Holy Apostle Matthias (ca. 63). Synaxis of the Saints of Solovki.
St. Psoes of Egypt (4th c.). Martyrs Julian, Marcian, John, James, Alexis, Demetrius, Photius (Phocas), Peter, Leontius, Mary the patrician, and others, of Constantinople (730). Martyr Anthony of Alexandria. St. Macarius, founder of Oredezh Monastery (Novgorod) (1532). St. Philaret (Gumilevsky), archbishop of Chernigov (1866).
Icon of the Savior “Not-Made-by- Hands” of Camuliana in Cappadocia (ca. 303).
Saturday. [I Cor. 1:3-9; Matt. 19:3-12]
The Lord says that originally God
Himself blessed the marriage union, and put this law into
our nature. About those who do not want to get married He
said: He that is able to receive it, let him receive
it. It is clear that although He admitted that
marriage is a natural law, it is not so indispensable and
inescapable that there is no room for celibacy. He allows
celibacy, but guards it with a condition which brings it
nearer to the law of nature. A eunuch from birth is
celibate according to a natural law; but he who by his own
will puts himself in the same state as that of the natural
eunuch’s by birth without the participation of will,
moves onto one level with him in relation to natural
needs. Consequently, in this sense, both the former and
the latter are natural celibates. Why is the state of a
spiritual eunuch—self-imposed
celibacy—considered unnatural? Because people do not
understand nature. For them “natural” means
what is natural for the body, but what is natural for the
spirit, and what becomes natural [for the body] as a
consequence of the spirit’s influence, people do not
want to consider natural. It would be a different matter
if these were all materialists, but this is not so.
Discuss some other subject with them and they will speak
reasonably.