At Tabenissi monastery, any penance St. Theodore the Sanctified (May 16/ May 29) assigned to his brethren, he also completed the same for himself.
At the age of twelve, looked upon a festive meal of delicacies prepared by his family for the feast of Theophany. He told them, “If you enjoy this food, you will not enter into eternal life.”
At the age of twelve, looked upon a festive meal of delicacies prepared by his family for the feast of Theophany. He told them, “If you enjoy this food, you will not enter into eternal life.”
"Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" (John 4:29)
The Sunday of the Samaritan Woman by Jacob's well commemorates the woman who, tradition tells us, was named Photini (or Photine, Photina, Svetlana), which means "light" (Φωτεινός). She is sometimes called the first evangelist since after her encounter with Christ at the well, she told her townspeople that she had met the Christ.
"Now if a woman of Samaria is so eager to learn something profitable; if she stays with Christ though not yet knowing Him, what pardon shall we obtain? ... We know Him ... yet are unable to endure anything that is said, but are jaded in our knowledge.
+ St John Chrysostom
Great-Martyr Photini, Equal-to-the-Apostles, pray to Christ for the salvation of our souls
The Sunday of the Samaritan Woman by Jacob's well commemorates the woman who, tradition tells us, was named Photini (or Photine, Photina, Svetlana), which means "light" (Φωτεινός). She is sometimes called the first evangelist since after her encounter with Christ at the well, she told her townspeople that she had met the Christ.
"Now if a woman of Samaria is so eager to learn something profitable; if she stays with Christ though not yet knowing Him, what pardon shall we obtain? ... We know Him ... yet are unable to endure anything that is said, but are jaded in our knowledge.
+ St John Chrysostom
Great-Martyr Photini, Equal-to-the-Apostles, pray to Christ for the salvation of our souls
☦️ I will come into Your house in the greatness of Your mercy: and in fear I will worship toward Your holy temple. Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before me, that with a clear mind I may glorify You forever, One Divine Power worshiped in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. ☦️
The holy and glorious Martyr Thomais of Alexandria is called upon for those wanting to be set free from lusts and other impurities.
St Thomais died at the hands of her father-in-law for refusing his sexual advances. Before being killed by him she declared, “Even if you cut me to pieces, I shall not stray from the commandments of the Lord.”
At the time of her burial at Oktodekadian monastery near Alexandria, some monks were scandalized by the burial of a woman there. St Daniel of Skete, who was visiting the monastery at the time, replied, “She is a mother to me and to you, because she died for her chastity.”
Holy womanmartyr Thomais, pray to Christ our God that we may be freed from every lust and impurity.
St Thomais died at the hands of her father-in-law for refusing his sexual advances. Before being killed by him she declared, “Even if you cut me to pieces, I shall not stray from the commandments of the Lord.”
At the time of her burial at Oktodekadian monastery near Alexandria, some monks were scandalized by the burial of a woman there. St Daniel of Skete, who was visiting the monastery at the time, replied, “She is a mother to me and to you, because she died for her chastity.”
Holy womanmartyr Thomais, pray to Christ our God that we may be freed from every lust and impurity.
I have sinned more than the harlot who, on learning where You were, brought myrrh and came boldly to anoint Your feet, my God,
my Master and my Christ. As You did not turn her away when she came with her heart, so O Word, turn me not away but give me Your feet to hold, to kiss and to anoint boldly with a stream of tears as a precious ointment. Wash me with my tears, O Word and cleanse me with them! Remit my transgressions and grant me forgiveness.
my Master and my Christ. As You did not turn her away when she came with her heart, so O Word, turn me not away but give me Your feet to hold, to kiss and to anoint boldly with a stream of tears as a precious ointment. Wash me with my tears, O Word and cleanse me with them! Remit my transgressions and grant me forgiveness.
“I come to You, O Christ,
Blind from birth in my spiritual eyes
And I call to You in repentance:
You are the most radiant light of those in darkness!”
The miracle described in the Gospel reading (John 9:1-38), for the Sunday of the Blind Man (Sixth Sunday of Pascha), is even more remarkable than it might seem at first.
St Basil and other Fathers tell us that our Lord didn't just give sight to a blind man born "who was blind from his birth" (John 9:1). He placed clay in the man’s empty sockets and told him to wash in the pool of Siloam. When the blind man, did this, the eyes of clay became living eyes!
Saint Demetrius of Rostov, in his Great Synaxarion, mentions that the blind man's name was Celidonius. One tradition ascribes to St. Celidonius the founding of the Christian church at Nîmes in Gaul (present-day France).
Blind from birth in my spiritual eyes
And I call to You in repentance:
You are the most radiant light of those in darkness!”
The miracle described in the Gospel reading (John 9:1-38), for the Sunday of the Blind Man (Sixth Sunday of Pascha), is even more remarkable than it might seem at first.
St Basil and other Fathers tell us that our Lord didn't just give sight to a blind man born "who was blind from his birth" (John 9:1). He placed clay in the man’s empty sockets and told him to wash in the pool of Siloam. When the blind man, did this, the eyes of clay became living eyes!
Saint Demetrius of Rostov, in his Great Synaxarion, mentions that the blind man's name was Celidonius. One tradition ascribes to St. Celidonius the founding of the Christian church at Nîmes in Gaul (present-day France).