Tuesday, June 2 / May 20 (Church Calendar)

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever!

23rd Annual Monastery PilgrimageBeginning with the Feast of Saint Olav of Norway, Tuesday, August 11th, and Concluding with the Patronal Feast of the Monastery, The Feast of the All-Merciful Saviour, Friday, August 14th (August 1st, Old Style). Camping space is available in the Monastery’s Saint Seraphim’s Wood, and there are many B&B’s available on the island. Those who wish to do so, may camp through the weekend.

Saints of the Day

May 20 / June 2. Martyr Thalalaeus at Aegae in Cilicia, and his companions, Martyrs Alexander and Asterius. Opening of the Relics of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow and wonderworker of All Russia. Martyr Asclas of Egypt. St. Thalassius the Myrrh-giver of Libya. Saints Nicetas, John, and Joseph, monks of Chios. St. Dovmont-Timothy, prince of Pskov. (Greek Calendar: St. Mark the hermit. St. Stephen, abbot of ‘Piper’ in Serbia. St. Dodo, disciple of St. David of Georgia.) Repose of Schemamonk Cyriacus of Valaam, 1798.

Photo of the Day

Hammie, our Norwegian Forest Cat, is the official greeter of the Monastery. Everyone who visits us meets Hammie, who rushes forth to welcome one and all. He seems to think he is the real abbot of the monastery, and sometimes I think he is. The whole monastic community charishes him, as the most loving member of our community.

Thought for the Day

“Of a truth our natural passions were in harmony with nature and above nature in Christ. For they were stirred in Him after a natural manner when He permitted the flesh to suffer what was proper to it: but they were above nature because that which was natural did not in the Lord assume command over the will. For no compulsion is contemplated in Him but all is voluntary. For it was with His will that He hungered and thirsted and feared and died.”

St. John of Damascus.

Scripture Readings for the Day

Acts 21:26-32

Arrested in the Temple

²⁶ Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.
²⁷ Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, ²⁸ crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” ²⁹ (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
³⁰ And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. ³¹ Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. ³² He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

John 16:2-13

² They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. ³ And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. ⁴ But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.
“And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

⁵ “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ ⁶ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ¹¹ of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
¹² “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.