Daily Devotional

Sunday, August 1, 2027 (NS), July 19, 2027 (OS)

No Fasting.

13-19. The Sunday of the Holy Fathers.

According to the Typikon of the Great Church, if the 13^th is a Sunday, we commemorate the holy and God-bearing Fathers of the Fourth Œcumenical Synod at Chalcedon. If the 13^th is not a Sunday, the service is celebrated on the first Sunday following the 13^th, but not later than the 19^th of July.

According to the Typikon of St. Savvas, when it is the 16^th of July, if it should fall on Wednesday or earlier, we celebrate the service to the holy and God-bearing Fathers of the first Six Œcumenical Synods on the preceding Sunday. If the 16^th falls on a Thursday or later, the service is commemorated on the following Sunday.

Sunday of the Sixth Week

Mode Plagal One — Sixth Eothinon

The commemoration our venerable Mother Makrina, sister of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nyssa, and our venerable Father Dios the Wonder-worker, and our venerable and God-bearing father, Seraphim, Wonder-worker of Sarov.

Jump to Prologue

Scripture Readings

Special Commemorations

13-19. The Sunday of the Holy Fathers.

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to Saint Titus [§ mid 302 A]: Child Titus:

3 ⁸Faithful is the word. And concerning these things I desire thee to be affirming, in order that they who have believed God may give heed to set before themselves good works. These things are good and profitable to men. ⁹But be shunning foolish inquiries, and genealogies, and strifes, and contentions relating to points of the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. ¹⁰A heretical man, after a first and second admonition, be rejecting, ¹¹knowing that such a one hath been perverted, and sinneth, being self-condemned.

¹²Whenever I should send Artemas to thee, or Tychikos, hasten to come to me in Nicopolis, for I have decided to winter there. ¹³Send forth with haste Zenas the lawyer and Apollos, in order that nothing may be lacking to them. ¹⁴And let ours also be learning to set before themselves good works for necessary uses, that they may not be unfruitful.

¹⁵All those with me salute thee. Greet those who love us in faith.

Grace be with you all. Amen.

for Sl. usage, see [Heb. 13:7-16].

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 11]. The Lord said to His disciples:

5 ¹⁴“Ye are the light of the world. A city situated on the top of a mountain cannot be hid. ¹⁵“Nor do they light a lamp and put it under the bushel, but upon the lampstand, and it giveth light to all those in the house. ¹⁶“Thus, let your light shine before men, that they might see your good works, and might glorify your Father Who is in the heavens.

¹⁷“Do not begin to think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets; I came not to abolish, but to fulfill. ¹⁸“For verily I say to you, until the heaven and the earth shall have passed away, one iota or one tittle in no wise shall pass away from the law, until all shall have taken place. ¹⁹“Whosoever then shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of the heavens; but whosoever shall do and teach them, this one shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens.”

for Sl. usage, see [Jn. 17:1-13].

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Sunday of the Sixth Week

Mode Plagal One — Sixth Eothinon

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans [§ 110]. Brethren:

12 ⁶Having free gifts differing according to the grace which was given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; ⁷or ministry, let us give ourselves in the ministering; or the one who teacheth, in the teaching; ⁸or the one who exhorteth, in the exhorting; the one who imparteth his substance, with open-handedness; the one who standeth to defend, with diligence; the one who showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. ⁹Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor the evil, and cleave to the good. ¹⁰Be kindly affectionate with brotherly love toward one another, in honor giving precedence to one another; ¹¹in zeal, hesitate not; fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ¹²rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, persevering in prayer, ¹³contributing to the needs of the saints, pursuing hospitality. ¹⁴Keep on blessing those who persecute you; keep on blessing, and not cursing.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 29]. At that time:

9 ¹Jesus embarked into the ship, and went across, and came into His own city. ²And behold, they were bringing to Him a paralytic who was laid on a couch. And Jesus, having seen their faith, said to the paralytic, “Be of good courage, child; thy sins have been forgiven thee.” ³And behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, “This One blasphemeth.” ⁴And Jesus, having perceived their thoughts, said, “Why are ye thinking evil in your hearts? ⁵“For which is easier, to say, ‘Thy sins have been forgiven thee,’ or to say, ‘Arise and be walking’? ⁶“But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath authority on the earth to forgive sins”—then saith He to the paralytic, “Arise and take up thy couch, and go to thy house.” ⁷And he arose and went away to his house. ⁸And after the crowds saw it, they marvelled and glorified God, Who gave such authority to men.

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

Epistle

For St. Seraphim:

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Galatians [§ 213]. Brethren:

5 ²²The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, ²³meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴But they who are of the Christ crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts. ²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also be walking by the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

6 ¹Brethren, even if a man should be overtaken in some transgression, ye, the spiritual ones, be restoring such a one in the spirit of meekness, looking out for thyself, lest thou also be tempted. ²Keep on bearing one another’s burdens, and thus fill up the law of the Christ.

Gospel

For the Wonder-worker:

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 24]. At that time:

6 ¹⁷Jesus stood upon a level place. And there was a crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all of Judæa and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases— ¹⁸even those who were troubled by unclean spirits; and they were cured. ¹⁹And all the crowd was seeking to touch Him, for power was coming forth from Him and healing all. ²⁰And He lifted up His eyes to His disciples, and began to say:
   “Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
   ²¹“Blessed are ye who hunger now, for ye shall be filled.
Blessed are ye who weep now, for ye shall laugh.
   ²²“Blessed are ye whenever men hate you, and whenever they separate you, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man.
   ²³“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in the heavens.”

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

Special Commemorations

13-19. The Sunday of the Holy Fathers.

Commemoration of the First Six Ecumenical Councils.

The ecumenical councils (synods) are the greatest duels between Orthodoxy and the heretics. Today, the Church commemorates the first six councils together:

The First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325, at which 318 fathers were present. It is commemorated on May 29th and on the 7th Sunday after Pascha. This council refuted the Arian heresy against God the Son.

The Second Council in Constantinople in 381, was attended by 150 fathers. It is commemorated on May 22nd. This council refuted the heresy of Macedonius against God the Holy Spirit.

The Third Council was in Ephesus in 431, with 200 fathers. It is commemorated on September 9th. This council refuted the Nestorian heresy against the Mother of God.

The Fourth Council was in Chalcedon in 451, with 630 fathers present. It is commemorated on July 16th. This council refuted the Monophysite heresy.

The Fifth Council was in Constantinople in 553, with 160 fathers, and is commemorated on July 25th. This council refuted the heresy of Origen.

The Sixth Council was in Constantinople in 691, with 170 fathers. It is commemorated on January 23rd. This council refuted the Monothelite heresy.

The Seventh Ecumenical Council, held in 787 with 367 fathers present, is not commemorated on this occasion, but on its own on October 11th. This council refuted the iconoclast heresy.

At these councils, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, all heresies were condemned and the Orthodox Faith defined and confirmed for all time.

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

August 1st – Civil Calendar
July 19th – Church Calendar

1. Our Holy Mother Makrina.

The eldest sister of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nyssa, she was as a girl betrothed to a young nobleman, and when her betrothed died, Makrina vowed never to enter into marriage, saying: ‘It is not right for a girl, having once been betrothed, to turn to another; according to natural law there must be one marriage, as there are one birth and one death.’ She justified this by her belief in the resurrection of the dead, regarding her betrothed not as dead, but as alive in God. ‘It is a sin and a shame,’ she said, ‘if the spouse does not keep faith when the partner goes to distant climes.’ Then, with her mother Emilia, she became a nun in a monastery of virgins, where she lived in asceticism with the other nuns. They lived by the work of their hands, devoting the greater part of their time to pondering on God, to prayer and to a ceaseless lifting-up of their minds to Him. After a time, her mother died, and then her brother Basil. In the ninth month after Basil’s death, Gregory came to visit his sister and found her on her deathbed. At the time of her death, Makrina made this prayer to God: ‘Thou, O Lord, givest rest to our bodies in the sleep of death for a little time, then Thou wilt waken them again with the last trumpet. Forgive me, and grant that, when my soul is parted from my body, it may be presented before Thee stainless and without sin, and that it may be as incense before Thee.’ She then made the sign of the Cross on her brow, eyes, face and heart, and breathed her last. She entered into rest in the Lord in 379.

2. Our Holy Father Dios.

Born in Syrian Antioch of Christian parents, he was trained in his youth by godly men for the ascetic path of monasticism. He endured a lengthy and hard struggle with the devil and with fleshly lusts, and God rewarded him with great wonder-working gifts. In his prayers, he most frequently turned to the Holy Trinity. He worked great miracles by the power of his prayers, making a dry stick bud forth, a dry well fill with water and an unbelieving man die and return to life. After a twofold heavenly vision, he left Antioch and moved to Constantinople, resuming his ascetic life near the city. His fame quickly spread, to such an extent that the Emperor Theodosios the Younger paid him a visit to ask his advice, and Patriarch Attikos was impressed by him and ordained him priest. Having lived many years, he prepared for death, received Communion, gave his last teaching to the brethren, lay down on his bed, and to the eyes of all, was dead. The news of his death brought many people: Patriarch Attikos came, with Patriarch Alexander of Antioch. But, when they went to bury him, he suddenly got up as if waking from sleep, and said: ‘God has given me fifteen more years of this life.’ St. Dios lived exactly fifteen years longer, and set many on the way of salvation, healed many, gave aid to many in diverse needs and weaknesses, and then finally gave his soul to the Lord Whom he had served faithfully all his life. He entered into rest in 430, in great old age.

3. St. Milica (Militsa), Princess of Serbia.

Wife of the holy Prince Lazar, she ruled the people after her husband’s death at Kosovo until her son Stefan came of age. She then retired to her foundation of Lubostinja, and as the nun Evgenia (later Ephrosynia, on taking the Great Habit), lived in great wisdom and devotion. She died on November 11th, 1405.

4. Commemoration of Stefan the Tall, son of Prince Lazar and Princess Milica.

A protector of Christianity in the Balkans in the most difficult days, he was the founder of the beautiful monasteries of Manasija and Kalenić. After many labors and trials, he died on July 19th, 1427.

FOR CONSIDERATION

A woman’s greatest beauty is modesty, as immodesty in a woman is the most unnatural and repulsive vice in the world. A wonderful example of womanly modesty is given by St. Makrina. In her youth, she received a serious wound in the breast. Although her mother urged her to show this wound to a doctor and seek medicine, Makrina would not do so. She was utterly consecrated to God, and could not even entertain the thought of baring her body before others, even before her own mother. One night, Makrina was praying quietly to God. Tears spilled from her eyes onto the dust in front of her. With firm trust in God, she mixed the dust and tears together and anointed the wound with them, and the next day she was completely healed. When her mother, with great concern, went in to see her daughter, Makrina did not want to tell her that the Lord had healed her (from humility, hiding the wonder that she herself had worked through prayer), but begged her mother, saying: ‘I shall be healed, Mother dear, if you lay your hand on my bosom and make the sign of the Cross over the place where it hurts.’ Her mother stretched out her hand and made the sign of the Cross over the place, but did not find the wound—only the scar of the healed wound. Thus St. Makrina hid her body through modesty and her miracles through humility.

Daily Prologue Readings taken from The Prologue of Ochrid, by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic, translated by Mother Maria, published by Lazarica Press, Birmingham, England, copyright © 1985, all rights reserved. Edited by Dormition Skete.