St. Moses the Black, of Scetis (ca. 375). St. Sabbas, founder of Krypetsk Monastery (Pskov) (1495). Uncovering of the relics of St. Job, abbot and wonderworker of Pochaev (1659). Synaxis of the Saints of the Kiev Caves whose relics repose in the Far Caves of St. Theodosius..
Righteous Anna the Prophetess (1st c.). Martyr Queen Shushanik (Susanna) of Georgia (5th c.). St. Amphilochius of the Kiev Caves, bishop of Vladimir, Volhynia (1122). St. Theodore (in monasticism Theodosius) of the Kiev Caves, prince of Ostrog in Volhynia (1483).
New Hieromartyrs Sergius (Zaitsev), archimandrite, Lawrence (Nikitin) and Seraphim (Kuzmin), hieromonks, Theodosius (Alexandrov), hierodeacon, New Monk-martyrs Leontius and Stephen, and martyred novices George, Hilarion, John, and Sergius, of Zilantov Monastery in Kazan (1918).
Righteous Hezekiah, king of Judah (691 b.c.). Repose of Blessed Augustine, bishop of Hippo (430). New Hieromartyr Chrysostom, metropolitan of Smyrna (1922).
Repose of Elder Philaret of Novo-Spassky Monastery (1842).
Tuesday. [II Cor. 5:15-21; Mark 1:16-22]
The Lord taught in the Capernaum
synagogue, and everyone marvelled at His teaching: for
He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the
Scribes. This authority is not a commanding tone, but
the power of influence on souls and hearts. His Word
entered within, and bound itself to human consciences,
showing that all was as He said. This is how a word which
is imbued with Divine power, a word from the Spirit, or an
anointed word always is. This is how it was with the holy
apostles, and after them, with all influential teachers.
They spoke not from learnedness, but as the spirit gave
them the gift of prophesy. It is a gift of God which can
only be acquired through labors to master it in
one’s heart and life, and not just by learning.
Wherever this occurs the word is imbued with cogency,
because it moves from heart to heart; in this is the power
of the word over souls. Scribes, speaking and writing from
their learnedness, are not given such power, because they
speak from their head and mix into their head their own
philosophizing. Life is not found in the head, but only
life’s surface. Life is in the heart, and only what
comes forth from the heart can influence the currents of
life.
Wednesday. [II Cor. 6:11-16; Mark 1:23-28]
The demon praised the Saviour, but the
Saviour said to him: Hold thy peace, and come out of
him. Demons never say anything or do anything with a
good purpose—they always have something evil in
mind. So it was here. The Lord, not exposing their crafty
designs, decided it with a word: hold thy peace and come
out. He did not want to converse long with an evil spirit.
Here is a lesson for us. A person manages to do very
little of something good before a demon sits nearby and
begins to trumpet in his ears: “You are this and
that.” Do not listen and do not enter into
conversation with this flatterer, but immediately say
point blank: “Hold thy peace and come out,”
and erase his tracks with sighs and self-reproach, then
incense that place where he was with contrite prayer. He
wants to give rise to self-opinion and self esteem, and to
fan self-praise and vainglory from them—all of those
thoughts and feelings are the spiritual life the same as
thieves in everyday life. Like thieves that enter a house
to rob its goods, so these demons, taking root in a soul,
destroy all that is good in that soul and cast it away, so
that nothing remains for the Lord to praise later.