St. Theodore Trichinas ('the Hair-shirt Wearer'), hermit, near Constantinople (400).
Blessed Gregory (593) and Anastasius I, patriarchs of Antioch (599). St. Anastasius, abbot, of the monastery of St. Catherine at Sinai (695). St. Alexander, founder of Oshevensk Monastery (Arkhangelsk) (1479). Child-martyr Gabriel of Slutsk (Poland) (1690). Translation of the relics (1991) of St. Nikolai (Velimirovich), bishop of Ochrid and Zhicha (1956) from America to Serbia.
All Saints of Thessalonica:
New Hiero-confessor Theodosius (Ganitsky), bishop of Kolomna (1937).
New Hieromartyr Seraphim, archbishop of Phanarion and Neochorion (1601). New Monk-martyr Elias (Ardunis) of Mt. Athos and Kalamata (1686). New Martyr Demetrius of the Peloponnese, at Tripolis (1803). Apostle Zacchaeus of the Seventy, bishop of Caesarea in Palestine (1st c.). Sts. Bretanion (Vetranion) (ca. 378), and Theotimus (ca. 412), bishops of Tomis in Moesia. St. Caedwalla, king of the West Saxons (689). Hieromartyr Anastasius II, patriarch of Antioch (609). Sts. Athanasius (1380) and Ioasaph (1423) of Meteora, abbots.
Repose of Schemamonk Ignatius of St. Nicephorus Monastery in Olonets (1852).
Monday. [Acts 1:12–17, 21–26; John
1:18–28].
When the angel announced the good
tidings of the Lord’s incarnation he said: Hail,
thou that are highly favored! (Luke 1:28);[1]
proclaiming to the shepherds the birth of Christ the
Saviour he also said: behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy (Luke 2:10). But proclaiming
Lord’s resurrection to the women, the angel only
says: He is not here, but is risen! (Luke 24:6).
He does not add “rejoice,” for joy would
fill their heart on its own, as soon as the assurance
came that the Lord was risen indeed. At that time this
assurance was tangible: the angel prepared it; the Lord
in His appearing completed it. And everyone’s joy
was inexhaustibly full! Now our church, houses and
streets are clothed in the garments of rejoicing, and
everyone is caught up in a general stream of joy. Now
turn your thoughts away from the externals, and
gathering them in your heart, raise up the truth of the
resurrection, in all of its breadth, depth and height;
so that your rejoicing be more than external. Bear out
that spirit of joy, like a spring of bright water,
gushing from depths of the earth.
[1]The
first quote in the Slavonic reads: Rejoice
thou full of grace.