Forefeast of the Meeting of Our Lord. Martyr Tryphon of Campsada, near Apamea in Syria (250).
Martyrs Perpetua, and the catechumens Saturus, Revocatus, Saturninus, Secundulus, and Felicitas, at Carthage (202-203). St. Peter of Galatia, hermit near Antioch in Syria (429). St. Vendemianus, hermit of Bithynia (ca. 512).
New Hieromartyr Nicholas Mezentsev, archpriest, of Simferopol (1938).
St. Brigid of Kildare (523). St. Seiriol, abbot of Penmon (Anglesey) (6th c.). Martyr Elias the New, of Damascus (779). Sts. David (784), Symeon (843), and George (844), confessors of Mytilene. St. Basil, archbishop of Thessalonica (895). St. Tryphon, bishop of Rostov (1468). New Martyr Anastasius at Nauplion (1655).
Thursday. [I Pet. 4:12–5:5; Mark 12:38–44]
The widow placed in the treasury (the church
collection box) two mites (a half-kopeck piece,
approximately); but the Lord said that she cast in more
than anyone, although the others were casting in rubles
and tens of rubles. What gave extra weight to her mite? It
is the disposition with which the offering was made. Do
you see the difference between the doing of good without
soul, by habit, and the doing of good with soul and heart?
It is not the external aspects of a deed which give it
value, but the inner disposition. It may happen that a
deed which is outstanding in every regard has no value
whatsoever before God, yet a deed which is insignificant
in appearance is valued greatly. What follows from this is
evident in and of itself. But do not take it into your
head to be careless about external things, intending to
limit yourself only to inner things. That widow would not
have received approval if she had said to herself,
“I too have the desire to put in money—but
what should I do? I only have two mites. If I give them
away, I myself will be left with nothing. She had the
desire and acted upon it as well, committing her life into
the hands of God. Nobody would have condemned her If she
had put in nothing—neither people, nor God. But then
she would not have revealed such a disposition, which
singled her out from the ranks of others and made her
renowned throughout the entire Christian world.
Friday. [II Pet. 1:1–10; Mark 13:1–8]
Having enumerated the virtues which we must seek with all
diligence, having received grace-filled power, the Apostle
says by way of encouragement, If these things be
in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be
barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ (II Pet. 1:8). The virtues to which he
refers here were mentioned in I Pet. 2:21–3:9. Now
we shall add only that we are required to manifest these
virtues not just once, but rather to make them always
abide in us, to be part of our essence, to take root in
us. Thus, they must not remain on one level, but ever
multiply and grow in strength and fruitfulness. Only then,
he says, will you not be barren and unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Pet. 1:8). He
who believes in Him and confesses Him enters into the
knowledge of the Lord. “You believe?” says the
Apostle! See then, that your faith be not barren and
unfruitful. What should I do, so that my faith will not be
that way? Prosper in every virtue. Where are those who
repeat over and over that believing is enough: that
nothing more is needed?! Whoever thinks this way is blind.