Forefeast of the Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord. Righteous Eudocimus of Cappadocia (9th c.).
Martyr Julitta, at Caesarea in Cappadocia (304-305). St. Germanus, bishop of Auxerre (448). New Monk-martyr Dionysius of Vatopedi, Mt. Athos (1822).
New Hieromartyrs Benjamin (Kazansky), metropolitan of Petrograd, and Sergius (Shein), archimandrite, and with them New Martyrs George Novitsky and John Kovsharov, at Petrograd (1922). New Hiero-confessor Basil (Preobrazhensky), bishop of Kineshma (1945).
Righteous Joseph of Arimathea (1st c.). St. Neot, hermit, in Cornwall (ca. 877). St. John the Exarch of Bulgaria (ca. 917-927). St. Arsenius, bishop of Ninotsminda, Georgia (1082). Consecration of the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos of Blachernae. Translation of the relics of Apostle Philip to Cyprus.
Repose of Elder Gerasim the Younger, of the St. Sergius Skete (Kaluga) (1918).
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost. [I Cor. 4:9-16; Matt.
17:14-23]
This kind goeth not out but by
prayer and fasting. If this kind goes out by the
prayer and fasting of another person, then it is even less
able to enter one who fasts and prays. What protection!
Although there are a slew of demons and all the air is
packed with them, they cannot do anything to one who is
protected by prayer and fasting. Fasting is universal
temperance, prayer is universal communication with God;
the former defends from the outside, whereas the latter
from within directs a fiery weapon against the enemies.
The demons can sense a faster and man of prayer from a
distance, and they run far away from him so as avoid a
painful blow. Is it feasible to think that where there is
no fasting and prayer, there already is a demon? Yes, it
is. The demons lodging in a person, do not always reveal
their presence, but lurk there, stealthily teaching their
host every evil and turning him away from every good
thing; so this person is certain that he is doing
everything on his own, but meanwhile he is only fulfilling
the will of his enemy. Just commence prayer and fasting
and the enemy will immediately depart, then wait on the
side for an opportunity to somehow return again. And he
truly will return, as soon as prayer and fasting are
abandoned.