from St. John of Kronstadt
"The Lord turned and looked upon Peter . . . and Peter went out, and wept bitterly" (Luke xxii. 61, 62). And even now, when the Lord looks upon us we weep bitterly over our sins. Yes, our tears during prayer mean that the Lord has looked upon us with His gaze, that gives life to everything and trieth the hearts and reins. Ah! the soul is sometimes entangled and ensnared by sins, like a bird in the net! We do not sometimes see any outlet from our sins, and they torment us; the heart sometimes feels terribly anxious and sorrowful on account of them; but "Jesus looks upon us, and streams of tears flow from our eyes, and with the tears all the tissue of evil in our soul vanishes; we weep and rejoice that such mercy has been suddenly and unexpectedly sent to us; what warmth we then feel in our heart, and what lightness, as though we could fly up to the Lord God Himself! I thank the Lord with all my heart for freely forgiving all my sin (cf. Psalm ciii. 3)!
From My Life in Christ
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Hieromartyr Theodotus, Bishop of Cyrenia
Troparion, Tone 4
By sharing in the ways of the Apostles, you became a successor to their throne. Through the practice of virtue, you found the way to divine contemplation, O inspired one of God; by teaching the word of truth without error, you defended the Faith, even to the shedding of your blood. Hieromartyr Theodotus, entreat Christ God to save our souls.
Kontakion, Tone 3
You denounced the depths of false belief. With the Orthodox faith you wounded the delusion of idolatry. As a godly, whole burnt sacrifice, you refreshed the ends of the earth with your wonders! O holy hierarch Theodotus, our father, entreat Christ God to grant us great mercy!
Readings and Inspiration from the Diocese of Charleston Homepage
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