ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY Orthodox Calendar
Orthodox Calendar 2022
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Святой первомученик и архидиакон Стефан Икона Божией Матери Новоникитская Святой великомученик Никита
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Old Style
September 15
Wednesday
New Style
September 28
16th Week after Pentecost. Tone 6.
Fast Day.
Wine and oil allowed.

Cовершается служба, не отмеченная в Типиконе никаким знакомAfterfeast of the Exaltation of the Cross. Совершается служба на шестьGreatmartyr Nicetas the Goth (ca. 372).

Uncovering of the relics of St. Acacius the Confessor, bishop of Melitene in Pisidia (251). Martyrs Maximus, Theodotus, and Asclepiodota, of Adrianople (305-311). Martyr Porphyrius the Mime, of Caesarea (361). Uncovering of the relics of Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen (415). St. Joseph, abbot, of Alaverdi in Georgia (570). St. Philotheus the Presbyter, of Asia Minor (10th c.). St. Symeon, archbishop of Thessalonica (1430). St. Nicetas, disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh and founder of the Theophany Monastery (Kostroma) (15th c.).

New Hiero-confessor Ignatius (Biryukov), archimandrite, of the Aleksievo-Akatov Monastery (Voronezh) (1932).

Sts. Bessarion I and Bessarion II, metropolitans of Larissa (1490-1540). St. Joseph the New, of Partos, metropolitan of Timisoara (Romania) (1656). St. Gerasimus, abbot, of Sourvia (ca. 1740). New Martyr John of Crete, at New Ephesus (1811).

Thoughts for Each Day of the Year
According to the Daily Church Readings from the Word of God
By St. Theophan the Recluse

St. Theophan the Recluse

Wednesday. [Gal. 6:2-10; Mark 7:14-24]

   From within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. Here common sins are listed; but all the rest also, both large and small, proceed from the heart, and the form in which they proceed are evil thoughts. The first seed of evil falls as a thought to do this or that. Why and how does it occur? Part of these occurrences can be explained by known laws of the combining and linking of ideas and images, but only part. Another, most significant part comes from the self-propelled irritation of the passions. When a passion lives in the heart, it cannot not demand satisfaction. This demand is revealed in an urge for something or other; with the urge is united with some or other object. From here comes the thought: “That is what I must do.” Here the same thing happens as, for example, when one is hungry: feeling hunger, one feels an urge for food; with the urge comes the thought of the food itself; from this follows obtaining this or eating that. Third, perhaps a bulkier part, proceeds from unclean powers. The air is filled with them, they dart around people in packs, and each according to its kind spreads its influence around itself onto people with whom it comes into contact. Evil flies from them like sparks from a red-hot iron. Where it is readily accepted the spark takes root, and with it the thought about an evil deed. Only by this can one explain why evil thoughts arise for unknown reasons, in the midst of activities which decisively are not related to them. But this variety of reasons does not make for variety in terms of how to react to evil thoughts. There is one law: an evil thought has come—cast it out and the matter is finished. If you do not cast it out the first minute, it will be harder the second minute, and the third minute yet harder; and then you will not even notice how sympathy, desire, and the decision will be born; then the means will appear … and sin is at hand. The first opposition to evil thoughts is soberness, and vigilance with prayer.

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