All Souls Saturday; The Holy Hieromartyr Basil, Presbyter of Ancyra. Day 20 of the Great Fast. Passing into eternal life (1924) of Fr. Isidore Dolnytsky, hymnographer, professor and spiritual father of Lviv and the Greek College in Rome.
Hebrews 10:32-38; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Mark 2:14-17; John 5:24-30.
Read Hebrews 10:32-38
St. Paul offers his audience, and us, reassurance. He begins by reminding them of the former days when, after their baptisms, they had endured a great contest of sufferings. The word contest in Greek is athesis, from the word athleo, from which we get the English word athlete. These Christians had proved themselves great spiritual athletes through persevering in the faith through persecution.
When things are getting difficult, St. Paul councils them to continue in their hope of the reward of eternity with Christ, encouraging them not to throw away their confidence. As we continue our journey through the Great Fast and as we are faced with the Cross, let us hold to the promise given to us—through the Cross to the Resurrection!
St. Ephraim the Syrian writes in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews:
Then, after he discouraged them from sinning, Paul returned to talk to them about the first topic, that is, that of the joy which was at the beginning of their discipleship. “Recall,” he says, “the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings.”