Holy Myrrh-bearer and Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalen (1st c.). Translation of the relics of Hieromartyr Phocas, bishop of Sinope (403-404).
St. Cornelius, monk, of Pereyaslavl (1693). Blessed Cyprian of Suzdal, fool-for-Christ (1622).
St. Cyril I, patriarch of Antioch (298). St. Wandregisilus of Caux (Gaul) (668). Virgin-martyr Marcella of Chios (14th c.).
Thursday. [I Cor. 10:28-11:7; Matt. 16:24-28]
The Lord demands decisive self-denial
of those who want to follow Him: Let him deny
himself, He says. It could be expressed like this:
Cast aside your interests and pursue only the interests of
the Lord. You will be fulfilling this when you always do
what is pleasing to Him. How can one do this? Mind
carefully what is in you, and what around you on the
outside, and discern strictly in one or another situation,
be it internal or external, how to act in the way that is
most pleasing to God—then, not pitying yourself and
not inserting your own calculations, act accordingly, with
complete self-denial. You say, “It is hard to
determine this.” No, it is not hard. We have been
given clear and fixed commandments— they express
what we can do to be pleasing to the Lord. All that
remains is to apply them to the given situation, and this
does not present any great problem. Having common sense is
enough. If you cannot figure something out, ask your
spiritual father or someone else whose words you respect,
and act according to his directions. But it is always
better to sharpen your discernment through reading the
word of God and writings of the fathers, so that you will
always have a decision-maker with you.