Afterfeast of the Entry into the Temple. Great-martyr Catherine of Alexandria (305-313). Great-martyr Mercurius of Caesarea in Cappadocia (ca. 259). Martyr Mercurius of Smolensk (1238).
Martyrs Augusta (Faustina) the Empress, Porphyrius Stratelates, and 200 soldiers, at Alexandria with Great-martyr Catherine (305-313). St. Mercurius the Faster, of the Far Caves in Kiev (14th c.). St. Simon, founder of Soiga Monastery (Vologda) (1561). St. Luke, steward of the Kiev Caves (13th c.).
New Hieromartyr Eugraphus Yevarestov, archpriest, of Ufa (1919). New Hieromartyrs Mitrophan Kornitsky and Alexander Levitsky, archpriests, of Starodub (Bryansk) (1937).
St. Hermogenes, bishop of Agrigentum (ca. 260). St. Romanus of Bordeaux (382). St. Gregory, founder of the monastery of the Golden Rock in Pontus. St. Portianus of Arthone (Gaul) (527). St. Protasius, hermit, of Auvergne (Gaul) (6th c.). Martyrs Flora and Maria, at Cordoba (851). St. Nicodemus the Younger, of Philokalos Monastery in Thessalonica (ca. 1305). Hieromartyr Clement, pope of Rome (101). Hieromartyr Peter, archbishop of Alexandria (311). St. Malchus of Chalcis in Syria (4th c.).
Repose of Archimandrite Ephraim (Moraitis) of Philotheou and Arizona (2019).
Saturday. [Gal. 5:22-6:2; Luke 10:19-21]
I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that
thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and
hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it
seemed good in thy sight. Behold the judgment over
human wisdom and intelligence. We can see this happen.
Revelation is now before our eyes in Divine scripture, and
the intelligent read it, but do not understand. One must
marvel: it is written simply, but to them everything there
seems not as it is written; it has as though blinded them.
Babes see and understand, but for the others what is
revealed is hidden. It pleased the Heavenly Father to
establish it so; therefore there is no need to debate. If
what was vitally necessary had not been revealed at all,
then the intelligent could still object; but it has been
revealed—come and partake of it—that is why it
was revealed. Just become a babe.
“How—me?” you say, “no way!”
Well, as you like; remain wise and intelligent,
understanding, however, nothing of vital necessity and not
containing it in your head, wandering amidst phantoms and
illusions born from showing off your intelligence, and
keeping you in total blindness, according to which you
think that you can see, but you are blind, “and
cannot see afar off” (cf. 2 Pet. 1:9)—that is
you see something, like through a thick haze. But this
does not show you the true path and does not lead to the
goal, but only keeps you in an endless circle of
self-delusion. Save us, O Lord, from such a terrible
state!…