The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn’t non-denominational – it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago.
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever!
Saints of the Day
June 20 / July 3. Hieromartyr Methodius, Bishop of Patara. Martyrs Aristocleus presbyter, Demetrian deacon, and Athanasius reader, of Cyprus. Martyrs Inna, Pinna, and Rimma, disciples of Apostle Andrew in Scythia. St. Leucius, Bishop of Brindisi. Holy Prince Gleb Andreevich. St. Nahum of Ochrida. Translation of the Relics of St. Gurias, Archbishop of Kazan. St. Callistus, Patriarch of Constantinople. Translation of the Relics and garments of Apostles Luke, Andrew and Thomas, the Prophet Elisha, and Martyr Lazarus, to the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Odigitria (Directress) at the Monastery of Xenophon on Mt. Athos.
Photo of the Day
The Holy Gospel Book that sits on the Holy Table in our temple.
Thought for the Day
“Let no one plead his incapacity to fulfill the commandments of the Gospel, for there are souls who have gone beyond the commandments. And you will certainly be convinced of what has been said by him who loved his neighbor more than himself and laid down his life for him, although he had not received this commandment from the Lord.”
St. John Climacus
Scripture Readings for the Day
Romans 11:25-36
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
34 “For who has known the mind of the LORD?
Or who has become His counselor?”
35 “Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?”
36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Matthew 12:1-8
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”
3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”