Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The Joy of All Who Sorrow” (Moscow) (1688). Martyr Arethas of Omir and 4,299 martyrs with him, including Martyr Syncletica and her two daughters (523). St. Zosima (Verkhovsky), elder, of Siberia (1833).
Blessed Elesbaan, king of Ethiopia (553-555). St. Arethas, recluse, of the Kiev Caves (1190). St. Sisoes of the Kiev Caves (13th c.). St. Theophilus the Silent, of the Kiev Caves (12th c.-13th c.). St. Athanasius, patriarch of Constantinople (1311). St. John, recluse, of the Pskov Caves (1616).
New Hieromartyrs Lawrence (Knyazev), bishop of Balakhnin, and Alexis Porfiriev, archpriest, and with them New Martyr Alexis Neidhardt (1918). New Hieromartyr Arethas (Mitrenin), hieromonk of Valaam (1932).
St. Senoch, abbot, of Tours (Gaul) (576).
Repose of Blessed Eudocia of Ryazan (1890) and Hieroschemamonk Barsanuphius of Valaam (1910).
Friday. [Col. 4:10-18; Luke 10:1-15]
Will there be such indulgence in the other world toward
those who do not accept the Lord as He showed toward those
living on the earth? No, there will not be. Sending
“the seventy” to preach, the Lord commanded
them, that they when they are not received, they should
say on the crossroads: Even the very dust of your city,
which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you:
notwithstanding, be ye sure of this, that the Kingdom of
God is come nigh unto you. That is, we do not need
anything of yours—not with self-interest do we walk
and preach, but for the proclamation unto you of peace and
the Kingdom of God. If you do not want to receive this
good—as you like; we will go on. Thus it was
commanded for the present time; but how will it be in the
future? It shall be more tolerable in that day for
Sodom, than for that city. Therefore, it is useless
for unbelievers to hope for the Lord’s indulgence.
While on the earth they only do as they like; but as soon
as death comes, the entire storm of God’s wrath will
come down on them. It is great unhappiness to be as the
unbelievers! They do not even have joy on the earth,
because without God and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour
and Redeemer, even here all is dismal and dreary; what
will be there is impossible to describe in words or to
imagine. It would be more tolerable to be destroyed, but
even that will not be given to them.