Perfection In Process
“In proportion to your humility, you are given patience in your woes; and in proportion to your patience, the burden of your afflictions is made lighter and you will find consolation; in proportion to your consolation, your love of God increases; and in proportion to your love, your joy in the Holy Spirit is magnified. Once men have truly become His sons, our tenderly compassionate Father does not take away their temptations from them when it is His pleasure to ‘make for them a way to escape’ (1 Cor. 10:13), but instead He gives His sons patience in their trials. All these good things are given into the hand of their patience for the perfecting of their souls.”
Saint Isaac the Syrian
#patience #love #christian
Friday February 14, 2025 / February 1, 2025
Week of the Publican and the Pharisee. Tone eight.
Fast-free Week. Fast-free
Forefeast of the Meeting of Our Lord
Martyr Tryphon of Campsada near Apamea in Syria (250).
New Hieromartyr Archpriest Peter Skipetrov, of Petrograd (1918).
New Hieromartyr Nicholas priest (1938).
Martyrs Perpetua, a woman of Carthage, and the catechumens Saturus, Revocatus, Saturninus, Secundulus, and Felicitas (202-203).
Venerable Peter of Galatia, hermit near Antioch in Syria (429).
Venerable Vendemianus (Bendemianus), hermit of Bithynia (512).
Venerable Tryphon, bishop of Rostov (1468).
St. Brigid of Ireland (523) (Celtic & British).
St. Seiriol, abbot of Penmon (Anglesey) (6th c.) (Celtic & British) .
St. Basil, archbishop of Thessalonica (895) (Greek).
Venerable Timothy the Confessor (Greek).
New Martyr Anastasius at Nauplion (1655) (Greek).
Martyrs Theion with 2 children at Kariona (Greek).
Martyr Elias the New of Damascus (779).
Sts. David (784), Symeon (843), and George (844), confessors of Mitylene.
The Scripture Readings
7
Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.
8
Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
9
He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
10
He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
11
But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
12
I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13
I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.
14
I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.
15
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16
For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world.
17
And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
]3
And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.
4
But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted?
5
For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor. And they criticized her sharply.
6
But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.
7
For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.
8
She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.
9
Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.
Saturday Reading
2 Timothy 3:1-9
1
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3
unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4
traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5
having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
6
For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,
7
always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8
Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;
9
but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.
46
Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts,
47
who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.
1
And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury,
2
and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.
3
So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all;
4
for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.