ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY Orthodox Calendar
Orthodox Calendar 2025
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Авраамий Городецкий Илия Пророк Священномученик Афанасий Брестский
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Old Style
July 20 		Saturday
New Style
August 2
8th Week after Pentecost. Tone 6.
No fast.

Совершается всенощное бдениеHoly and Glorious Prophet Elias (Elijah) (9th c. b.c.).

St. Abramius of Galich, or Chukhloma Lake, disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh (1375). Uncovering of the relics of Hieromartyr Athanasius, abbot, of Brest-Litovsk (1649). Sts. Savva (1392) and Leontius (late 14th c.), disciples of St. Sergius of Radonezh.

New Martyrs Lydia and soldiers Alexei and Cyril, near Ufa (1928). New Hieromartyrs Archimandrite Tikhon (Krechkov), hieromonks George (Pozharov) and Cosmas (Vyaznikov), and priests John Steblin-Kamensky, Sergius Gortinsky, Theodore Yakovlev, Alexander Arkhangelsky, and George Nikitin, and with them Martyrs Euthymius Grebenshchikov and Peter Vyaznikov, at Voronezh (1930). New Hieromartyr Alexis Znamensky, archpriest, of Vinogradovo (Moscow) (1938).

“Chukhloma” Icon of the Mother of God from Galich (1350).

Righteous Aaron the High Priest, brother of Prophet Moses the God-seer (ca. 1530 b.c.). Sts. Elias, patriarch of Jerusalem (518), and Flavian, patriarch of Antioch (512), confessors. St. Ethelwida, widow of King Alfred the Great (9th c.). Martyr Salome of Jerusalem and Kartli, who suffered under the Persians (13th c.). St. Elias (Chavchavadze) of Georgia (1907). St. Alexis Medvedkov, archpriest, of Ugine, France (1934). Sts. Elias Fondaminsky (1942), Priest Demetrius Klepinine (1944), George Skobtsov (1944), and Nun Maria (Skobtsova) (1945), of Paris.

Repose of Priest Valentine Amphiteatrov of Moscow (1908) and Schemanun Sarah of Borodino (1908).

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

Saturday. [Rom. 13:1-10; Matt. 12:30-37]

A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. What you put in the treasury is what you receive: if you put in gold—you will take away gold; if you put in copper—you will take away copper. Of course, copper can be passed off as gold; but an expert will immediately recognize the forgery. How can we make it so that in our treasury there is only gold; that is, so that in the heart there is only good? The heart by its nature is a treasury of good things; evil came later. Take an anatomical knife of attentiveness and lack of self pity, separate what is unnatural and cut it out. One after the other the evil will leave, while the good will become strengthened and spread; what will remain, at last, will be only good. The question is how to determine what is natural and unnatural. Do not listen to today’s naturalists;[1] they explain everything inside out: what is natural, for them is unnatural; while what is unnatural, for them is natural—they call evil good, and good evil. Look at what the Lord says in the Gospels and the holy apostles in their writings, and according to their instructions determine what is natural. In such a manner, at last, you will gather much good and will bring it forth out of your heart. Pray to the Holy Spirit: “O treasury of good things, entreasure good in my heart!”

[1]By “naturalists” is meant those people who rely on natural science for answers, and deny religion.

Articles

Saint Elias and the Power of Prayer

Fr. Robert J. Teklinski

The prayers of St. Elias were indeed powerful in their effects for several reasons. First, Elias was a holy man who remained faithful to God in defiance of King Ahab who ordered the Israelites to worship Baal. His faith was so great that the prophet never doubted God's ability or willingness to answer his prayers.

Saint Elias Who?

'Elias" is the Greek form of the Biblical name "Elijah". Hence, "St. Elias" is how we refer to the Holy Prophet, Elijah [the Tishbite]. (Fyi, "St. Eliseus" is the Greek form for the Holy Prophet, Elisha.) The name "Elias" (in Hebrew: "Eliyahu") means: My God is Yhwh (the LORD). The Elijah cycle can be found in the Bible at I Kings 17:1 - 22:54 & II Kings 1:1 - 2:18.

The Holy Prophet Elias

A man who saw God, a wonderworker and zealot for faith in God, Elias was of the tribe of Aaron, from the city of Tishba, whence he was known as "the Tishbite."

Homily on the Day of the Holy Prophet Elias

St. Luke, Archbishop of Crimea

But I want the thought to reach your heart that not only does this kind of prayer, which works manifest miracles seen by everyone, not only the prayer of the Prophet Ellias, and the prayers of the apostles, prophets, and martyrs work miracles. I want you to understand that any prayer will work miracles.l

The Prophet Elijah

Today, the Prophet Elijah cries out to us saying: "The Lord God is alive and He will judge His people according to their deeds. Repent and turn to His Loving kindness and you shall see His wonders."

Holy Prophet Elias

Repose of Venerable Abramius of Galich or Chukhloma Lake, disciple of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh

Having settled in a remote place, Saint Abraham had a revelation to go up a mountain, where he found an icon of the Mother of God shining with an indescribable light

Holy Hieromartyr Athanasius of Brest-Litovsk, Confessor and Defender of Orthodoxy in Poland and Lithuania

Athanasius was charged with profaning the Latin Church and the Unia. When he again denounced the Unia before his interrogators, he was thrown into prison, where the Jesuits alternately threatened him with torture and cajoled him with freedom, if he would join the Uniates. The holy monk refused to renounce his faith, crying aloud, "Anathema to the Union!"

“Chukhloma” Icon of the Mother of God from Galich

The Chukhloma Icon of the Mother of God of Galich appeared in the year 1350 to Saint Abraham of Galich, who came there from the north for ascetical labors with the blessing of Saint Sergius of Radonezh.

Righteous Aaron

The Righteous Aaron (1445 B.C.) was the first Old Testament High Priest.

Holy Martyr Salome the Georgian (13th century)

Archpriest Zakaria Machitadze

The details of the life of St. Salome the Georgian are notpreserved. In the Synaxarion of Jerusalem’s Holy CrossMonastery it is written: “On this day (July 20) we commemoratethe martyrdom of Salome the Georgian, who atfirst yielded to the Persian threats and renounced Christ,but later confessed the true Faith. For this she was beheaded and castinto the flames.”

Saint Ilia the Righteous (†1907)

Archpriest Zakaria Machitadze

Saint Ilia, called the “Uncrowned King of Georgia,” the “Father of the Nation” and “the Righteous,” belonged to the noble family Chavchavadze. He was born on October 27, 1837, in the village of Qvareli in Kakheti. He received his primary education at home: his mother instructed him in reading and writing, prayer and the law of God. When he was eight years old, Ilia was sent to study with Archdeacon Nikoloz Sepashvili of Qvareli. The years he spent there left an indelible impression on this holy man’s life.
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