Virgin-martyr Pelagia of Tarsus in Asia Minor (ca. 290).
Hieromartyr Erasmus, bishop of Formia in Campania, and 20,000 martyrs with him (303). Hieromartyr Olbian, bishop of Anaea, and his disciples, in the province of Asia in Asia Minor (304). Hieromartyr Silvanus of Gaza and with him 40 martyrs (311). Translation of the relics of the Alfanov brothers of Novgorod: Sts. Nicetas, Cyril, Nicephorus, Clement, and Isaac, founders of the Sokolnitzki Monastery (14th c.-15th c.).
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Staraya Russa.” (1570)
Martyrs Florian and 40 companions, at Lorsch, Austria (304). Martyrs Aphrodisius, Leontius, Anthony, Melda (Meles), Valerian, Macrobius, and others, at Scythopolis of Palestine (4th c.). St. Monica of Tagaste (mother of Blessed Augustine) (387). St. Ethelred, king of Mercia and monk (716). St. Nicephorus, abbot and founder of Medikion Monastery (813). St. Athanasius, bishop of Corinth (10th c.-11th c.). St. Nicephorus the Hesychast, of Mt. Athos (1340). 4,000–5,000 New Martyrs of Batak (Bulgaria) (1876). New Hieromartyr Dimitry (Lyubimov), archbishop of Gdov (1935). St. Hilary the Wonderworker.
Monday. [Acts 6:8–7:5, 47–60; John
4:46–54]
Saint Stephan says: The most High
dwelleth not in temples made with hands...What house will
ye build Me? saith the Lord or what is the place of My
rest? (Acts 7:48–49). Only the temple in the
heart not made with hands can contain God, as the Lord
said: If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My
Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make
our abode with him (John 14:23). How this is
accomplished is unfathomable for us, but it is true
because it is obvious that then it is God which worketh
in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure
(Phil. 2:13).[1]
Do not reason, just give your heart away to the Lord,
and He Himself will establish of it a church for
Himself—but give it unsparingly. If there are
parts which are not given, then from the heart a whole
church cannot be established, for one thing will be
decayed, another broken—and what will come out,
if anything comes out, is a church with holes or
without a roof, or without doors. It is not possible to
live in such a church: the Lord will not be in it. It
will only seem that it is a church, but in reality will
be a conglomerate mass.
[1]The
Slavonic for Phil 2:13 reads: God worketh in us both
desire and action, according to his good pleasure