SUNDAY September 22
October 5 ns 2025
Today we honor with love
The Holy Hieromartyr Phocás,
Bishop of Sinópe;
St. Cosmás of Zográphou
Phocas exercised himself in all the Christian virtues from his youth. As bishop in his birthplace, the town of Sinope on the shores of the Black Sea, he strengthened the faith of the true believers by his example and divine words and converted many idol-worshipers to the true Faith. The hard-hearted pagans were filled with rage against holy Phocas. Through a vision granted him by the Lord, he foresaw his martyrdom: Phocas saw a white dove fly down from heaven carrying a beautiful wreath of flowers in its beak, and lowered the wreath onto his head. And Phocas heard a voice, saying: "Your cup is full and you should drink it!'' From this vision the God-pleaser realized that he was soon to suffer for Christ. He was not afraid, but with gratitude toward God prepared himself for suffering.
Soon after, a certain prince, Africanus, took Phocas for interrogation, and subjected him to harsh tortures. The torturers beat and wounded his whole body, and after a time of imprisonment threw him into boiling water, where this brave soldier of Christ ended his earthly life and settled in the joy of his Lord. Phocas suffered during the reign of Emperor Trajan.
Orthros - Saint Luke 24:36-53 KJV
36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
43 And he took it, and did eat before them.
44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 KJV
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
7 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Saint Luke 5:1-11 KJV
5 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
THE LIFE OF YOUR LIFE
~ Saint Justin Popovich
To feel the Lord Christ as the soul of your soul, as the life of your life – this is the immortality of man, for it ensures the endlessness and infinity of thought, the very sensation of life. For a true Christian, immortality is natural and logical, since endlessness and infinity is with him and in him. This is what ensures and makes possible the endless moral improvement, bringing a Christian towards God, the Center of every vastness, all infinity and perfection.
If you think, if you feel, if you act as if you have already risen from the dead, then you are already participating in that divine-human progress; you have already conquered death and entered eternal life. Indeed, believing in the risen Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart, with all your soul and with your thought already makes you a conqueror of death and partaker of eternal life.
Extended Inclusions
INTELLIGENCE
~ Saint Anthony the Great ~
“Men are often called intelligent wrongly. Intelligent men are not those who are erudite in the sayings and books of the wise men of old, but those who have an intelligent soul and can discriminate between good and evil. They avoid what is sinful and harms the soul; and with deep gratitude to God they resolutely adhere by dint of practice to what is good and benefits the soul. These men alone should truly be called intelligent.”
“The truly intelligent man pursues one sole objective: to obey and to conform to the God of all. With this single aim in view, he disciplines his soul, and whatever he may encounter in the course of his life, he gives thanks to God for the compass and depth of His providential ordering of all things. For it is absurd to be grateful to doctors who give us bitter and unpleasant medicines to cure our bodies, and yet to be ungrateful to God for what appears to us to be harsh, not grasping that all we encounter is for our benefit and in accordance with His providence. For knowledge of God and faith in Him is the salvation and perfection of the soul.”
NO NEED TO PROSELYTIZE
~ Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica ~
He who has the Kingdom of God within himself
will imperceptibly pass it on to others.
The atmosphere of Heaven will radiate from us
even when we keep silence or talk about
ordinary things.
GOD IS EVERYWHERE
~ St. John Chrysostomos ~
God is everywhere
you decide whether you
are close to Him or not.
OVERCOME PRIDE
~ St. Seraphim of Sarov ~
It seems to me that pride is
unobscured and only clearly
seen within one's self as it is
overcome by humility.
And once true humility is
acqured, we come to
KNOW the Father
as REVEALED by Christ.
WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST
FLESH AND BLOOD
~ St. Paisios of Athos ~
Don't believe your thoughts; neither
when they tell you that you are terrible,
nor when they tell you that you are a saint.
EVERYONE HAS A CONSCIENCE
~ St. John of Kronstadt ~
Do not be irritated with those who sin or those
who offend; do not have a passion for noticing
every sin in your neighbor and judging him, which
we are in the habit of doing. Everyone will give an
answer to God for himself. Everyone has a conscience;
everyone hears God's Word and knows God's Will, either
from books or from conversations with other people.
Especially do not look with evil intention upon the sins
of your elders, which do not regard you.
"To his own master he standeth or falleth."
Correct your own sins, amend your own life
MADE OF THE SAME STUFF
~ St. Nikolai Velimirovich ~
Be humble, for the worst thing inthe world is of the same stuff as
you; be confident, for the stars are
of the same stuff as you.
The soul of all peoples always felt
To believe that God exists is one thing;
WHY AFFLICTIONS
~ St. Silouan of Athos
The Lord loves mankind but He
sends affliction that we may perceive
our weakness and humble ourselves
and for this humility, we receive the
Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit all
things are good, all things are joyful,
all things are well.
HOW THE TRUE FAITH HAS
COME DOWN TO US
COME DOWN TO US
~ St. Silouan of 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 KNOW THE FATHER
~ St. Silouan of Athos ~
To believe that God exists is one thing;
To know God is another.
The soul that comes to know God fully,
no 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.
Anecdote
When prayer comes from love in the heart, a connection is made.
And when you pray to Christ, you pray to and for ALL MANKIND, in heaven and on earth. Don't wonder at these words but instead ask yourself, is He not the new Adam? Is He not the Son of Man?
And when you pray to Christ, you pray to and for ALL MANKIND, in heaven and on earth. Don't wonder at these words but instead ask yourself, is He not the new Adam? Is He not the Son of Man?
Did He not say that if we receive the least among us,
we receive Him?
And when a connection is made in prayer, you will love it more than all things due to the presence of Divinity. And when occupied at times with worldly things, you will yearn to leave what you are doing and go to Him in prayer because you know He is there with Treasure for you.
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