†) Saint George of Cernica and Căldăruşani; Prophet Zephaniah; Healing of the blind man from Jericho (Fish permitted)

Healing of the blind man from Jericho

Luke 18: 35-42 (Gospel)

35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Saint George of Cernica

He was born in 1730, and became a monk on Mount Athos when he was a young man. He was a disciple of Saint Paisius Velichkovsky (November 15) who was then the igumen of Vatopedi Monastery.Since the skete at Cernica had been deserted for almost thirty years,

Metropolitan Gregory II of Wallachia asked Elder George to revive monastic life there according to the Athonite Typikon. Saint George’s efforts at Cernica were so successful that Metropolitan Philaret II also entrusted him with leading the Caldarușani Monastery, which he guided until his death. Life at both monasteries followed the Athonite-Paisian hesychastic tradition.

Saint George was glorified by the Romanian Orthodox Church in 2005. His holy relics are in the Cernica Monastery, where they are venerated by the faithful.

Troparion, tone 8:
The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Father, for you took up the Cross and followed Christ. By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh for it passes away but to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal. Therefore, your spirit, Venerable George, rejoices with the angels.

The Prophet Zephaniah (Sophonias)

He was a contemporary of the Prophet Jeremiah and the Prophetess Oldama. He was from the tribe of Simeon, and was the ninth of the Twelve Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. The prophet lived at the royal court, where he preached repentance and helped King Josiah eliminate idol-worship.

He prophesied about the calamities that were to come for the people of Judea and the surrounding regions: Gaza, Ascalon, Crete, and against the Moabites, the Ammonites and the Ninevites.

Troparion, tone 2:
We celebrate the memory of Your prophet Zephaniah, O Lord; through him we beseech You: “Save our souls.”

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