Hieromartyr Symeon, bishop in Persia, and those with him: Hieromartyrs Abdechalas and Ananias, priests; Martyrs Ustazad and Azat, eunuchs; Fusicus, Ascitrea, and 1,150 others (341). St. Acacius, bishop of Melitene (ca. 435). St. Zosimas of Solovki (1478).
Martyr Adrian of Corinthus in Persia (251). St. Agapitus, pope of Rome (536). Uncovering of the relics of St. Alexander, founder of Svir Monastery (1641). St. Paisius, fool-for-Christ, of Kiev (1893).
New Hieromartyr Michael Novitsky, archpriest, of Uzda (Belorussia) (1935).
Monk-martyr Donnan of Eigg and those with him (Scotland) (618). St. Ephraim the Great, bishop of Atsquri, Georgia (9th c.). St. Macarius of Corinth (1805).
Repose of Hieroschemamonk Constantine of Ekaterinburg (1960).
Thursday. [Acts 4:23–31; John 5:24–30]
And they shall come forth; they that
have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they
that have done evil, unto the resurrection of
damnation (John 5:29). This is how everything ends! As
each river flows into its own sea, so the flow of each of
our lives comes, at last, to a place according to its
nature. Those who will be resurrected unto life will also
be at the judgment; but the judgment will only seal their
justification, and determine their life, while the others
will be resurrected only to hear the condemnation of
eternal death. Their life and death are characterized even
now—because some do living deeds, while others do
dead and deadening deeds. Living deeds are those which are
done according to the commandments, with joy of the
spirit, unto the glory of God; dead deeds are those which
are done in opposition to the commandments with
forgetfulness of God, to please oneself and one’s
passions. Dead deeds are all which although in form may
not oppose the commandments, are done without any thought
about God and eternal salvation, according to some aspect
of self-love. God is life; only what contains part of Him
is alive. And so whoever has only dead and deadening deeds
is bound directly for death, and on the last day will come
out into the condemnation of death; but whoever has all
living deeds is bound for eternal life, and on the last
day will come and receive it.