Once, when St Zachariah took his turn as priest at the Temple of Jerusalem, he went into the Sanctuary to offer incense. Going behind the veil of the Sanctuary, he beheld an angel of God standing at the right side of the altar of incense. St Zachariah was astonished and halted in fear, but the angel said to him, "Fear not, Zachariah, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John."
But Zachariah did not believe the words of the heavenly messenger, and then the angel said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you the good news. Behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words...."
But Zachariah did not believe the words of the heavenly messenger, and then the angel said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you the good news. Behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words...."
Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zachariah and they were astonished that he had not come out from the Sanctuary after so long a time. And when he did come out, he was supposed to pronounce a blessing upon the people, but could not do so because he had been struck speechless.
When Zachariah explained by gestures that he was unable to speak, the people then understood that he had experienced a vision. The prophecy of the Archangel was fulfilled, and Righteous Elizabeth was delivered from her barrenness, and gave birth to John, the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord.
God often reveals to us His power and mercy and wisdom beyond the natural law, by which we would otherwise be fettered and, without these special wonders of God, would fall into despair and forgetfulness of Him.
When Zachariah explained by gestures that he was unable to speak, the people then understood that he had experienced a vision. The prophecy of the Archangel was fulfilled, and Righteous Elizabeth was delivered from her barrenness, and gave birth to John, the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord.
God often reveals to us His power and mercy and wisdom beyond the natural law, by which we would otherwise be fettered and, without these special wonders of God, would fall into despair and forgetfulness of Him.
“[T]he Holy Fathers say that he who desires to be victorious in unseen warfare must establish the following four dispositions or inclinations in his heart:
(1) never in any way rely on yourself;
(2) always have in your heart complete, resolute hope in the One God;
(3) work unceasingly; and
(4) always be in prayer.”
— Archbishop Averky (Taushev)
(1) never in any way rely on yourself;
(2) always have in your heart complete, resolute hope in the One God;
(3) work unceasingly; and
(4) always be in prayer.”
— Archbishop Averky (Taushev)
The Holy Myrrhbearer Joanna (June 27/ July 10) was one of the women who came to Christ's tomb to receive from the angels the joyful proclamation of His All-Glorious Resurrection. Proclaiming it to the disciples, she became an apostle to the apostles. St Joanna is also known for finding the head of St John the Baptist after after his martyrdom by King Herod.
Holy Myrrhbearing Joanna, pray to the Risen One for our salvation!
Holy Myrrhbearing Joanna, pray to the Risen One for our salvation!
As early as 258, there was already a tradition of commemorating the martyrdoms of both St. Peter and St. Paul on the same day (June 29/ July 12).
St. Augustine of Hippo preached in 395 that “Both apostles share the same feast day, for these two were one; and even though they suffered on different days. ... And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles’ blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith.”
St. Augustine of Hippo preached in 395 that “Both apostles share the same feast day, for these two were one; and even though they suffered on different days. ... And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles’ blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith.”
“The marriage of a man and a woman is an event that took place even before the Fall into sin. Therefore the holy fathers call marriage a remainder of paradise on earth. But the first people betrayed their Father, Who blessed this marriage, and were cast out of paradise. Today we understand marriage as the unity of husband and wife in God. That is, the main goal of is not the birth of children, but the return to that paradisal state, in which the family dwelt before the fall. … This means that our task is to transform into paradise not only family life, but also any of our mutual relationships with people. If a husband, wife, and children are a small family, then the church, parish, and parishioners are our greater family. Those who come to church solely for individual purposes do not do rightly. Just as in a family, in a parish we cannot live only for ourselves. We have to live for the sake of others and for God.
The needs of a church community, just like the needs of its parishioners, touches each member of the parish—because we are a large family. It would be right if all those who go to church would not only know each other by name, but would also begin to work together outside the church—visit each other’s homes, study the Bible together, pray, and discuss spiritual literature. The family is what unites, because God desires our unity. Only the devil seeks to destroy, and strives for chaos and disorder.”
—Metropolitan Luke (Kovalenko) of Zaporozhye and Melitopol
—Metropolitan Luke (Kovalenko) of Zaporozhye and Melitopol
As the prophets beheld,
As the Apostles have taught,
As the Church has received,
As the teachers have dogmatized,
As the universe has agreed,
As grace has illumined
As truth has revealed,
As falsehood has been dispelled,
As wisdom has presented,
As Christ has triumphed:
This we believe,
This we declare,
This we preach:
Christ our true God, and His saints we honour in words, in writings, in thoughts, in sacrifices, in temples, in icons, on the one hand bowing down and worshipping Christ as God and Master, on the other hand honouring the saints as true servants of the Master of all, and offering to them due veneration.
This is the faith of the Apostles!
This is the faith of the Fathers!
This is the faith of the Orthodox!
This is the faith that has established the Universe!
+ Acclamation of the 7th Ecumenical Council
Icon: Synaxis of the Holy, Glorious and All-praised Twelve Apostles (June 30/ July 13)
As the Apostles have taught,
As the Church has received,
As the teachers have dogmatized,
As the universe has agreed,
As grace has illumined
As truth has revealed,
As falsehood has been dispelled,
As wisdom has presented,
As Christ has triumphed:
This we believe,
This we declare,
This we preach:
Christ our true God, and His saints we honour in words, in writings, in thoughts, in sacrifices, in temples, in icons, on the one hand bowing down and worshipping Christ as God and Master, on the other hand honouring the saints as true servants of the Master of all, and offering to them due veneration.
This is the faith of the Apostles!
This is the faith of the Fathers!
This is the faith of the Orthodox!
This is the faith that has established the Universe!
+ Acclamation of the 7th Ecumenical Council
Icon: Synaxis of the Holy, Glorious and All-praised Twelve Apostles (June 30/ July 13)
How absurd and foolish is it that should a harper, or a dancer, or any one of these kind of people, invite us to his house, we would go there with all haste, and thank him for having invited us, and spend almost half the day there; paying attention only to him. But when God is speaking to us through His holy Prophets and Apostles we yawn, and we scratch, and we turn this way and that!
And at the circus, without a roof above them to keep off the rain, the crowds stand there crazy, the rain pouring down on them, and the wind blowing it in their faces, and they think nothing of the cold or the rain or the distance, and nothing will keep them from going there, and nothing will keep them at home! But to go to the Church, a shower, or the mud on the road, is a serious obstacle!
✝️ Saint John Chrysostom
And at the circus, without a roof above them to keep off the rain, the crowds stand there crazy, the rain pouring down on them, and the wind blowing it in their faces, and they think nothing of the cold or the rain or the distance, and nothing will keep them from going there, and nothing will keep them at home! But to go to the Church, a shower, or the mud on the road, is a serious obstacle!
✝️ Saint John Chrysostom
Pay no attention to whatever the enemy says to you. As soon as he is about to whisper something in your ear, immediately say, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” or “Save me,” rapidly and without stopping, and soon you will see that the thought or rather the pressure to accept the thought has weakened, and you will not remember what exactly he was trying to say.
☦️Elder Ephraim of Arizona
☦️Elder Ephraim of Arizona
✝️ St Veronica was the woman with the issue of blood, who received healing by touching the hem of Christ’s robe (Mt. 9:20).
According to the Tradition of the Church she is said to have wiped the Savior’s face with her veil as He carried His Cross to Golgotha. The Saviour’s Face remained imprinted on the cloth, becoming the first icon – one unmade by human hands.
According to the Tradition of the Church she is said to have wiped the Savior’s face with her veil as He carried His Cross to Golgotha. The Saviour’s Face remained imprinted on the cloth, becoming the first icon – one unmade by human hands.
Prior to his conversion, St. Vladimir was an infamous polygamist, fornicator, and worshipper of idols. … When St. Vladimir came to know that one true God, his repentance was radical: he put away all his former wives and concubines and took as spouse a daughter of the Byzantine emperor, and at Kiev he had the idol of the god Perun thrown into the river. As members of God’s elect, called out from among the nations to be a new, pure, and holy people, we are called to a similar repentance. We should leave no room in our lives or hearts for idolatrous impurity; we should struggle to put away all that is old and fallen. And, when we inevitably fail to eradicate our idols and sins completely, we should repent from the heart for falling short of our calling as Christians.
— Metropolitan Tikhon
— Metropolitan Tikhon
Breathe strength in us to pray, "Father, forgive them." ☦️Royal martyr Olga Romanov Among the few personal effects of the royal family of St Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov (July 4/ July 17) that remained behind at the Ipatiev House, the place of their martyrdom, was a notebook of the Holy Martyr Olga. On one of its pages, written in the hand of the young girl, was the following prayer:
Grant us Thy patience, Lord, In these our woeful days, The mob's wrath to endure, The torturer's ire; Thy unction to forgive Our neighbors' persecution, And mild, like Thee, to bear A bloodstained Cross. And when the mob prevails, And foes come to despoil us, To suffer humbly shame, O Saviour, aid us! Master of the world, universal God, Bless us in prayer And grant rest to our humble soul In this unbearable, dreadful hour.
Grant us Thy patience, Lord, In these our woeful days, The mob's wrath to endure, The torturer's ire; Thy unction to forgive Our neighbors' persecution, And mild, like Thee, to bear A bloodstained Cross. And when the mob prevails, And foes come to despoil us, To suffer humbly shame, O Saviour, aid us! Master of the world, universal God, Bless us in prayer And grant rest to our humble soul In this unbearable, dreadful hour.
And when the hour comes To pass the last dread gate, Breathe strength in us to pray, "Father, forgive them." —from “The Romanov Royal Martyrs: What silence could not conceal” Photo: (from left to right) Saints Olga, Nikolai, Anastasia, Alexandra, Tatiana, and in the front row Alexei and Maria