Wednesday, July 2 (June 19), 2025
Rom. 11:2-12; Mt. 11:20-26

The Lord showed many miracles in the towns of Capernaum, Bethsaida and Chorazin, but the number of believers was comparatively small.  That’s why He harshly denounced and judged those towns, saying: “It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon, for the land of Sodom, at the day of judgment, than for you” [Mt. 11: 21-24].

Likewise we need to judge ourselves.  How many signs and miracles has the Lord shown over Russia, delivering us from the strongest enemies and bringing many nations to our fold!  How many greatest miraculous treasures has He given us ─ in the holy relics and wonder-working icons all over our land!  And yet in our times Russians are turning away from the faith: some are plunging into complete disbelief, others are falling away into Protestantism, yet others are constructing some sort of a secret patchwork of beliefs, mixing all sources, from occult practices to fallacies of modern materialism, with the Divine Revelation.

Evil is spreading; superstitions and faithlessness are on the steep rise; Orthodox faith is waning. Are we going to come to our senses?... or to follow the French and others in the West?…  And if this indeed happens, what price do you think we will have to pay for this on the Judgment Day, after getting such gifts from God?   O Lord, save and deliver our land, the Orthodox Russia, from Thy righteous and just punishment!

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