ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY Orthodox Calendar
Orthodox Calendar 2025
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Анна мать Пресвятой Богородицы Преподобный Макарий Унженский
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Old Style
July 25 		Thursday
New Style
August 7
9th Week after Pentecost. Tone 7.
No fast.

Совершается служба со славословиемThe Dormition of the Righteous Anna, Mother of the Most Holy Theotokos. Cовершается служба, не отмеченная в Типиконе никаким знакомSts. Olympias (Olympiada) the Deaconess, of Constantinople (409), Cовершается служба, не отмеченная в Типиконе никаким знакомand the Virgin Eupraxia of Tabennisi (413). Совершается служба со славословиемSt. Macarius of Zheltovod and Unzha, monastic founder (1444).

Commemoration of the Holy 165 Fathers of the Fifth Ecumenical Council (553). St. Christopher, abbot of Solvychegodsk (Vologda) (1572).

New Hieromartyr Alexander Sakharov, archpriest, of St. Petersburg (1927). New Hieromartyr Theodore Tonkovid, priest, of Lovets (Pskov) (1942).

St. Gregory (Kallidis), metropolitan of Thessalonica and Heraclea (1925). New Hieromartyrs Vukosav Milanovic and Rodoljub Samardzic, of Kulen Vakuf, Serbia (1941-1945).

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

Thursday. [I Cor. 14:6-19; Matt. 20:17-28]

Christianity fully satisfies our striving for superiority—but how? Through a method totally opposed to the one used in the world. Do you want to be first? Be a servant to everyone; that is, be the last amongst them, and this is just as essential as it is to attune your life and your disposition according to the example of Christ the Lord. The Lord says, the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. The Lord ministers, even washes the feet of His disciples; there is no need, therefore, to be ashamed of ministering to someone. Minister however, and with whatever, you can; there are opportunities every step of the way: feed one who is hungry, clothe one who is naked, bring a stranger into your home, visit one who is sick and even tend to him, and do not refuse all other help to those who ask it. Serve not the body only, but also the soul: give understanding, advice, point out a good book, console, support. A word is also a powerful means to help; a soul goes out from it, and helps another by joining with him.

Articles

The Conception of the Holy Virgin Theotokos by Saint Anna

Sergei Bulgakov

Struck by the speech of the High Priest, as though by the awesome verdict of the judgment of God Himself, the righteous man had no time even to withdraw from the altar, as a new heavier insult struck his hearing. One of the Israelites bringing his gifts, pushed him away, said, “Depart from here, did you not hear that you are unworthy to bring gifts to God together with us, because you have not left offspring for Israel?” With deep humility Joachim accepted this accusation as if it were from the mouth of the very God, and with deep sadness left the temple.

Holy, Righteous Ancestor of God, Anna

Saint Anna was the daughter of Matthan the priest, who was of the tribe of Levi. St Anna’s family came from Bethlehem.

The Conception by Righteous Anna of the Most Holy Mother of God

For a long time Saint Anna was childless, but after twenty years, through the fervent prayer of both spouses, an angel of the Lord announced to them that they would be the parents of a daughter, Who would bring blessings to the whole human race.

Dormition of the Righteous Anna, the Mother of the Most Holy Theotokos

Saint Anna was the daughter of the priest Matthan and his wife Mary. She was of the tribe of Levi and the lineage of Aaron. According to Tradition, she died peacefully in Jerusalem at age 79, before the Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos.

Holy Woman Olympias (Olympiada) the Deaconess of Constantinople

Saint Olympias the Deaconess was the daughter of the senator Anicius Secundus, and by her mother she was the granddaughter of the noted eparch Eulalios (he is mentioned in the life of Saint Nicholas).

Virginmartyr Eupraxia of Tabenna

Saint Eupraxia was daughter of the Constantinople dignitary Antigonos, a kinsman of the holy Emperor Theodosius the Great (379-395).

Venerable Macarius the Abbot of Zheltovod and Unzha

At twelve years of age he secretly left his parents and accepted monastic tonsure at the Nizhni-Novgorod Caves monastery under Saint Dionysius.

Commemoration of the Holy 165 Fathers of the Fifth Ecumenical Council

The Fifth Ecumenical Council (Constantinople II) was held at Constantinople, under the holy Emperor Saint Justinian I (527-565) in the year 553, to determine the Orthodoxy of three dead bishops: Theodore of Mopsuetia, Theodoret of Cyrrhus and Ibas of Edessa, who had expressed Nestorian opinions in their writings in the time of the Third Ecumenical Council (September 9).
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