Thursday
October 10
October 23 ns
2025
Holy Martyrs
Evlámpios and Evlampía,
Sýnaxis of the
14 Holy Elders of Óptina
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Holy Martyrs Evlámpios and Evlampía were brother and sister from Nicomedia.
During one of the terrible persecutions of Christians by Maximian some of the faithful fled Nicomedia and hid. The young Evlámpios was sent into the city to buy bread. There he saw the imperial edict decreeing the persecution of Christians posted on a wall. He laughed at it, removed it, and tore it up. He was arrested and immediately brought before the judge. When the judge advised him to deny Christ, Evlámpios counseled the judge to reject the false idols and to acknowledge Christ as the One Living God. The judge ordered that he be flogged for a long time until his blood flowed, and that he be tormented with other cruel tortures.
Hearing of her brother's suffering, the virgin Evlampía came running, and she, together with her brother, suffered for Christ. She was flogged until blood flowed from her nose and mouth. After that, they were thrown into boiling pitch, and then into a red-hot furnace, but by the power of the sign of the Cross and the name of Christ, they rendered the fire harmless. Finally Evlámpios was beheaded, but Evlampía died before being beheaded. Two hundred other Christians were also slain, who had come to believe in Christ upon witnessing the power and miracles of St. Evlámpios and his sister. All were crowned with martyrs' wreaths, and passed over into their eternal heavenly homeland.
Sýnaxis of the Fourteen Holy Elders of Óptina
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Philippians 3:1-8
King James Version
3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
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Saint Luke 9:7-11
King James Version
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead;
8 And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.
9 And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.
10 And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
11 And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.
SALVATION THROUGH GRACE
SAINT JOHN CASSIAN
❖ The thief who received the kingdom of heaven, though not as the reward of virtue, is a true witness to the fact that salvation is ours through the grace and mercy of God.
All of our holy fathers knew this and all with one accord teach that perfection in holiness can be achieved only through humility.
Humility, in its turn, can be achieved only through faith, fear of God, gentleness and the shedding of all possessions.
It is by means of these that we attain perfect love, through the grace and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory through all the ages. Amen.
From
THE ORTHODOX UNDERSTANDING
OF SALVATION
"THEOSIS"
Saint Silouan the Athonite
and Elder Sophrony of Essex
Christ is the measure of all things, both divine and human. Since the divine Ascension, our human nature has been raised up to the right hand of God the Father. As Father Sophrony points out, in His Divine Person, the Son and Word of God was of course always seated on the right hand of the Father, being consubstantial with Him. The divine purpose for the human race however is seen in the union of our human nature to the Divine Person of Christ the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, and it's being raised to the right hand of the Father.
St Paul the great apostle of the Word of God made flash, identifies the divine purpose of the incarnation with our adoption as sons of God: "But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them there were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Galatians 4:4-7).
In Christ Jesus therefore we encounter both true and perfect God and true and perfect man. In other words we see Him not only as the great God and Savior (St. Titus 2:13) but also what or who we have been called to become - sons and heirs of God the Father. In fact, the Lord Himself, quoting the Psalmist in response to the Jews' objection that he was making himself equal to God, says, "Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? (St John 10:34 and Psalm 82:6). And Saint Paul, pointing to the great mystery of the communion of all the members of the Body of Christ with one another explains that when "one member's glorified, all the members rejoice with it", (1 Cor.12:26).
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