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Daily Orthodox - January 29th, 2025

Today is Wednesday of the 32nd Week after Pentecost.

Fasting Obligations

  • OCA, GOARCH, Antioch: Strict fast.

Today, we commemorate...

  1. The Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer, bishop of Antioch (107)

The principal feast of St. Ignatius is celebrated in winter, on December 20. On this date we commemorate the translation of his relics from Rome, where he suffered martyrdom, to Antioch, where he had earlier been bishop. When St. Ignatius was summoned to Rome to account for his faith before Emperor Trajan, he was accompanied on this long journey by several citizens from Antioch, who were motivated by a great love toward their wonderful archpastor. Since he would never deny his faith in Christ, this saint of God, who abhorred all the adulation and promises of Emperor Trajan, was condemned to death and thrown to wild beasts in the Circus Maximus. The wild beasts tore him apart, and he surrendered his soul to God. His companions then gathered his exposed bones, took them to Antioch, and honorably buried them. When the Persians captured Antioch in the sixth century, the relics of St. Ignatius were again translated from Antioch to Rome.

  1. The Holy Martyrs Romanus, James, Philotheus, Hyperechius, Abibus, Julian and Paregorius

They all suffered martyrdom for the Lord Jesus Christ in Samosata during the reign of Emperor Maximilian, in the year 297. Philotheus and Hyperechius were aristocrats and the others were young men of noble birth. The pagans inflicted a terrible death upon them, hammering nails into the heads of each of them. They suffered martyrdom honorably and entered into eternal joy.

  1. The Venerable Lawrence of the Monastery of the Kiev Caves

Saint Lawrence began his monastic life at the Lavra of Kiev in the first half of the twelfth century. Lawrence voluntarily chose the life of a recluse, following the examples of the earlier recluses Isaac and Nicetas. However, he guarded himself against the diabolical delusions which befell the other two in the beginning. With great abstinence, prayer and divine contemplation, Lawrence attained a high state of perfection. He learned from a terrified demon that, of the 118 monks in the Monastery of the Caves, 30 had been given by God authority over evil spirits. Saint Lawrennce later became Bishop of Turov (1182). Lawrence went to the Lord in the year 1194.

  1. St. Barsimaeus the Confessor, bishop of Edessa (2nd c.)

  2. Hieromartyrs Silvanus, bishop of Emesa, the deacon Luke, and the reader Mocius (Mucius) (312)

  3. St. Aphrahates the Persian, hermit, of Antioch (370)

  4. St. Gildas the Wise, abbot, of Rhuys, Brittany (ca. 570)

  5. St. Severus, bishop of Bourges (591)

  6. St. Ashot Kuropalates of Tao-Klarjeti, Georgia (829)

  7. St. Ignatius, bishop of Smolensk (1210)

  8. St. Andrew (Rublev), iconographer, of the Spaso-Andronikov Monnastery (Moscow) (1430)

  9. Sts. Gerasimus (1441), Pitirim (1455), and Jonah (1470), bishops of Perm

  10. New Martyr Demetrius of Chios, at Constantinople (1802)

  11. (Greek cal.: Martyrs Sarbelus [Thathuil] and his sister Bebaia, of Edessa [98-138])

For more information on today's saints or commemorations not provided, see https://www.oca.org/saints/lives (Slavic) and/or https://www.goarch.org/chapel (Greek).

Reflection

Reflections are added when it includes additional stories from the life of a saint commemorated today.

The more a man advances in spiritual knowledge and in purification of the heart, the more it appears to him that the depth in which he finds himself is even lower than he had previously thought, and that the height to which he strives is even higher. When one spiritual giant, who was on his deathbed, heard that his companions were praising him because of his great asceticism, he began to weep, and said: "My children, I have not even begun my spiritual life. [ed. note: This sounds like the words of St. Sisoes the Great.] When St. Ignatius the God-bearer lay chained in the dungeon, he wrote to the Ephesians: "I do not command you as though I were someone significant. Even though I am in chains for the name of Jesus Christ, nevertheless, I still have not perfected myself in Him. Now I am beginning to be His disciple, and I speak to you as to an assembly of my teachers."

Daily Scriptures

Slavic and Greek
  • Epistle: James 3:11-4:6

<11> Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? <12> Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. <13> Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. <14> But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. <15> This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. <16> For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. <17> But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. <18> Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. <1> Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? <2> You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. <3> You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. <4> Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. <5> Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"? <6> But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

  • Gospel: Mark 11:22-26

<22> So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. <23> For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. <24> Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. <25> "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. <26> But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

Greek
  • Epistle: Hebrews 10:32-38

<32> But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: <33> partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; <34> for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. <35> Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. <36> For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: <37> "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. <38> Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."

  • Gospel: Mark 9:33-41

<33> Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?" <34> But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. <35> And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." <36> Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, <37> "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me." <38> Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us." <39> But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. <40> For he who is not against us is on our side. <41> For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

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