Prayer is the Double-Edged Sword
“Prayer is the double-edged sword that slays despair, saves from danger, assuages grief. Prayer is a preventive medicine for all diseases of soul and body.”
Elder Ephraim of Arizona
#prayer #soul #orthodoxy
Monday May 19, 2025 / May 6, 2025
Fifth Week of Pascha. Tone four.
Righteous Job the Long-suffering.
Venerable Micah, disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh (1385).
Venerable Job, abbot and wonderworker of Pochaev (1651).
Martyrs Barbarus the Soldier, Bacchus, Callimachus, and Dionysius, in Morea (362).
Martyr Barbarus the former robber in Epirus (9th c.).
Translation of the relics (1675) of Venerable Pachomius of Nerekhta (1384).
St. Edbert, bishop of Lindisfarne (698) (Celtic & British).
Venerable Seraphim of Mt. Domvu (Greek).
Translation of the relics (1238) of Venerable Sava I of Serbia (Serbia).
Venerable Sinaites of Serbia: Romil of Ravanica, Romanos of Ravanica, Sisoje of Sinai and Sisojevac, Martirije of Rukumije, Grigorije of Gornjak, Zosim of Tuman and Gregory of Sinai.
Sts. Mamas, Pachomius and Hilarion, monks (Greek).
Martyrs Demetrius, Danax, Mesiurs, Therin, and Donatus (Greek).
The Scripture Readings
12
So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
13
And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer.
14
When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate.
15
But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”
16
Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
17
But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place.
42
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
43
Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.
44
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
45
But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.
46
Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?
47
He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.
48
Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
49
Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.
50
And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.
51
Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.