Orthodox Daily Devotional
Orthodox Daily Devotional
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Today’s Commemorations
- Apostles of the Seventy: Archippus and Philemon, and Martyr Apphia (1st century)
- Martyrs Maximus, Theodotus, Hesychius, and Asclepiodota, of Adrianopolis (305–311)
- Sts. Eugene and Macarius, Presbyters and Confessors, at Antioch (363)
- Venerable Dositheus of Palestine, disciple of Venerable Abba Dorotheus (7th century)
- St. Rabulas of Samosata (ca. 530)
- Venerable Theodore of Sanaxar (1791)
Scripture Readings
Jude 1:11–25
11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;
13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,
15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.“
16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.
17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:
18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.
19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction;
23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.
Luke 23:2–34, 44–56
2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”
3 Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered him and said, “It is as you say.”
4 So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man.”
5 But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.”
6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean.
7 And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him.
9 Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.
10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.
11 Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.
12 That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.
13 Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people,
14 said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him;
15 no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.
16 I will therefore chastise Him and release Him“
17 (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).
18 And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”—
19 who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.
20 Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them.
21 But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”
22 Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.”
23 But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.
24 So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.
25 And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
26 Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.
27 And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.
28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
29 For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’
30 Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’
31 For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?“
32 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death.
33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.
44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last.
47 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”
48 And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned.
49 But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
50 Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man.
51 He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God.
52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.
54 That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.
55 And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid.
56 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.
Reflection
“Father, Forgive Them” — The Passion, the Apostles, and the Call to Faithfulness
Today’s readings bring us face to face with the central mystery of our salvation: the Crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Epistle of Jude and the Gospel of Luke together reveal two great spiritual realities — the danger of unfaithfulness and the glory of Christ’s sacrificial love.
Jude: A Threefold Warning and a Threefold Call
St. Jude opens with a threefold woe using three of Israel’s most infamous offenders as warnings for the faithful:
The Orthodox Study Bible illuminates this triad: (1) Cain sinned by faithlessness and envy, especially over an honor given to another — his sin led to murder. (2) Balaam sinned by greed, which led to lying and an all-out assault upon truth he knew well. (3) Korah sinned by ambition, pride, and arrogance, grasping for leadership against God’s will — his sin led to blatant rebellion against God.
These are not merely ancient cautionary tales. Jude presents them as living patterns that emerge whenever people within the Church begin to serve themselves rather than God. The false teachers are described as “hidden reefs” (spots in verse 12) — those razor-sharp underwater growths that can damage and sink great ships — sabotaging the love feast, the liturgical agape tied to the Eucharist.
Yet the letter does not end in warning. Jude turns to the faithful with a threefold call that mirrors the warning:
- “Building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (v. 20) — our safeguard is vital dependence on God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- “Keep yourselves in the love of God” (v. 21) — not passive but active: remain rooted, remain connected.
- “Have compassion… save with fear” (vv. 22–23) — even toward those who stray, we exercise a ministry of rescue.
The epistle closes with one of the great doxologies of Scripture: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling… be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.” The OSB notes this was likely drawn from an ancient liturgical tradition — we still hear its echo in every Divine Liturgy.
Luke 23: The Crucifixion of the King
The Gospel presents us with the entire arc of the Passion, from the politically-charged accusations before Pilate to the silence of the tomb.
The Accusations and the Trials: The chief priests brought religiously-motivated charges against Jesus that would not justify Roman execution — so they invented political charges: “perverting the nation, forbidding taxes to Caesar, calling Himself a King.” As the OSB notes, Pilate’s response (“I find no fault in this Man”) is not a formal acquittal but a recognition that the political charges hold no weight. Three times Pilate attempts to release Jesus (vv. 16, 20, 22); three times the pressure of the crowd prevails. Barabbas — “son of the father” — is released in place of the true Son of the Father.
Herod’s Silence: When brought before Herod, Christ answers him nothing. The OSB explains: “Christ’s silence is an act of compassion, for revealing divine mysteries in the face of such blasphemy would have brought Herod even greater condemnation.” Some things cannot be given to those who are not willing to receive them.
Simon of Cyrene: “Simon means ‘obedience’; this faithful man stands for all who desire to follow Christ and carry the cross He places on them.” Every cross-bearer in history has stood in this man’s place.
“Father, forgive them”: This intercession, the OSB teaches, “is not only for those who sentenced and crucified Jesus, but for all of humanity — a people who have no insight into the profound mystery of God’s salvation. Jesus speaks these words not as a request, but with divine authority.” Their great sin would still have been forgiven them had they repented — and indeed, one of the soldiers did repent (v. 47) and is venerated as a saint of the Church.
The Good Thief: “The first of the criminals wanted to use Jesus to avoid responsibility for his actions, while the other accepts his sentence and asks simply to be remembered. This latter way is the path to Paradise.” The word Today is emphatic: “To be reconciled to Christ is to be in paradise immediately.”
The Death of Christ: Jesus does not have His life taken from Him — He commits His spirit to the Father. The OSB meditates on this with profound depth: “His was the first human soul not to be taken to Hades; instead it was freely given into the hands of God. Thus, Christ frees all of humanity from death’s grip. His death reconciles mankind to God, not by satisfying the Father’s need for blood-justice… but by causing every aspect of our corrupt human nature to be transformed, for whatever divinity touches is healed.”
Joseph and the Women: The OSB notes that Joseph’s role as a council member who was also a good and just man refutes any possibility that the Lord’s body was deceptively hidden. And in the faithful women who remain — watching, preparing spices, keeping the Sabbath — we see the pattern of patient, faithful love. “His rest in the tomb fulfills the image of His birth in a cave… As God rested from His work of creation on the original Sabbath, so now Christ rests from the work of the new creation on the Sabbath.”
The Apostles Commemorated Today
The saints we honor today — Archippus, Philemon, and the martyr Apphia — belong to that first generation of witnesses who received the faith directly from the Apostle Paul. Philemon and Apphia hosted the church in their home (Philemon 1:2); Archippus was called to fulfill a ministry given him by the Lord (Col. 4:17). They were eventually martyred at Colossae. These were ordinary people — a householder, his wife, a young minister — who became extraordinary through fidelity.
The Martyrs of Adrianopolis (Maximus, Theodotus, Hesychius, and Asclepiodota) witnessed during the last great Roman persecutions under Galerius and Maximian. Ss. Eugene and Macarius were exiled under Julian the Apostate and died in the wilderness, keeping the faith to the end. Venerable Dositheus, a young disciple of the great Abba Dorotheus in Palestine, died in his early twenties, having compressed into a brief life the fruits of radical obedience and humility.
These saints lived Jude’s exhortation: they built themselves up in the most holy faith, kept themselves in the love of God, and looked for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
For Our Lives Today
The convergence of today’s readings calls us to examine three things:
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What patterns of Cain, Balaam, or Korah do we carry? Envy, greed, spiritual pride — these are not abstract sins. They wear modern clothing. Jude’s warning is for the baptized, not for outsiders.
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Do we remain at the Cross? The disciples hid; the women stayed. The centurion saw what happened and glorified God. Christ’s Passion is not merely past history — in the Liturgy, we stand at Golgotha every Sunday. Do we stay, or do we quietly retreat?
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Can we pray “Father, forgive them” for those who have wronged us? Christ prayed this not as supplication but with divine authority. As we are joined to Him in baptism, His prayer becomes our prayer — if we will let it.
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy…”
— Jude 1:24
Prayer:
O Lord Jesus Christ, who upon the Cross prayed for those who knew not what they did, grant us also a spirit of forgiveness and love toward those who have wronged us. As You freely committed Your spirit into the Father’s hands, teach us to surrender our own wills to His loving purpose. Through the intercessions of the holy Apostles Archippus and Philemon, the holy Martyr Apphia, and all today’s saints, preserve us from the way of Cain, the error of Balaam, and the rebellion of Korah — and keep us faithful to that one salvation once for all delivered to the saints. Amen.
Generated for the Orthodox daily devotional — February 19, 2026
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