Prophet Obadiah (Abdias) (9th c. b.c.). Martyr Barlaam of Caesarea in Cappadocia (304). Sts. Barlaam, monk, Ioasaph, prince of India, and Abenner the King, father of St. Ioasaph (4th c.). St. Philaret, metropolitan of Moscow (1867).
Martyr Heliodorus, in Pamphylia (ca. 273). Martyrs Azes of Isauria and 150 soldiers (284). Martyr Agapius of Gaza (284-305). St. Hilarion of Georgia, wonderworker of Thessalonica (875). St. Barlaam, first abbot of the Kiev Caves (1065). Uncovering of the relics of Hieromartyr Adrian, founder of Poshekhonye Monastery (Rostov) (1625). St. Ioannicius, schemaarchimandrite, of Glinsk Hermitage (1914). St. Porphyriоs of Kapsokalyvia and Kallisa (1991).
New Hieromartyrs Porphyrius (Gulevich), bishop of Simferopol, Ioasaph (Udalov), bishop of Chistopol, Michael (Kvanin), archimandrite, of Moscow, Gregory (Rebeza), archimandrite, of Odessa, and Gerasim (Sukhov), hieromonk, of Kazakhstan (1937). New Hieromartyrs Ioasaph (Krymzin), abbot, and Peter (Mamontov), hieromonk, both of the Holy Transfiguration Guslitsky Monastery (Moscow) New Hiero-confessor Alexis (Kabaliuk), schema-archimandrite, of Khust (Carpatho-Russia) (1947).
St. Patroclus of Bourges (577). St. Egbert, archbishop of York (766). St. Simon, wonderworker of Calabria (10th c.).
Repose of Elder Cleopa of Sihastria, Romania (1998).
Saturday. [Gal. 3:8-12; Luke 9:57-62]
No man, having put his hand to the
plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of
God. That is, he who thinks to be saved while glancing
back at what he should abandon for the sake of his
salvation, is not being saved, is not walking, is not
directed toward the Kingdom of God. It is necessary to
destroy once and for all everything that is not compatible
with the work of salvation. Those who think to be saved
see this themselves, but they always put off parting with
certain attachments until tomorrow… To suddenly
break with everything is too great a sacrifice. They want
to give things up in a leisurely fashion, to not stand out
in front of others—but they almost always fail. They
introduce salvific routines, while the dispositions of
their heart remain as before. At first the incongruity is
very sharp: but “tomorrow,” and their promises
of change shut the mouth of their conscience. In such a
manner, with everything tomorrow— always
tomorrow—the conscience grows tired of saying the
same thing over and over, and at last, falls silent. Here
thoughts start to come that things can be left this way.
These thoughts strengthen, and then are established
forever. An exterior which is outwardly proper is formed,
with inner improperness. This is a whited sepulchre before
the eyes of God. The worst thing is that the conversion of
this sort of person is as difficult as the conversion of
those who have become hardened in open sins, if not more
difficult… Meanwhile, this person thinks that
everything is fine.