ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY Orthodox Calendar
Orthodox Calendar 2022
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Преподобный Лазарь Иконописец Святитель Григорий Чудотворец, Неокесарийский Прп. Никон Радонежский
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Old Style
November 17
Wednesday
New Style
November 30
25th Week after Pentecost. Tone 7.
Nativity Fast.
Monastic rule: cooked food, no oil.

Совершается служба на шестьSt. Gregory the Wonderworker, of Neo-Caesarea (266). Совершается служба со славословиемSt. Nikon, abbot, of Radonezh, disciple of St. Sergius. (1426).

Martyrs Acisclus and his sister Victoria, at Cordoba (304). St. Lazarus the Iconographer, of Constantinople (857). Martyrs Gobron (Michael) and 133 soldiers, of Georgia (914). Archimandrite Sebastian (Dabovich), missionary in America (1940).

Hieromartyr Basil, bishop of Hamah (ca. 282). Martyrs Zachariah the Cobbler and his wife Mary (3rd c.). Martyrs Gregory, Victor, and Geminus, of Heracleon in Thrace (304). 150 philosophers converted by St. Catherine and martyred at Alexandria (305). St. Longinus of Egypt (4th c.). St. Maximus (Maximian), archbishop of Constantinople (434). St. Vulfolaic, stylite, of Trier (6th c.). St. Gregory, bishop of Tours (594). St. Hilda, abbess of Whitby (680). St. John the Cobbler, of Olumba, Cairo, and Sinai (7th c.). St. Gennadius, steward of Vatopedi, Mt. Athos (14th c.).

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. [I Tim. 1:18-20, 2:8-15; Luke 15:1-10]

   The parable about the stray sheep and the lost silver piece. How great is the Lord’s mercy toward us sinners! He leaves all those who are proper and turns to the improper to correct them; He seeks them, and when He finds them, He Himself rejoices and calls all the heavens to rejoice with Him. How is it that He seeks them? Does He not know where we are who have stepped away from Him? He knows and sees all; but if it were only a matter of taking and transferring them to His own, all sinners would immediately reappear in the same ranks. But one must first dispose them to repentance, so that their conversion and return to the Lord would be free; and this cannot be done by command or other external order. The Lord seeks a sinner by guiding him to repentance. He arranges everything around him so that the sinner comes to his senses, and, seeing the abyss into which he has been rushing, returns. All the circumstances of life are directed in this way, all meetings with moments of sorrow and joy, even words and looks. And the inner actions of God through the conscience and other right thoughts lying in the heart never cease. How much is done to convert sinners to the path of virtue, while sinners still remain sinners!… The enemy covers them in darkness and they think that everything is all right, and all will pass. If worries arise they say, “Tomorrow I will stop,” and remain in their former state. Thus day after day passes; indifference to their salvation grows and grows. A bit more and it will harden into sin. Who knows if conversion will come?

Articles

St Gregory the Wonderworker of Neocaesarea

Saint Gregory the Wonderworker, Bishop of Neocaesarea, was born in the city of Neocaesarea (northern Asia Minor) into a pagan family. Having received a fine education, from his youth he strived for Truth, but the thinkers of antiquity were not able to quench his thirst for knowledge. Truth was revealed to him only in the Holy Gospel, and the youth became a Christian.

Venerable Nikon the Abbot of Radonezh the Disciple of the Venerable Sergius

Having heard of the angelic life of the Radonezh Wonderworker, the young man came to Saint Sergius and requested to be tonsured into the angelic schema.

Venerable Lazarus the Iconographer, of Constantinople

Saint Lazarus the Iconographer lived in Constantinople. He was a priest, led a strict ascetic life and painted holy icons.

Martyrs Gobron (Michael) and 133 soldiers, of Georgia

When the emir cunningly asked which one he would choose, Gobron answered, “I told you from the very start that I will not retreat from Christ my Lord!”

Archimandrite Sebastian Dabovich

Hieromonk Damascene (Christensen)

Born to Serbian immigrants in San Francisco in 1863, Archimandrite Sebastian Dabovich has the distinction of being the first person born in the United States of America to be ordained as an Orthodox priest, and also the first native-born American to be tonsured as an Orthodox monk.

Venerable Hilda, Abbess of Whitby

Dmitry Lapa

The wisdom and prudence of this holy woman were held in such high esteem that even kings and bishops asked for her advice. Venerable Hilda took special care of the poor and the oppressed, for which she was revered and loved as “the mother of her country”.

Venerable Gennadius of Vatopedi, Mt Athos

One day, St Gennadius went to the storeroom and saw the tank overflowing with oil covering the floor as far as the door. This miracle was ascribed to the Most Holy Theotokos, and to Her Elaiovrytissa icon which stood nearby.
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