Humility, Obedience, and Love Towards All
“Compel yourself, my child, for the sake of your soul. Compel yourself to comfort the brethren, and the Lord will comfort you—He will give you His grace. Have patience, have patience. Let everyone treat you like dirt, and He will give you His grace. Great is he who has more humility. God gives grace to the person who has fear of God and obeys everyone like a small child and constantly seeks God’s holy will. Such a person never seeks that his own will be done, but the will of God and of the others. He always says, “As you wish, as you know best.” He does not give his own opinion because he considers himself lower than everyone. When they tell him to do something, he eagerly says, “May it be blessed.” So, my child, this is what you should do, too. This makes the demons tremble, flee far away, and not approach anymore. They are very afraid when they see humility, obedience, and love towards all.”
Elder Ephraim of Arizona
#humility #obedience #love
Friday June 13, 2025 / May 31, 2025
Afterfeast of Pentecost. Tone seven.
Fast-free Week. Fast-free
Apostle Hermes of the Seventy (1st c.).
Martyr Hermias at Comana (160).
New Hieromartyr Archpriest Philosoph Ornatsky with his sons Boris and Nicholas, in St. Petersburg (1918).
New Hieromartyrs Hierotheus, bishop of Nikolsk (1928), and his friend Hieroschemamonk Seraphim (Nikolsky) (1923).
Martyr Philosophus at Alexandria (252).
Martyr Marus the Magician who was converted on witnessing the martyrdom of Hermias.
Five Martyrs of Ascalon (Greek).
Martyrs Eusebius and Charalampus (Greek).
St. Eustathius, patriarch of Constantinople (1025).
Finding of the relics of New Martyr Nicholas the Deacon of Lesbos.
Translation of the relics (1591) of St. Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow (1569), to Solovki.
St. Philotheus, metropolitan of Tobolsk (1727).
The Scripture Readings
14
for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,
15
who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
16
in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
17
Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God,
18
and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,
19
and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,
20
an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.
21
You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal?
22
You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
23
You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?
24
For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.
25
For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
26
Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?
27
And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law?
28
For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;
29
but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
33
Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’
34
But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
35
nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36
Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
37
But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
38
You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
39
But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
40
If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
41
And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.