Friday June 14/26 ns 2026 Holy Martyr Aquilina ~ Fast day ~ Rom. 11:25-36; St. Matt. 12:1-8 ~ QUOTE: On the Benefit of Consultation

Rejoice,

thou who makest manifest the life of the Angels

H O L Y

A P O S T L E S'

F A S T

The Holy Virgin Martyr Aquilina

Aquilina was 12 years old when she suffered for the Lord and crowned with the martyr's wreath in the year 293 A.D.

Aquilina was born in the Phoenician (Lebanon) town of Jbeil (Byblos Gr.) of honorable Christian parents. At age seven, little Aquilina was already completely versed in the true Christian life and at age ten she was so filled with divine understanding and the grace of the Holy Spirit that she, with great power and zealousness, preached Christ to her female companions.

When Diocletian's persecution began, someone accused Aquilina before Volusian, the imperial deputy, who was more like a beast than a man. To begin with, Volusian ordered that Aquilina be flogged and after that, a red hot rod be pierced through her ears and brain. Until the last moment, the virgin Aquilina freely and openly confessed Christ the Lord and when her brain and blood began to flow from her head, she fell as though dead. The deputy, thinking Aquilina was indeed dead, ordered her body to be carried outside the city and thrown upon a dung heap for the dogs to consume. But, an angel of God appeared to her at night and said to her: "Arise, and be whole!" And the virgin arose and was whole and for a long time she offered up praise of thanksgiving to God imploring Him not to deprive her to fulfill her martyr's mortification. A voice from heaven was heard: "Go, it will be to you as you pray" and Aquilina set out for the town. The gates of the town opened on their own accord before her and she entered like a spirit into the palace of the deputy and appeared before his bed. The deputy was seized with unspeakable fear, seeing the virgin alive whom he thought was dead.

The following day, according to command, the executioners led Aquilina out to behead her. Before her beheading, the virgin Aquilina prayed to God on her knees and gave up her soul. The executioner beheaded her lifeless head. Her relics gave healing to many of the sick.

Romans 11:25-36 KJV

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.

29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Saint Matthew 12:1-8 KJV

12 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.

2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungered, and they that were with him;

4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

Discourses

On the Benefit of Consultation 

by Saint Dorotheos of Gaza

It is written in the book of Proverbs that, "Those who have no guidance fall like leaves, but there is security in much counsel."

Look closely at this saying, brothers. See what scripture is teaching us. It asserts that we should not set ourselves up as guide posts, and that we should not suppose that we are wise, and that we should not trust in our own ability to direct ourselves. We need help and guidance, in addition to the grace of God.

No one is more miserable, no one is more easily caught unprepared, than a man who has no one to direct him on the road to God. It states, "Those who have no guidance fall like leaves." Leaves are perpetually green at the start, they grow well and are pleasing to behold. Then after a time they dry up and fall off, and finally they are blown about by the wind and trampled under foot. So it is with the man who is not directed by someone. At first he has great zeal about fasting, maintaining vigils, being silent, and obedient and keeping other good habits. Then after a time the fire is quenched and not having anyone to direct him and strengthen him and kindle his fire, he shrivels up and so, by being disobedient, he fails and finally ends up as a mere tool for his enemies, who do whatever they want with him.

About those who make a report about what bothers their inner life, and who do everything with counsel, it states, "There is security in much counsel." When it says, "much counsel" it does not mean taking counsel from everyone but clearly from someone with whom he has complete confidence.

And he should not be quiet about certain things and speak about others, but he should speak about everything and receive counsel concerning everything. To a man doing this regularly, there is indeed security in much counsel. However if a man does not reveal everything about himself, especially if he has turned back from evil habits and a bad upbringing, and if the devil discovers in him one small bit of self-will or self-righteousness, he will throw him down by that. Because when the devil sees a man who earnestly does not want to sin, he is not so stupid as to suggest to him, like he would with a hardened sinner, that he should go and fornicate or steal. He understands that we do not want to do these things and he does not set out to suggest to us something we do not want to hear. Rather he probes that small bit of self-will or self-righteousness and by that, with the appearance of doing well, he will harm us. So again it is said, "An evil man does evil when he mixes it with righteousness." The "evil man" is the devil and he does evil when he mixes it with righteousness, i.e. our self-righteousness, because then he is mighty, and then he can do more harm; then he can act more freely.

Because when we are lords of our own business and we stand in our own righteousness, as if we are doing great things, we are providing for ourselves counsel, and we do not know how it is we are brought to ruin. Because how can we fully know the will of God or find it if we trust only in ourselves and take hold of our own will?

Thursday June 12/25 ns 2026 St. Onoúphrios of Egypt, St. Peter the Athonite ~ Fish, wine and olive oil are permitted. Rom. 11:13-24; St. Matt. 11:27-30 ~ How Close

Rejoice

good Nursing-Mother of virgins

Thursday June 12/25 ns 2026

Holy Apostles Fast

Fish, W & O

St. Onoúphrios of Egypt,
St. Peter the Athonite

Saint Onoúphrios had been living a whole sixty years in the desert when the monk Paphnoutios visited him. His hair and beard reached down to the ground, and long hair, as white as snow, had grown all over his body during his years of nakedness. His appearance was cadaverous, unearthly and awe-inspiring. Seeing Paphnoutios, he called him by name and then recounted to him his life in the desert. His guardian angel had appeared to him and taken him to that place. He had for a long time only eaten earth, which it was hard to find in the desert, and, after that, when he had survived an intensive struggle with diabolical temptations and when his heart had become utterly established in love for God, an angel had brought him bread to eat. And besides that, through God's gracious providence, a palm tree grew up at one side of his cell, that gave good dates, and a spring of water began to flow there. 'But especially,' said Onoúphrios, 'my food and drink are the sweet words of God.' To Paphnoutios question about his receiving of Communion, the hermit answered that the angel of God brought him Communion every Saturday. On the next day, the old man told Paphnoutios that it was the day of his departure from this world; then he knelt down, prayed to God and gave his spirit into God's hands. Then Paphnoutios saw a heavenly light that illumined the body of the departed saint, and heard a choir of the angelic hosts. He buried Onoúphrios body with honor and returned to his own monastery, there as a living witness to narrate to the brethren, for their edification, the wonderful life of the man of God and the greatness of God's providence towards those who give themselves wholly to His service. Onoúphrios died in the year 400.

Saint Peter of the Holy Mountain Athos was a Greek by birth, and a soldier by profession. Being once engaged in battle against the Arabs, he was captured, chained and thrown into prison. Peter spent a long time in imprisonment in the town of Samara on the Euphrates, and prayed God with all his being to free him and take him to some desert place where he could devote himself to prayerful asceticism. St Simeon the God-Receiver appeared to him in the prison, together with St Nicolas, and touched the iron of his chains which melted like wax. Peter suddenly found himself in the open outside the city. He immediately set out on the road for Rome, where he was tonsured as a monk by the Pope Gregory III (Pope from 731-741 under the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna) at the tomb of St Peter. He then set out by ship to return to the East. The most holy Mother of God appeared to him in a dream, talking with St Nicolas, and she told St Nicolas that she had set Mount Athos apart for Peter to live on in asceticism. Peter had at that time not heard of Mount Athos. Disembarking, then, at the Holy Mountain, Peter settled in a cave, where he spent fifty-three years in strict asceticism, in struggles with hunger and thirst, with heat and cold and especially with diabolical powers, until he had overcome them all by the help of God. When he had undergone the first temptations and succeeded in the first test before God, an angel of God began to bring him bread every forty days. The tempter appeared to him several times in the guise of an angel of light, but Peter drove him away with the sign of the Cross and the name of the most holy Mother of God. A year before his death, a deer-hunter passed that way and learned of the saint's life from his lips. He died in 734, and his relics were taken to Macedonia.

Romans 11:13-24 KJV

13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

16 For if the firs fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear:

21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

Saint Matthew 11:27-30 KJV

27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

How Close

St. Silouan the Athonite

Many think that the saints are far from us. But they are far from those who distance themselves from them, and very close to those keep the commandments of Christ and have the grace of the Holy Spirit. In the heavens, all things are moved by the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is on earth too. He lives in our Church. He lives in the Holy Mysteries. He is in the Holy Scriptures. He is in the souls of the faithful. The Holy Spirit unites all things, and therefore the saints are close to us. And when we pray to them, then the Holy Spirit hears our prayers, and our souls feel that they are praying for us.

Why

The material world is so vast and so complex that after enormous and ongoing study, examination, pursuit, inquiry, speculation, theory, analyzation, etc. by physicists, philosophers, astrophysicists, etc. for over a thousand years and although having obtained many answers, the ensuing major “why” and too many smaller “whys” remain.

If you wish to know the reason for this post, listen (only a portion is necessary) to what
Sir David Attenborough calls:

25 Mind-blowing Facts about the universe

https://youtu.be/lPWCGtOrQFY?is=irnIaSZmZy4pv4LR

Wednesday June 11/24 ns 2026 Holy Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas, Icon of the Theotokos Axion Estin ~ Fast day~ Apostles: Acts 11:19-30; St. Luke 10:16-21

"Axion Estin"

The Commemoration of the Holy Icon

"Axion Estin". 

[It is truly meet to call thee blest] - and the miracle that appeared before it during the reign of Patriarch Nicholas Chrysoverges (983-996 A.D.)

One night a monk was reading the Canon to the Holy Birth-Giver of God and was singing "More honorable than the Cherubim" in his cell in the monastery of the Pantocrator, (the Holy Mountain Athos) now called "Axion Estin" after the icon. His elder had gone to the Athos village of Karyes. Suddenly a man appeared in church and began to sing: "Truly it is Meet - Axion Estin" That hymn so far was unknown in the church. The monk upon hearing this hymn, became excited not only because of its contents but also because of the beautiful heavenly singing. "Among us, we sing it in this manner," said the elder to the monk. The monk wanted to have this hymn written down and brought a tablet on which the stranger wrote down this hymn with his finger as though upon wax. Suddenly he vanished. That stranger was the Archangel Gabriel.  This tablet was taken to Constantinople and the hymn remains even today in the Church.

Wednesday June 11/24 ns 2026

Apostles Fast

Holy Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas,

 Icon of the Theotokos Axion Estin
(commemoration above)

Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Great Apostles. In all probability, it appears that Bartholomew and Nathaniel are one and the same person. He was a companion of the Apostle Philip and Philip's sister, the virgin Mariamna and, for some time, a companion of St. John the Theologian. Bartholomew preached the Gospel first throughout Asia and, after that, in India and finally in Armenia where he died a martyr's death. In Hierapolis, these holy apostles by prayer, caused the death of a large serpent which the heathens kept in their temple and worshipped. In this same city and, by prayer, they restored sight to Stachus who was blind for forty years. It was here that a mob rose up against them and they crucified Philip and Bartholomew (Bartholomew was crucified upside down).

At this time, an earthquake occurred in which the evil judges and may people perished. Feeling that this was a punishment from God, many ran to remove the apostles from the crosses but Philip was already dead while Bartholomew was still alive. After this, Bartholomew went to India where he preached and translated the Gospel of St. Matthew into the Indian language. Following this, he entered Armenia where he cured the daughter of the king from insanity. But the envious brother of King Astyages seized God's apostle, crucified him on a cross, skinned him and finally beheaded him in Armenian Albanopolis [Derbend]. Christians honorably buried his body in a lead sarcophagus. Because many miracles occurred over his relics, the pagans took the sarcophagus and tossed it into the sea. But the water carried the sarcophagus to the Island of Lipari where Bishop Agathon, through a revelation in a dream, met and buried it in the church. St. Bartholomew, attired in a white garment, appeared in church to Venerable Joseph, the Hymnographer, blessed him with the Gospel that he may be able to sing spiritual hymns saying: "Let heavenly waters of wisdom flow from your tongue!" He also appeared to Emperor Anastasius (491-518 A.D.) and told him that he would protect the newly established town of Dara. Later, the relics of this great apostle were translated to Benevento and then to Rome. Great and awesome miracles have occurred over these relics.

Barnabas was one of the Seventy Apostles. He was born in Cyprus of wealthy parents from the tribe of Levi and studied together with Saul under Gamaliel. At first, he was called Joseph but the apostles then called him Barnabas, Son of Consolation, because he was exceptionally capable of comforting the souls of the people. After Saul's conversion, Barnabas was the first to introduce Saul to the apostles and after that, with Paul [Saul] and Mark he preached the Gospel in Antioch and throughout other places. In all probability, he was the first to preach in Rome and Milan. He suffered on the island of Cyprus at the hands of the Jews and was buried by Mark beyond the western gate of the town of Salamis.

His grave remained unknown for several hundred years and since many received healing from sickness on this spot, this place was called: "the place of health." At the time of Emperor Zeno and the Chalcedon Council [451 A.D.], the apostle appeared to Archbishop Anthemius of Cyprus on three successive nights in a dream and revealed to him the location of Barnabas' grave. That appearance of the apostle occurred exactly at the time when Peter, the power-hungry Patriarch of Antioch, sought that the church in Cyprus be under the jurisdiction of the throne of Antioch. After the appearance and discovery of the miraculous relics of the holy Apostle Barnabas, it was established that the church in Cyprus, as an Apostolic Church, should always be independent. Thus, the autocephaly of the Church in Cyprus was established.

Acts 11:19-30 KJV

19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.

20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.

21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.

23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

25 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:

26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

27 And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.

28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.

29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:

30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Saint Luke 10:16-21 KJV

16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

The Field: Cultivating Salvation

REFLECTION Thoughts on the Shores of the Sea

A most beautiful narrative of hope in our Lord's promise from 

Saint Ignaty Brianchaninov

To whom shall I liken a Christian who bears the sorrows of the earthly life with truly spiritual wisdom? He can be compared to a wanderer who stands on the shore of a stormy sea. Angry gray waves come crashing at his feet and, having struck the sand, dissipate at his feet into fine spray. The sea, fighting with the wind, screams, raises waves like mountains, seethes, and boils. The waves are born from and consume each other; their heads are crowned with snow-white foam, and the sea that is covered by them looks like a single immeasurable beastly mouth, ringed with teeth. The mysterious wanderer looks on this frightening sight with a calm soul. Only his eyes are intent on the sea, but where are his thoughts, where is his heart? His thought is intent on the gates of death; his heart—on the judgment of Christ. He sees what lies ahead with his mind and his senses: here are his worries; here is his fear. From this, the fear of earthly temptations flees. The winds calm down; the sea becomes peaceful. Where the angry waves once rose, now the surface of the sea is untroubled by waves. After the boiling fury, they rest in deathlike silence. In a transparent mirror, they reflect the evening sun when its stands above Kronstadt and spreads its rays along the Bay of Finland toward the waters of the Neva, toward Petersburg. 

What a beautiful view, so familiar to the residents of the Sergiev Hermitage! This sky, this shore, these buildings—how many proud, angry waves have they seen, crowned with foam? And all of them have passed; all have lain down in the silence of the grave and coffin. And those that will come in the future will lie down likewise! What is so unsteady, so fleeting, as a crown made of wet foam? Looking from the quiet monastic haven on the sea of the world, boiling with the storm of the passions, I thank You, O my King and my God! You brought me into the safety of the holy monastery! You hid me “in the secret place of Thy presence from the provoking of all men.” You covered me in a pavilion “from the strife of tongues.” Of this only is my soul sorrowful, only of this ignorance am I worried: will I ever leave this place? Will I ever leave this shore of the whirling, unsettled sea of the world to go to the “house of God, with a voice of rejoicing and thanksgiving, the noise of such as keep holy-day,” will I come to live there for the ages of ages? Why should I worry about earthly sorrows — "in God have I put my trust; I will not fear what man can do unto me." 

Sergiev Hermitage, 1843.