ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY Orthodox Calendar
Orthodox Calendar 2024
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Святитель Михаил, еп. Синадский Святые мученицы Пузовские Леонтий Ростовский
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Old Style
May 23
Wednesday
New Style
June 5
5th Week after Pascha. Tone 4.
Fast Day.
Fish, wine and oil allowed.

Apodosis of Mid-Pentecost. Cовершается служба, не отмеченная в Типиконе никаким знакомSt. Michael the Confessor, metropolitan of Synnada (821). Совершается служба со славословиемUncovering of the relics of St. Leontius, bishop and wonderworker of Rostov (1164). Cовершается служба, не отмеченная в Типиконе никаким знакомSynaxis of the Saints of Rostov and Yaroslavl.

Martyr Michael “the Blackrobed,” of St. Sabbas Monastery (9th c.). Virgin Euphrosyne, princess and abbess, of Polotsk (1173). Uncovering of the relics of St. Abramius, archimandrite, of Rostov (1210). St. Paisius, abbot, of Galich (1460).

Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Thou Art the Vineyard.”

Holy Myrrh-bearer Mary, wife of Cleopas (1st c.). Hieromartyrs Epitacius, bishop of Tuy (Spain), and Basil, bishop of Braga (Portugal) (1st c.). St. Damian (King Demetrius) of Gareji, Georgia (1157). St. Ioannicius I, archbishop of Serbia (1270). St. John of Valaam and New Valamo (Finland) (1958).

Repose of Hieromonk Damascene of Valaam (1825), Hieroschemamonk Meletius of Svir (1877), disciple of Elder Theodore of Svir, and Nun Euphrosyne (1934), disciple of St. Barsanuphius of Optina.

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

Wednesday. [Acts 13:13–24; John 6:5–14]

   The disciples told the Lord to send the multitude away so they could buy themselves food in the villages; but the Lord said to them: They need not depart; give ye them to eat (Matt. 14:16). This preceded the miracle of feeding the five thousand people, beside women and children, with five loaves of bread and two fishes. Such an event, which had particular significance in the life of the Lord, offers also the following lesson. The multitude is an image of humanity, hungering and thirsting after the truth. When the Lord said to the apostles: give ye them to eat, by this He indicated in advance to them their future service to the human race—to feed it with the truth. The apostles did this for their times; in subsequent times they passed this service on to the pastorate which succeeded them. The Lord’s words extend to the present pastorate as well: Give ye them to eat. And the pastorate should keep this obligation in their conscience—to feed the people with the truth. In church there should be unceasing preaching of the word of God. What sort of pastors are silent pastors? And yet they are often silent—silent beyond measure. But it is impossible to say that this has occurred because there is no faith in their heart. It is just their misunderstanding, a bad habit. Nevertheless, this is no justification.

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