Friday
October 10/23 ns / 2026
~ Fast day ~
• Holy Martyrs Evlámpios and Evlampía,
• Sýnaxis of the Fourteen Holy Elders
of Óptina
of Óptina
🕀
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
🕀
2 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Saint Luke 7:31-35 KJV
31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
32 They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.
34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
35 But wisdom is justified of all her children.
Occasionally comments are received from readers and are very much appreciated:2 were received this morning Friday 10/23ns/2026THANK YOU!#1 "Today’s vignette is a wonderful illustration of God’s beauty and love. If we are willing to break our heart open to the instruction of our Lord nothing but beauty lies with in . If I stay in constant prayer that beauty is shown to me continually."#2 "Ask and you will receive, I ask for forgiveness and Joy."
Saint Macarius of Optina
At the beginning of the call to the spiritual life, the Lord visits a person with His grace and various consolations, but afterwards He withdraws them and casts him into the fire of diverse temptations and sorrows, so that our self-loving and glory-loving disposition would be completely reduced to ashes by the fire of temptation, and would not trust in itself and its works but in the mercy and love of God. Humility is a great blessing!
Everyone needs the fire of temptations in order to be tried and instructed in patience. One must look at things with the point of view that Divine Providence is caring for our salvation: one person requires more, another requires less trials for patience and instruction, and for another, the time has not yet come.
Do not despair when you experience severe trials: these are necessary for instruction in the spiritual life. Strive to find blame in yourself, but do not blame any of your neighbors.
Let us humble ourselves and implore the help of God. He can help one who is tempted, for He Himself was tempted.
Ukraine/Russia:
This conflict involves significant military operations and has resulted in a high number of casualties and widespread impact. It's one of the largest conflicts in terms of international involvement and geopolitical implications.
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Israel vs Hamas):
This conflict has escalated with severe impacts on civilians and involvement from regional players. The United States backs Israel, while Iran supports Hamas. This conflict has broader implications for the Middle East region.
War in Yemen (US & UK's Involvement Against Houthi Rebels):
This conflict, though primarily a civil war within Yemen, has significant international involvement, especially from the Saudi-led coalition supported by the US and UK, and has caused a substantial humanitarian crisis.
Sudan Internal Conflict:
This war has resulted in thousands of deaths and millions displaced, significantly impacting the region's stability.
Myanmar's Internal Conflict:
Following the military coup, this conflict has intensified with various ethnic and political groups involved, causing significant regional instability and humanitarian concerns.
Ethiopia's Internal Conflicts:
With rebellions in different regions and rising tensions with Eritrea, this conflict has serious implications for the Horn of Africa region.
Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh:
This conflict has seen military escalations and significant displacement of people, affecting the stability of the South Caucasus region.
U.S.-China Tensions:
While not an active war, the rising tensions, especially over Taiwan and in the South China Sea, are significant due to the military and economic might of both nations.
Sahel Region Conflict (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso):
Involves coups and insurgencies with jihadist groups, significantly impacting the West African region.
Haiti's Gang Violence:
Although not a conventional war, the severity of gang violence and the potential for international intervention make this situation critical.
Ecuador's Struggle Against Drug Trafficking:
This is more an internal security challenge than a conventional war, but it has significant implications for the region.
Mexico's Challenges with Drug Cartels:
Similar to Ecuador, this is an internal security issue with significant impacts on public safety and governance.
Political Polarization in the United States:
While this is not a conventional military conflict, the risk of political violence and domestic terrorism, especially surrounding the presidential election, is a significant concern.
Everyone needs the fire of temptations in order to be tried and instructed in patience. One must look at things with the point of view that Divine Providence is caring for our salvation: one person requires more, another requires less trials for patience and instruction, and for another, the time has not yet come.
Do not despair when you experience severe trials: these are necessary for instruction in the spiritual life. Strive to find blame in yourself, but do not blame any of your neighbors.
Let us humble ourselves and implore the help of God. He can help one who is tempted, for He Himself was tempted.
This vignette is from 2024
How are we doing now in 2026?
Take time to ask the Mother of God, in love and prayer,
to intercede in behalf of a perfidious world.
To offer the Akathist to the Theotokos,
If you have no prayers to offer, then who will?
Ukraine/Russia:
This conflict involves significant military operations and has resulted in a high number of casualties and widespread impact. It's one of the largest conflicts in terms of international involvement and geopolitical implications.
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Israel vs Hamas):
This conflict has escalated with severe impacts on civilians and involvement from regional players. The United States backs Israel, while Iran supports Hamas. This conflict has broader implications for the Middle East region.
War in Yemen (US & UK's Involvement Against Houthi Rebels):
This conflict, though primarily a civil war within Yemen, has significant international involvement, especially from the Saudi-led coalition supported by the US and UK, and has caused a substantial humanitarian crisis.
Sudan Internal Conflict:
This war has resulted in thousands of deaths and millions displaced, significantly impacting the region's stability.
Myanmar's Internal Conflict:
Following the military coup, this conflict has intensified with various ethnic and political groups involved, causing significant regional instability and humanitarian concerns.
Ethiopia's Internal Conflicts:
With rebellions in different regions and rising tensions with Eritrea, this conflict has serious implications for the Horn of Africa region.
Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh:
This conflict has seen military escalations and significant displacement of people, affecting the stability of the South Caucasus region.
U.S.-China Tensions:
While not an active war, the rising tensions, especially over Taiwan and in the South China Sea, are significant due to the military and economic might of both nations.
Sahel Region Conflict (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso):
Involves coups and insurgencies with jihadist groups, significantly impacting the West African region.
Haiti's Gang Violence:
Although not a conventional war, the severity of gang violence and the potential for international intervention make this situation critical.
Ecuador's Struggle Against Drug Trafficking:
This is more an internal security challenge than a conventional war, but it has significant implications for the region.
Mexico's Challenges with Drug Cartels:
Similar to Ecuador, this is an internal security issue with significant impacts on public safety and governance.
Political Polarization in the United States:
While this is not a conventional military conflict, the risk of political violence and domestic terrorism, especially surrounding the presidential election, is a significant concern.
No comments:
Post a Comment