Translation of the relics of Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer, bishop of Antioch (107).
Martyrs Romanus, James, Philotheus, Hyperechius, Abibus, Julian, and Paregorius, at Samosata (297). Hieromartyrs Silvanus, bishop of Emesa, the deacon Luke, and the reader Mocius (Mucius) (312). St. Lawrence, recluse of the Kiev Caves and bishop of Turov (1194). Sts. Gerasimus (ca. 1441-1467), Pitirim (1455) and Jonah (1470) bishops of Perm. St. Ignatius, bishop of Smolensk (1210). St. Andrew (Rublev), iconographer, of the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery (Moscow) (1430).
Martyrs Sarbelus [Thathuil] and his sister Bebaia, of Edessa (98-138) St. Barsimaeus the Confessor, bishop of Edessa (2nd c.). St. Aphrahates the Persian, hermit, of Antioch (370). St. Gildas the Wise, abbot, of Rhuys, Brittany (ca. 570). St. Severus, bishop of Bourges (591). St. Ashot Kuropalates of Tao-Klarjeti, Georgia (829). New Martyr Demetrius of Chios, at Constantinople (1802).
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Saturday. [II Tim. 3:1–9; Luke 20:45–21:4]
Who are those having a form of
godliness, but denying the power thereof? (II
Tim. 3–5). Who are those others, ever learning,
and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth?
(II Tim. 3:7). The former are those who maintain all the
external routines in which a godly life is manifested, but
who do not have a strong enough will to maintain their
inner dispositions as true godliness demands. They go to
church and stand there readily. But they do not make the
effort to stand with their mind before God continuously
and to reverently fall down before Him. Having prayed a
bit, they release the reins of the control of their mind;
and it soars, circling over the entire world. As a result,
they are externally located in church, but by their inner
state they are not there: only the form of godliness
remains in them, while its power is not there. You must
think about everything else in this manner.
The latter are those who, having entered
the realm of faith, do nothing but invent
questions—“What is this? What is that? Why
this way? Why that way?” They are people suffering
from empty inquisitiveness. They do not chase after the
truth, only ask and ask. And having found the answer to
their questions, they do not dwell on them for long, but
soon feel the necessity to look for another answer. And so
they whirl about day and night, questioning and
questioning, and never fully satisfied with what they
learn. Some people chase after pleasures, but these chase
after the satisfaction of their inquisitiveness.