Tuesday. [Col. 1:1-2, 7-11; Luke 8:1-3] The Lord preaches, the women serve Him from their substance, and are thus as participants in his very preaching. It is not given to ev?eryone to preach the Gospels, but everyone can help spread them, and be participants in this most impor?tant matter on the earth. There were many such participants, both men and women, at the time the ho?ly apostles preached; and then at the time of their successors, and fi?nally, throughout the entire history of the Church. Such participants ex?ist to this day. Our apostles in the Caucasus and in various areas of Si?beria labour zealously, suffering ev?ery need and deprivation. They con?tinue the work of the Lord and the holy Apostles. Those men and wo?men who send them help join the ranks of the women who served the Lord, and become worthy of equal recompense. The Lord said: He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiv?eth Me (John 13:20). This means that He equates Himself with the one who is sent to preach; it would fol?low that He equates the service ren?dered to his messengers with serv?ing Him. According to the law of His goodness and truth, the way a per?son receives one determines the re?ward he will receive (Matt. 10:41). This would seem to be sufficient in?centive to keep giving alms to help in the great work of preaching of the Gospels.
Saint Theophan the Recluse