[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

[Daily Orthodox Readings and Saints]

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sun Apr 8 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Acts 1:1-8
1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began
both to do and teach,
2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy
Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,
3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many
infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking
of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to
depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father,
"which," He said, "you have heard from Me;
5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with
the Holy Spirit not many days from now.
6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying,
"Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7 And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons
which the Father has put in His own authority.
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2


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John 1:1-17
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made
that was made.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not
comprehend it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all
through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into
the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the
world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become
children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of
the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His
glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of
whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was
before me.' "
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came
through Jesus Christ.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2



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------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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HOLY PASCHA The Resurrection of Our Lord
Pascha (Easter)
Enjoy ye all the feast of faith; receive ye all the riches of
loving-kindness. _(Sermon of St John Chrysostom, read at Paschal
Matins)_
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the center of the
Christian faith. St Paul says that if Christ is not raised from the
dead, then our preaching and faith are in vain (I Cor. 15:14). Indeed,
without the resurrection there would be no Christian preaching or
faith. The disciples of Christ would have remained the broken and
hopeless band which the Gospel of John describes as being in hiding
behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. They went nowhere and
preached nothing until they met the risen Christ, the doors being shut
(John 20: 19). Then they touched the wounds of the nails and the
spear; they ate and drank with Him. The resurrection became the basis
of everything they said and did (Acts 2-4): ". . . for a spirit has
not flesh and bones as you see that I have" (Luke 24:39).
The resurrection reveals Jesus of Nazareth as not only the expected
Messiah of Israel, but as the King and Lord of a new Jerusalem: a new
heaven and a new earth.
Then I asw a new heaven and a new earth. . . the holy city, new
Jerusalem. And I heard a great voice from the throne saying "Behold,
the dwelling place of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and
they shall be his people. . . He will wipe away every tear from their
eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor
crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away (Rev.
21:1-4).
In His death and resurrection, Christ defeats the last enemy, death,
and thereby fulfills the mandate of His Father to subject all things
under His feet (I Cor. 15:24-26).
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and
wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing (Rev. 5: 12)
_THE FEAST OF FEASTS_
The Christian faith is celebrated in the liturgy of the Church. True
celebration is always a living participation. It is not a mere
attendance at services. It is communion in the power of the event
being celebrated. It is God's free gift of joy given to spiritual men
as a reward for their self-denial. It is the fulfillment of spiritual
and physical effort and preparation. The resurrection of Christ, being
the center of the Christian faith, is the basis of the Church's
liturgical life and the true model for all celebration. This is the
chosen and holy day, first of sabbaths, king and lord of days, the
feast of feasts, holy day of holy days. On this day we bless Christ
forevermore (Irmos 8, Paschal Canon).
PREPARATION
Twelve weeks of preparation precede the "feast of feasts." A long
journey which includes five prelenten Sundays, six weeks of Great Lent
and finally Holy Week is made. The journey moves from the self-willed
exile of the prodigal son to the grace-filled entrance into the new
Jerusalem, coming down as a bride beautifully adorned for her husband
(Rev. 21:2) Repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, prayer, fasting,
almsgiving, and study are the means by which this long journey is
made.
Focusing on the veneration of the Cross at its midpoint, the lenten
voyage itself reveals that the joy of the resurrection is achieved
only through the Cross. "Through the cross joy has come into all the
world," we sing in one paschal hymn. And in the paschal troparion, we
repeat again and again that Christ has trampled down death - by death!
St Paul writes that the name of Jesus is exalted above every name
because He first emptied Himself, taking on the lowly form of a
servant and being obedient even to death on the Cross (Phil. 2:5-11).
The road to the celebration of the resurrection is the self-emptying
crucifixion of Lent. Pascha is the passover from death to life.
Yesterday I was buried with Thee, 0 Christ. Today I arise with Thee in
Thy resurrection. Yesterday I was crucified with Thee: Glorify me with
Thee, 0 Savior, in Thy kingdom (Ode 3, Paschal Canon).
THE PROCESSION
The divine services of the night of Pascha commence near midnight of
Holy Saturday. At the Ninth Ode of the Canon of Nocturn, the priest,
already vested in his brightest robes, removes the Holy Shroud from
the tomb and carries it to the altar table, where it remains until the
leave-taking of Pascha. The faithful stand in darkness. Then, one by
one, they light their candles from the candle held by the priest and
form a great procession out of the church. Choir, servers, priest and
people, led by the bearers of the cross, banners, icons and Gospel
book, circle the church. The bells are rung incessantly and the
angelic hymn of the resurrection is chanted.
The procession comes to a stop before the principal doors of the
church. Before the closed doors the priest and the people sing the
troparion of Pascha, "Christ is risen from the dead. . .", many tImes.
Even before entenng the church the priest and people exchange the
paschal greeting: "Christ is nsen! Indeed He is risen!" This segment
of the paschal services is extremely important. It preserves in the
expenence of the Church the primitive accounts of the resurrection of
Christ as recorded in the Gospels. The angel rolled away the stone
from the tomb not to let a biologically revived but physically
entrapped Christ walk out, but to reveal that "He is not here; for He
has risen, as He said" (Matt. 28:6).
In the paschal canon we sing:
Thou didst arise, 0 Christ, and yet the tomb remained sealed, as at
Thy birth the Virgin's womb remained unharmed; and Thou has opened for
us the gates of paradise (Ode 6).
Finally, the procession of light and song in the darkness of night,
and the thunderous proclamation that, indeed, Christ is risen, fulfill
the words of the Evangelist John: "The light shines in darkness, and
the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5).
The doors are opened and the faithful re-enter. The church is bathed
in light and adorned with flowers. It is the heavenly bride and the
symbol of the empty tomb:
Bearing life and more fruitful than paradise Brighter than any royal
chamber, Thy tomb, 0 Christ, is the fountain or our resurrection
(Paschal Hours).
MATINS
Matins commences immediately. The risen Christ is glorified in the
singing of the beautiful canon of St John of Damascus. The paschal
greeting is repeatedly exchanged. Near the end of Matins the paschal
verses are sung. They relate the entire narrative of the Lord's
resurrection. They conclude with the words calling us to actualize
among each other the forgiveness freely given to all by God:
This is the day of resurrection. Let us be illumined by the feast. Let
us embrace each other. Let us call "brothers" even those who hate us,
And forgive all by the resurrection. . .
The sermon of St John Chrysostom is then read by the celebrant. The
sermon was originally composed as a baptismal instruction. It is
retained by the Church in the paschal services because everything
about the night of Pascha recalls the Sacrament of Baptism: the
language and general terminology of the liturgical texts, the specific
hymns, the vestment color, the use of candles and the great procession
itself. Now the sermon invites us to a great reaffirmation of our
baptism: to union with Christ in the receiving of Holy Communion.
If any man is devout and loves God, let him enjoy this fair and
radiant triumphal feast. . . the table is fully laden; feast you all
sumptuously. . . the calf is fatted, let no one go hungry away. . .
THE DIVINE LITURGY
The sermon announces the imminent beginning of the Divine Liturgy. The
altar table is fully laden with the divine food: the Body and Blood of
the risen and glorified Christ. No one is to go away hungry. The
service books are very specific in saying that only he who partakes of
the Body and Blood of Christ eats the true Pascha. The Divine Liturgy,
therefore, normally follows immediately after paschal Matins. Foods
from which the faithful have been asked to abstain during the lenten
journey are blessed and eaten only after the Divine Liturgy.
THE DAY WITHOUT EVENING
Pascha is the inauguration of a new age. It reveals the mystery of the
eighth day. It is our taste, in this age, of the new and unending day
of the Kingdom of God. Something of this new and unending day is
conveyed to us in the length of the paschal services, in the
repetition of the paschal order for all the services of Bright Week,
and in the special paschal features retained in the services for the
forty days until Ascension. Forty days are, as it were, treated as one
day. Together they comprise the symbol of the new time in which the
Church lives and toward which she ever draws the faithful, from one
degree of glory to another.
0 Christ, great and most holy Pascha. 0 Wisdom, Word and Power of God,
grant that we may more perfectly partake of Thee in the never-ending
day of Thy kingdom (Ninth Ode, Paschal Canon).
The V. Rev. Paul Lazor New York, 1977
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Apostle Herodion of the Seventy, and those with Him
Saints Herodion (Rodion), Agabus, Asyncritus, Rufus, Phlegon and
Hermes are among the Seventy Apostles, chosen by Christ and sent out
by Him to preach (Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles: January 4).
The holy Apostle Herodion was a relative of St Paul, and his companion
on many journeys. When Christianity had spread to the Balkan
Peninsula, the Apostles Peter and Paul established St Herodion as
Bishop of Patara. St Herodion zealously preached the Word of God and
converted many of the Greek pagans and Jews to Christianity.
Enraged by the preaching of the disciple, the idol-worshippers and
Jews with one accord fell upon St Herodion, and they began to beat him
with sticks and pelt him with stones. One of the mob struck him with a
knife, and the saint fell down. But when the murderers were gone, the
Lord restored him to health unharmed.
After this, St Herodion continued to accompany the Apostle Paul for
years afterward. When the holy Apostle Peter was crucified (+ c. 67),
St Herodion and St Olympos were beheaded by the sword at the same
time.
The holy Apostle Agabus was endowed with the gift of prophecy. He
predicted (Acts 11:27-28) the famine during the reign of the emperor
Claudius (41-52), and foretold the suffering of the Apostle Paul at
Jerusalem (Acts 21:11). St Agabus preached in many lands, and
converted many pagans to Christ.
St Rufus, whom the holy Apostle Paul mentions in the Epistle to the
Romans (Rom. 16:11-15), was bishop of the Greek city of Thebes. St
Asyncritus (Rom. 16:14) was bishop in Hyrcania (Asia Minor). St
Phlegon was bishop in the city of Marathon (Thrace). St Hermes was
bishop in Dalmatia (there is another Apostle of the Seventy by the
name of Hermas, who was bishop in the Thracian city of Philippopolis).
All these disciples for their intrepid service to Christ underwent
fierce sufferings and were found worthy of a martyr's crown.
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Apostle Agabus and those with him
Saint Agabus was one of the Seventy Apostles chosen by Christ and sent
out by Him to preach (Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles: January 4).
The holy Apostle Agabus was endowed with the gift of prophecy. He
predicted (Acts 11:27-28) the famine during the reign of the emperor
Claudius (41-52), and foretold the suffering of the Apostle Paul at
Jerusalem (Acts 21:11). St Agabus preached in many lands, and
converted many pagans to Christ.
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Apostle Asyncritus, of the Seventy and those with him
Saint Asyncritus was one of the Seventy Apostles chosen by Christ and
sent out by Him to preach (Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles: January
4).
St Asyncritus (Rom. 16:14) was bishop in Hyrcania (Asia Minor).
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Apostle Rufus of the Seventy and those with him
Saint Rufus was one of the Seventy Apostles chosen by Christ and sent
out by Him to preach.
St Rufus, whom the holy Apostle Paul mentions in the Epistle to the
Romans (Romans 16:11-15), was bishop of the Greek city of Thebes.
St Rufus is also commemorated on January 4 (The Synaxis of the Seventy
Apostles).
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Apostle Phlegon of the Seventy and those with him
Saint Phlegon was one of the Seventy Apostles, chosen by Christ and
sent out by Him to preach (Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles: January
4). St Phlegon was bishop in the city of Marathon (Thrace).
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Apostle Hermes of the Seventy, and those with him
Saint Hermes was one of the Seventy Apostles chosen by Christ and sent
out by Him to preach (Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles: January 4).
St Hermes was bishop in Dalmatia (there is another Apostle of the
Seventy by the name of Hermas, who was bishop in the Thracian city of
Philippopolis).
All these disciples for their intrepid service to Christ underwent
fierce sufferings and were found worthy of a martyr's crown.
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St Niphon the Bishop of Novgorod
Saint Niphon was a monk of the Kiev Caves Monastry, where he struggled
in asceticism. In imitation of the Holy Fathers, he uprooted the
passions through fasting, vigil, and prayer, and adorned himself with
every virtue. He was chosen as Bishop of Novgorod when Bishop John
retired to a monastery after twenty-five years of episcopal service.
St Niphon was consecrated bishop in Kiev by Metropolitan Michael and
other hierarchs.
St Niphon embraced his archpastoral duties with great zeal,
strengthening his flock in the Orthodox Faith, and striving to prevent
them from becoming separated from the Church, which is the same as
being separated from Christ Himself.
The saint was also zealous in building and repairing churches. He
built a new stone church in the center of Novgorod, dedicating it to
the Most Holy Theotokos. He repaired the roof of the church of Holy
Wisdom (Christ, the Wisdom of God), and adorned the interior with
icons.
When war broke out between Novgorod and Kiev, St Niphon showed himself
to be a peacemaker. Meeting with the leaders of both sides, he was
able to pacify them and avert the war. In the same way, he always
tried to settle arguments and to reconcile those who were at enmity.
He instructed his flock in the law of God, preaching to them,
reproving, rebuking, and exhorting them patiently and with sound
doctrine (2 Timothy 4:2) so that they might obtain the salvation which
is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory (2 Timothy 2:10).
When the people of Novgorod drove away their prince, Vsevolod, they
invited Prince Svyatslav to govern them. The new prince wanted to
enter into a marriage which was against the Church canons. Not only
did St Niphon refuse to perform the ceremony, he also told his clergy
to regard this betrothal as unlawful. Prince Svyatoslav brought
priests in from elsewhere to perform the wedding, and the holy
hierarch was not afraid to denounce his behavior.
After the death of Metropolitan Michael of Kiev, the Great Prince
Isaiaslav wished to have the schemamonk Clement succeed him. However,
he wanted to have Clement consecrated without the blessing of the
Patriarch of Constantinople.
At a council of bishops, St Niphon declared that he would not approve
the consecration without the permission of the Patriarch of
Constantinople. He reminded the other bishops that this was contrary
to the tradition of the Russian Church, for Russia had received the
Orthodox Faith from Constantinople. Starting in 1448, however, the
Russian Church began to elect its own primate without seeking
confirmation from Constantinople.
The uncanonical consecration took place despite the objections of St
Niphon. Metropolitan Clement tried to force the saint to serve the
Divine Liturgy with him, but he refused. He called Clement a wolf
rather than a shepherd, for he had unjustly assumed an office which he
did not deserve. St Niphon refused to serve with Clement, or to
commemorate him during the services.
In his fury, Clement would not permit St Niphon to return to Novgorod.
Instead, he had the saint held under house arrest at the Kiev Caves
Monastery. When Isaiaslav was defeated by Prince George, St Niphon
returned to Novgorod, where the people welcomed him with great joy.
The Patriarch of Constantinople sent a letter praising St Niphon for
his steadfast defense of church teachings. He also sent Metropolitan
Constantine to Rus in order to depose Metropolitan Clement, and to
assume the see of Kiev himself. St Niphon prepared to journey to Kiev
to meet Metropolitan Clement.
St Niphon again took up residence in the Kiev Caves Monastery, where
he became ill. Thirteen days before his death, he revealed to the
brethren that he had had a wondrous dream. St Theodosius (May 3)
appeared to him and announced his imminet departure from this world.
St Niphon reposed in peace on April 8, 1156. Now he stands before the
throne of God, interceding for us before the All-Holy Trinity, to Whom
be all glory, honor, and worship forever.
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Venerable Rufus the Obedient of the Kiev Far Caves
Saint Rufus the Obedient, Hermit of the Caves, lived at the Kiev Caves
monastery during the fourteenth century. He was distinguished for his
obedience and glorified as a lover of labor and fasting. He was buried
in the Far Caves. He is celebrated a second time on August 28, the
Synaxis of the Fathers of the Far Caves.
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Martyr Pausilippus of Heraclea in Thrace
The Holy Martyr Pausilippus suffered under the emperor Hadrian
(117-138). Denunced by the pagans, he was brought to trial before the
emperor and staunchly declared himself a Christian.
They beat him with iron rods and handed over to the governor named
Precius, who for a long time attempted to make the martyr offer
sacrifice to idols. The martyr remained steadfast, and finally the
governor gave orders to fetter him and execute him.
Along the way, St Pausilippus prayed fervently that the Lord would
spare him from the hand of the executioner and grant him a quick
death. The Lord heard him. The martyr, beaten up and weak, was
suddenly filled with such strength that he shattered the iron fetters
and freed himself. Tossing them aside, St Pausilippus thought to
escape, but he died as he fled. Christians buried the body of the
martyr with reverence.
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St Celestine the Pope of Rome
Saint Celestine, Pope of Rome (422-432), a zealous champion of
Orthodoxy, lived during the reign of the holy Emperor Theodosius the
Younger (408-450). He received an excellent education, and he knew
philosophy well, but most of all he studied the Holy Scripture and
pondered over theological questions.
The virtuous life of the saint and his authority as a theologian won
him the general esteem and love of the clergy and people. After the
death of St Boniface (418-422), St Celestine was chosen to be the
Bishop of Rome.
During this time, the heresy of Nestorius emerged. At a local Council
in Rome in 430, St Celestine denounced this heresy and condemned
Nestorius as a heretic. After the Council, St Celestine wrote a letter
to St Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria (January 18), stating that if
Nestorius did not renounce his false teachings after ten days, then he
should be deposed and excommunicated.
St Celestine also sent a series of letters to other churches,
Constantinople and Antioch, in which he unmasked and denounced the
Nestorian heresy.
For two years after the Council, St Celestine proclaimed the true
teaching about Christ the God-Man, and he died in peace on April 6,
432.
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Icon of the Mother of God "Spanish"
The Spanish Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is one of the
Panachranta type, depicts the Mother of God seated upon a throne.
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