Hieromartyr Myron, priest, of Cyzicus (250). St. Pimen, archimandrite, of Ugresh (1880).
Martyrs Thyrsus, Leucius, and Callinicus (Coronatus), with others, of Bithynia (249-251). Martyr Patroclus of Troyes (Gaul) (270-275). Martyrs Paul and his sister Juliana, and Quadratus, Acacius, and Stratonicus, at Ptolemais in Syria (ca. 273). Martyrs Straton, Philip, Eutychian, and Cyprian, of Nicomedia (ca. 303). St. Alypius the Iconographer, of the Kiev Caves (ca. 1114). Blessed Theodoretus, enlightener of the Laps (Solovki) (1571). St. Philip, monk, of Yankov (Vologda) (1662).
“Svensk” and “Armatia” Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos (1288).
Monk-martyr Macarius of Mt. St. Auxentius (768). Hieromartyr Jeroen, hieromonk, at Noordwijk (Neth.) (857). St. Elias the Younger, of Calabria (903). St. Tbeli Abuseridze of Khikhuni, Adjara (13th c.). New Monk-martyr Agapius, at Thermes, near Thessalonica (1752).
Repose of Schemanun Ardaliona of Ust-Medveditsky Convent (1864) and Schemamonk Onuphrius of Valaam (1912).
Wednesday. [II Cor. 9:12-10:7; Mark 3:20-27]
If a kingdom be divided against
itself, that kingdom cannot stand. While
single-mindedness for sinful evil is the quality within
us, the kingdom of darkness and sin is strong in us; but
when God’s grace attracts to itself the part of the
spirit held captive by sin, freeing it from captivity,
then there occurs a division within: sin on the one side,
good on the other. As soon as a person unites his
consciousness and freedom with good as a result of this
awakening, sin loses all support and starts to decay.
Constancy in the good intention taken on and patience in
labours completely thwart sin and destroy it. Then begins
the kingdom of good within, and it remains until some evil
thought steals in, and, attracting the will to itself,
once again brings about divisions. Just give entrance to
the sinful stirring which has arisen, unite with it and
set it in action, and again good will begin to weaken, and
evil will grow, until it destroys the good entirely. This
is the nearly continuous history of the inner life of
those who are weak-hearted and do not have a strong
disposition.