Saturday
March 8/21 ns 2026
Great Lent
Fast Day
Wine & Olive oil
St. Theophylact the Confessor,
Bishop of Nicomedia
“The Lord shows us that we ought not to answer those who ask a question with malicious intent (St. Mt. 21:23-27). For He Himself did not reply to those Jews who questioned Him with cunning, although He was not at a loss for an answer.”
When the emperor's advisor Tarásios, as a layman, was elected Patriarch of Constantinople, then with him and from him, many of his friends, admirers, and others of the laity received the monastic tonsure. Among them was Theophylact. Tarásios appointed him Bishop of Nicomedia. As a bishop, Theophylact was a good shepherd to his entrusted flock and proved to be exceptionally filled with compassion toward the less fortunate and indigent.
After the death of St. Tarásios, the Patriarchal Throne was occupied by Nicephorus and shortly after that, the Imperial Throne was occupied by Leo the Armenian, who was an Iconoclast and, as such, raised up a absolute storm in the Church of Christ. Even though Iconoclasm had been anathematized by the Seventh Ecumenical Council [Nicaea, 783 A.D.], nevertheless, Emperor Leo re-instated it and by this wanted to supplant Orthodoxy. Saint Theophylact opposed the emperor to his face and, when the emperor would not yield, Theophylact said to him, "O emperor, violent injury will unexpectedly befall you, and you will not find anyone who will save you from it." Because of these words and by the order of the emperor, Theophylact was ousted from his position and banished into exile, where he spent thirty years undergoing many hardships and insults and, where, in the end, he rendered his soul to the Lord about the year 845 A.D.
Hebrews 6:9-12 KJV
9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Saint Mark 7:31-37 KJV
31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;
37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
ON THE LAW OF GOD
by St. Philaret of New York
Section 26
The Unity of Love for God and for Neighbor
Ascending from our most simple obligations to our highest, we rise to their apex - our obligations in relationship to God.
According to the clear, precise directions of the Holy Scripture, our main obligation to God is to love Him. This commandment was expressed in the Old Testament with the words, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ said of this command, "This is the first and greatest commandment."
To this commandment of God's law, our Savior bound a second - love for neighbor. He said of this commandment that it is "like unto the first," that is, love for neighbor is like love for God. The Holy Church, being founded on the words of the Lord, has always set forth the following order in the moral obligations of man: lowest of all are the obligations to oneself. Therefore, love for oneself must be sacrificed in the name of love for God and neighbor. Love for one's neighbor takes precedence over love for oneself, but it is subject to the highest love - love for God Whom we must love most of all.
There is a contemporary theory that great love for God hinders one's love for neighbors. The proponents of this theory claim that man must make the relationship with neighbors his primary concern. By this, they claim, one fulfils one's obligation of love for God. People who advocate this theory are usually set against the struggles of the anchorite life. From their point of view, the anchorite's mode of life is a manifestation of egoism and dislike for others. In their opinion, the anchorite is a person who is occupied exclusively with himself and the salvation of his own soul, and does not think about others at all.
No one will dispute the fact that in serving one's neighbors, a Christian serves God. More than that, love for neighbor is the proof of love for God, as the Beloved Apostle says, "He who says: 'I love God, but hate my brother,' is a liar; for if one does not low one's brother whom one sees, how can one love God Whom one does not see?" In serving our neighbors, we serve God, for we fulfil his law of love.
Nevertheless, it is even more certain that our love for God can never hinder our love for neighbors. God is love (1 Jn.8:16). By loving God, we lift ourselves up to a higher spiritual atmosphere, an atmosphere of love and a new "inspiration of life." The heart of an Orthodox Christian is filled with such divine love and radiates it everywhere and upon everyone. Thus, contrary to the novel opinion cited above, love for God does not obstruct love for neighbors, but on the contrary, strengthens and deepens it.
An excellent clarification of this bond between love for God and neighbor is given by one of the great Orthodox strugglers, Abba Dorotheos. He gave the illustration that mankind is like the rim of a wheel. God is the hub, and each person is like a spoke. If we look at a wheel, we notice that the closer the spokes come to the hub, the closer they come to one another. But man can come close to God and neighbor only through love. It is clear that if one loves God, one will inevitably love one's neighbors.
In the history of Orthodox asceticism, we repeatedly see how strugglers, inflamed with love for God, left the world with its temptations. They did this according to the instructions of the apostle of love, John the Theologian, who said, "Do not love the world or the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (I Jn. 2:15). It is wrong to think that the ascetics renounced their love for people in the world. Not at all. They themselves constantly pointed out that they departed not from people, but from the sins available in the world, from the temptations of a sinful, worldly life. They love their brethren in this world incomparably more than those who have remained in this world and participated in its sins. It should not be forgotten that the solitude of these strugglers has always been filled with prayer - and Christian prayer is not merely about oneself, but also about others. History records for us the following incident in the life of St Pachomios the Great, a native of Alexandria. Once, while living in the desert, he learned that the city of Alexandria was being ravaged by famine and epidemic. He spent several days in tears, not even eating the meager ration of food which he allowed himself His novices begged him to eat and restore his strength but St Pachomios replied, "How can I eat when my brethren do not have bread?" How far are even the best of us from such love and commiseration?
Such love for God is not only the summit of a Christian's moral ascent, but it is also the basis of his spiritual existence. Without love there cannot be any spiritual life, struggle, virtue.
The highest service of Christian love is the pastor's service, and it can be fulfilled only by one who can love Christ. This is the reason that our Savior Himself, in calling Apostle Peter to pastorship, asked him, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" Orthodoxy is a religion of love. "By this they will recognize you that you are My disciples, if you have love amongst you." said the Lord. Here, His words are about mutual Christian love of people for one another, and also about filial love, and child-like devotion to Him Whom the Gospel constantly calls, "Our Heavenly Father." Therefore, the basis of a truly Christian life is a heart which believes in God and is devoted to Him in a child-like manner, and penetrated by a sincere gravitation to Him, as to the loving and beloved Father.
According to the clear, precise directions of the Holy Scripture, our main obligation to God is to love Him. This commandment was expressed in the Old Testament with the words, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ said of this command, "This is the first and greatest commandment."
To this commandment of God's law, our Savior bound a second - love for neighbor. He said of this commandment that it is "like unto the first," that is, love for neighbor is like love for God. The Holy Church, being founded on the words of the Lord, has always set forth the following order in the moral obligations of man: lowest of all are the obligations to oneself. Therefore, love for oneself must be sacrificed in the name of love for God and neighbor. Love for one's neighbor takes precedence over love for oneself, but it is subject to the highest love - love for God Whom we must love most of all.
There is a contemporary theory that great love for God hinders one's love for neighbors. The proponents of this theory claim that man must make the relationship with neighbors his primary concern. By this, they claim, one fulfils one's obligation of love for God. People who advocate this theory are usually set against the struggles of the anchorite life. From their point of view, the anchorite's mode of life is a manifestation of egoism and dislike for others. In their opinion, the anchorite is a person who is occupied exclusively with himself and the salvation of his own soul, and does not think about others at all.
No one will dispute the fact that in serving one's neighbors, a Christian serves God. More than that, love for neighbor is the proof of love for God, as the Beloved Apostle says, "He who says: 'I love God, but hate my brother,' is a liar; for if one does not low one's brother whom one sees, how can one love God Whom one does not see?" In serving our neighbors, we serve God, for we fulfil his law of love.
Nevertheless, it is even more certain that our love for God can never hinder our love for neighbors. God is love (1 Jn.8:16). By loving God, we lift ourselves up to a higher spiritual atmosphere, an atmosphere of love and a new "inspiration of life." The heart of an Orthodox Christian is filled with such divine love and radiates it everywhere and upon everyone. Thus, contrary to the novel opinion cited above, love for God does not obstruct love for neighbors, but on the contrary, strengthens and deepens it.
An excellent clarification of this bond between love for God and neighbor is given by one of the great Orthodox strugglers, Abba Dorotheos. He gave the illustration that mankind is like the rim of a wheel. God is the hub, and each person is like a spoke. If we look at a wheel, we notice that the closer the spokes come to the hub, the closer they come to one another. But man can come close to God and neighbor only through love. It is clear that if one loves God, one will inevitably love one's neighbors.
In the history of Orthodox asceticism, we repeatedly see how strugglers, inflamed with love for God, left the world with its temptations. They did this according to the instructions of the apostle of love, John the Theologian, who said, "Do not love the world or the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (I Jn. 2:15). It is wrong to think that the ascetics renounced their love for people in the world. Not at all. They themselves constantly pointed out that they departed not from people, but from the sins available in the world, from the temptations of a sinful, worldly life. They love their brethren in this world incomparably more than those who have remained in this world and participated in its sins. It should not be forgotten that the solitude of these strugglers has always been filled with prayer - and Christian prayer is not merely about oneself, but also about others. History records for us the following incident in the life of St Pachomios the Great, a native of Alexandria. Once, while living in the desert, he learned that the city of Alexandria was being ravaged by famine and epidemic. He spent several days in tears, not even eating the meager ration of food which he allowed himself His novices begged him to eat and restore his strength but St Pachomios replied, "How can I eat when my brethren do not have bread?" How far are even the best of us from such love and commiseration?
Such love for God is not only the summit of a Christian's moral ascent, but it is also the basis of his spiritual existence. Without love there cannot be any spiritual life, struggle, virtue.
The highest service of Christian love is the pastor's service, and it can be fulfilled only by one who can love Christ. This is the reason that our Savior Himself, in calling Apostle Peter to pastorship, asked him, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" Orthodoxy is a religion of love. "By this they will recognize you that you are My disciples, if you have love amongst you." said the Lord. Here, His words are about mutual Christian love of people for one another, and also about filial love, and child-like devotion to Him Whom the Gospel constantly calls, "Our Heavenly Father." Therefore, the basis of a truly Christian life is a heart which believes in God and is devoted to Him in a child-like manner, and penetrated by a sincere gravitation to Him, as to the loving and beloved Father.
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T O D A Y ' S
ANECDOTE
"The heart of an Orthodox Christian is filled with such divine love and radiates it everywhere and upon everyone."
Dear Orthodox Christian, Does the quote above from St. Philaret, describe you?
Archives
- I personally think that one reason all the planets are round is to send us a message, the message being that no matter where you go, you end up where you started. If you desire a destination, transcend "mammon" while you have "time".
- Being familiar with the immense power of desire, must we obey? On occasion, we wake from a dream thankful, thankful that it wasn’t real
- God gave woman a smile that is all her own
- God's love is so deep that He can endure and love all of His creation - past, present and future, men and women, who pay no attention to Him at all.
- Isn't it time to admit and show regret and sorrow? We have a lifetime to do so! How long is that?
- Only He Who is beyond male or female can Create male and female.
- Make no mistake, to put on Christ through Holy Baptist is a wedding garment. We can be no less than be married to our Lord Jesus Christ in order to be one with Him. The pearls, jewels and embroidery on this wedding garment are the jewels and ornaments of self-denial, the Cross lying across our shoulders, the same Cross of the same love and forgiveness Christ showed all mankind no matter how brutal, no matter how hateful, no matter how estranged from Him we are.
- Make no mistake, this is a garment that cannot be put on at the last moment when we meet our Creator Christ - it will not fit over the obesity of our attachments to the temporary life, to the attachments of our desire for material things, all of which must have been shed.
- Make no mistake !! This life, although only somewhat of a facsimile, since it is temporary, is not a life of continual fear but one that can blossom into the love of God and neighbor - our ticket to entry into the bridal chamber called Paradise Eternal. In unfailing love, we remain clothed in our baptismal garment throughout our lives and therefore found to radiantly beautiful in the image of Christ when we meet Him face to face.
- Our Lord inspired those who would hear Him with words and acts that would guard and protect, that would guide us and help us maintain our wedding garments. If you have no use for their words or example, what are you saying to Christ? Are you saying He inspired them in vain?
- En guarde! Satan never sleeps and never prays. He hates God and hates every one of us. He lurks in the shadows,; silently and relentlessly attacking. He doesn't want us to hear God but wants us to hear and obey only him. He knows Christ speaks to us continually but can only be heard in stillness.
- Why do you read what they saints say? Why do you believe what thy say? Simple: because you believe God speaks through the prophets! No? You claim you do! Reread the Nicene Creed!
- Love: Experienced, but has only one definition, obtained by revelation.
- Anyone who has fallen in love knows that once it happens, it needs no reminding, no prompting, no reasoning, no examination because it is unfathomably simple and constantly experienced/treasured and inexplicable. You wake in it, you sleep in it, it never wavers. And in many cases, it is mutual.
- Such it is with Christ. However, when we seek with all our heart to love Him, it tis the ecstasy of worship and is always mutual.
- If and again if desired, a taste is given and one is on the way.
- Christ gave you a head start didn’t He? How? In His love He gave you life didn’t He?
- Don't judge yourself by how well you follow the rules or how poorly others do, simply love God with all your heart and you will follow Him as you should because when you genuinely love Him, He will correct any failure you make, and, in addition He will confirm for you that you have pleased Him and that you really do love Him and all others! Do you want to feel you truly love God or would you rather than He, Himself confirm it for you directly? Can we ask for more?
Now wait just a minute!
Saint John 15:5 KJV
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.- If we can do nothing without Christ why do we credit or glorify ourselves for our accomplishments? He quickens all of us and all things. Pleasing Him is a great form of gratitude.
- From where does fruit get its color, its sweetness, its nutrients? Is it not by accepting what comes from the vine that it becomes beautiful, delicious and nutritious! Are we who follow Christ, expected to be like Him. Did He not say that we are made in His image?
- We must stop giving ourselves credit. What we have, has been given as a gift otherwise why would our Lord say, "... for without me you can do nothing.". What we do with what He gives, is what's profitable because it glorifies the Giver who is Christ our Father Who in turn glorifies us because it is His pleasure.
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