The holy martyr Anthimus, bishop of Nicomedia in Bithynia, and his companions, martyrs in the persecution of Diocletian the emperor in the year 303. In fact, a whole crowd followed St. Anthimus as he received the glory of martyrdom by beheading for the sake of his confession of Christ. Some of his companions were martyred by beheading, some burned up by fire, and finally, some were put in boats and drowned at sea.
Our venerable father Theoctistus of Palestine was the companion of our venerable father Euthymius the Great. They were persons of similar virtue and holiness, and they encouraged one another in their struggles. They went out to the desert for the Great Fast and discovered a cave where they planned to live in seclusion for the rest of their lives. The Lord had other plans, and they were discovered by a shepherd who spread the word of the ascetics living in a cave. Many monks from other monasteries came to visit them, and some stayed to be instructed by them. So many monks gathered that they built a lavra, and St. Theoctistus became the igumen there. The wise Theoctistus accepted all who came to him, confessing them and treating the infirmities of their wounded souls with appropriate spiritual remedies. When he had reached an advanced old age, St. Theoctistus became very ill. St. Euthymius (who was 90 years old himself) visited him and took care of him. St Theoctistus went to the Lord in 467.
You shared in the apostles’ way of life and succeeded to their throne, divinely inspired bishop. You found access to contemplation in the active life. Therefore, you rightly taught the word of truth and struggled for the faith to the shedding of your blood. O Priest-Martyr Anthimus, pray to Christ our God to save our souls.
Your abundant tears made the wilderness bloom, and your sufferings made your labors fruitful a hundredfold; you became a shining torch over the world. O Theoctistus, our father, pray to Christ our God that He may save our souls.
You stood out among bishops and traveled the road to martyrdom. You became an opponent of pagan idol worship and the protector of your flock. O God-wise one. Therefore, we now honor you, crying out in spirit: Deliver us from dangers through your intercession. O ever-memorable Anthimus.
You joined the great Euthymius in the desert, and you became an angel on earth with your good works. O Father, you cleanse the hearts of the faithful by the power of wonderful signs. We venerate you with love for this, O Theoctistus.
2 Corinthians 9:12 – 10:7
Brothers and sisters: the administering of this [charity collection] not only supplies the needs of the members of the church but also overflows in much gratitude to God. Because of your praiseworthy service they are glorifying God for your obedient faith in the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with all. They pray for you longingly because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
I, Paul, exhort you be the meekness and kindness of Christ, I who (you say) when present in your midst am lowly, but when absent am bold toward you. I beg you that when I am there, I may not have to act boldly, with that assurance I might dare to use courageously against certain ones who accuse us of weak human behavior. We do indeed live in the body but we do not wage war with human resources. The weapons of our warfare are not merely human. They possess God’s power for the destruction of the strongholds. We demolish sophistries and every proud pretension that raises itself against the knowledge of God; we likewise bring every thought into captivity to make it obedient to Christ. We are ready to punish disobedience in anyone else once your own disobedience is perfect. You view things superficially. If anyone is convinced that he belongs to Christ, let him reflect on this: he may belong to Christ but just as much as we do.
Mark 3: 20-27
At that time Jesus returned to the house with the Twelve and again the crowd assembled making it impossible for them to get any food whatever. When his family heard of this they came to take charge of him, saying, “He is out of his mind”; while the scribes who arrived from Jerusalem asserted, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,: and “He expels demons with the help of the prince of demons.” Summoning the scribes, Jesus then began to speak to them by the way of examples: “How can Satan expel Satan? If a kingdom is torn by civil strife, that kingdom cannot last. If a household is divided according to loyalties, that household will not survive. Similarly, if Satan has suffered mutiny in his ranks and is torn by dissension, he cannot endure; he is finished. No one can enter a strong man’s house and despoil his property unless he has first put him under restraint. Only then can he plunder the house.”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Tuesday, September 2 –
