Thursday September 12/25 ns 2025 ~ Apodosis of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos • Holy Hieromartyr Autónomos ~ Day: Eph. 1:1-9; Forefeast: St. John 11:47-54 ~ From THE ASCETICAL HOMILIES of Saint Isaac the Syrian

Unable to prevail is every hymn that striveth to

comprehend the multitude of Thy many tender mercies;

for if we were to offer unto Thee, O Holy King, odes

equal in number to the sands, we will have done nothing

worthy of that which Thou hast given unto us,

who cry to Thee: Alleluia

Thursday September 13

Sept. 26 ns
2025

THE APODOSIS OF THE

NATIVITY

OF THE MOST HOLY

THEOTOKOS

• Holy Hieromartyr Autónomos

During Diocletian's persecution, Autónomos left Italy for Asian Bithynia, for a place called Soreoi. There, he converted many to Christianity, and built a church for them dedicated to the holy Archangel Michael.

Autónomos lived in the home of a devout Christian, Cornelius, whom he first ordained as a presbyter, and then consecrated to the episcopacy. Not far from Soreoi there was a place called Limnae, inhabited entirely by pagans. St. Autónomos went to this place and soon enlightened many with the Gospel of Christ. This embittered the pagans, and one day they rushed into the Church of the Holy Archangel Michael in Soreoi during the divine service and slew Autónomos in the sanctuary, and killed many other Christians in the church.

During the reign of the Emperor Constantine, Severian, a royal nobleman, built a church over the tomb of St. Autónomos. Two hundred years after his death, St. Autónomos appeared to a soldier named John. John exhumed the relics of the saint and found them to be completely incorrupt, and many who were sick received healing from Autónomos's relics. Thus, God glorifies the one who glorified Him while living in the flesh.

Ephesians 1:1-9 KJV

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.


Saint John 11:47-54 KJV

47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,

50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.

From

T H E   A S C E T I C A L   H O M I L I E S

of Saint Isaac the Syrian

When a man's thoughts are totally immersed in the delight of pursuing the wisdom treasured in the words of scripture by means of the faculty that gains enlightenment from them, then he puts the world behind his back and forgets everything in it, and he blots out of his soul all memories that form images embodying the world. Often he does not even remember the employment of the habitual thoughts which visit human nature, and his soul remains in ecstasy by reason of those new encounters that arise from the sea of the scriptures mysteries.

Extended Inclusion

🠟

HOW THE TRUE FAITH HAS

COME DOWN TO US

and

KNOWING GOD

St. Silouan of the

Holy Mountain Athos

The soul of all peoples always felt

that God exists, even though they

didn't know enough to worship the

true God. The Holy Spirit, however,

taught the Prophets first, then the

Apostles, after them the Holy Fathers

and our bishops and so the true faith

has come down to us. We knew the Lord

through the Holy Spirit. And once

we knew him, our soul became fixed in him.

Know, you peoples, that we were made

in order to glorify God in heaven, and

don't attach yourselves to the earth.

Because God is our Father and He loves

us, His greatly desired children. People

who don't know grace, don't seek it.

People have become attached to the earth

and this is why most of them don't know

that there's nothing earthly which can

compare with the sweetness of the

Holy Spirit.

TO BELIEVE OR TO KNOW

St. Silouan of the

Holy Mountain Athos

To believe that God exists is one thing;

To know God is another. 

The soul that

comes to know God fully, not longer

desires anything else. Nor does it

attach itself to anything on the earth;

and if you put before it a Kingdom,

it would not desire it. For the love

of God gives such sweetness and joy

to the soul that even the life of a king

can no longer give it any sweetness.

In wisdom hast Thou made them all

Glory to Thee, O our God, Glory to Thee!