Saturday May 24/June 6 + Apodosis of Pentecost • St. Symeon of the Wondrous Mountain, St. Vincent of Lérins • No Fasting • Rom. 1:7-12; St. Matt. 5:42-48 ~ HATE YOUR ENEMIES?

Most Holy Virgin Mother Intercede for Us

Saturday

May 24 / June 6 ns 2026

~ No Fasting ~ 

until 
Monday May 26/June 8 ns

+ Apodosis of Pentecost

• St. Symeon of the Wondrous Mountain,

St. Vincent of Lérins

This wonderful and holy Symeon was born in Antioch in 522, in the reign of the Emperor Justin I the Elder. His father perished in an earthquake and he was left alone with his mother, Martha.

When he was six years old, he went away into the desert to John, a spiritual teacher there and, under his guidance, gave himself to a strict asceticism of fasting and prayer, to the wonderment of all who saw him. Whilst enduring fearful demonic trials, he received great comfort and grace from the Lord and His angels.

Christ the Lord appeared to him in the form of a handsome youth, and, after this vision, Symeon's heart was inflamed with great love for Christ. He spent many years on a pillar, praying and singing psalms. Led by God, he took himself off to the mountain called `Wonderful' by the Lord Himself, and is known as 'of the Wonderful Mountain' because of this. The measure of his love for God was such that rare grace was given him, by the help of which he was able to heal every sort of illness, tame wild beasts and perceive the most distant regions of the earth and the hearts of men. He was taken out of the body and saw the heavens, conversed with angels, harried the demons, prophesied, spent thirty days at a time without sleep and even longer without food, receiving nourishment at the hands of angels. The words of the Savior: 'He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do' (St John 14:12), were completely fulfilled in him. In the year 596, at the age of seventy-five, Simeon went to the Lord, to the eternal enjoyment of the vision of the face of God in the company of the angels.

Romans 1:7-12 KJV

7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

Saint Matthew 5:42-48 KJV

42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Saint Theophylactos 

On Saint Matthew 5:44-45

Here the Lord has reached the very pinnacle of virtues. For what is greater than to love one's enemies? But it is not impossible to accomplish! For Moses and Paul loved the Jews, who were raging against them, more than they loved themselves and all the Saints have loved their enemies. We bless them because we must consider them our benefactors. For anyone who persecutes us and puts us to the test, lightens the punishment that we will suffer for our own sins. We will also bless them when God gives us the great crown of the contest. For hear what he says: 45: That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Do you see how good a gift is given to you by him who hates and abuses you, if only you will endure it with patience? By rain and sun, understand knowledge and teaching, for God enlightens and teaches all.

How often did Adam and Eve take Communion while they were still in Paradise with God?

Since God made them in His own image and likeness, did they need Communion?

God took human form and came to Earth but why did He give us His Body and Blood to eat?

Friday May 23/June 4 ns 2026 • St. Michael, Bishop of Synnáda, the Confessor ~ No Fasting ~ Rom. 2:14-28; St. Matt. 5:33-41 ~ LITTLE FOXES

Rejoice Bride Unwedded

Friday

May 23 / June 5 ns 2026

~ No Fasting ~ 

until 
Monday May 26/June 8 ns

Saint Michael, Bishop of Synnáda,
the Confessor 

Michael, this holy and learned hierarch, dedicated himself to the service of Christ from early childhood. Together with St. Theophylact of Nicomedia, he lived a life of asceticism.


At one time during a period of drought, these two saints, by their prayers, brought forth abundant rain on the earth. Because of his ascetical and chaste life from his early youth, he was chosen and consecrated bishop of Synnáda by Patriarch Tarásios. He participated in the Seventh Ecumenical Council [Nicaea, 783 A.D.]. At the request of the emperor, he went to Caliph Harun-al-Rashid to conduct negotiations for peace. During the reign of the nefarious Leo the Armenian, Michael was removed from his episcopal throne because of his veneration of icons and was banished into exile, where in misery and poverty and, remaining faithful to Orthodoxy, died in the year 818 A.D. and took up habitation in the kingdom of Christ the King.

Romans 2:14-28 KJV

14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,

18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;

19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,

20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.

21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh.

Saint Matthew 5:33-41 KJV

33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:

35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

Little Foxes

St. Hesychios the Priest

Just as a child, young and guileless, delights in seeing a conjuror and in his innocence follows him about, so our soul, simple and good because created thus by its Master, delights in the delusive provocations of the devil. Once deceived it pursues something sinister as though it were good, just as a dove is lured away by the enemy of her children. In this way its thoughts become entwined in the fantasy provoked by the devil. Then, seeking to contrive some means through which it can actually attain what attracts it, the soul assents to the provocation and, to its own condemnation, turns this unlawful mental fantasy into a concrete, action by means of the body.

Such is the cunning of the evil one, and with these arrows he poisons every soul. It is therefore not safe to allow these thoughts to enter the heart in order to increase the intellect's experience of warfare, especially to start with, when the soul still greatly enjoys these demonic provocations and delights in pursuing them. But as soon as we perceive them, we should counter-attack and repulse them. Once the intellect has matured in this excellent activity, it is disciplined and perceptive. From then on it is unceasingly engaged in the battle of perceiving in their true light these 'little foxes', as the Prophet calls them (S. of S. 2:15), and it easily lays hold of them. Only when we have such knowledge and experience should we admit them and censure them.

Its not what you know

claims that our galaxy, the Milky Way, is about 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 km or 621,371,192,237,333,900  miles across and it is just one galaxy of the @ 2 trillion galaxies that Harvard and MIT claim make up the universe.

That being considered as somewhat accurate, if one is the greatest pantologist that ever lived, possessing a universe of accurate facts, including trivia, from astrophysics to alphabet blocks, how would he feel  about himself and what he thinks he knows if he became acquainted with one who is truly omniscient?

ANECDOTE

In an attempt at humility, Bob once said: "I know nothing."  To which he received the following response: That in fact Bob, is the problem. Bob smiled feeling he had achieved some collaboration.

No Bob, the problem is that you do in fact know something and only when we are totally empty  in soul, mind, spirit and house, and yes completely detached from desire for them, we have created an invitation to become He who is not only omniscient but also omnipresent and omnipotent.

I know the meaning of omniscient but I can't wrap my mind around it, said Bob

That's because it is beyond mind, beyond acquisition!  It can only be revealed and only by our Creator, Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ.

If we wish God's gifts for loving and obeying Him, then we must stop rewarding our hearts with more and more quantities of temporary things, things that we must leave here when He calls us from this so-called ‘life’. 

Does He not give in excess even without our asking? Yet, does He not clearly command that our hearts must exclusively belong to Him?

Thursday May 22/June 4 ns 2026 ~ Holy Martyr Basilíscos ~ No Fasting ~ Rom. 1:28-2:9; St. Matt. 5:27-32 - SHAMEFUL THOUGHTS

Without corruption

thou gavest birth to God

Thursday

May 22 / June 4 ns 2026

~ No Fasting ~ 

until 
Monday May 26/June 8 ns

 Basiliscos was a kinsman of St. Theodore Tiro. He was tortured together with Evtropios and Cleónicos. When the latter two [Evtropios and Cleónicos] were crucified, and expired (March 3), then Basiliscos was again returned to prison. At that time, there occurred a change in the emperor's deputy so that Basiliscos remained imprisoned for a long time. With tears, Basiliscos prayed that God not deprive him of a martyr's death. After lengthy prayers, the Lord Jesus Himself appeared to him, promised to fulfill his wish and sent him to his village to bid farewell to his mother and brothers.


At that time Agrippa, a new deputy, was appointed and ordered that Basiliscos be brought from the village immediately. Enroute from the village to the town of Amaséa the Lord, through His martyr, worked a great miracle and, as a result, many people believed in Christ. Agrippa ordered the martyr to offer a sacrifice to the idol Apollyon. Basiliscos said: "Apollyon means `one who kills - the destroyer,' " and with fervent prayer turned the idol into dust and with a heavenly fire that burned the temple. The frightened Agrippa attributed this to magic and ordered Basiliscos beheaded. At that moment, Agrippa went insane and, in his madness, went to the scaffold, found a little blood of the martyr in the dust, placed it under his belt and he was healed.

Coming to his senses he was baptized. Later on, Marinus, a citizen of Comana, the place of the execution of Basiliscos, built a church over the relics of the saint where many afflicted people found healing.

Romans 1:28-2:9 KJV

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

2 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;


Saint Matthew 5:27-32 KJV

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

Shameful Thoughts

Saint Isaiah the Solitary

If some shameful thought is sown in your heart as you are sitting in your room, watch out. Resist the evil, so that it does not gain control over you. Make every effort to call God to mind, for He is looking at you, and whatever you are thinking in your heart is plainly visible to Him.

Say to your soul: 'If you are afraid of sinners like yourself seeing your sins, how much more should you be afraid of God who notes everything?'

As a result of this warning the fear of God will be revealed in your soul, and if you cleave to Him you will not be shaken by the passions: for it is written: 'They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion: he that dwells in Jerusalem shall never be shaken' (Ps. 125:1. LXX).  Whatever you are doing, remember that God sees all your thoughts, and then you will never sin.

To Him be glory through all the ages. Amen.