Sunday oct. 12/25 ns/2026 Holy Fathers of the 7th Œcumenial Synod • Martyrs Cárpos, Próbus, Tárachos, and Andrónicos; St. Symeon the New Theologian 10th Matins Gospel: St. John 21:1-14; St. Tit. 3:8-15; Sunday: St. Luke 8:4-15

Rejoice, Endower of Divine goodness

SUNDAY

October 12/25 ns 2026

Holy Fathers of the 7th Œcumenical Synod

• Martyrs Carpos, Próbus,

Tárachos, and Andrónicos;

• St. Symeon the new Theologian

Cárpos was Bishop of Thyateira and Pápylos was a deacon. They were born in Pergamum where theáy finally suffered for the Christian Faith at the hands of the evil proconsul Valerius, during the reign of Decius.

Valerius tied them to horses and dragged them to Sardis, where he subjected them to harsh tortures. Then an angel of God appeared to them, healed them of their wounds and encouraged them. Cárpos's servant, Agathódoros, followed his master with great sorrow. Valerius then condemned him to torture as well. The saints were again tied to horses, and were dragged from Sardis to Pergamum. They tied holy Cárpos to a tree and flogged him so that his body was covered with wounds, and his blood flowed like a stream, soaking the ground; but Cárpos smiled in the midst of these horrible tortures. When they asked him why he was smiling, the holy martyr replied that he saw the heavens opened and the Lord seated on His throne, surrounded by Cherubim and Seraphim.

As Pápylos was being tortured, by prayer he healed a man blind in one eye, and many who witnessed this came to believe in Christ the Lord. Thrown to wild beasts, the martyrs remained unharmed. Then they were thrown into a fiery furnace. Agathoníke, Cárpos sister, also leaped into the fire, but the fire did not consume them.

Finally, they were all beheaded with the sword, in the year 251. Thus, after their righteous endeavors, they received a wreath of glory in the Kingdom of Christ.

Saint John 21:1-14 KJV

21 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.

2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.

3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.

9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.

10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.

13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.

14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.

St.Titus 3:8-15 KJV

8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

12 When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter.

13 Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.

14 And let our's also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.

15 All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

Saint Luke 8:4-15 KJV

4 And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:

5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?

10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

With What Kind of Body Will The Dead Rise?
by St. Nikolai Velimirovich

"But someone may say, `How are the dead raised?' 'With what kind of 

body will they come back?'" (1 Corinthians 15:35).

The Apostle Paul knows in advance the objections which the unbelievers will make concerning the resurrection from the dead and, in advance, he rejects them. Even today, the non-believers who have not seen with the physical eyes the miracle of the resurrection in nature, much less the spiritual resurrection, ask: "How will the dead be raised?" "You fool!" continues the apostle, "What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies" (1 Corinthians 15:36). Until the seed dies in the ground, the plant will not grow, in other words, something totally different than the seed will sprout up.

The non-believers see through their eyes and do not see, but further ask: "How will a dead man resurrect?" How? In the same way that Christ resurrected. He lowered Himself lifeless in the tomb and rose alive. Even nature manifests the resurrection from the dead; but stronger than nature, it is manifested by the resurrected Lord. In order to make it easier for us to believe and to hope - to believe in the resurrection in general and to have hope in our own resurrection, He Himself resurrected from the grave and prior to that resurrecting Lazarus who lay in the grave for four days, the son of the widow of Nain and the daughter of Jarius.

The non-believers ask: "With what kind of body will the dead rise?" In that kind of body which God wills. With God there are many kinds of bodies. The Apostle Paul divides all bodies into two groups: into earthly bodies and into heavenly bodies. Therefore, they who have died in earthly bodies will be clothed with heavenly bodies: the incorruptible will replace the corruptible, the immortal will replace the mortal, the beautiful will replace the ugly. In this heavenly body man will also recognize himself and others around him as man recognizes himself or even when he is clothed in beggar's rags or even when he is clothed in royal purple.

Lord, All-plentious, do not hand us over to eternal corruption but, as royal sons, clothe us in the garment of immortality. AmeN

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Saturday Oct. 11/24 ns /2026 • St. Philip the Deacon; St. Theophánes the Branded; St. Philótheos (Kókkinos), Patriarch of Constantinople • St. Philip: Acts 8:26-39; Day: St. Luke 5:27-32

Yea, singing of thy childbirth, we all hymn thee,
O Theotokos, as a living temple;
for in thy womb dwelt the Lord

Saturday

October 11/24 ns / 2026

• St. Philip the Deacon;

• St. Theophánes the Branded;

• St. Philótheos (Kókkinos),

Patriarch of Constantinople

Philip was born in Palestinian Caesarea. He was married and had four daughters. All four were endowed by God with the gift of prophecy, and all four were vowed virgins for the sake of Christ.

When the holy apostles chose deacons, Philip was chosen with Stephen and the others. He served the needy and widows with great diligence. When the persecution of Christians began in Jerusalem, the Apostle Philip found refuge in Samaria, and there preached the Gospel and gave witness by many miracles: driving out demons, healing the sick, and so forth.

Seeing the miracles of the holy apostle, Simon the Magician was baptized. St. Philip also baptized the eunuch of Queen Candace. After that, an angel of God suddenly and invisibly translated him to Azotus, where he taught, preached and converted many to Christ. Philip was appointed Bishop of Tralles. He reposed peacefully in deep old age, and took up his habitation in the joy of his Lord.

Acts 8:26-39 KJV

26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

Saint Luke 5:27-32 KJV

27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.

28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.

29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.

30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

ON THE VIRTUES AND THE VICES

St John of Damascus

Hence it is clear that someone who occasionally shows compassion is not compassionate, and someone who occasionally practices self-control is not self-controlled. A compassionate and self-controlled man is someone who fully, persistently, and with unfailing discrimination strives all his life for total virtue; for discrimination is greater than any other virtue; and is the queen and crown of all the virtues. The same is true of the vices: we call a man a fornicator, a drunkard or a liar not on account of a single lapse, but only when he keeps on falling into the sin in question and makes no attempt to correct himself.

There is something else which you must know if you really want to attain virtue and avoid sin.

Just as the soul is incomparably better than the body and in many major respects altogether more excellent and precious, so the virtues of the soul are infinitely superior to the virtues of the body. This is especially true of those virtues which imitate God and bear His name. Conversely, the vices of the soul are much worse than the passions of the body, both in the actions they produce and in the punishments they incur. I do not know why, but most people overlook this fact. They treat drunkenness, unchastity, adultery, theft and all such vices with great concern, avoiding them or punishing them as something whose very appearance is loathsome to most men. But the passions of the soul are much worse and much more serious then bodily passions. For they degrade men to the level of demons and lead them, insensible as they are, to the eternal punishment reserved for all who obstinately cling to such vices.

These passions of the soul are envy, rancor, malice, insensitivity, avarice - which according to the apostle is the root of all evil (1 St. Tim. 6:10) - and all vices of a similar nature.

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THE CONSEQUENCE
  It displeases Him when we love mammon in heart

and Him only on our lips because
in doing so we become strangers to Him.

St Matthew 7:21-23

Friday Oct. 10/23ns/2026 • Holy Martyrs Evlámpios and Evlampía, Sýnaxis of the Fourteen Holy Elders of Óptina / Fast day / Col. 2:1-7; St. Luke 7:31-35

Rejoice, thou who yokest together Virginity and Childbirth

Friday

October 10/23 ns / 2026

~  Fast day ~

• Holy Martyrs Evlámpios and Evlampía,

• Sýnaxis of the Fourteen Holy Elders
of Óptina

Holy Martyrs Evlámpios and Evlampía were brother and sister from Nicomedia.

During one of the terrible persecutions of Christians by Maximian some of the faithful fled Nicomedia and hid. The young Evlámpios was sent into the city to buy bread. There he saw the imperial edict decreeing the persecution of Christians posted on a wall. He laughed at it, removed it, and tore it up. He was arrested and immediately brought before the judge. When the judge advised him to deny Christ, Evlámpios counseled the judge to reject the false idols and to acknowledge Christ as the One Living God. The judge ordered that he be flogged for a long time until his blood flowed, and that he be tormented with other cruel tortures.

Hearing of her brother's suffering, the virgin Evlampía came running, and she, together with her brother, suffered for Christ. She was flogged until blood flowed from her nose and mouth. After that, they were thrown into boiling pitch, and then into a red-hot furnace, but by the power of the sign of the Cross and the name of Christ, they rendered the fire harmless. Finally Evlámpios was beheaded, but Evlampía died before being beheaded. Two hundred other Christians were also slain, who had come to believe in Christ upon witnessing the power and miracles of St. Evlámpios and his sister. All were crowned with martyrs' wreaths, and passed over into their eternal heavenly homeland.

Sýnaxis of the Fourteen Holy Elders of Óptina

Colossians 2:1-7 KJV

2 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Saint Luke 7:31-35 KJV

31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?

32 They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.

33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.

34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

35 But wisdom is justified of all her children.

Occasionally comments are received from readers and are very much appreciated:

2 were received this morning Friday 10/23ns/2026

THANK YOU!

#1 "Today’s vignette is a wonderful illustration of God’s beauty and love. If we are willing to break our heart open to the instruction of our Lord nothing but beauty lies with in . If I stay in constant prayer that beauty is shown to me continually."

#2 "Ask and you will receive, I ask for forgiveness and Joy."

TEMPTATIONS

Saint Macarius of Optina

At the beginning of the call to the spiritual life, the Lord visits a person with His grace and various consolations, but afterwards He withdraws them and casts him into the fire of diverse temptations and sorrows, so that our self-loving and glory-loving disposition would be completely reduced to ashes by the fire of temptation, and would not trust in itself and its works but in the mercy and love of God. Humility is a great blessing!

Everyone needs the fire of temptations in order to be tried and instructed in patience. One must look at things with the point of view that Divine Providence is caring for our salvation: one person requires more, another requires less trials for patience and instruction, and for another, the time has not yet come.

Do not despair when you experience severe trials: these are necessary for instruction in the spiritual life. Strive to find blame in yourself, but do not blame any of your neighbors.

Let us humble ourselves and implore the help of God. He can help one who is tempted, for He Himself was tempted.

This vignette is from 2024

How are we doing now in 2026?

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to intercede in behalf of a perfidious world.

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Ukraine/Russia:
This conflict involves significant military operations and has resulted in a high number of casualties and widespread impact. It's one of the largest conflicts in terms of international involvement and geopolitical implications.
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Israel vs Hamas):
This conflict has escalated with severe impacts on civilians and involvement from regional players. The United States backs Israel, while Iran supports Hamas. This conflict has broader implications for the Middle East region.
War in Yemen (US & UK's Involvement Against Houthi Rebels):
This conflict, though primarily a civil war within Yemen, has significant international involvement, especially from the Saudi-led coalition supported by the US and UK, and has caused a substantial humanitarian crisis.
Sudan Internal Conflict:
This war has resulted in thousands of deaths and millions displaced, significantly impacting the region's stability.
Myanmar's Internal Conflict:
Following the military coup, this conflict has intensified with various ethnic and political groups involved, causing significant regional instability and humanitarian concerns.
Ethiopia's Internal Conflicts:
With rebellions in different regions and rising tensions with Eritrea, this conflict has serious implications for the Horn of Africa region.
Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh:
This conflict has seen military escalations and significant displacement of people, affecting the stability of the South Caucasus region.
U.S.-China Tensions:
While not an active war, the rising tensions, especially over Taiwan and in the South China Sea, are significant due to the military and economic might of both nations.
Sahel Region Conflict (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso):
Involves coups and insurgencies with jihadist groups, significantly impacting the West African region.
Haiti's Gang Violence:
Although not a conventional war, the severity of gang violence and the potential for international intervention make this situation critical.
Ecuador's Struggle Against Drug Trafficking:
This is more an internal security challenge than a conventional war, but it has significant implications for the region.
Mexico's Challenges with Drug Cartels:
Similar to Ecuador, this is an internal security issue with significant impacts on public safety and governance.
Political Polarization in the United States:
While this is not a conventional military conflict, the risk of political violence and domestic terrorism, especially surrounding the presidential election, is a significant concern.