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| Old Style
April 3
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Friday |
New Style
April 16
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5th Week of Great Lent.
Tone 3.
Great Lent. |
 Monastic rule: xerophagy (bread, uncooked fruits and vegetables).
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St. Nicetas the Confessor, abbot, of Medikion (824).
Martyrs Elpidephorus, Dius, Bithonius, and Galycus (3rd c.). Virgin-martyr Theodosia of Tyre (307-308). St. Illyrius, monk of Mt. Myrsinon in the Peloponnese. St. Philip I, metropolitan of Moscow (1473). St. Nectarius, founder of Bezhetsk Monastery (Tver) (1492).
Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos “The Unfading Flower” and Iveron.
Martyrs Cassius, Philip, and Eutychius, of Thessalonica (304). Martyr Ulphianus of Tyre (306). Martyrs Evagrius, Benignus, Chrestus, Arestus, Kinnudius, Rufus, Patricius, and Zosima, at Tomis in Moesia (ca. 310). St. Fara (Burgundofara) of Eboriac (now Faremoutiers) (7th c.). St. Joseph the Hymnographer, of Sicily (883). New Martyr Paul the Russian, at Constantinople (1683). St. Amphilochius (Makris), elder, of Patmos (1970).
Thoughts for Each Day of the Year
According to the Daily Church Readings from the Word of God
By St. Theophan the Recluse
Friday.
The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God (Wisdom 3:1). But in whose hand are the souls of sinners? The Saviour said to the apostles that satan seeks to sift them like wheat, that is, he seeks to knock them from the right path, to take them into his hands and do with them what he wants. That is why everyone turning away from the Lord is in the hands of satan, and he sifts them and casts them wherever he desires. Due to this the heads of sinners are constantly spinning, because the enemy, dragging them here and there, does not give them a chance to come to their senses. As soon as the enemy notices that someone is starting to have second thoughts, he starts to shake him even more strongly, so that his head again becomes clouded and his thoughts become scattered.
Articles
 Venerable Nicetas the Confessor the Abbot of MedikionSaint Nicetas the Confessor was born in Bithynian Caesarea (northwest Asia Minor) of a pious family. |
 Martyrs Elpidephorus, Dius, Bithonius, and GalycusThe Holy Martyrs Elpidephorus, Dius, Bithonius, and Galycus suffered for their faith in Jesus Christ. |
 St. Illyricus the Monk of Mt. Myrsinon in the PeloponnesusSaint Illyricus the Wonderworker devoted himself to ascetic struggles on Mount Myrsinon in the Peloponnesus. |
 Icon of the Mother of God “the Unfading Bloom”On this icon the Most Holy Theotokos holds Her Divine Son upon Her right arm, and in Her left hand is a bouquet of white lilies. |