Martyrs Sophia and her three daughters, Faith (Vera), Hope (Nadezhda), and Love (Lyubov), at Rome (ca. 137).
Martyr Theodota, at Nicaea (230). Martyr Agathoclia (230). 156 Martyrs of Palestine, including Peleus and Nilus, bishops, Zeno, priest, and Patermuthius and Elias, noblemen (310). St. Joachim I, patriarch of Alexandria (1567). St. Innocent, archimandrite, of Glinsk Hermitage (1888).
New Hieromartyrs Paul (Moiseyev) and Theodosius (Sobolev), archimandrites, and Nicodemus (Shchapkov) and Seraphim (Kulakov), hieromonks, of the St. Nicholas Koryazha Monastery (Arkhangelsk) (1918).
Hieromartyrs Heraclides and Myron, bishops of Cyprus (1st c.). Martyrs Lucy and her son Geminian, of Rome (303). Hieromartyr Lambert, bishop of Maastricht (704). St. Anastasius of Perioteron on Cyprus (12th c.). St. Eusipius of Cyprus (Gr. Cal).
Repose of Blessed Agapitus (1825), disciple of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, and lay recluse Matthew of St. Petersburg (1904).
Friday. [Gal. 4:8-21; Mark 6:45-53]
Be of good cheer: it is I; be not
afraid. Here is the pillar of our hope! Whatever
misfortune or sorrow might there be, remember that the
Lord is near, and be inspired through courageous patience.
As at that time He suddenly appeared before the apostles
who were in calamity on the sea, so will He show His help
and intercession suddenly to you when you are in calamity.
He is everywhere and is always ready with His protection.
Stand only with Him or before Him in faith, prayer, hope,
and devotion to His holy will. There will occur a union of
the spirit with the Lord, and from this comes every good
thing. However, this does not mean that there immediately
will be dignity, and glory and honor, and other such
things. The external things might remain as they are, but
there will arise a courageous and good-humoured abiding in
the order of events which it pleases the Lord to arrange
for a person. And this is the main thing that everyone in
calamity should seek—happiness on the inside, and
not on the outside. Inner blessedness always exists among
those who are in living union with the Lord.