[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

Wed Apr 18 05:00:30 CDT 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Wed Apr 18 2007

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Acts 4:13-22
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived
that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they
realized that they had been with Jesus.
14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they
could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council,
they conferred among themselves,
16 saying, "What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable
miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in
Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17 But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely
threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.
18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor
teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right
in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding
no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all
glorified God for what had been done.
22 For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of
healing had been performed.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2

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John 5:17-24
17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and
I have been working."
18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not
only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making
Himself equal with God.
19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to
you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father
do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He
Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you
may marvel.
21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so
the Son gives life to whom He will.
22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the
Son,
23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who
does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
24 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in
Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into
judgment, but has passed from death into life.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2

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Venerable John the Disciple of the Venerable Gregory of
Decapolis
Saint John was born at the end of the eighth century. At a young age
he became a disciple of St Gregory of Decapolis (November 20) and
accepted monastic tonsure from him at a monastery in Thessalonica.
Under the guidance of this experienced teacher, St John attained great
spiritual perfection.
When the emperor Leo the Armenian (813-820) renewed the persecution
against Orthodox Christians because they venerated the holy icons, St
Gregory of Decapolis and St Joseph the Hymnographer (April 4) and his
disciple St John went from Thessalonica to Constantinople, to raise
opposition to the Iconoclast heresy.
In spite of persecution, Sts Gregory and John fearlessly defended
Orthodoxy for several years, and preached the veneration of icons.
After many hardships St Gregory died (around 820), and soon after, his
faithful disciple John also departed to the Lord. St Joseph the
Hymnographer transferred the relics of Sts Gregory and John and placed
them in the church of St Nicholas the Wonderworker.
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Martyr Victor of Nicomedia
The Holy Martyrs Victor, Zoticus, Acindynus, Zeno, Severian and
Caesarius suffered under the emperor Diocletian (284-305) when he
began a fierce persecution against Christians. One of the first to
suffer was the holy Great Martyr and Victory-Bearer George (April 23).
St George's unshakable faith and bravery during his suffering led many
pagans to Christ.
The saints were struck with astonishment that St George suffered no
harm from the wheel of torture, and they declared in the hearing of
all that they also believed in Christ. At the judge's order, the holy
martyrs were beheaded at Nicomedia in 303.
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Martyr Zoticus of Nicomedia
The Holy Martyrs Zoticus, Victor, Acindynus, Zeno, Severian and
Caesarius suffered under the emperor Diocletian (284-305) when he
began a fierce persecution against Christians. One of the first to
suffer was the holy Great Martyr and Victory-Bearer George (April 23).
St George's unshakable faith and bravery during his suffering led many
pagans to Christ.
The saints were struck with astonishment that St George suffered no
harm from the wheel of torture, and they declared in the hearing of
all that they also believed in Christ. At the judge's order, the holy
martyrs were beheaded at Nicomedia in 303.
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Martyr Zeno of Nicomedia
The Holy Martyrs Zeno, Victor, Zoticus, Acindynus, Severian and
Caesarius suffered under the emperor Diocletian (284-305) when he
began a fierce persecution against Christians. One of the first to
suffer was the holy Great Martyr and Victory-Bearer George (April 23).
St George's unshakable faith and bravery during his suffering led many
pagans to Christ.
The saints were struck with astonishment that St George suffered no
harm from the wheel of torture, and they declared in the hearing of
all that they also believed in Christ. At the judge's order, the holy
martyrs were beheaded at Nicomedia in 303.
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Martyr Acindynus of Nicomedia
The Holy Martyrs Acindynus, Victor, Zoticus, Zeno, Severian and
Caesarius suffered under the emperor Diocletian (284-305) when he
began a fierce persecution against Christians. One of the first to
suffer was the holy Great Martyr and Victory-Bearer George (April 23).
St George's unshakable faith and bravery during his suffering led many
pagans to Christ.
The saints were struck with astonishment that St George suffered no
harm from the wheel of torture, and they declared in the hearing of
all that they also believed in Christ. At the judge's order, the holy
martyrs were beheaded at Nicomedia in 303.
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Martyr Severian of Nicomedia
The Holy Martyrs Severian, Victor, Zoticus, Acindynus, Zeno, and
Caesarius suffered under the emperor Diocletian (284-305) when he
began a fierce persecution against Christians. One of the first to
suffer was the holy Great Martyr and Victory-Bearer George (April 23).
St George's unshakable faith and bravery during his suffering led many
pagans to Christ.
The saints were struck with astonishment that St George suffered no
harm from the wheel of torture, and they declared in the hearing of
all that they also believed in Christ. At the judge's order, the holy
martyrs were beheaded at Nicomedia in 303.
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St Cosmas the Bishop of Chalcedon
Saint Cosmas, Bishop of Chalcedon, and his companion St Auxentius,
lived during the ninth century, at a time when the Iconoclasts
oppressed the Orthodox. St Cosmas while still in his youth had entered
a monastery and received monastic tonsure. Later, he was consecrated
as Bishop of Chalcedon, and zealously defended the Orthodox Faith
against the Iconoclast heretics. St Auxentius helped the saint in this
struggle.
The Iconoclasts tried in many ways to win the saint over to their
side, but he remained faithful to Orthodoxy until the very end. St
Cosmas did not obey the decree of Emperor Leo the Armenian (813-820)
ordering the removal of the holy icons from the churches. For this he
was expelled from his See and exiled to prison.
When the saint returned from exile, he and St Auxentius continued to
defend the veneration of holy icons. At the mitigation of the
persecution, St Cosmas was weak in body, but remained strong in
spirit. St Cosmas and St Auxentius steadfastly preserved the Orthodox
Faith until the end of their lives.
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St Auxentius the Ascetic
No information available at this time.
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New Martyr John the New of Epirus
The Holy Martyr John Kulikos was born in the Greek district of Epirus,
in the city of Ioannina. His parents were pious, but he was orphaned
at an early age, and he went to Constantinople. With the means left
him by his parents, he built a small stall in the city bazaar and was
occupied with trade.
He loved to work, he honorably filled all his orders, and his business
was successful. However, his soul did not yearn for earthly blessings,
but for the Kingdom of Heaven.
St John lived during difficult times. Constantinople was under the
dominion of the Turks, and Christians were subjected to oppressions.
Many Christian tradesmen and merchants went over to the Moslem
religion. St John reproached them for their betrayal of Christ, and he
also sustained the unwavering in their faith. The apostates were
filled with hatred for St John, and they desired his ruin. The saint
knew this, but was not afraid. He was willing to suffer for Christ.
On Great and Holy Friday he went to his spiritual Father and asked his
blessing to seek martyrdom. The priest counselled the youth to examine
himself and to prepare himself by fasting and prayer, so that at the
time of torture he would not deny Christ. St John prayed ardently to
the Lord to strengthen him. At night on Great and Holy Saturday he saw
himself in a dream, standing in a fiery furnace and singing praises to
the Lord. Interpreting this vision as an indication to go to
martyrdom, St John received the Holy Mysteries and asked the priest's
blessing.
When St John arrived at the market, the vexed tradesmen began to
reproach him that he had promised to renounced Christ, but that he was
not fulfilling his word. In reply, the martyr declared that he was a
Christian and had never renounced, nor would he ever renounce Christ.
Then the envious merchants had him arrested. The judge tried to
persuade St John to accept Islam, for he respected him as a skilled
master craftsman. But the martyr steadfastly confessed himself a
Christian. For several days, they wearied him with hunger and thirst,
and beat him without mercy. They sentenced the martyr to be burned
alive.
St John met his sentence with joy. When they led him to the blazing
fire, he went boldly into the midst of the flames. The torturers,
seeing that St John was prepared to die in the fire, pulled him out
and beheaded him with the sword (+ 1526). They then threw the martyr's
head and body into the fire.
Christians gathered up the bones of the martyr which remained from the
fire, and reverently brought them to the cathedral church.
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Venerable Euthymius the Enlightener of Karelia and Finland
Saints Euthymius, Anthony, and Felix lived a life of asceticism in
Karelia about the year 1410. St Euthymius founded the Karelian
Nikolaev monastery. Hardly had he completed the church of St Nicholas
and several cells, than Norwegians descended upon the monastery,
burned the church and killed several of the monks in 1419. St
Euthymius decided to rebuild.
The noble Martha asked prayers at the monastery for her sons who died
in 1418 (they were the sons of Martha's first husband, Philip).
Exploring the land, the young brothers perished at the mouth of the
North Dvina River, and they were buried at the Karelian Nikolaev
monastery.
In life, they were distinguished for their works of charity. Their
names were listed in the manuscript Lives of the Saints of the
Karelian monastery. A chapel was built over the graves of the holy
brothers, and in the year 1719, a church in honor of the Meeting of
the Lord.
St Euthymius was glorified for his apostolic labors in the
enlightenment of the people of Karelia. He died in the year 1435, and
his relics were uncovered in 1647. There is a service to Sts
Euthymius, Anthony and Felix.
St Euthymius is also listed under January 20 in the "Iconographic
Originals" because of his namesake St Euthymius the Great.
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Icon of the Mother of God of St Maximus
The Maximov Icon of the Mother of God was painted in the year 1299
following Her appearance to St Maximus, Metropolitan of Vladimir
(December 6). A description of this vision was inscribed on the left
side of his crypt. The icon shows the Mother of God in full stature
with the Christ Child in Her left hand. With Her right hand, she
offers Metropolitan Maximus (depicted on his knees, or sometimes
standing) a bishop's omophorion.
The Mother of God appeared to St Maximus when he arrived in Vladimir
from Kiev. In the vision, She gave the omophorion to him saying, "My
servant Maximus, it is good that you have come to visit My city. Take
this omophorion and shepherd the flock of My city." When the saint
awoke, the omophorion lay in his hands.
The appearance of the Mother of God was a sign of approval for the
transfer of the metropolitan See from Kiev to Vladimir. The omophorion
given by the Mother of God was preserved at the Dormition cathedral in
Vladimir for 112 years. In 1412, during an incursion of the Tatars,
the omophorion was hidden by the cathedral's doorkeeper Patrick, who
was martyred by the Tatars.
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St Basil Ratishvili of Georgia
Saint Basil Ratishvili, one of the most prominent figures of the
13th-century Church, was the uncle of Catholicos Ekvtime III. He
labored with the other Georgian fathers at the Iveron Monastery on Mt.
Athos. Endowed with the gift of prophecy, St. Basil beheld a vision in
which the Most Holy Theotokos called upon him to censure King Demetres
impious rule. (This is actually St. Demetre the Devoted, who in his
youth lived profligately but later laid down his life for his nation.)
Having arrived in Georgia and been brought before the king, the
God-fearing father denounced the sovereigns uncrowned marriage [i.e.,
a conjugal union without the blessing of the Church]. He promised the
king that if he abandoned his present way of life, he would find great
happiness and success. St. Basil also condemned the ungodly ways of
Georgias apostate feudal lords.
But the king and his court disregarded the virtuous elders
admonitions, and in response St. Basil prophesied: A vicious enemy
will kill you, and your kingdom will remain without refuge. Your
children will be scattered, your kingdom conquered, and all your
wealth seized. Know that, according to the will of the Most Holy
Theotokos, everything I have told you will come to pass unless you
repent and turn from this way of life. Now I will depart from you in
peace.
St. Basil returned to Mt. Athos and peacefully reposed at the Iveron
Monastery.
His vision was fulfilled.
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St Athanasia the Wonder-worker
No information available at this time.
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