March 16, 2025. + Orthodox Calendar

Orthodox Calendar 2025

Аристовул апостол от 70-ти

Old Style

March 16

Saturday

New Style

March 29

4th Week of Great Lent. Fourth Saturday of Great Lent. Commemoration of the Dead. Tone 6.
Great Lent.

Wine and oil allowed.

Martyr Sabinas of Hermopolis, Egypt (287). Martyr Papas of Lycaonia (305-311).

Apostle Aristobulus of the Seventy, bishop of Britain (1st c.). Hieromartyr Alexander, pope of Rome (119). Martyr Julian of Anazarbus (4th c.). St. Serapion, archbishop of Novgorod (1516). Hieromartyrs Trophimus and Thalus, priests, of Laodicea (300). St. Pimen, fool-for-Christ, enlightener of the Dagestani, and his companion Anthony of Meskhi, Georgia (13th c.). St. Ambrose (Khelaia) the Confessor, catholicos of Georgia (1927). St. Eutropia of Kherson (1968).

St. Abban of Kilabban (Ireland) (650). Martyr Romanus at Parium on the Hellespont. St. Christodulus, wonderworker, of Patmos (1093). New Monk-martyr Malachi of Rhodes, at Jerusalem (1500).

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. [Heb. 6:9–12; Mark 7:31–37]

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God (I Cor. 15:50). Consequently, to receive the kingdom it is necessary to become fleshless and bloodless—that is, to become steadfast in such a nature of life wherein blood and flesh literally do not exist. This is attained by a complete renunciation of deeds that come from flesh and blood. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like. Having listed all of these, the Apostle adds: I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19–21). He that has ears to hear, let him hear (cf. Matt. 11:15)!

Articles

Martyr Sabinus of Egypt

During a persecution of Christians under the emperor Diocletian (284-305), Saint Sabinus and some like-minded companions hid in a remote village.

Martyr Papas of Lyconia

The Holy Martyr Papas lived in the city of Laranda (Asia Minor) during the reign of Maximian (305-311).

Apostle Aristobulus of the Seventy the Bishop of Britain

The Holy Apostle Aristobulus of the Seventy was born on Cyprus. He and his brother, the holy Apostle Barnabas of the Seventy, accompanied the holy Apostle Paul on his journeys.

Hieromartyr Alexander the Pope of Rome

The Hieromartyr Alexander, Bishop of Rome, served for ten years as the archpastor of Rome.

Martyr Julian of Anazarbus

The Hieromartyr Julian of Anazarbus suffered for Christ in Antioch, Syria under the emperor Maximian Galerius (305-311).

The Thorny Path of St. Serapion, Archbishop of Novgorod

Elena Detinina

During those days, through Archbishop Serapion’s prayers, three seriously ill people were healed. And after the healing of a blind man, a paralytic, and a demoniac, the plague in Veliky Novgorod stopped.

Hieromartyrs Trophimus and Thalus, priests, of Laodicea

The Holy Martyrs Trophimus and Thallus, brothers and presbyters of Syria, served in Carian Laodicea.

Venerable Father Pimen, Fool-for-Christ and Enlightener of Dagestan, and His Companion Anton Meskhi, the Censurer of Kings (13th century)

Archpriest Zakaria Machitadze

Saint Pimen the Fool-for-Christ and Anton Meskhi (of Meskheti, in southern Georgia) lived in the 13th century, when the Mongols were regularly invading Georgia. The entire country, and the Church in particular, languished under the yoke of Mongol oppression. The Georgian people were once again faced with a terrible choice: to preserve their temporal flesh or attain spiritual salvation. Most would not yield to the temptation of the enemy and chose instead to die as martyrs for Christ.

Saint Ambrosi the Confessor, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia (†1927)

Archpriest Zakaria Machitadze

In response to one of the Bolshevik interrogations, the patriarch asserted, “Confession of Faith is a spiritual necessity for every nation — persecution increases its necessity. Faith deepens, being contracted and accumulated, and it bursts out with new energy. So it was in the past, and so it will be in our country. Georgia is no exception to this universal law.” St. Ambrosi spoke these remarkable last words to his persecutors: “My soul belongs to God, my heart to my motherland, and with my flesh you may do whatever you wish.” The court sentenced the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia to seven years, nine months and twenty-eight days in prison.

Saturday of the Commemoration of the Dead

Saturday of the Commemoration of the Dead

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