† SUNDAY June 15/28 ns 2026 • Holy Prophet Amos; St. Jerome of Stridonium; St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo; St. Glicherie of Romania, the Confessor; St. Lazar of Serbia ~ Fish, wine, and olive oil are permitted ~ 4th Matins Gospel: St. Luke 24:1-12; Rom. 6:18-23 (4th Sunday); St. Matt. 8:5-13 ~ QUOTES: 'Hymn' and 'Listen'

Rejoice,

thou who yokest together

Virginity and Childbirth

Sunday

June 15/28 ns 2026

H O L Y

A P O S T L E S'

F A S T

Fish, W & O

Holy Prophet Amos;

St. Jerome of Stridonium;

St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo;

St. Glicherie of Romania,
the Confessor;

St. Lazar of Serbia

Amos was born in the village of Thecua near Bethlehem. He was of simple origin and life. Amos was a swine herdsman for a wealthy man of Jerusalem. But God Who does not look at who is who by his outward appearances but rather by the purity of his heart, and Who took both Moses and David from their sheep, and appointed them as leaders of the people, chose this Amos as one of His prophets.

Amos rebuked King Uzziah and his pagan priests for idolatry and dissuaded the people from worshipping the golden calves in Bethel, teaching them to worship the One Living God. When the chief pagan priest persecuted Amos, he prophesied that the Assyrians will conquer Israel, that they will slay the king and the sons of Amaziah and that the Assyrian soldiers will defile Amaziah's wife before his eyes because he led the people into adultery with idols. All of this materialized. The son of a pagan priest struck the prophet on the forehead with his staff so forcefully that Amos fell. Barely alive, Amos was brought to his village of Thecua where he surrendered his holy soul to God. Amos lived in the eighth century before Christ.

Orthros Saint Luke 24:1-12 KJV

24 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, 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.

Romans 6:18-23 KJV

18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Saint Matthew 8:5-13 KJV

5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

Hymn from Saint Ephraem of Nisibis

From the beginning of the world, death had dominion over mortal men; until there arose The Mighty One and abolished his pride.

His voice then came Like heavy thunder on mortal men; And He proclaimed the glad tidings. That they were set at liberty from their bondage.

Listen

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem

Listen then, O ye children of righteousness, to John’s exhortation when he says, Make straight the way of the Lord. Take away all obstacles and stumbling-blocks, that ye may walk straight onward to eternal life. Make ready the vessels of the soul, cleansed by unfeigned faith, for reception of the Holy Spirit. Begin at once to wash your robes in repentance, that when called to the bride-chamber ye may be found clean. For the Bridegroom invites all without distinction, because His grace is bounteous; and the cry of loud-voiced heralds assembles them all: but the same Bridegroom afterwards separates those who have come in to the figurative marriage. O may none of those whose names have now been enrolled hear the words, Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? But may you all hear, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou wast faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

Saturday June 14/27 ns 2026 Prophet Eliséos; St. Methódios the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople ~ Fish, wine, and olive oil are permitted. Prophet: St. James 5:10-20; St. Luke 4:22-30 ~ Repentance

Most Holy Virgin Mother

Intercede for Us

H O L Y

A P O S T L E S'

F A S T

Fish, W & O

Holy Prophet Eliséos;

St. Methódios the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople

Holy Prophets Elias (gr). Elijah (Heb) and Eliséos

Eliséos lived nine hundred years before Christ. When the Lord willed to take the aged Prophet Elijah to Himself, He revealed to him that He had designated Eliséos, the son of Shaphat of the tribe of Reuben from the town of Abel-Meholah, as his successor in the prophetic service. Elijah informed Eliséos of God's will and draped him with his mantle and implored from God the two-fold grace of prophecy for him. Eliséos immediately departed his home and family and followed Elijah. When the Lord took Elijah in a fiery chariot, Eliséos remained to continue the prophetic service with yet a greater power than Elijah.

Saint James 5:10-20 KJV

10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;

20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.


Saint Luke 4:22-30 KJV

22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseos the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way.

Saint John of the Ladder {Climacos}

Repentance is the renewal of baptism. 

Repentance is a contract with God for a second life.
A penitent is a buyer of humility.
Repentance is constant distrust of bodily comfort.
Repentance is self-condemning reflection, and carefree self-care.
Repentance is the daughter of hope and the renunciation of despair.
A penitent is an undisgraced convict.
Repentance is reconciliation with the Lord by the practice of good deeds contrary to the sins. 

Repentance is purification of conscience.
Repentance is the voluntary endurance of all afflictions.
A penitent is the inflicter of his own punishments.
Repentance is a mighty persecution of the stomach, and a striking of the soul into vigorous awareness.

Baptized Orthodox Christian but now a dying atheist

A resolute atheist, who we might call Rupert, a quite loving and generous individual whom I have known for many years, claimed that man's DNA dictates that he murder and do evil so there is nothing can be done about it.  He also claimed that its not in the DNA of all other creatures.   

For once I made no reply because he's heard so many and to hear God's Truth, desire and the ear of the Soul is required.  After so many years, one must simply continue to pray.

Friday June 14/26 ns 2026 Holy Martyr Aquilina ~ Fast day ~ Rom. 11:25-36; St. Matt. 12:1-8 ~ QUOTE: On the Benefit of Consultation

Rejoice,

thou who makest manifest the life of the Angels

H O L Y

A P O S T L E S'

F A S T

The Holy Virgin Martyr Aquilina

Aquilina was 12 years old when she suffered for the Lord and crowned with the martyr's wreath in the year 293 A.D.

Aquilina was born in the Phoenician (Lebanon) town of Jbeil (Byblos Gr.) of honorable Christian parents. At age seven, little Aquilina was already completely versed in the true Christian life and at age ten she was so filled with divine understanding and the grace of the Holy Spirit that she, with great power and zealousness, preached Christ to her female companions.

When Diocletian's persecution began, someone accused Aquilina before Volusian, the imperial deputy, who was more like a beast than a man. To begin with, Volusian ordered that Aquilina be flogged and after that, a red hot rod be pierced through her ears and brain. Until the last moment, the virgin Aquilina freely and openly confessed Christ the Lord and when her brain and blood began to flow from her head, she fell as though dead. The deputy, thinking Aquilina was indeed dead, ordered her body to be carried outside the city and thrown upon a dung heap for the dogs to consume. But, an angel of God appeared to her at night and said to her: "Arise, and be whole!" And the virgin arose and was whole and for a long time she offered up praise of thanksgiving to God imploring Him not to deprive her to fulfill her martyr's mortification. A voice from heaven was heard: "Go, it will be to you as you pray" and Aquilina set out for the town. The gates of the town opened on their own accord before her and she entered like a spirit into the palace of the deputy and appeared before his bed. The deputy was seized with unspeakable fear, seeing the virgin alive whom he thought was dead.

The following day, according to command, the executioners led Aquilina out to behead her. Before her beheading, the virgin Aquilina prayed to God on her knees and gave up her soul. The executioner beheaded her lifeless head. Her relics gave healing to many of the sick.

Romans 11:25-36 KJV

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.

29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Saint Matthew 12:1-8 KJV

12 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.

2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungered, and they that were with him;

4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

Discourses

On the Benefit of Consultation 

by Saint Dorotheos of Gaza

It is written in the book of Proverbs that, "Those who have no guidance fall like leaves, but there is security in much counsel."

Look closely at this saying, brothers. See what scripture is teaching us. It asserts that we should not set ourselves up as guide posts, and that we should not suppose that we are wise, and that we should not trust in our own ability to direct ourselves. We need help and guidance, in addition to the grace of God.

No one is more miserable, no one is more easily caught unprepared, than a man who has no one to direct him on the road to God. It states, "Those who have no guidance fall like leaves." Leaves are perpetually green at the start, they grow well and are pleasing to behold. Then after a time they dry up and fall off, and finally they are blown about by the wind and trampled under foot. So it is with the man who is not directed by someone. At first he has great zeal about fasting, maintaining vigils, being silent, and obedient and keeping other good habits. Then after a time the fire is quenched and not having anyone to direct him and strengthen him and kindle his fire, he shrivels up and so, by being disobedient, he fails and finally ends up as a mere tool for his enemies, who do whatever they want with him.

About those who make a report about what bothers their inner life, and who do everything with counsel, it states, "There is security in much counsel." When it says, "much counsel" it does not mean taking counsel from everyone but clearly from someone with whom he has complete confidence.

And he should not be quiet about certain things and speak about others, but he should speak about everything and receive counsel concerning everything. To a man doing this regularly, there is indeed security in much counsel. However if a man does not reveal everything about himself, especially if he has turned back from evil habits and a bad upbringing, and if the devil discovers in him one small bit of self-will or self-righteousness, he will throw him down by that. Because when the devil sees a man who earnestly does not want to sin, he is not so stupid as to suggest to him, like he would with a hardened sinner, that he should go and fornicate or steal. He understands that we do not want to do these things and he does not set out to suggest to us something we do not want to hear. Rather he probes that small bit of self-will or self-righteousness and by that, with the appearance of doing well, he will harm us. So again it is said, "An evil man does evil when he mixes it with righteousness." The "evil man" is the devil and he does evil when he mixes it with righteousness, i.e. our self-righteousness, because then he is mighty, and then he can do more harm; then he can act more freely.

Because when we are lords of our own business and we stand in our own righteousness, as if we are doing great things, we are providing for ourselves counsel, and we do not know how it is we are brought to ruin. Because how can we fully know the will of God or find it if we trust only in ourselves and take hold of our own will?