Sunday
August 31
September 13 new style
2026
Today, we honor
Deposition of the Precious Robe
of the Theotokos
St. Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne
During the reign of Emperor Leo the Great (458-471 A.D.), Empress Verina and Patriarch Gennadius, two noblemen from Constantinople, Galibus and Candidus, traveled throughout the Holy Land to venerate and to worship before the holy shrines. In Nazareth, they stopped for a while at the home of a Jewish maiden who kept the robe of the All-Holy Mother of God in a secret room. Many who were ill and in need received healing from their sufferings through prayer and by touching the vesture.
Galibus and Candidus took this sacred article and brought it to Constantinople and reported it to the emperor and patriarch. This brought about great joy in the imperial city. The vesture was solemnly translated and placed in the Church of Blachernae. This church was built by Emperor Marcian and Empress Pulcheria on the shore of an inlet and was called Blachernae after the name of a Scetis commander who was slain there. And in remembrance of the placing of this vesture of the All-Holy Birth giver of God in this Blachernae church, this feast day was instituted.
Hymn of Praise
To The
Most Holy Theotokos
To The
Most Holy Theotokos
Saint Nikolai Velimirovich
In eternal glory, she glistens and to the Lord Christ, for us prays.
Full of power are Her prayers.
Precious are the prayers of the Mother to the Son.
All who Her Son created She loves as a candle burns with prayers for all and reaches everywhere, for petitions to hear, everywhere to comfort, where sorrow vanishes.
To the sick, Her name is sweetness,
To the demons, Her name is a scourge.
Where His Cross and the His blessed Virgin Mother are invoked, there, courage and new strength, they give.
To the All-pure Virgin, we prostrate and through Her, the mercy of God we seek.
Our Lord told us to hate our lives in THIS world, NOT to hate life! It's easy to do when, if for no other reason than a moment of separation, no matter how brief, Babylon separates us from our Lord and Sacred Mother.
Saint Luke 24:1-12 KJV
24 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
8 And they remembered his words,
9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
10 It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
Hebrews 9:1-7 KJV
9 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.
3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
5 And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.
6 Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.
Saint Matthew 22:35-46 KJV
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.
43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
44 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
REASSURANCE
St Isaiah the Solitary
If God sees that the intellect has entirely submitted to Him and puts its hope in Him alone. He strengthens it, saying: 'Have no fear Jacob my son, my little Israel' (Isa. 41:14. LXX), and: 'Have no fear: for I have delivered you, I have called you by My name; you are Mine. If you pass through water, I shall be with you, and the rivers will not drown you. If you go through fire, you will not be burnt, and the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, who saves you' (Isa. 43:1-3. LXX).
When the intellect hears these words of reassurance, it says boldly to its enemies: 'Who would fight with me? Let him stand against me. And who would accuse me? Let him draw near to me. Behold, the Lord is my helper; who will harm me? Behold, all of you are like an old moth-eaten garment' (Isa. 50:8-9. LXX). 6. If your heart comes to feel a natural hatred for sin, it has defeated the causes of sin and freed itself from them. Keep hell's torments in mind: but know that your Helper is at hand. Do nothing that will grieve Him, but say to Him with tears: 'Be merciful and deliver me, Lord, for without Thy help I cannot escape from the hands of my enemies.' Be attentive to your heart, and He will guard you from all evil.
