MONDAY January 6/19 NS 2026 † The Holy Theophany of our Savior ~ Gospel at Matins: St. Mark 1:9-11 Feast: St. Tit. 2:11-14, 3:4-7; St. Matt. 3:13-17

 The Holy Theophany

of Our Savior

Jesus Christ

2026

Troparion of Theophany

When Thou, O Lord wast baptized in the River Jordan / the worship of the Trinity was made manifest / for the voice of the Father bore witness to Thee / and called Thee His beloved Son. / And the Spirit, in the form of a dove, / confirmed the Truth of His word. / O Christ, our God, Thou hast revealed Thyself / and have enlightened the world, glory to Thee!

When our Lord reached thirty years from His physical birth, He began His teaching and salvific work. He Himself signified this "beginning of the beginning" by His baptism in the Jordan river. St. Cyril of Jerusalem says, " The beginning of the world - water; the beginning of the Good News - Jordan." At the time of the baptism of the Lord in water, that mystery was declared to the world: that mystery which was prophesied in the Old Testament; the mystery about which in ancient Egypt and India was only fabled; i.e., the mystery of the Divine Holy Trinity.

The Father was revealed to the sense of hearing; The Spirit was revealed to the sense of sight, and in addition to these,
The Son was revealed to the sense of touch. The Father uttered His witness about the Son, the Son was baptized in the water, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove hovered above the water.

When John the Baptist witnessed and said about Christ, "Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world" (St. John 1:29), and when John immersed and baptized the Lord in the Jordan, the mission of Christ in the world and the path of our salvation was shown.

That is to say: The Lord took upon Himself the sins of mankind and died under them [immersion] and became alive again [the coming out of the water]; and we must die as the old sinful man and become alive again as cleansed, renewed and regenerated.

He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. St. John 12:25

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and *mammon. Saint Matthew 6:24

*Mammon: “money, wealth, material possessions";
(everything other than Christ has a termination date)

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Saint Matthew 11:15

Orthros Saint Mark 1:9-11 KJV

9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Saint Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7 KJV

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit;

6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.


Saint Matthew 3:13-17 KJV

13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

About the Mystery of the Divine Trinity
Being One vs. Being Together

Saint Nikolai Velimirovich

"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit and the water and the blood: and these three are together"(I St. John 5: 7-8).

When we read Holy Scripture, we should be alert to keep an eye on every word. To the rapid reader, for example, this distinction which the Evangelist draws between the Heavenly Trinity and the earthly trinity will not become apparent.

[Understand the Evangelist - those who say there is only one God, not three - The Trinity is One]

Concerning the Heavenly Trinity, he says, "And these three are one;" and concerning the earthly trinity, he says, "And these three are together." There is an enormous difference between "being one" and "being together." The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are One, whereas the spirit, water and blood are only together and are not one. Even enemies could be together as one, but are not one. All the people on earth are together, but they are not one. Water and blood constitute the body and the spirit is the spirit. "For the flesh has desires against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh" (Galatians 5:17). However, they are not one, but they are still together. When man dies the union is broken apart and ceases to exist. Blood and water go to one side and the spirit goes to another side. Whereas the [Heavenly] Divine Trinity in the heavens not only are they together but they are also one.

There is also another trinity in the inner heaven of man which should be, not only a unity, but a oneness so that man could be blessed in this world and in the other world. That is the union of the mind, heart and will. As long as these three are only in togetherness, man will be at war with himself and with the Heavenly Trinity. However, when these three become one, so that neither one rules and that neither one is enslaved, then man becomes filled with "the peace of God that surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7), man's every word, every explanation, every fear and every sorrow. Then the small heaven in man begins to resemble that great heaven of God, and the "image and likeness of God" becomes apparent in man.

O Triune God, help us to resemble, at least, those who resemble Thee.

To Thee be glory and thanks always. Amen.

The Responsibility of Baptism

Saint Nektarios of Aegina

Saint Nektarios of Aegina powerfully describes this process: “Christians! Have we understood the great responsibility that we have taken on before God through baptism? Have we come to know that we must conduct ourselves as children of God, that we must align our will with the will of God, that we must remain free from sin, that we must love God with all our hearts and always patiently await union with Him? Have we thought about the fact that our heart should be so filled with love that it should overflow to our neighbor? Do we have the feeling that we must become holy and perfect, children of God and heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven? We must struggle for this, so that we may not be shown unworthy and rejected. Let none of us lose our boldness, nor neglect our duties, nor be afraid of the difficulties of spiritual struggle. For we have God as a helper, who strengthens us in the difficult path of virtue.” (The Path to Happiness)

Photo taken at the Jordan River

1962

SUN Jan 5/18 ns 2026 † Sunday before the Theophany • Holy Martyrs Theópemptos and Theonás, St. Synkletiké ~ Wine and olive oil are permitted ~ 10th Matins Gospel: St. John 21:1-14 II St. Tim. 4:5-8; St. Mark 1:1-8

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

St. John 15:15

 January 5/(18 new style) 2026

† The Sunday before the Theophany

 Holy Martyrs Theópemptos and Theonás, 

St. Synkletiké 

Fast Day

When Diocletian began his persecution of the Christians, Theópemptos, Bishop of Nicomedia, was among the first to suffer martyrdom for Christ. Theópemptos was brought before the emperor who threatened him with punishment of death if he did not deny Christ. To that threat, the courageous bishop responded to the emperor: "It stands written, `Do not be afraid of those who kill the body' (St. Luke 12:4), `but cannot kill the soul' (St. Matthew 10:28). O Emperor, you have authority over my body; do with it what pleases you." Theópemptos was severely beaten, suffered from hunger and tortured in various ways. Finally, the emperor summoned a certain magician, Theonás by name, to outwit this godly man through magic. Theonás dissolved the most potent poison in water and gave it to Theópemptos to drink. Theópemptos traced the sign of the cross over the glass and drank the poison. Theonás, upon seeing that the poison had no effect on Theópemptos, turned to the emperor and shouted, " I, too, am a Christian and bow down before the Crucified One." Both were sentenced to death in the year 298 A.D.; Theópemptos was beheaded and Theonás was buried alive. They honorably suffered and became citizens of the Kingdom of Christ.

Synkletiké was of Macedonian descent. She was educated in Alexandria. As a wealthy and distinguished maiden she had many suitors, but she rejected them all and fled from her parents' home to a convent. Undergoing the greatest of self-restraints, vigils and prayer, Synkletiké lived to her eightieth year. Her counsels to the nuns have always been considered a true spiritual pearl, for this righteous one did not attain the heights of wisdom through books but through sufferings, pains, daily and nightly contemplation, and spiritual communication with the higher world of the Divine. With her soul, she took up habitation in that higher world in the year 350 A.D. Among other things, St. Synkletiké was known to say, "If it is the season for fasting, do not dismiss fasting, allegedly because of illness for, behold, even those who do not fast, succumb to the same illness." She further spoke, "As when uncovered treasure is quickly seized, so it is with virtue; when it is made public becomes eclipsed and becomes lost."

Orthros 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.

2 Saint Timothy 4:5-8 KJV

5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Saint Mark 1:1-8 KJV

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.

8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

A V A R I C E

Anonymous

When I and my companion were in Alexandria, one day we went to the Church of Saint Theodosius. A bald man accosted us who was wearing sack-cloth down to his knees. He seemed to be insane. Abba Sophronios said to me: ‘Give me a coin and you shall see the virtue of this man who is approaching us.’ I gave him five coppers which he took and gave to the one who seemed to be insane, who received them without a word. Keeping ourselves out of sight, we followed him. When he had turned the street-corner, he stretched out his right hand (in which he held the coins) towards heaven, held it up high, and then prostrated himself before God and went his way, leaving the coins on the ground.

Sat Jan 3/17 2026 ns ~ Synaxis of the Seventy Holy Apostles, St. Theóktistos of Cucomo in Sicily ~ No Fasting ~ Saturday before Theophany: I St. Tim. 3:13-4:5; St. Matt. 3:1-6

Saturday

 January 3/17 new style 2026

Synaxis of the Seventy Holy Apostles, 

Saint Theóktistos of Cucomo in Sicily 

~ No Fasting ~

Besides the Twelve Greater Apostles, the Lord chose Seventy Lesser Apostles and sent them to preach the Gospel, "After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place He intended to visit, He said to them, ` The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.' Go on your way: behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, `Peace be to this household' " (St. Luke 10:1-5). But, as Judas, one of the Twelve, fell away from the Lord, so it was with some of the Seventy who abandoned the Lord not with the intention of betrayal but because of human weakness and faintheartedness. "As a result of this, many of His disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him" (St. John 6:66). As Judas' place was filled by another apostle, "So they [The Apostles] proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, `You, Lord, Who knows the hearts of all, show which one of these two You have chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place'. Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles" (Acts of the Apostles 1:23-26); so also were the places of these lesser apostles filled by others that were chosen. These Seventy Lesser Apostles labored at the same work as did the Twelve Great Apostles; they were co-workers with the Twelve in spreading and establishing the Church of God in the world. They endured many sufferings and malevolent acts from men and demons, but their strong faith and fervent love for the resurrected Lord made them victors over the world and inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven.


1 Saint Timothy 3:13-4:5 KJV

13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:

15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

4 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Saint Matthew 3:1-6 KJV

3 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

ON THE TRUE ADORNMENT OF A WOMAN 

by Saint John Chrysostomos

Do you wish to adorn your face? A little make-up doesn't hurt but adorn yourself with the radiance of piety and modesty; thus adorned, a man and others will find your appearance more pleasing to behold. For the other kind of adornment in excess can arouse suspicions and give rise to jealousy, enmity, strife, and quarrels.

But the adornment of almsgiving, compassion, innocence and modesty is radiant and drives out suspicion. For natural beauty does not make a face become beautiful as much as does the disposition of one who beholds it, and nothing is more likely to produce this disposition than modesty and piety. Hence, even if a woman be beautiful but her husband hates her, she will appear to him as repulsive; if a woman does not happen to be comely but she pleases her husband, he will find her the fairest of women.

Adorn your face, therefore, with modesty, piety, almsgiving, benevolence, love, kindliness, reasonableness, mildness, and forbearance toward others. These are the pigments of virtue; by these you draw even angels; for in these you have God Himself to praise you. For if wisdom illumines the face of man, much more does virtue make the face of a woman shine forth.

Adorn your face, therefore, with modesty, piety, almsgiving, benevolence, love, kindliness towards your husband, reasonableness, mildness, and forbearance. These are the pigments of virtue; by these you draw not men but angels to you as your lovers; for these you have God Himself to praise you. When God shall approve of you, He will win over your husband to you in every way; for if wisdom illumines the face of man, much more does virtue make the face of a woman shine forth.