The Three Holy and Great Hierarchs Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom; The Holy Hieromartyr Hippolytus.
A day when the faithful are highly encouraged to participate in the Divine Liturgy. Hebrews 13:7-16; Matthew 5:14-19.
Read Matthew 5:14-19
Moving from outward observance to inward obedience is the main request that Christ makes of His followers. There is a significant difference between doing a task and doing it with love for God. It is possible for a person to simply perform an act and yet do it in a way that is spiteful. Perhaps we can recall moments when we did something that we were told to do but in a manner that was full of bitterness and wrath. Try to think of a moment when a parent asked a child to do something like take out the trash or mow the lawn and even though the child did what he or she was told to do, it was done in a manner that was filled with interior resentment. There are many times when we too experience this kind of interior resentment and let us recall that the Lord is fully aware of our inner disposition in these moments. Let us reflect on how true obedience is not about simply doing something but doing it with an intention that is respectful and loving even and especially when it is inconvenient or undesired.