The Church Calendar and Our Spiritual Maturation
One of the most spiritually profitable discoveries for me, personally, was when I started, as a new Orthodox Christian, the observance of the liturgical calendar. Each day of the year I was carried along with the cycle of commemorations that brought to life various events in the life of Christ. The calendar provided me with daily scripture readings that quenched my thirst. Furthermore, the historical memory of the Church as lived out in the various periods of fasts and feasts, allowed me to experience a Christianity that was vibrant and meaningful.
An important element in the calendar, I discovered, was the daily commemorations of Christian saints and martyrs. These saints came alive with each day’s offering, allowing me a chance to emulate in my own life the lives of those who’d already won the battle, and had acquired holiness in the Lord. It was the daily commemoration of the saints that allowed me to remember the mystical connection between the Church Militant here on earth, and the Church Triumphant in heaven.
Just as a general of the army studies the military maneuvers of past generals in preparation for leading his men into battle, so I could study the saints who’d triumphed in spiritual warfare. As I wanted to struggle more faithfully in my own spiritual quest to deepen my love for God, I needed to look no further than the lives of the saints to find inspiration.
The Church calendar became my personal connection with the pulse of the Church, and allowed me to enter into a relationship with Christ that had previously been limited. I came to know the importance of immersing myself into the life of the Church, following the daily cycle of the saints, reading the scriptures appointed for each day, and preparing for the great feasts of the Church by entering into the fasting periods as posted on the calendar.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photos: The first photo shows the holy table within the altar of the monastery’s temple. The second photo is of Subdeacon Gideon Pete of Holy Resurrection Church (OCA) in Tacoma, who joined us for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul Liturgy. The third photo shows Hieromonk Paul censing those in attendance.
Tuesday July 13, 2021 / June 30, 2021
4th Week after Pentecost. Tone two.
Synaxis of the Holy, Glorious and All-praised Twelve Apostles: Peter, Andrew, James and John the sons of Zebedee, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Jude the brother of James, Simon the Zealot, Matthias.
Synaxis of All Saints of Birobidzhan Diocese.
New Hieromartyrs Alexis Vedensky, Timothy Petropavlovsky priests and Martyr Nicander Prusak (1918).
New Hieromartyr Theogenes (1939).
New Hieromartyr Milan Popovic of Rmanj, Serbia (1940s).
Martyr John (1944).
Venerable Peter the Prince of Ordinsk, Rostov (1290).
Glorification (1918) of St. Sophronius, bishop of Irkutsk (1771).
“Balikin” (1711) and “Gorbanevsk” (1786) Icons of the Mother of God.
St. Andrew, prince of Bogoliubsk (1174).
New Martyr Michael (Paknanas) the Gardener of Athens (1770) (Greek).
Translation of the relics of the Great-martyr Stephen-Urosh III of Dechani, Serbia (1338).
St. Gelasius of Rimef (Transylvania) (14th c.).
Martyr Peter of Synope (Greek).
Martyr Meleton (Greek).
Martyr Basilides the Soldier at Alexandria (202).
Holy Queen Dinar (10th c.) (Georgia).
St. Stephen of Omsk (1876).
St. Martial, bishop of Lomoges (3rd c.).
The Scripture Readings
Romans 10:11-11:2
11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Israel Rejects the Gospel
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed:
“Their sound has gone out to all the earth,
And their words to the ends of the world.”
19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says:
“I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation,
I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.”
20 But Isaiah is very bold and says:
“I was found by those who did not seek Me;
I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”
21 But to Israel he says:
“All day long I have stretched out My hands
To a disobedient and contrary people.”
Israel’s Rejection Not Total
11 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,
Matthew 11:16-20
16 “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying:
‘We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not lament.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
Woe to the Impenitent Cities
20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:
We have the Church calendar and the business calendar which I think is important. On the old calendar for example I like that St Nicolas is separate from Christmas Day. In the new calendar having these to days the same has given too much room for gift giving to become commercialized to the point of taking over Christmas too much. This is one of many things that impressed me with the calendar. I agree its important to follow the daily calendar of saints and readings to learn and be on a rythm in the Church together. Of course we have our favorite saints and we are drawn to them for a reason. Thankyou & very nice photos!
God bless…