27 Mai 2027
Thursday of the 4th Sunday of Pascha

No Fast

Commemorations

Martyr Isidore of Chios (251)
Our Holy Father Serapion the Sindonite (5th c.)
Blessed Isidore the Fool for Christ (1484)

Scripture Readings

Acts 10.34-43 (Epistle)

34Atunci Petru a început să vorbească şi a zis: „În adevăr, văd că Dumnezeu nu este părtinitor, 35ci că, în orice neam, cine se teme de El şi lucrează neprihănire este primit de El. 36El a trimis Cuvântul Său fiilor lui Israel şi le-a vestit Evanghelia păcii, prin Isus Hristos, care este Domnul tuturor. 37Ştiţi vorba făcută prin toată Iudeea, începând din Galileea, în urma botezului propovăduit de Ioan; 38cum Dumnezeu a uns cu Duhul Sfânt şi cu putere pe Isus din Nazaret, care umbla din loc în loc, făcea bine şi vindeca pe toţi cei ce erau apăsaţi de diavolul; căci Dumnezeu era cu El. 39Noi suntem martori a tot ce a făcut El în ţara iudeilor şi în Ierusalim. Ei L-au omorât, atârnându-L pe lemn. 40Dar Dumnezeu L-a înviat a treia zi şi a îngăduit să Se arate, 41nu la tot norodul, ci nouă, martorilor aleşi mai dinainte de Dumnezeu, nouă, care am mâncat şi am băut împreună cu El după ce a înviat din morţi. 42Isus ne-a poruncit să propovăduim norodului şi să mărturisim că El a fost rânduit de Dumnezeu Judecătorul celor vii şi al celor morţi. 43Toţi prorocii mărturisesc despre El că oricine crede în El capătă, prin Numele Lui, iertarea păcatelor.”

John 8.12-20 (Gospel)

12Isus le-a vorbit din nou şi a zis: „Eu sunt Lumina lumii; cine Mă urmează pe Mine nu va umbla în întuneric, ci va avea lumina vieţii.” 13La auzul acestor vorbe, fariseii I-au zis: „Tu mărturiseşti despre Tine însuţi: deci mărturia Ta nu este adevărată.” 14Drept răspuns, Isus le-a zis: „Chiar dacă Eu mărturisesc despre Mine însumi, totuşi mărturia Mea este adevărată; căci Eu ştiu de unde am venit şi unde Mă duc, dar voi nu ştiţi nici de unde vin, nici unde Mă duc. 15Voi judecaţi după înfăţişare; Eu nu judec pe nimeni. 16Şi chiar dacă judec, judecata Mea este adevărată, pentru că nu sunt singur, ci Tatăl, care M-a trimis, este cu Mine. 17În Legea voastră este scris că mărturia a doi oameni este adevărată: 18deci despre Mine însumi mărturisesc Eu, şi despre Mine mărturiseşte şi Tatăl, care M-a trimis.” 19Ei I-au zis deci: „Unde este Tatăl Tău?” Isus a răspuns: „Voi nu Mă cunoaşteţi nici pe Mine, nici pe Tatăl Meu. Dacă M-aţi cunoaşte pe Mine, aţi cunoaşte şi pe Tatăl Meu.” 20Isus a spus aceste cuvinte pe când învăţa pe norod în Templu, în locul unde era vistieria; şi nimeni n-a pus mâna pe El, pentru că încă nu-I sosise ceasul.

Commemorations

Martyr Isidore of Chios (251)

A devout Christian from his early youth, he was kidnapped from his native Chios and impressed into the army. When he openly confessed himself a Christian, his commander ordered him to make sacrifice to the gods. When he resolutely refused, the commander ordered him to be beaten with iron flails, then had his tongue cut out. But even without a tongue, Isidore was miraculously enabled to speak, and clearly proclaimed the name of Christ. At the same moment, the commander was struck mute. The commander then ordered by signs that Isidore be beheaded. Isidore went to his death rejoicing and praising God. This occurred during the persecutions of the Emperor Decius.

Our Holy Father Serapion the Sindonite (5th c.)

“ ‘Sindon’ means ‘linen cloth,’ and this saint was called ‘the Sindonite’ because he covered his naked body only with a linen cloth. He carried the Gospels in his hand. Serapion lived like the birds, with no roof and no cares, moving from one place to another. He gave his linen cloth to a poor wretch who was shivering with cold, and himself remained completely naked. When someone asked him: ‘Serapion, who made you naked?’, he indicated the Gospels and said: ‘This!’ But, after that, he gave away the Gospels also for the money needed by a man who was being hounded to prison by a creditor in debt. [note: Gospel books were all hand-written, and were uncommon and valuable.] At one time in Athens, he did not eat for four days, having nothing, and began to cry out with hunger. When the Athenian philosophers asked him what he was shouting about, he replied: ‘There were three to whom I was in debt: two have quietened down, but the third is still tormenting me. The first creditor is carnal lust, who has tormented me from my youth; the second is love of money, and the third is the stomach. The first two have left me alone, but the third one still torments me.’ The philosophers gave him some gold to buy bread. He went to a baker, bought a single loaf, put down all the gold and went out. He went peacefully to the Lord in old age, in the 5th century.” (Prologue)

Blessed Isidore the Fool for Christ (1484)

He was German by birth but, drawn to the Orthodox faith, he moved to Rostov and not only became Orthodox, but took on the podvig of folly for Christ. He lived in complete destitution, spending the days pretending madness and the nights in prayer. Many wonders were performed by this Saint even in his lifetime. When he died in his meager hut in 1484, the people of Rostov smelled a fragrant odor throughout the city. A merchant whom he had miraculously saved from drowning built a church in the place where his hut had stood.