All Saints of North America - 6/14/26
Sunday, June 14th, is the Second Sunday after Pentecost on which each local Orthodox Church around the world commemorates all the saints, known and unknown, who have shone forth in its territory. Accordingly, the Orthodox Church in America remembers the saints of North America (and of Russia - whose mission to Alaska planted the seeds of what became the OCA) on this day.
Saints of all times, and in every country are seen as the fulfillment of God’s promise to redeem fallen humanity. Their example encourages us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets us” and to “run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). The saints of North America also teach us how we should live, and what we must expect to endure as Christians.
Two of the most prominent Russian missionaries in Alaska were Saint Innocent Veniaminov and Saint Jacob Netsvetov, who translated Orthodox services and books into the native languages. Father Jacob Netsvetev died in Sitka in 1864 after a life of devoted service to the Church. Father John Veniaminov, after his wife’s death, received monastic tonsure with the name Innocent. He died in 1879 as the Metropolitan of Moscow.
On this day, we also remember:
the glorification of St. John of Kronstadt (1990)
Prophet Elisha (9th c. B.C.)
St. Methodius, Patriarch of Constantinople (847)
St. Mstislav (George), Prince of Novgorod (1180)
Ven. Methodius “Peshnosha” (1392)
Ven. Elisha of Sumsk (Solovétsky Monastery—15th-16th c.)
Ven. Niphon (Mt. Athos—1330).
Readings for Sunday, June 14th:
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who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
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quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
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Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
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Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.
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They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented –
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of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
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And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
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God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
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Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
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looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
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Great multitudes followed Him – from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
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And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.
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Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
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“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
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Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
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Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
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Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
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Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
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Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
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Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
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Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
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but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
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For there is no partiality with God.
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For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law
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(for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;
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for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,
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who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
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in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
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And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
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Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
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They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
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Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,
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and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
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And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
The Holy Scriptures are part of the Church’s Holy Tradition. Metropolitan Kallistos Ware of blessed memory wrote:
In the words of Father Alexander Schmemann, “A Christian is the one who, wherever he looks, finds everywhere Christ, and rejoices in Him.” This is true in particular of the biblical Christian. Wherever he looks, on every page, he finds everywhere Christ.
See Metropolitan Ware’s article How to Read the Bible for more on an Orthodox approach to scripture.