Daily Bread
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Romans 1:28-2:9 (Epistle)
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,
30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;
32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.
3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?
4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”:
7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;
8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness – indignation and wrath,
9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;
Matthew 5:27-32 (Gospel)
27 You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
31 Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
“Surety of Sinners” Icon of the Mother of God of Korets
This ancient icon of the Mother of God "Surety of Sinners" of Korets was kept in the castle of the Korets Princes for a long time, and it was called "blessed."
After the death of Samuel, the last of the Orthodox Princes of Korets, his brother John offered to let his sister, Igoumeness Seraphima take the Icon from the Prince's chapel to Holy Resurrection Korets Maidens' Monastery. The solemn transfer of the Icon took place in 1622, on the Thursday after Pentecost. On that day, a Feast Day was established in honor of the "Surety of Sinners" Icon of Korets.
From 1752 to 1795, the fate of the Korets Icon was closely associated with the history of Korets Monastery, which was under the control of the Uniates. According to some reports, the Icon was moved several times during this period, and the "Surety of Sinners" Icon of Korets remained in the possession of the Catholics, who also revered it miraculous.
In 1795, by decree of Empress Catherine II, part of the Monastery was given to Orthodox nuns. The "Surety of Sinners" Icon of Korets was also returned to the Orthodox Monastery. On August 19, 1797 there was a fire in the Monastery. Some of the buildings were destroyed, but the wonderworking Icon was saved.
After the Monastery's restoration, the "Surety of Sinners" Icon was placed in the High Place1 in the new church of the Dormition, rebuilt with materials from the former trapeza. At this time a gilded silver oklad (with enamels) was made for the Icon.
After reconstruction and repairs in 1880, the consecration of Holy Trinity Monastery took place. The nuns of Holy Resurrection Monastery moved, and the Korets Holy Trinity Stavropegial Convent was formed. Its main shrine is the wonderworking "Surety of Sinners" Icon of Korets.
On August 17, 1998, Igoumeness Natalia (Ilchuk) of Korets Holy Trinity Monastery, sent a petition to Patriarch Alelxei II of Moscow and All Russia to include the Korets Icon of the Mother of God in its list of wonderworking icons of the Mother of God in the Patriarchal Church Calendar.
With the Patriarch's blessing, the celebration of the Korets Icon was approved. In November 2001, there was an attempt to steal the Icon, but the thieves managed to take only her precious oklad. Through public donations a new riza was made, which is a copy of the lost one.
More than once the wonderworking Icon revealed its grace-filled help for the suffering – in 1923, on the Feast of the Holy Trinity, a young man who was possessed by an unclean spirit was healed before the Icon. The following year, from the Feast of the Ascension until the Thursday after Pentecost, there were incessant showers in Volhynia. Miraculously, after a Cross Procession around the church with the Icon, the rain subsided.
How does one feel the presence of the Holy Spirit within oneself?
The Holy Spirit descended in a visible manner and came to rest on each of the apostles in the form of a tongue of fire. Why was this necessary? Precisely so that the world would learn that the Holy Spirit comes down to people.
In the great and tremendous phenomena of nature, we see the powerful force of the elements. In the hurricane, which flattens all before it, we see the terrible, mighty force of nature. In a powerful earthquake, when the earth opens wide and huge stone buildings collapse like cardboard, we have a taste of the mighty, immense force of nature.
And in this exceptional event of the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the apostles, the world saw and felt how powerful the grace of the Holy Spirit is. As you know, the same force of movement operates in the hurricane, to an incomparably greater degree and power as in the light, gentle and pleasant summer breeze. You know that all those forces that set in motion the astral world, under the effect of which all the stars of heaven move at dizzying speed, are the same forces that act in the movement of a microscopically small insect or of an ant. They’re also at work when a piece of fluff flies up into the air when there’s no wind.
All of this is the same. All these same forces, which appear sometimes with great, limitless power and, sometimes, to a weak, light and gentle degree. In the same way, the Holy Spirit descended with great force and energy onto the holy apostles on the day of Pentecost and continues to this day to come into the hearts of those who love the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who, with all their heart believe in the Holy Trinity, who will be elevated in spirit, having renounced evil and violence.
It’s with a light, discreet, imperceptible breath, not in the form of fiery tongues, not with the rush of a gust of wind, but silently and unperceivably that the Holy Spirit enters a pure heart, a heart that is worthy of him. Every pure, bright human spirit feels this light, intangible breath of the Holy Spirit. It feels it as silent joy, as wonderful peace and calm. This calm, which is linked to the joy, can’t be compared to anything else.
But those who are separated, infinitely far away from the Holy Spirit, who don’t know him, who don’t believe in God, who have chosen the path of evil rather than good, who’ve denied the grace of the Holy Spirit, who’ve chosen the way of criminality, violence, robbery, murder, the way of falsehood, slander, false witness and informing on their neighbor, those who have no love, those whose heart is filled with hate, such people will certainly never feel this joy, feel this peace, this profound happiness due to the sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit in their heart.
These people feel completely differently, quite the opposite, because, when people perform evil they are, as a consequence, in communion with the father of all evil, all falsehood, all impurity. They’re in touch with the devil and his angels, the demons. When people come under the spiritual influence of these foul enemies of God, then they feel in their heart something which is the opposite of that felt by pure, good and saintly people.
They feel a powerful burning in their heart, a profound unease which can never be alleviated and which torments them. There’s no peace in their heart. Demonic fire burns the unclean soul and the heart of these impure, wretched people.
So, shall we Christians not seek communion with the Holy Spirit with all our heart? Is it possible that we Christians will ever allow ourselves to be burnt by this wicked, demonic fire? God forbid that this should happen.
May the eternal peace, eternal calm and eternal joy of the Holy Spirit reign in your heart, which loves the Lord.
Amen.
This week’s calendar reminders:
Monday 6/9: Matins 8:30 a.m.; Stewards Meeting 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday 6/10: no services or events
Wednesday 6/11: no services or events
Thursday 6/12: Matins 8:30 a.m.
Friday 6/13: Matins 8:30 a.m.
Saturday 6/14: Women’s Group 9 a.m.; Catechumen Class 4:30 p.m.; Great Vespers 6 p.m.
Sunday 6/15: Hours & Divine Liturgy, Bryce Chrismation 9 a.m.
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Christ the Savior Orthodox Church is located in Southbury, Connecticut, and is part of the New England Diocese of the Orthodox Church of America.
Mailing address: Christ the Savior Church, 1070 Roxbury Road, Southbury, CT 06488
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Fr. Moses Locke can be reached at frmoseslocke@gmail.com