Fasting Rules
Meat
Abstain
Fish
Abstain
Dairy
Abstain
Oil
Allowed
Wine
Allowed
Saints & Commemorations
St Moses of Ethiopia (400)
He is also called Moses the Black. He was a slave, but was cast out by his master due to his evil life. He then became the leader of a murderous band of robbers in Egypt. He came to repentance and took up monastic life in the desert under St Isidore of Sketis. For many years he struggled tirelessly, through prayer, fasting and vigils, with lustful and violent thoughts; he was finally freed of them through the prayers of St Isidore.
He is also called Moses the Black. He was a slave, but was cast out by his master due to his evil life. He then became the leader of a murderous band of robbers in Egypt. He came to repentance and took up monastic life in the desert under St Isidore of Sketis. For many years he struggled tirelessly, through prayer, fasting and vigils, with lustful and violent thoughts; he was finally freed of them through the prayers of St Isidore. He was revered by all the brethren for his ascetical life, his wisdom, and his deep humility. Once a brother committed some sin and the monks gathered to judge him. Moses at first refused to go at all, but when they insisted, he filled an old, leaky basket with sand and carried it into the assembly on his back. When the brethren asked him what his action meant, he said “My sins run out behind me, and I do not even see them, and I have come to judge my brother.” The monk was forgiven. In time the fame of this humblest of monks spread so far that kings and bishops traveled into the desert to seek his wisdom and his blessing. In his old age, he was warned that a band of brigands was coming to attack the Skete. He refused to leave saying, “It is written: he who lives by the sword shall die by the sword.” So, mindful that he had slain others by the sword, he willingly awaited his own murder. Six other monks who remained with him were also slain.
Righteous Anna the Prophetess (1st c.)
Righteous Hezekiah, King of Judah (691 BC)
New Hieromartyr Chrysostom, metropolitan of Smyrna (1922)
Repose of Elder Joseph the Hesychast of Mt Athos (1959) (August 15 OC)
Born on the island of Paros in 1898, he entered monastic life in 1921 in response to a heavenly vision. Traveling to Mt Athos he first lived the communal monastic life, but later moved to a Skete for greater solitude. There he received the gift of ceaseless prayer. Elder Joseph and his companion in struggle, Elder Arsenios, moved to St Anne’s Skete, where they remained for the rest of their lives. H
Born on the island of Paros in 1898, he entered monastic life in 1921 in response to a heavenly vision. Traveling to Mt Athos he first lived the communal monastic life, but later moved to a Skete for greater solitude. There he received the gift of ceaseless prayer. Elder Joseph and his companion in struggle, Elder Arsenios, moved to St Anne’s Skete, where they remained for the rest of their lives. Here a small company of disciples slowly gathered around them. Many of these, like silent Apostles, have spread out through the Orthodox world, contributing much to its spiritual renewal.
Ven. Job of Pochaev
Scripture Readings
☩Epistle
2 Corinthians 11:5-21
5
For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
6
But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
7
Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
8
I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
9
And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
10
As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11
Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
12
But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
13
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
16
I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.
17
That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
18
Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
19
For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
20
For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
21
I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
☩Gospel
Mark 4:1-9
1
And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.
2
And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
3
Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
4
And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
5
And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
6
But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8
And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
9
And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Liturgical data sourced from OCA.org and orthocal.info