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| Old Style
July 21
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Thursday |
New Style
August 3
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| 9th Week after Pentecost. Tone 7. |  No fast.
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Prophet Ezekiel (6th c. b.c.). St. Symeon of Emesa, fool-for-Christ (590), and his fellow faster St. John (ca. 590).
Martyr Victor of Marseilles (3rd c.). St. Onuphrius the Silent, of the Kiev Caves and St. Onesimus, recluse, of the Kiev Caves (12th c.-13th c.) Uncovering of the relics of St. Anna, princess of Kashin (Euphrosyne in monasticism) (1649). St. Arsenia (Sebryakova), abbess of the Ust-Medveditsk Convent (Volgograd) (1905). St. John of Tula, fool-for-Christ.
“Armatia” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Hieromartyr Zoticus of Comana in Armenia (204). Martyrs Justus, Matthew, and Eugene, at Rome (305). Hieromartyr Bargabdesian, deacon, at Arbela in Assyria (354). Sts. Paul, bishop, and John, priest, ascetics, near Edessa (5th c.). Sts. Raphael (1640-1645) and Parthenius (1660) of Old Agapia Monastery (Romania). St. Parthenius of Radovizlios, bishop (1777). New Hieromartyrs Simo Banjac and Milan Stojisavljevic, and the latter’s son Martyr Milan, of Glamoc, Serbia (1941-1945). St. Eleutherius of “Dry Hill”.
Repose of Abbot Gerasim of the Chudov Monastery (1911), Blessed Anthony Petrovich Shuvalov, wonderworker of Undor- Simbirsk (1942), and Abbess Euphemia of the Ravanica and St. Petka monasteries (Serbia) (1958).
Thoughts for Each Day of the Year
According to the Daily Church Readings from the Word of God
By St. Theophan the Recluse
Wednesday. [I Cor. 13:4-14:5; Matt. 20:1-16]
In the parable about the hirelings, even he who worked only one hour was rewarded equally to the others by the master of the house. The hours of the day in this parable is an image of the course of our life. The eleventh hour is the final time in this life. The Lord shows that even those who lived without working for Him up to that moment can start to work and please Him no less than others. Therefore, old age is no excuse; let no one despair, supposing that there is no point in starting to work. Start, and do not be cowardly; the Lord is merciful; He will give you all that He gives others, here, according to the measure of grace, and there, according to the rank of truth. Just have more fervour, and grieve more contritely about the carelessness in which almost all of your life was spent. You will say, the master of the house called those in the parable. So, let the Lord call me. But isn’t He calling? Could it really be that you do not hear the voice of the Lord in the Church, saying, come unto Me all ye, and the Apostles’ call, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God (II Cor. 5:20).
Thursday. [I Cor. 14:6-19; Matt. 20:17-28]
Christianity fully satisfies our striving for superiority—but how? Through a method totally opposed to the one used in the world. Do you want to be first? Be a servant to everyone; that is, be the last amongst them, and this is just as essential as it is to attune your life and your disposition according to the example of Christ the Lord. The Lord says, the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. The Lord ministers, even washes the feet of His disciples; there is no need, therefore, to be ashamed of ministering to someone. Minister however, and with whatever, you can; there are opportunities every step of the way: feed one who is hungry, clothe one who is naked, bring a stranger into your home, visit one who is sick and even tend to him, and do not refuse all other help to those who ask it. Serve not the body only, but also the soul: give understanding, advice, point out a good book, console, support. A word is also a powerful means to help; a soul goes out from it, and helps another by joining with him.
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