Commemoration of the Miracle of Great-martyr Euphemia the All-praised, of Chalcedon (451). Blessed Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga, princess of Russia, named Helen in holy baptism (969). Uncovering of the relics of Hieromartyr Hilarion, archbishop of Verey (1998).
Hieromartyr Cindeus, priest, of Pamphylia (283-305). St. Arcadius, monk, of Vyazma (ca. 1592).
Martyrs Januarius and Pelagia, of Nicopolis in Armenia (ca. 310). St. Drostan of Old Deer and Aberdeen (Scotland) (6th c.). St. Nicodemus of Hilandar and Vatopedi, Mt. Athos, instructor of St. Gregory Palamas (1320). New Martyr Nicodemus of Elbasan and Mt. Athos (1722). New Monk-martyr Nectarius of St. Anne’s Skete, Mt. Athos, at Vryoulla, Ephesus (1820). St. Cyril, monk, of Paros (1833). New Hieromartyrs Momcilo Grgurevic, Dobroslav Blazenovic, Milan Bozic, Mihailo Djusic, Jovan Zecevic, Bozidar Jovic, Bogdan Lalic, Trifun Maksimovic, Velimir Mijatovic, Bozidar Minic, Miladin Minic, Marko Popovic, Dimitrije Rajanovic, Budimir Sokolovic, Relja Spahic, Lazar Culibrk, Savo Siljac, Savo Skaljka, Milorad Vukojicic, Ratomir Jankovic, Mihailo Jevdjevic, Dusan Prijovic, Dobrosav Sokovic, Nestor Trkulja, Serafim Dzaric, Andrija Siljak, Slobodan Siljak, and Jovan Rapajic, priests, of Serbia (1941-1945). St. Leo, monk, of Mandra.
Repose of cave-dweller Anastasia of St. Cornelius of Padan Hermitage in Olonets (1901).
Wednesday. [I Cor. 2:9-3:8; Matt. 13:31-36]
The kingdom is like a grain of mustard
seed and leaven. A small grain of mustard seed grows up
into a big bush; leaven penetrates the whole lump of dough
and makes it leavened. Here, on the one hand, is an image
for the Church, which in the beginning consisted only of
the apostles and several other people, then spread and
became most numerous, penetrating all of humanity; on the
other hand, it is an image of the spiritual life revealed
in every person. Its first seed is the intention and
determination to be saved through pleasing God, upon faith
in the Lord and Saviour. This determination, no matter how
firm, is like a tiny dot. In the beginning it embraces
only one’s consciousness and activities; then from
this all of the activity of a spiritual life develops. Its
movement and strength multiply and mature within its own
self, and it begins to penetrate all the powers of the
soul—the mind, will, feelings, then fills them with
itself, makes them leavened according to its spirit, and
penetrates the entire constitution of the human nature,
body, soul, and spirit in which it was engendered.