Monday July 7/20 ns ~ Holy Great Martyr Kyriaké, St. Thomas of Mt. Maleón ~ Gal. 3:23-4:5; St. Mark 5:24-34 ~ Excuses Hinder Spiritual Growth Saint Paisios the Athonite ~ THE DONKEY IN THE WELL

Saint Matthew 16:24-26
King James Version

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Saint Luke 17:21
King James Version
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

The Kingdom looks like this

Not like this

Here's the Way in....

Saint Matthew 16:24-26
King James Version

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Monday

July 7 /20 ns

2026

 Holy Great Martyr Kyriaké

Saint Kyriaké was the only child of Dorotheos and Eusebia. Since she was born on a Sunday (Kyriaké, in Greek), she was named Kyriaké.

One day a wealthy magistrate wished to betroth Kyriaké to his son. Not only was she young and beautiful, but her parents were wealthy, and the magistrate wished to control that wealth. The magistrate went to her parents to request her hand, but Saint Kyriaké told him that she wished to remain a virgin, for she had dedicated herself to Christ.

The magistrate was angered by her words, so he went to the emperor Diocletian to denounce the saint and her parents as Christians who mocked the idols, and refused to offer sacrifice to them.

Diocletian sent soldiers to arrest the family and have them brought before him. He asked them why they would not honor the gods which he himself honored. They told him that these were false gods, and that Christ was the one true God.

Dorotheos was beaten until the soldiers grew tired and were unable to continue. Since neither flattery nor torment had any effect, Diocletian sent Dorotheus and Eusebia to Melitene on the eastern border between Cappadocia and Armenia. Then he sent Saint Kyriaké to be interrogated by his son-in-law and co-ruler Maximian at Nicomedia.

Maximian urged her not to throw her life away, promising her wealth and marriage to one of Diocletian’s relatives if she would worship the pagan gods. Saint Kyriaké replied that she would never renounce Christ, nor did she desire worldly riches. Enraged by her bold answer, Maximian had her flogged. The soldiers who administered this punishment became tired, and had to be replaced three times.

Shamed by his failure to overcome a young woman, Maximian sent Saint Kyriaké to Hilarion, the eparch of Bithynia, at Chalcedon. He told Hilarion to either convert Kyriaké to paganism, or send her back to him.

Making the same promises and threats that Diocletian and Maximian had made before, Hilarion was no more successful than they were. Saint Kyriaké challenged him to do his worst, because Christ would help her to triumph. The saint was suspended by her hair for several hours, while soldiers burned her body with torches. Not only did she endure all this, she also seemed to become more courageous under torture. Finally, she was taken down and put into a prison cell.

That night Christ appeared to her and healed her wounds. When Hilarion saw her the next day, he declared that she had been healed by the gods because they pitied her. Then Hilarion urged her to go to the temple to give thanks to the gods. She told him that she had been healed by Christ, but agreed to go to the temple. The eparch rejoiced, thinking that he had defeated her.

In the temple, Saint Kyriaké prayed that God would destroy the soulless idols. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake which toppled the idols, shattering them to pieces. Everyone fled the temple in fear, leaving Hilarion behind. Instead of recognizing the power of Christ, the eparch blasphemed the true God as the destroyer of his pagan gods. He was struck by a bolt of lightning and died on the spot.

Saint Kyriaké was tortured again by Apollonius, who succeeded Hilarion as eparch. When she was cast into a fire, the flames were extinguished. When she was thrown to wild beasts, they became tame and gentle. Therefore, Apollonius sentenced her to death by the sword. She was permitted time to pray, so she asked God to receive her soul, and to remember those who honored her martyrdom.

Just as Saint Kyriaké ended her prayer, angels took her soul before the soldiers could strike off her head. Pious Christians took her relics and buried them in a place of honor.

St. Thomas of Mt. Maleón 

Galatians 3:23-4:5
King James Version

23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

4 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Saint Mark 5:24-34
King James Version

24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

Excuses Hinder Spiritual Growth

Saint Paisios the Athonite

Geronda {Elder}, when people say that there is 'no excuse'
in Holy Scripture, what do they mean?

They mean that in a sense, there is no justification for any excuse. When I try to justify myself with excuses, I realize later that this does not befit a nun or a monk. Not only are excuses not befitting of a nun or a monk, they also have nothing to do with the spiritual life. I must understand that when I try to justify myself with excuses, I'm in a wrong state of mind. I cut off my communication with God and am deprived of divine Grace, because divine Grace does not come to one who is in a wrong state. The moment a person justifies the unjustifiable, he is separated from God. A form of insulation intervenes between God and man. Can an electric current pass through insulation? No. There is no stronger barrier to the Grace of God than excuses! It is like building a wall and separating yourself from God; by making excuses, you cut off all ties with Him.

Geronda, you often say, "Let us at least try to attain to the spiritual base. "What is this spiritual base"?

It is the humble acknowledgement of one's mistake, without knowingly attempting to justify himself in the least, when he is at fault and when people reprimand him. But when one doesn't stand up for himself even when he's wrongly accused, well, then, that's when he gets an excellent grade. One who justifies himself with excuses makes no progress in the spiritual life, nor can he find any inner peace. God will not condemn us for a mistake we have made, but we must try not to justify ourselves for that mistake, and consider it to be just a natural thing.

Geronda, if I am told that I am at fault in something, but cannot understand the nature of my fault, should I ask about it so as to be more careful next time, or should I keep silent?

If you think that you're at fault 25 percent, when in fact you are at fault only five percent, don't you profit spiritually? Be "Generous" when weighing your faults; you don't want to short-change yourself spiritually. This is the spiritual work you must do; find and acknowledge your fault, and "catch" yourself next time. Otherwise, you are "caught" by yourself, you justify yourself but you find no peace.

Geronda, when someone has the habit of justifying himself with excuses, but later recognizes his mistakes and deplores himself, is this of any benefit?

At least one has gained valuable experience, and if this experience is utilized, he can benefit from it. And if God should say," since he acknowledged his mistake and repented, let me give him something, then, of course, he will receive something more from another Treasury, the Treasury of repentance.

THE DONKEY IN THE WELL

This is old but maybe not to you.

One day a farmer's donkey fell into a well. The animal cried out in despair for hours and the farmer tried to figure out what to do...

In the end, he decided that the animal was old and the expense of getting it out of the well was too great. It was not worth trying to save the donkey. All he could think of doing was to bury it alive.

He called all his neighbors to come and help him. They all took a shovel and started throwing dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and gave a horrible cry, a scream. But then, to everyone's surprise, he calmed down. A few loads of soil had fallen into the well when the farmer looked down and was amazed at what he saw. It was something amazing!

With each shovelful of dirt that fell on its back, the donkey would jolt and take a step up. The farmer's neighbors continued to throw shovelfuls of dirt at the animal, and each time it would jolt and take a step up.

Very soon, everyone was amazed at the donkey having now reached the surface of the well.

Moral of the story : Life can bring you many "shovels" of dirt into the well of your life. But remember that each of your problems is a springboard.

We can get out of the deepest wells with just a shake. We step on the problem and take a step up!

Sunday July 6 /19 ns † 7th St. Matthew • 7th Matins Gospel: St. John 20:1-10 Rom. 15:1-7 (7th Sunday of Epistles); St. Matt. 9:27-35 ~ Saint Isaac the Syrian on Sin, Hell, Repentance & LOVE ~~ Amadeus {To love God}

The Maker of Heaven and earth formed thee,
O Immaculate One, and dwelt in thy womb,

Sunday
July 6 /19 ns
2026

St. Sisóës the Great

Sisóës was an Egyptian by birth and a disciple of St. Anthony. Following the death of his great teacher, St. Sisóës settled on a mountain in the wilderness called St. Anthony's Mount where Anthony lived a life of asceticism earlier. Imposing difficult labors on himself, he humbled himself so much that he became meek and guileless as a lamb. For this God endowed Sisóës with abundant grace so that he was able to heal the sick, drive out unclean spirits and resurrect the dead. Sisóës lived a life of austere mortification in the wilderness for sixty years and was a source of living wisdom for all monks and laymen who came to him for counsel and advice. Before death, his face shone as the sun. The monks stood around him and were astonished at this manifestation. When this saint gave up his soul, the entire room was filled with a sweet-smelling savor. Sisóës died in extreme old age in the year 429 A.D. St. Sisóës taught the monks: "Regardless in what way temptation comes to man, a man should give himself to the will of God and to recognize that temptation occurred because of his sins. If something good happens, it should be said that it happened according to God's Providence." One monk asked Sisóës : "How can I please God and be saved?" The saint answered: "If you wish to please God, withdraw from the world, separate yourself from the earth, put aside creation, draw near to the Creator, unite yourself to God with prayers and tears and then you will find rest in this time and in the future." The monk asked Sisóës: "How can I attain humility?" The saint replied: "When a person learns to recognize every man as being better than himself, with that he attains humility." Ammon complained to Sisóës that he could not memorize the wise sayings that he read in order to repeat them in conversation with men. The saint replied to him: "That is not necessary. It is necessary to attain purity of mind and speak from that purity placing your hope in God."

St. Juliana Olshánskaya of Kiev

Orthros Saint John 20:1-10 KJV

20 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher.

2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him.

3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulcher.

4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulcher.

5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.

6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulcher, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulcher, and he saw, and believed.

9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

Romans 15:1-7 KJV

15 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

2 Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification.

3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Saint Matthew 9:27-35 KJV

27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.

28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.

29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

31 But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

32 As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.

33 And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marveled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.

34 But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Saint Isaac the Syrian on

Sin, Hell, Repentance
&
LOVE

The following gift from Holy Isaac, is so beneficial that I fight the urge to highlight every word.  If during or after reading you don't feel the same, then don't neglect to at least finish reading it, alert that all will one day come face to face with Whom from whence came the love we all enjoy. 

"As for me I say that those who are tormented in hell are tormented by the invasion of love. What is there more bitter and violent than the pains of love? Those who feel they have sinned against love bear in themselves a damnation much heavier than the most dreaded punishments. The suffering with which sinning against love afflicts the heart is more keenly felt than any other torment. It is absurd to assume that the sinners in hell are deprived of God's love. Love is offered impartially. But by its very power it acts in two ways. It torments sinners, as happens here on earth when we are tormented by the presence of a friend to whom we have been unfaithful. And it gives joy to those who have been faithful. That is what the torment of hell is in my opinion: remorse. But love inebriates the souls of the sons and daughters of heaven by its delectability.

"If zeal had been appropriate for putting humanity right, why did God the Word clothe himself in the body, using gentleness and humility in order to bring the world back to his Father?

"Sin is the fruit of free will. There was a time when sin did not exist, and there will be a time when it will not exist.

"God's recompense to sinners is that, instead of a just recompense, God rewards them with resurrection.

"O wonder! The Creator clothed in a human being enters the house of tax collectors and prostitutes. Thus the entire universe, through the beauty of the sight of him, was drawn by his love to the single confession of God, the Lord of all.

“Will God, if I ask, forgive me these things by which I am pained and by whose memory I am tormented, things by which, though I abhor them, I go on backsliding? Yet after they have taken place the pain they give me is even greater than that of a scorpion's sting. Though I abhor them, I am still in the middle of them, and when I repent of them with suffering I wretchedly return to them again.”

"This is how many God-fearing people think, people who foster virtue and are pricked with the suffering of compunction, who mourn over their sin; yet human prosperity compels them to bear with the backsliding which results from it. They live between sin and repentance all the time. Let us not be in doubt, O fellow humanity, concerning the hope of our salvation, seeing that the One who bore sufferings for our sakes is very concerned about our salvation; God's mercifulness is far more extensive than we can conceive, God's grace is greater than what we ask for.

"Repentance is given us as grace after grace, for repentance is a second regeneration by God. That of which we have received an earnest by baptism, we receive as a gift by means of repentance. Repentance is the door of mercy, opened to those who seek it. By this door we enter into the mercy of God, and apart from this entrance we shall not find mercy.

"Blessed is God who uses corporeal objects continually to draw us close in a symbolic way to a knowledge of God's invisible nature. O name of Jesus, key to all gifts, open up for me the great door to your treasure-house, that I may enter and praise you with the praise that comes from the heart."

Ama deus

{To love God}

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, in full Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, baptized as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, (born January 27, 1756, Salzburg.

“I thank my God for graciously granting me the opportunity of learning that death is the key which unlocks the door to our true happiness.”

“It is a great consolation for me to remember that the Lord, to whom I had drawn near in humble and child-like faith, has suffered and died for me, and that He will look on me in love and compassion.”

“My subject enlarges itself, becomes methodized and defined, and the whole, though it be long, stands almost complete and finished in my mind, so that I can survey it, like a fine picture or a beautiful statue, at a glance. Nor do I hear in my imagination the parts successively, but I hear them, as it were, all at once. What a delight this is! All this inventing, this producing, takes place in a pleasing, lively dream”.

Saturday July 5 /18 ns 2026 St. Athanásios the Athonite, St. Lampadós, Finding of the Relics of St. Sergios of Rádonezh, St. Elizabeth the Grand Duchess of Russia St. Athanasios: Gal. 5:22-6:2; St. Luke 6:17-23 ~ How the Holy Prophet Moses and the Holy Apostle Paul felt about their neighbors

 How often is there cause to say:

Thank you Father?

Saturday
July 5 /18 ns
2026

St. Athanásios the Athonite

St. Lampadós

Finding of the Relics of

St. Sergios of Rádonezh

St. Elizabeth the

Grand Duchess of Russia

Athanásios was born in Trebizond of God-fearing parents. He became orphaned at an early age but, by the Providence of God, a commander took him under his care and brought him to Constantinople to be educated. Because of his meekness and humbleness, he was the favorite of his peers. During the children's games, the children chose one to be an emperor, one a commander and Athanásios as abbot as though it was some kind of foretelling!

Having completed his education, Athanásios (who before tonsuring was called Abraham) withdrew into the desert of Maleinos near Athos, the Holy Mountain , where he lived the life of an ascetic as a disciple of the then renowned Michael Maleinos.

Desiring a more difficult life of mortification, Athanásios settled on the Holy Mountain Athos to live in silence. But many who were desirous of a life of asceticism began to gather around him and, therefore, he was compelled to build his famous Lavra [monastery]. In that, he was assisted by the Byzantine emperors: at first, Nicephorus Phocas, who himself thought to withdraw and to become a monk and, after him, John Tzimiskes.

Countless temptations befell Athanásios both from demons and from men but he, as a brave soldier of Christ, resisted and conquered all by his immeasurable meekness and continual prayer to the Living God. Filled with the Grace of God, Athanásios was made worthy to see the All-holy Birth-giver of God who miraculously brought forth water from a rock and promised that she would also be the abbess [Ikonomisa, the one in charge of the provisions of the monastery].

In work and in prayer, Athanásios surpassed his brethren and loved all with the love a spiritual father and shepherd.

Death came to Athanásios unexpectedly. At one time, he with six other monks, climbed upon a newly built vestibule of the church to inspect the wall which was being constructed and the wall caved in on them and buried them. Thus, this great beacon of monasticism died in the year 980 A.D. Many times following his death Athanásios appeared to his brethren either to comfort them or to reprimand them.

Galatians 5:22-6:2 KJV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

6 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Saint Luke 6:17-23 KJV

17 And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;

18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.

19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

How the Holy Prophet Moses

and the Holy Apostle Paul

felt about their neighbors 

For Moses said to God concerning his people,
'If Thou will forgive their sins, forgive; but if not, blot me as well out of the book of life which Thou hast written’ (Exod. 32:32);

While St Paul said, ‘For I could wish that I myself were severed from Christ for the sake of my brethren (Rom. 9:3).
He prayed, that is to say, that he should perish in order that others might be saved - and these others were the Israelites who were seeking to kill him.

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Saint John 15:12-14 KJV

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.

Saint Matthew 22:36-40 KJV

If we receive the least among us, we receive God.

After giving a pittance to a beggar asking for money, he asked the following: "Where is God?" I responded that I would tell him if he answers my question first. He piously agreed, so I asked him: "Where isn't God?"  He smiled and said: Thank you.

Yes, these two were right outside the window in the backyard.