Orthodox Daily Devotional
Orthodox Daily Devotional
Friday, February 13, 2026
Today’s Commemorated Feasts and Saints
- St. Seraphima of Sezhenovo, Russia (1877)
- Saints Martinian, Zoe, and Photina of Caesarea in Palestine (5th century)
- Venerable Stephen (in monasticism Simeon), the Myrrhgusher, Prince of Serbia (1199)
- St. Eulogius, Archbishop of Alexandria (607-608)
- Appearance of Christ to Saint Martin of Tours (316)
Scripture Readings
Epistle: 2 John 1:1-13
Greeting and Benediction
¹ The Elder,
To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, ² because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:
³ Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
Follow the Law of Love
⁴ I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. ⁵ And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. ⁶ This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.
Beware of Deceiving Heretics
⁷ For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. ⁸ Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
⁹ Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; ¹¹ for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
John’s Plans and Farewell
¹² Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
¹³ The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.
Gospel: Mark 15:22-25, 33-41
The Crucifixion
²² And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. ²³ Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. ²⁴ And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.
²⁵ Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.
Jesus Dies
³³ Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴ And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
³⁵ Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!” ³⁶ Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”
³⁷ And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.
³⁸ Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹ So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”
⁴⁰ There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, ⁴¹ who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.
Commentary from The Orthodox Study Bible
On 2 John: Tests of True Christian Care
Background: This epistle is addressed to “the elect lady” (v. 1), most likely a church under John’s oversight. The Church, a feminine word in Greek, elsewhere is called the “bride” of Christ the Lord (kyrios), and thus she is easily called kyria, the feminine of kyrios.
John is warning his readers against the “deceivers” (v. 7), heretics who deny the Incarnation of the Son of God. These false apostles visited various churches, posing as true disciples and taking advantage of Christian hospitality.
The Central Teaching: The love of our Incarnate God brings promised victory over the antichrist. John emphasizes that true Christian love is inseparable from truth and obedience to God’s commandments. Love is not mere sentiment but walking according to His commandments (v. 6).
Warning Against False Teachers: John’s instruction not to receive those who deny the doctrine of Christ (v. 10) reflects the Church’s understanding that fellowship with those who reject the Incarnation amounts to participation in their evil deeds. The Church must guard the deposit of faith while practicing love rooted in truth.
On Mark 15: The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord
The Third Hour (v. 25): Christ was crucified at the third hour (9:00 AM), the very hour when the daily morning sacrifice was offered in the Temple. Thus, as the Lamb of God, He fulfills and surpasses the Old Testament sacrificial system.
The Darkness (v. 33): From the sixth hour (noon) until the ninth hour (3:00 PM), darkness covered the whole land. This supernatural darkness signifies the cosmic significance of Christ’s Passion—all creation mourns the suffering of its Creator. The darkness also recalls the ninth plague of Egypt and fulfills the prophecy that the Day of the Lord would bring darkness (Amos 8:9).
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (v. 34): Christ quotes Psalm 22:1, giving voice to the depths of His human suffering while bearing the sins of the world. As the Orthodox Study Bible notes in its commentary on Job 7:20-21, “Christ also asked ‘why?’ while hanging on the Cross. Job looked to death for relief, but Christ’s death purged our lawlessness, and His Resurrection in the morning brought a new covenant of life and hope.”
This cry reveals the mystery of Christ’s substitutionary suffering—He who knew no sin became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), experiencing the separation from the Father that our sins deserve. Yet this is not ultimate abandonment but the depth of divine love: the Son willingly endures what we deserve so that we might be reconciled to God.
The Veil Torn (v. 38): When Christ breathed His last, the veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom, signifying that access to God is now opened through Christ’s sacrifice. The Holy of Holies, once accessible only to the High Priest once a year, is now opened to all who approach God through the New High Priest, Jesus Christ.
The Centurion’s Confession (v. 39): The Roman centurion, a Gentile, becomes the first to confess Christ’s divinity after His death: “Truly this Man was the Son of God!” This confession anticipates the spread of the Gospel to all nations and demonstrates that the Cross reveals Christ’s glory even to those outside Israel.
The Faithful Women (vv. 40-41): While the male disciples fled, the women remained, watching from afar. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and Salome exemplify faithful discipleship through their presence at Christ’s crucifixion. These women who had ministered to Him in Galilee now bear witness to His death and will become the first witnesses of His Resurrection.
Reflection
Today’s readings present us with two profound themes: the necessity of truth in Christian love (2 John) and the depths of Christ’s love revealed on the Cross (Mark 15).
John’s epistle reminds us that genuine Christian love cannot be separated from truth. In an age of deception, the Church must hold fast to the doctrine of Christ—particularly the truth of His Incarnation. To embrace those who deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh is to participate in the very lie that destroys souls. True love guards truth.
The Gospel shows us the ultimate expression of that incarnate love: God made flesh, hanging on the Cross, bearing our sins, experiencing the darkness of separation from the Father so that we might be brought into eternal light. The cry “Why have You forsaken Me?” echoes through the ages, reminding us that our salvation was purchased at an infinite cost.
As we stand with the women at the foot of the Cross, let us marvel at this mystery: the Son of God dies, the veil is torn, creation mourns, and a Gentile soldier confesses what many could not see—“Truly this Man was the Son of God!” May we, like the centurion, look upon the crucified Christ and see not weakness but the power of God’s love conquering sin and death.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, who suffered and died for our salvation, grant us the grace to remain faithful to the truth of Your Incarnation and to love as You have loved us. Help us to stand with the faithful women at Your Cross, never abandoning You in the hour of trial. By Your holy Cross and Resurrection, deliver us from all evil. Amen.
Prepared for Micah on February 13, 2026 Scripture texts from The Orthodox Study Bible
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