The Passion for Distractions
“A strange illness has appeared in our days: the passion for distractions. Never before was there such a desire for distractions; people have forgotten how to lead a serious life for the good of others; they have no spiritual life and are bored. They exchange the profound content of a spiritual life for distractions! What madness! It is here that pastors must deploy their strength: they must reintroduce into life its lost meaning and give back to the people the knowledge of the true purpose of life.”
Saint John of Kronstadt
#distraction #passion #orthodoxy
Wednesday January 15, 2025 / January 2, 2025
30th Week after Pentecost. Tone four.
Sviatki. Fast-free
Forefeast of the Theophany.
St. Sylvester, pope of Rome (335).
Righteous Juliana of Lazarevo (1604).
Repose (1833), the second finding of relics (1991) of Venerable Seraphim, wonderworker of Sarov.
New Martyr Basil (1942).
Venerable Sylvester of the Kiev Caves (12th c.).
Hieromartyr Theogenes, bishop of Parium on the Hellespont (320).
St. Gerasimus, patriarch of Alexandria.
Venerable Theopemptos.
St. Theodota, mother of the first Sts. Cosmas and Damian (3rd c.).
Venerable Mark the Deaf.
Martyr Sergius of Caesarea in Cappadocia (301).
Martyrs Theopistos.
St. Cosmas, archbishop of Constantinople (1081).
Venerable Ammon of Tabennisi, monk (5th c.).
New Martyr George (Zorzes) the Georgian (1770) (Greek).
The Scripture Readings
Matthew 11:27-30 Matins Gospel
27
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
28
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
1
For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.
2
For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.
3
But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
4
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
5
Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:”Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me.
6
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.
7
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come- In the volume of the book it is written of Me- To do Your will, O God.’ ”
8
Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law),
9
then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second.
10
By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11
And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
12
But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,
13
from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.
14
For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
15
But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,
16
This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,
17
then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
18
Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
28
Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”
29
Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.
30
‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
31
And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.
32
So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.
33
And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
34
Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But after that no one dared question Him.
35
Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?
36
For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:’The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ‘
37
Therefore David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his Son? And the common people heard Him gladly.
Galatians 5:22-6:2 Venerable
22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23
gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
24
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
1
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
2
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Luke 6:17-23 Venerable
17
And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,
18
as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.
19
And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.
20
Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God.
21
Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh.
22
Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake.
23
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
https://rumble.com/v6930tj-the-passion-for-distractions.html
https://old.bitchute.com/video/nCFD1znt8tv1/