SUNDAY
January 19
New Style February 1 2026
The Publican and the Pharisee
Saint Makarios of Egypt;
St. Mark, Metropolitan of Ephesus;
St. Melétios of Mt. Galésion
His humility amazed both men and demons. A demon once said to him: "There is only one thing in which I am unable to overpower you. It is not in fasting; for I do not eat anything. It is not in vigils; for I never sleep." "But, what is it?" asked Makarios. "Your humility" answered the demon.
Makarios often spoke to Paphnutios, his disciple: "Do not judge anyone and you will be saved." Makarios lived to be ninety-seven years old. Nine days before his death, St. Anthony and St. Pachomios appeared to him from the other world and informed him that he would die within nine days, which happened. Also, before his death, Makarios had a vision in which a cherubim revealed to him the blessed heavenly world, commended his effort and his virtue and said to him that he was sent to take his soul into the Kingdom of Heaven. He died in the year 390 A.D.
+IN BLESSED MEMORY
Orthros Saint Matthew 28:16-20 KJV
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
2 Saint Timothy 3:10-15 KJV
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Saint Luke 18:10-14 KJV
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
2 Saint Timothy 3:10-15 KJV
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Saint Luke 18:10-14 KJV
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
How far is Paradise?
Christ is Paradise and also is His Name.Spend all your time with Him and . . .
On Victory Over The Worldby Beloved Saint Nikolai
“In the world ye shall have tribulation;, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (St John 16:33).
The Conqueror of the World, the One and Only, with these words teaches His followers not to fear the world.
Indeed, the world appears very strong; however, is not the One Who created the world stronger than the world?
Christ is Paradise and also is His Name.
The world is very frightening for him who does not know that God rules the world, and that He has the authority to hold it in existence as long as He wills and to return it into nonexistence whenever He wills. But to him who knows this, the world is not frightening.
Compared to Christ the Lord, this world is as a fabric woven of weakness itself; while in Christ the Lord, there is not a single weakness. To him who does not know this, the world is frightening; but he who knows it has no fear of the world.
The world has loaned us a body, and because of this it wants to acquire our soul. How can the world overpower us if we stand as soldiers of the Conqueror of the world?
The Conqueror of the World gives us weapons for the battle. By His example He teaches us how to fight, reveals the hidden enemy, shows us the path of attack and retreat, holds us in His hand, protects us under His wing, preserves us with His Life-giving Body, and gives us to drink of His Life-giving Blood. Moreover, He encourages us by crying out: “Take courage!” Brethren, what then can the world do when its defeat is sealed by the victory of Christ?
O Lord, the Conqueror of the World and our victorious Commander, be close to us always, that we may not become frightened; and direct us, that we may always be close to Thee in heart, mind and soul.
Examples of meekness in enduring assaults, such as we find in the Holy Fathers, are simply amazing.
Returning once to his cell from a journey, Macarius the Great saw a certain thief removing his belongings from his cell and loading them onto a donkey. Macarius did not say anything to him, but rather began to help him conveniently load all the things onto the donkey, saying to himself: For we brought nothing into this world (I St Timothy 6:7).
Another elder, when thieves stole everything from his cell, looked around and noticed that they had not taken a bundle with money which lay hidden somewhere, and immediately took this bundle, called out to the thieves and gave that to them also. Again, a third elder came across thieves as they were robbing his cell and cried out to them: “Hurry, hurry before the brothers come, that they may not prevent me from fulfilling the commandments of Christ: Of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again (St Luke 6:30).
To Thee O Lord and Savior be glory and praise forever. Amen.
By God's grace it will soon come!
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