free period.
|
The Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.
Repose of St. Macarius the Roman, abbot (1550), and his disciple St. Chariton (16th c.), of Novgorod. St. Stephen, elder, of Vyatka (1890).
Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos “Diasozousa” and “Chajnicke.”
New Hieromartyr Christos, hieromonk, of Ioannina (ca. 1770). New Hieromartyr Paul Szwajko, priest, and New Martyr Joanna, presbytera, of Graboviec (Chelm and Podlasie, Poland) (1943).
Repose of Elder Anthony of Murom (Arsenius in schema) (1851), friend of St. Seraphim of Sarov; Archimandrite Hieron, founder of New Athos (1912), Blessed George Lazar of Varatec, Romania (1916), Abbess Rufina of Harbin and Shanghai (1937), Elder Joseph the Hesychast, of New Skete, Mt. Athos (1959), and Metropolitan Augustinos (Kantiotis) of Florina (2010).
Thoughts for Each Day of the Year
According to the Daily Church Readings from the Word of God
By St. Theophan the Recluse
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost. [I Cor. 16:13-24; Matt. 21:33-42]
Mary hath chosen that good part (Luke 10:42). The Dormition of the Mother of God represents a good end to such a choice. The Saviour Himself received her soul in His arms at her Dormition. Many saints were made worthy of the same. In various ways and degrees, all those who choose that good part meet with this. At the time this choice is made, the saints foresaw this end through hope, and even felt it to a certain degree; but then come labours, struggle and forcing oneself, shrouding the chosen path. The good end of that good part remains as a guiding star. It is as a faraway shining light for a traveller who is overtaken by darkness. Hope is the stimulator of energy and the maintainer of patience and constancy in what was begun, while hope itself is strong through faith. People make their choice according to faith, and through hope they are firm in their choice; while through patience they attain that good end.
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost. [I Cor. 4:9-16; Matt. 17:14-23]
This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. If this kind goes out by the prayer and fasting of another person, then it is even less able to enter one who fasts and prays. What protection! Although there are a slew of demons and all the air is packed with them, they cannot do anything to one who is protected by prayer and fasting. Fasting is universal temperance, prayer is universal communication with God; the former defends from the outside, whereas the latter from within directs a fiery weapon against the enemies. The demons can sense a faster and man of prayer from a distance, and they run far away from him so as avoid a painful blow. Is it feasible to think that where there is no fasting and prayer, there already is a demon? Yes, it is. The demons lodging in a person, do not always reveal their presence, but lurk there, stealthily teaching their host every evil and turning him away from every good thing; so this person is certain that he is doing everything on his own, but meanwhile he is only fulfilling the will of his enemy. Just commence prayer and fasting and the enemy will immediately depart, then wait on the side for an opportunity to somehow return again. And he truly will return, as soon as prayer and fasting are abandoned.