St. John Climacus of Sinai, author of The Ladder (649). St. Sophronius, bishop of Irkutsk (1771).
Prophet Joad, who dwelt in Bethel (10th c. b.c.). Holy Apostles Sosthenes, Apollos, Cephas, Caesar, and Epaphroditus, of the Seventy (1st c.). St. Eubula, mother of St. Panteleimon (ca. 305). St. John the Silent, of St. Sabbas Monastery (6th c.). St. Zosimas, bishop of Syracuse (ca. 662).
St. John the Hermit, of Cilicia (4th c.). St. John II, patriarch of Jerusalem (5th c.). St. Osburga of Coventry, virgin (ca. 1015). New Hieromartyr Zachariah, metropolitan of Corinth (1684). St. Gabriel, metropolitan of Kishinev and Khotin (Moldova) () (1821).
Repose of Blessed Matrona (Mylnikova) the Barefoot, of St. Petersburg (1911).
Thursday. [Acts 2:38–43; John 3:1–15]
Beneficial is the work of those who,
using sensible reason, crush the enormous lie mustered
against the truth of the resurrection. Read and arm
yourself with this reason; meanwhile, do not be too lazy
to allow more and more space for the power of
Christ’s Resurrection to enter into you. The more
you do this, the more you will breathe the air of the
Resurrection, and you will become quite safe from all the
darts of the enemy, which are directed against this truth.
You ask, what is needed for this? Nothing special: be the
way you ought to be according to the vow you made in holy
baptism, which is our resurrection. You spat on satan and
all his works? So continue to preserve yourself thus in
relation to him. Did you unite yourself with Christ? Then
abide with Him. The deeds of darkness and light are
obvious. Flee from the former and make all diligence with
the latter. But do this without any compromises, even the
smallest, so that the norm of your life becomes the
following: there is no communion of light with darkness,
or of Christ with Belial (cf. II Cor. 6:15).
