Prophet Elisha (9th c. b.c.). St. Methodius the Confessor, patriarch of Constantinople (846).
St. Mstislav-George, prince of Novgorod (1180). St. Methodius, founder of Peshnosha Monastery, disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh (1392). St. Elisha, monk, of Suma (Solovki) (15th c.-16th c). Synaxis of the Saints of Diveyevo.
New Hieromartyr Alexander Parusnikov, archpriest, of Troitsko-Ramenskoye (Moscow) (1938).
St. Julitta ( Julia) of Tabennisi in Egypt (4th c.). St. John (Mavropos), metropolitan of Euchaita (1100). St. Sabbas, fool-for-Christ, of Vatopedi, Mt. Athos (1349). St. Niphon, monk, of Kapsokalyvia, Mt. Athos (1411). Hieromartyr Cyril, bishop of Gortyna on Crete (ca. 303).
Tuesday. [Rom. 10:11-11:2; Matt. 11:16-20]
The Lord says that we, not heading the
Gospels, are like those to whom merry songs are sung, but
they do not dance; sad songs are sung, and they do not
cry. You cannot do anything with them. We are promised the
heavenly Kingdom, most bright and joyous, but we are
unmoved, as if they were not speaking to us. We are
threatened with impartial judgment and unending torments,
but we are not alarmed; it is as if we do not hear.
Downtrodden, we have lost all feeling of true
self-preservation. We move as ones being led directly to
destruction, and haven’t a care for our destiny. We
have lost heart, given ourselves over to
carelessness—what will be, will be! Look at our
state! Isn’t this why suicides are so frequent? It
is the fruit of modern teachings and views on man and his
[in]significance! There is progress for you! There is
enlightenment! It would be better to be totally ignorant,
but save your soul with fear of God, than, having attained
the title of an enlightened person, to perish unto the
ages, never thinking your entire life about what will
happen after death. Not a single jot shall pass from the
word of God, which describes both the heavenly kingdom and
hell—all will be as it is written. Take this to
heart, everyone, as something which touches you
personally; and take care for yourself, with all your
strength, and as long as time remains.
Thursday. [Rom. 11:13-24; Matt. 11:27-30]
Come unto Me, all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. O divine, O
dear, O sweetest voice of Thine! Let us all follow the
Lord Who calls us! But first we must feel something
difficult and burdensome for us. We must feel that we have
many sins, and that these sins are grave. From this
feeling is born the need to seek relief. Faith will then
show us that our only refuge is in the Lord and Saviour,
and our steps will direct themselves toward Him. A soul
desiring to be saved from sins knows what to say to the
Lord: “Take my heavy, sinful burden from me; and I
will take on Thy easy yoke.” And it happens like
this: the Lord forgives the sins, and the soul begins to
walk in His commandments. The commandments are the yoke,
and sins are the burden. But comparing the two, the soul
finds that the yoke of the commandments is light as a
feather, while the burden of sins is heavy as a mountain.
Let us not fear readily accepting the Lord’s easy
yoke and His light burden. In no other way can we find
rest unto our souls.