☦ Orthodox Calendar — Julian calendar
Gregorian calendarJulian calendar☦ Saints of the day
- Ven. Thomas of Mt Maleon
📜 Life of the saint
Venerable Thomas of Mount Maleon is remembered in the Orthodox tradition as a monk who lived a life of asceticism on Mount Maleon in Greece. His name appears in the Church's liturgical calendar, though historical records concerning his life are sparse. Little is reliably known beyond his monastic dedication and the place of his earthly struggle. He is venerated as one of the many anonymous servants of God who sought the Kingdom through humility, prayer, and quiet obedience within the monastic community. His feast day is observed on October 12 according to the Julian calendar. The Church honors this memory not for any extraordinary deeds recorded in history, but for the simple, steadfast witness of a life wholly offered to God in the hiddenness of the monastic cell, embodying the enduring call to repentance and spiritual watchfulness. - Holy Martyr Kyriake of Nicomedia (289)
📜 Life of the saint
Holy Martyr Kyriake of Nicomedia suffered martyrdom in the year 289 during the fierce persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian. She was a young woman of noble birth in Nicomedia, a city in Bithynia. When the persecutors demanded that she offer sacrifice to the pagan gods, she steadfastly refused, declaring her unwavering faith in Christ, the true God. For this confession of faith, she was subjected to severe torture and ultimately executed. Her martyrdom stands as a powerful witness to the courage of the early Church in the face of imperial wrath. The Church venerates her memory not for any specific, well-documented miracle, but for her simple, resolute witness to Christ, choosing death rather than denying her Lord. She is honored as a shining example of the faithful who remained steadfast in the darkest hour of persecution. The Church commemorates her to strengthen the faithful in their own witness to the Gospel.
📖 Readings of the day
Epistle — 1 Corinthians 9.13-18
13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
15 But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
Gospel — Matthew 16.1-6
1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.
6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
✠ Continuous Gospel reading
Matthew 23 KJV
1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, {that} observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay {them} on men's shoulders; but they {themselves} will not move them with one of their fingers.
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, {phylacteries: pieces of parchment containing sentences of the law}
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, {even} Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no {man} your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, {even} Christ.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in {yourselves}, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
16 Woe unto you, {ye} blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17 {Ye} fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. {guilty: or, debtor, or, bound}
19 {Ye} fools and blind: for whether {is} greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier {matters} of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. {anise: Gr. dill}
24 {Ye} blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 {Thou} blind Pharisee, cleanse first that {which is} within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead {men's} bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 {Ye} serpents, {ye} generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and {some} of them ye shall kill and crucify; and {some} of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute {them} from city to city:
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, {thou} that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under {her} wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed {is} he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
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