St. Gregory the Theologian, archbishop of Constantinople (389). St. Anatole I (Zertsalov), elder, of Optina Monastery (1894). New Hieromartyr Vladimir, metropolitan of Kiev, protomartyr of the Communist yoke in Russia (1918).
Martyrs Felicitas of Rome and seven sons: Januarius, Felix, Philip, Silvanus, Alexander, Vitalis, and Martial (ca. 164). St. Publius, ascetic, of Euphratensis in Syria (ca. 380). St. Mares the Singer, of Omeros near Cyrrhus (ca. 430). St. Moses, archbishop of Novgorod (1362). St. Gregory, abbot, of Staro-Golutvin Monastery and bishop of Kolomna (15th c.).
New Hieromartyrs Peter (Zverev), archbishop of Voronezh (1929) and Basil (Zelentsov), bishop of Priluki (1930). New Martyr Abbess Margaret (Gunaronulo) of Menzelino (1918). New Martyr Athanasia (Lepeshkin), abbess of the Smolensk Hodigitria Convent, near Moscow (1931).
Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos “Assuage My Sorrow” and “Unexpected Joy.” (1640)
St. Castinus, bishop of Byzantium (240). St. Bretanion (Vetranion), bishop of Tomis in Moesia (ca. 380). St. Apollo of the Thebaid, monk (4th c.). Hieromartyr Praejectus, bishop of Clermont (676). St. Demetrius, the skevophylax (“keeper of the sacred vessels”), of Constantinople (8th c.). New Martyr Auxentius of Constantinople (1720). St. Gabriel, bishop of Imereti (Georgia) (1896).
Repose of Archpriest Sergius Orlov of Akulovo (1975).
Wednesday. [Eph. 3:8-21; Mark 11:23-26]
If you do not forgive others’
trespasses against you, then your heavenly Father will not
forgive you your trespasses, said the Lord. Who does not
forgive others? A righteous person, or one who considers
himself righteous. To such a person nothing remains other
than to judge, pronounce sentences, and demand execution
of the guilty. Does a man who feels guilty have any time
for others? Would his tongue dare to judge another and
demand gratification from him, when his own conscience
unceasingly convicts and unceasingly threatens him with
God’s righteous judgment? So, is it better to sin
than to be self-righteous? No, in every way be zealous for
righteousness; but with all of your righteousness,
recognize that you are an unworthy slave, and recognize
this with undivided thought—that is, not that the
thought of your unworthiness is in the foreground, while
the feeling of righteousness hides in the background, but
preserve a full awareness and feeling of yourself as
unworthy. When you attain this, (and you must work for
this, for it is not acquired suddenly), then no matter how
your brother trespasses against you, you will not call him
to account, because your conscience will be repeating:
“and you do not deserve this only, it is not enough
for you.” Then you will forgive him; and having
forgiven, you yourself will be made worthy of forgiveness.
So for your whole life let there be forgiveness after
forgiveness, and at the judgment all will be forgiven
you.