Great-martyr Parasceva of Iconium (3rd c.). Martyrs Terence and Neonilla, of Syria, and their children Sarbelus, Photus, Theodulus, Hierax, Nitus, Bele, and Eunice (249). St. Stephen of St. Sabbas Monastery, hymnographer (807). St. Arsenius I of Srem, archbishop of Serbia (1266). Repose of St. Job, abbot and wonderworker of Pochaev (1651). St. Demetrius, metropolitan of Rostov (1709).
Martyrs Terence, Africanus, Maximus, Pompeius, and 36 others, at Carthage (250). Hieromartyr Cyriacus, chorepiscopus of Jerusalem, and his mother Martyr Anna (363). Hieromartyr Neophytus, bishop of Urbnisi, Georgia (7th c.). St. John the Chozebite, bishop of Caesarea in Palestine (532). Repose of St. Theophilus, fool-for-Christ, of Kiev (1853). St. Arsenius of Cappadocia (1924). St. Nestor (not the Chronicler) of the Kiev Caves (14th c.). Righteous Virgin Parasceva of Pirimin on the Pinega River (Arkhangelsk) (16th c.).
New Hieromartyr Gennadius (Parfentiev), archimandrite, of Yaransk (1919). New Hieromartyr Michael Lektorsky, archpriest, of Kuban (1920). New Hieromartyr Constantine (Dyakov), metropolitan of Kiev (1937).
Protection of the Mother of God.
St. Firmilian, bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia (ca. 269), and St. Malchion, priest (late 3rd c.). St. Febronia, daughter of Emperor Heraclius (632). St. Athanasius I, patriarch of Constantinople (Mt. Athos) (1340). St. Hyacinth, metropolitan of Wallachia (1372). New Martyrs Angelis, Manuel, George, and Nicholas, at Rethymno on Crete (1824).
Repose of Elder Epiphanius (Theodoropoulos) of Athens (1989).
Twenty Third Sunday After Pentecost. [Eph. 2:4-10; Luke 8:
26-39]
After the Gadarene man who was possessed with devils
was healed, he cleaved to the Lord and desired to be with
Him always; then, upon hearing His will, goes and preaches
throughout the whole city about the good things he
received. The benefactor attracts, His will becomes law
for the receiver of the benefaction, and the tongue cannot
resist proclaiming what was received from Him. If only we
kept in mind all the good things which we have received
and are receiving from the Lord, there would not be
ungrateful people among us, there would not be
transgressors of His holy will, there would not be people
who do not love Him more than anything. We are saved
through baptism from our forefathers’ sin and all of
its perdition; in repentance we are constantly washed from
sins, which incessantly cling to us. Through God’s
providence we are preserved from misfortunes which often
are not visible to us ourselves, and we receive a
direction for our life which is safer for us and
favourable to our goals; but also all that we possess is
from the Lord. That is why we must belong to the Lord with
our whole soul, fulfil His will in all things, and glorify
His most holy name—especially in our life and deeds,
so that we might not fall behind the Gadarene man
possessed by devils, who immediately proved himself to be
so wise that he became an example worthy of
everyone’s imitation.