ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY Orthodox Calendar
Orthodox Calendar 2023
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Апостол Лука Варфоломей апостол от 70-ти Преподобный Виталий Александрийский
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Old Style
April 22
Friday
New Style
May 5
3rd Week after Pascha. Tone 2.
Fast Day.
Fish, wine and oil allowed.

Cовершается служба, не отмеченная в Типиконе никаким знакомSt. Theodore the Sykeote, bishop of Anastasiopolis (613).

Holy Apostle Nathaniel of the Twelve, Apostles Apelles, Luke (not the Evangelist), and Clement, of the Seventy (1st c.). Martyr Epipodius of Lyons (ca. 177). St. Vitalis, monk of the monastery of Abba Seridus at Gaza (609-620). Translation of the relics of St. Vsevolod (in holy baptism Gabriel), prince and wonderworker of Pskov (1834). New Hieromartyr Platon, bishop of Banja Luka (1941). Blessed Fool-for-Christ Ekaterina of Piukhtitsa Convent (Estonia) (1968).

Martyr Leonidas of Alexandria (202). St. Ananias, abbot, of Malles (Crete) (1907).

Repose of Blessed Fool-for-Christ Athanasius Andreyevich Saiko of Orel (1967)

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

Friday. [Acts 8:40–9:19; John 6:48–54]

   Saint Paul defended the Old Testament routines so zealously at first, because he was sincerely certain that it was the unalterable will of God that these routines remain unchanged. He was not zealous because it was his fathers’ faith, but because he was zealous in bringing service to God. In this lay the spirit of his life—to devote himself to God and direct all his energy toward things pleasing to Him. Thus, in order to bring about his conversion, or to make him stand for the realm of New Testament things rather than the Old Testament, it was sufficient to tangibly show him that God no longer wants the Old Testament but rather the New, and that He has removed all of His good will from the former and given it to the latter. The Lord’s appearance on the road accomplished this in him. There it became clear to him that he was not directing his zeal where he ought, that he was not pleasing God by acting as he did, but was going contrary to His will. This vision of the state of affairs, with the help of God’s grace, immediately changed his strivings, and he cried out: Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? (Acts 9:6). And from that moment on he directed all of his zeal toward what was shown to him, and he did not forget this event for his whole life, but thankfully remembering it, stirred up his zeal with it—not sparing anything to work for his Lord and Saviour. This is how all people act who have sincerely turned to the Lord.

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