The Holy Hieromartyr Hermolaus and those with him; The Holy Venerable Woman-Martyr Parasceve.
Romans 12:1-3; Matthew 10:37-11:1.
Read Matthew 10:37-11:1
In our Lord’s call of discipleship, Jesus sets before us a path that does not merely rearrange our priorities, but it transfigures them. To love Him above all, even those dearest to us, is not a negation of love for others, but the purification of that love through the Cross. As St. John Chrysostom says “He who prefers father or mother to me, loves these as men, but the other as God” (Homily 35 on Matthew). This is not a rejection of family, but an elevation of love to its divine source.
St. Gregory of Nyssa writes, “The perfection of the soul consists not in fleeing the wickedness of life, but in acquiring the virtues of Christ” (Life of Moses). Following Christ, then, is not primarily about sacrifice, but transformation—becoming so conformed to Him that even our natural affections are illumined by Divine Love.
In a world so filled with divided loyalties and uncertain identities, this call remains clear. To belong to Christ entirely is to belong to others rightly. Anything less is to risk losing both.