Martyrs Paramon and 370 others, at Bithynia (250). Martyr Philoumenus of Ancyra, and with him Martyrs Valerian and Phaedrus (274). St. Acacius, who is mentioned in The Ladder (6th c.).
Hieromartyr Saturninus, first bishop of Toulouse (ca. 257). Hieromartyr Abibus, bishop of Nekresi in Georgia (6th c.). St. Nectarius the Obedient, of the Kiev Caves (12th c.).
Hieromartyr Dionysius, bishop of Corinth (182). St. Pitirim of Egypt, disciple of St. Anthony the Great (4th c.). St. Tiridates, king of Armenia (4th c.). St. Brendan of Birr (571). St. Radboud, bishop of Utrecht (917).
Repose of Blessed Abel “the Prophet,” of Valaam (1831).
Tuesday. [II Tim. 3:16-4:4; Luke 19:45-48]
My house is the house of prayer. And indeed, just
enter into a church, and it already calls you to prayer.
Everything there is disposed and done in order to dispose
one to and assist prayer. Therefore, if you want to stir
up prayer in your heart, go more often to the church of
God. At home you will not pray as you can in church. There
are those who pray warmly at home too, but if they pray
this way at home, how much higher is their prayer in
Church? But when you are in church, be there not only in
body, but rather in spirit. Stand where it is quieter, and
beholding the Lord before you with your mind, pour out
before Him your soul. Chase away daydreams, do not allow
concerns, and heed only one job—the job of prayer.
Lift up your heavy soul on high and break up its
coarseness through contemplation of Divine things. If you
have some [sin on your conscience], remove it from
yourself through repentance and a promise of correction.
If your conscience is not satisfied, add deeds of
self-denial and love. Standing in church, prepare for how
you will be outside of church for the rest of the time,
prepare yourself to never step away from the Lord in
thought, but always to see Him before you, so that your
steps would not stray from the right path to the wrong
one. Then, when you come to church it will be easier for
you to be as you ought to be there. By standing
appropriately in church it will be easier for you to hold
your attention before the Lord when you are outside of
church.… Thus your [state of] abiding in the Lord
will grow higher and higher. What more could one
desire?