Tuesday May 20/June 2 ns 2026 Holy Martyr Thalléleos; Sts. Nikétas, Joseph, and John of Chios; St. Lydia of Philippi, the Seller of Purple ~ No Fasting ~ Rom 1:1-7, 13-17; St. Matt. 4:23-5:13

Holy Martyr Thalléleos;

Sts. Nikétas, Joseph, and John of Chios;

St. Lydia of Philippi, the Seller of Purple

Tuesday

May 20 / June 2 ns 2026

~ No Fasting ~ 

until 
Monday May 26/June 8 ns

The Holy Trinity as the source of Eternal Life, Love and Joy with Him in Paradise and Who also made a temporary facsimile also called "life" with enough "time" to freely choose whether or not you want to be with Him, KNOW THIS.  Regardless of your choice, we are eternal, which means we will always be aware of each other and why our Lord's Resurrection says:  O death, where is thy sting, O grave, where is thy victory? Choosing however to keep your distance rather than be with Him, will result in regret.  

If you choose to ignore this note but at least wish a description of what that regret is, read here St. Luke 16:19-31 KJV

   

Thalléleos was born in Lebanon. His father was called Berucius and his mother was called Romila. Thalléleos was an eighteen-year old youth, handsome of countenance, physically tall and with reddish yellow hair. He was a physician by profession.

He suffered for Christ during the reign of Numerian. When he bravely confessed his faith in Christ the Lord before his tormenting judge, the judge ordered the two executioners, Alexander and Asterius, to bore through his knees with a drill, to thread a rope through the perforated bones and to hang him from a tree. But God through an invisible power, took away the sight of the executioners. In place of Thalléleos they bored through a board and hung it from a tree.

When the judge-torturer found out, he thought that the executioners did this intentionally and ordered them both to be flogged. Then Alexander and Asterius, in the midst of their flogging, cried out:

"The Lord is alive to us and, from now on, we are also becoming Christians. We believe in Christ and suffer for Him."

Upon hearing this, the judge-torturer ordered that both be beheaded. Then the judge took the drill to bore the knees of Thalléleos himself but his hands became paralyzed and he begged Thalléleos to save him, which the innocent martyr of Christ did, with the help of prayer.

Following that, Thalléleos was thrown into water but appeared alive before his tormentor (for Thalléleos prayed to God inwardly to prolong his sufferings that he not die immediately). When he was thrown before wild beasts, they licked his feet and were amiable toward him. Finally, Thalléleos was beheaded and took up his habitation in life eternal in the year 284 A.D.

Romans 1:1-7, 13-17 KJV

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:

7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.1

13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.

15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Saint Matthew 4:23-5:13 KJV

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

5 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

May 19 / June 1 ns 2026 † Monday of the Holy Spirit • Hieromartyr Patrick, Bishop of Proussa, et al.; St. Dunstan of Canterbury ~ No Fasting ~ Eph. 5:8-19; St. Matt. 18:10-20 ~ RADIANT JOY

 

MONDAY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Holy Hieromartyr Patrick,

Bishop of Proussa, et al.;

St. Dunstan of Canterbury 

Monday

May 19 / June 1 ns 2026

~ No Fasting ~ 

until 
Monday May 26/June 8 ns

During the reign of Julian the Apostate in Asian Brussa, Junius, the imperial deputy, brought these saints to a hot spring and asked Patrick: "Who created these curative waters if not our gods Aesculapius and others whom we worship?"

St. Patrick replied: "Your gods are demons and these waters, as everything else, were created by Christ the Lord, our God."

Then the deputy asked: "And will your Christ save you if I toss you into this boiling water?"

The saint replied: "If He wants. He is able to preserve me whole and unharmed, even though I desire that in these waters I become separated from this temporary life to live with Christ eternally; but let His Holy will be done on me, without which not even a hair does not fall from the head of men!"

Hearing this, the deputy ordered that Patrick be tossed into the boiling water. Drops of boiling water splashed on all sides and bitterly scalded many of those present but the saint of God, on whose lips were continually in prayer, remained unharmed as though he were standing in cold water. Seeing this, the deputy became enraged out of embarrassment and ordered Patrick and his remaining three presbyters be beheaded with an ax. Then the innocent followers of Christ recited their prayers and placed their heads under the ax of the executioner. When they were beheaded, their joyful souls ascended into the illuminating kingdom of Christ to reign forever.

Ephesians 5:8-19 KJV

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;



Saint Matthew 18:10-20 KJV

10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

GOD (LOVE) IS OMNIPRESENT or CEASELESS LOVE

Although this is obviously a transient world, who doesn't experience and love its innumerable beauties?

Moreover, all should know its beauty pales before the beauty of its Maker Who is ever before us, because as God He is everywhere and in all things. Subsequently if we love Him entirely and exclusively, which He demands, and cease bowing down to and serving the transient, we will find only Him in everything we experience; internally, externally, spiritually, through the senses of the body and senses of the soul, the heart and the mind.

Since His kingdom is incomparable, His glory incomprehensible, His mercy immeasurable, and His love inexpressible then in experiencing Him in everything, we find ourselves in a perpetual state of love - Theosis.

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES....

I asked one of our children the following: "Do you pay attention during services?" Since the answer was yes, I requested that the scripture concerning our Lord assisting the Holy Apostles who couldn't catch any fish be recounted.

As a result I was rewarded and greatly blessed. The entire account was given and with far, far more precision than I would have imagined!!

Glory to God!

SUNDAY MAY 18 / 31 NS 2026 † 8th SAINT JOHN, PENTECOST• Holy Martyr Peter and those with him ~ Gospel at Matins: St. John 20:19-23 Acts 2:1-11 (8th Sunday of Acts); St. John 7:37-52, 8:12

Holy Martyr Peter and those with him

May 18 / 31 ns 2026

On this day, the 8th Sunday of Pascha,

we celebrate Holy Pentecost

Posted today so you may familiarize with the love and gifts of this glorious Great Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in spiritual preparation and be edified to receive tomorrow the Precious Body and Blood of He Who glorifies us by His Voluntary Suffering, His Sacrificial Crucifixion, His Inexplicable Resurrection and Ascension . . .
He Who is Love !

 

In a mighty wind doth Christ distribute the Divine Spirit In the form of fiery tongues unto the Apostles. In one great day, the Spirit was poured forth upon the Fishermen.

We celebrate this Feast of Holy Pentecost today in commemoration of the coming of the All-Holy Spirit into the world, which took place fifty days after the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. We have received this Feast from the Hebrew Bible; for, just as the Hebrews celebrate their own Pentecost, honoring the number seven, and because they received the Law fifty days after the Passover, so also do we, celebrating fifty days after Pascha, receive, instead of the Law, the All-Holy Spirit, Who gives us laws, guides us into all truth, and decrees what is pleasing to God. It should be known that among the Hebrews there were three great Feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.

They observed Passover in commemoration of their deliverance from Egypt and their passage across the Red Sea; for “Pascha,” in the Hebrew language, means “passage.” This Feast signifies our own passage and return from the darkness of sin to Paradise.

They celebrated Pentecost in commemoration of the hardships they endured in the desert, where they received the Law, and of the way in which they were brought through many afflictions into the Promised Land, for then it was that they enjoyed fruit, wheat, and wine. It also signifies the hardship that we suffer from unbelief and our entry into the Church; for then it is that we partake of the Body and Blood of the Master.

The third Feast is that of Tabernacles, celebrated after the harvesting of fruits, that is, five months after the Feast of Passover. This Feast was celebrated in memory of the day on which Moses first pitched the Tabernacle that he saw on Mount Sinai in the cloud and which was constructed by the architect Beseleel. Fashioning tabernacles themselves, the Hebrews would celebrate the same Feast: living in the fields and giving thanks to God, they would reap the fruits of their labors. This Feast is a type of our resurrection from the dead, when, after our bodily tabernacles have been dissolved and reconstituted, we will enjoy the fruits of our labors, keeping festival in the eternal tabernacles.

It should be known that on this same day of Pentecost that we are celebrating, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Disciples. Since the Holy Fathers decided to divide up the Feast on account of the majesty of the All-Holy and Life-Creating Spirit, because He is One of the Holy and Life-Originating Trinity, we will speak tomorrow about the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

By the intercessions of Thy Holy Apostles, O Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Orthros Saint John 20:19-23 KJV

19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit:

23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Acts 2:1-11 KJV

2 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

Saint John 7:37-52, 8:12 KJV

37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)  This refers to His sacrificial death, resurrection, and ascension to honor. Ed. 

40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

43 So there was a division among the people because of him.

44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?

46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.

47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?

48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)

51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.