Sunday Oct. 5 / 18 ns 2026 • c 9th Matins Gospel: St. John 20:19-31 Gal. 1:11-19 (20th Sunday of Epistles); St. Luke 6:31-36

God took flesh of thy pure blood; wherefore, every generation doth hymn thee, O Lady, and the multitudes of the noetic beings glorify thee; for through thee we have clearly seen the Master of all, Who assumed the nature of man

SUNDAY

OCTOBER 5 / 18 NS 2026

HOLY MARTYR CHARITINA

SAINT JOHN, BISHOP OF EVCHAITA

SAINT METHODIA THE NEW

OF KIMOLOS

Having been orphaned in infancy, Charitína was adopted by an eminent Christian man named Claudius, who raised her as his own daughter. Charitína was meek, humble, obedient and quiet. She studied the Law of God day and night, and vowed to live her life in chastity, as a true bride of Christ.

Since Charitína also brought others to the Christian Faith, Dometius, Emperor Diocletian's eparch, heard of her, sent soldiers to take her from her foster father, and brought her to trial. The judge questioned her: "Is it true, young maiden, that you are a Christian, and that you deceive others, leading them to this profane Faith?'' Charitína courageously replied: "It is true that I am a Christian, but it is a lie that I deceive others; rather, I lead those in error to the true path, by leading them to my Christ.''

The evil judge condemned her. Her hair was shorn and hot coals were poured onto her head. Even so, she was saved by the power of God. They threw her into the sea, but God delivered her again. They tied her to a wheel and began to turn it, but an angel of God stopped the wheel, and Charitína remained unharmed. Then the depraved judge sent some dissolute young men to defile her. Fearing this dishonor, St. Charitína prayed to God to receive her soul before those degenerates could defile her virginal body. While she knelt, praying to God, her soul departed from her and was translated to the Immortal Kingdom of Christ.

Saint John 20:19-31 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.

24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Galatians 1:11-19 KJV

11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,

16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

Saint Luke 6:31-36 KJV

31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

God said to Adam 

by St Symeon the New Theologian

In the day that thou eatest of it (that is, of the forbidden tree), thou will die the death (Genesis 2:17) that is, the death of the soul. This happened immediately: man was stripped of the garment of immortality. God said nothing more than that decree, nor did anything special happen after that. God, foreseeing that Adam was to sin and desiring to forgive him if he repented, did not say anything more than the above. But Adam refused to acknowledge his sin and did not repent even when he was accused by God; for he said, "the woman whom Thou gave us to be with me she deceived me (Genesis 3:12). Oh woe to his blinded soul! Seeing this, it was as Adam said to God: Thou Thyself are guilty because the woman whom Thou gavest me, has deceived me.

This very same thing I myself now suffer, wretched and miserable, when I do not desire to be humbled, and say that with my whole heart: "that person over there inspired me to do or say this. He advised me and knocked me off the path." Woe is my poor soul which speaks such words - filled with sin! O most shameless and irrational words of a shameless and irrational soul.

BOREDOM

Does one who keeps endless company with the Creator ever become bored?

FOR SURE?

An atheist once claimed:  "There is no God!"  In response he was asked:  "Are you sure?  Can you prove it?" Surprised, he answered with a "No".  This scenario isn't uncommon among atheists who seem to like to address a subject in which they have little more to offer than conjecture.  Hmm ...

Another atheist meekly asked if the existence of God could be proved. "Yes"  was the reply.  Ok, what is your proof?  

If you will, please repeat the name Jesus, and he did.   Now what? he said.  If you really desire to know, start calling for Christ by simply saying his name ceaselessly, either within or outwardly. Ok, he replied, and for how long? Don't stop until ...

KECHARITOMENE - FULL OF GRACE

In the Church the following is related concerning St. Gregory Palamas the Wonderworker. He called the name of Most Holy Ever Virgin Mary ceaselessly for so long that she finally appeared in the room and asked what he wanted.  

For other VIGNETTES, click HERE

Saturday October 4 / 17 ns 2026 • Holy Hieromartyr Hierótheos, Bishop of Athens ~ II Cor. 1:8-11; St. Luke 5:17-26

Holy Hierotheos was a companion of St. Dionysios the Areopagite and received the Christian Faith from the Apostle Paul a short time after Dionysios did. Later, the Apostle appointed him bishop of Athens. At the time of the Dormition of the Most-holy Theotokos, Hierótheos arrived in Jerusalem and took part in her burial. With his divine chanting he inspired heartfelt worship in many, revealing himself as a man inspired from on high. He labored much in the work of evangelism, converted many pagans to the truth and governed well his rational flock. He finally died a martyr for Christ, Who granted him a twofold crown in His Heavenly Kingdom: the crown of a hierarch and the crown of a martyr.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 KJV

8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

Saint Luke 5:17-26 KJV

17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.

19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?

23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?

24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.

25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.

ON THOSE WHO THINK THEY ARE MADE

RIGHTEOUS BY WORKS

by Saint Mark the Ascetic

Every word of Christ shows us God's mercy, justice and wisdom and, if we listen gladly, their power enters into us. That is why the unmerciful and the unjust, listening to Christ with repugnance, were not able to understand the wisdom of God, but even crucified Him for teaching it. So we, too, should ask ourselves whether we listen to Him gladly. For He said: 'He who loves Me will keep My commandments, and he will be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him' (St. John 14: 21). Do you see how He has hidden His manifestation in the commandments? Of all the commandments, therefore, the most comprehensive is to love God and our neighbor. This love is made firm through abstaining from material things, and through stillness of thoughts.

Knowing this, the Lord enjoins us 'not to be anxious about the morrow' (St. Matt. 6:34); and rightly so. For if a man has not freed himself from material things and from concern about them, how can he be freed from evil thoughts? And if he is beset by evil thoughts, how can he see the reality of the sin concealed behind them? This sin wraps the soul in darkness and obscurity, and increases its hold upon us through our evil thoughts and actions. The devil initiates the whole process by testing a man with a provocation which he is not compelled to accept; but the man, urged on by self-indulgence and self-esteem, begins to entertain this provocation with enjoyment. Even if his discrimination tells him to reject it, yet in practice he takes pleasure in it and accepts it. If someone has not perceived this general process of sinning, when will he pray about it and be cleansed from it? And if he has not been cleansed, how will he find purity of nature? And if he has not found this, how will he behold the inner dwelling-place of Christ? For we are a dwelling-place of God, according to the words of Prophet, Gospel and Apostle (Zech. 2:10; John 14:23; I Cor. 3:16; Heb. 3:6)

ALL OF YOUR HEART

Need we be reminded that Christ requires ALL OF YOUR HEART? Are we not aware that He has already freely given you everything this life has to offer? Don't think for a moment that if, in your heart, you exchange every last bit of your transient life, every jot and tittle, that He will take anything from you! Again, all of your heart means EVERY aspect of your life. In other words, you desire nothing but Christ. Never doubt! I think that when this is accomplished, He will confirm it from within you.

Our Lord, our Father, our Savior, our Holy Trinity, doesn't require our blood but He requires that we martyr our association with this transient world - IF - we wish to be with Him Eternally in Paradise.

Make no mistake! This is exactly what He requires! When Satan whispers praise to convince you that you are satisfied with your struggle, with what you have accomplished, reply, with all your being, to the thought saying: Get thee behind me Satan!

Is there no simple way to accomplish total devotion to Christ you may ask? Yes, the simple ceaseless remembrance of Him! In doing so, all things will be given and should He offer opportunities to increase your stature or, furnish more elaborately a mansion in Paradise for you, He will make it known through the Jesus Prayer. And if you question your ability to accomplish unceasing remembrance of Christ, never forget....what's not possible with man is possible with God and thus the quote from the holy Athonite father Porphyrios below.

For other VIGNETTES, click HERE

Friday October 3 / 16 ns 2026 • Holy Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite ~ Fast day

Although youth made way for age, instead of diminishing her radiant and divine presence, she remains

“glorious beyond compare”.

Friday October 3

October 16 ns
2026

 ~ Fast day ~

Dionysios is numbered among the Seventy Lesser Apostles. This wonderful man was the scion of a distinguished pagan family in Athens. Having completed the school of philosophy in Athens, he went to Egypt to study further. While he was there the Lord Christ died on the Cross, the sun was darkened, and there was darkness in Egypt for three hours. Then Dionysius cried out: “Either God the Creator of the world is suffering, or this world is coming to an end.” Returning to Athens, he married a woman named Damaris and had sons by her. He became a member of the highest court among the Greeks, the Areopagus, and thereafter he was known as the “Areopagite.” When the Apostle Paul preached the Gospel in Athens, Dionysius was baptized with his entire household. Paul consecrated him Bishop of Athens. He left his wife, children and his position for the love of Christ. He traveled with Paul for a long time and met all the other apostles of Christ. He traveled to Jerusalem especially to see the Most-holy Theotokos, and described his encounter with her in one of his written works. He was present at the burial of the Holy and Most-pure One. When his teacher, St. Paul, suffered martyrdom, Dionysius also desired such a death for himself, and went to Gaul, with his presbyter Rusticus and the deacon Eleutherius, to preach the Gospel among the barbarians. He suffered much but also succeeded much. By his labors many pagans were converted to the Christian Faith. Dionysius built a small church in Paris, where he celebrated the divine services. When he was ninety years old, he, Rusticus and Eleutherius were seized and tortured for Christ; then all three were beheaded. The severed head of St. Dionysius rolled a long distance, to the feet of Catula, a Christian, who honorably buried it with his body. Dionysius suffered during the reign of Dometian in the year 96 A.D. He wrote several famous works: on the Divine Names of God, on the Celestial and Ecclesiastical Hierarchies, on Mystical Theology, and on the Most-holy Theotokos.

Acts 17:16-34 KJV

16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

33 So Paul departed from among them.

34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

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.

by The Holy Hieromartyr

Dionysius the Areopagite

Even those who seem to be "devils," derive their existence from the Good, and are naturally good, and desire the Beautiful and Good in desiring existence, life, and consciousness. And they are called evil through the deprivation and the loss whereby they have lapsed from their proper virtues. Hence they are evil only insofar as they lack [true] existence; and in desiring evil, they desire non-existence.  Even so, we say that the air is darkened around us by a deficiency and absence of the light; while yet the light is itself always light and illumines the darkness. Therefore, evil inheres not in the devils or in us, as evil, but only as a deficiency and lack of the perfection of our proper virtues.  Thus evil has no being, nor any inherence in things that have being. Evil is nowhere as evil; and it arises not through any power but through weakness. In a word, evil is weakness, impotence, and deficiency of knowledge.  The Great and Holy Apostle John the Evangelist introduced St. Dionysios, his disciple, to the Mother of God.  This was his reaction: I tell you as if I were standing in front of God, for me, our great leader, it was beyond any doubt, that aside from the Most High God, there could be nothing, which is so filled with heavenly power and marvelous grace [as Mary], and still it is impossible for a human mind to perceive what I saw with my own eyes. It was not with the eyes of my soul only but with my bodily eyes – I, with my own eyes, saw the most beautiful, the most holy Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ who exceeds all the heavenly hosts in her holiness. This gift was granted to me by the grace of God, as an honor by the company of the apostles, and also as an unspeakable kindness and compassion of the merciful Virgin herself. And again I testify in front of the omnipotence of God, in front of the grace of the Savior, and in front of the great glory of the Virgin, His Mother. When I, with John—the first among the evangelists and the prophets, who, while living in the flesh, shines like the sun in the sky—was led inside to the beautiful and the most pure Virgin, then a great heavenly radiance that enlightened my soul, poured over me, at the same time I sensed such wonderful fragrance that my spirit and body were hardly able to bear this manifestation of glory and foretaste of eternal bliss. My heart and my spirit were enervated from Her heavenly grace. Let God, who abode in the most pure womb, be my witness, that I would have recognized her for the true God and venerated Her with worship appropriate only to God if the newly illumined soul of mine would not have preserved inside you heavenly instructions and laws. No honor and glory of men who were glorified by God can be compared with the bliss that I, the unworthy one experienced and was honored with at the time. This time was a time of the greatest bliss for me. I thank my most high and most blessed God, the heavenly Virgin, John, who is great among the Apostles, and you as well who is the adornment of the church and the invincible leader, who all so mercifully showed me such a great favor.

VIGNETTEs

St. Luke 6:23

from today's Holy Gospel

Saint Theophylactos lived in

Constantinople in the eighth century

The Lord, having ordained the disciples, through the Beatitudes and teaching brings them into a more spiritual state. For He speaks with direct address to them. And first, He blesses the poor; if you will, understand by this the humble-minded, or if you prefer, those living free of avarice. In general, all the Beatitudes teach us moderation, humility, lowliness, and endurance of reproaches.

FREE WILL

Free will is a gift from God.   It allows one to make choices.  But far beyond the choices we make and have made, it allows us the freedom to exchange our will for God’s Will.  In doing so, entirely and completely, and to God and God alone, our will is miraculously, by our Father's love for us, not lost but *retained.  Once this occurs faith is fulfilled; acquisition confirmed. As our Lord said:

* '...I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.'

His voice is infinitely quieter than
a single particle of dust floating in the air;
His voice is louder than a trillion galaxies
crashing together when heard by the soul.
When we wander off in pursuit
of the temporal and we wish to return
Simply Yearn!

DAMASCUS

1962