[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

Tue Apr 24 05:00:34 CDT 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Tue Apr 24 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Acts 6:8-7:5, 47-60  (Monday)
8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs
among the people.
9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the
Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia),
disputing with Stephen.
10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which
he spoke.
11 Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak
blasphemous words against Moses and God."
12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and
they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.
13 They also set up false witnesses who said, "This man does not cease
to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law;
14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy
this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.
15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his
face as the face of an angel.
1 Then the high priest said, "Are these things so?"
2 And he said, "Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory
appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he
dwelt in Haran,
3 and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives,
and come to a land that I will show you.'
4 Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran.
And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in
which you now dwell.
5 And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his
foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to
him for a possession, and to his descendants after him.
47 But Solomon built Him a house.
48 However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands,
as the prophet says:
49 Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you
build for Me? says the LORD, Or what is the place of My rest?
50 Has My hand not made all these things?'
51 You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always
resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.
52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they
killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now
have become the betrayers and murderers,
53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not
kept it.
54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they
gnashed at him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw
the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
56 and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand of God!"
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran
at him with one accord;
58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses
laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit."
60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not
charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Scripture Reading 1 of 4

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Acts 8:5-17
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to
them.
6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by
Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who
were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced
sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming
that he was someone great,
10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying,
"This man is the great power of God."
11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his
sorceries for a long time.
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning
the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women
were baptized.
13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he
continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs
which were done.
14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had
received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,
15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might
receive the Holy Spirit.
16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Scripture Reading 2 of 4

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John 4:46-54  (Monday)
46 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water
wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at
Capernaum.
47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he
went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was
at the point of death.
48 Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders,
you will by no means believe."
49 The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!"
50 Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the man
believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.
51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him,
saying, "Your son lives!"
52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said
to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said
to him, "Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his whole
household.
54 This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of
Judea into Galilee.
Scripture Reading 3 of 4

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John 6:27-33
27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which
endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you,
because God the Father has set His seal on Him.
28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the
works of God?"
29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you
believe in Him whom He sent."
30 Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that
we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?
31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave
them bread from heaven to eat.'
32 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did
not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true
bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives
life to the world.
Scripture Reading 4 of 4

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Martyr Sava Stratelates "the General" of Rome
Saint Sabbas Stratelates came from a Gothic tribe. For his bravery he
attained the high rank of military commander or "stratelates," and he
served under the Roman emperor Aurelian (270-275).
>From his youth, Sabbas was a Christian and he fervently followed the
commands of Christ. He helped the needy, and visited Christians in
prison. Because of his pure and virtuous life the saint received from
the Lord the gift of wonderworking, healing the sick and casting out
demons in the name of Christ.
When the emperor learned that St Sabbas was a Christian, he demanded
that he apostasize. The martyr threw down his military belt and
declared that he would not forsake his faith. They beat him, burned
him with torches, and threw him into a cauldron with tar, but the
martyr remained unharmed.
Looking on at his torments, seventy soldiers came to believe in
Christ. They were beheaded by the sword. St Sabbas was thrown in
prison. At midnight, while he was praying, Christ appeared to the
martyr and shone on him the light of His Glory. The Savior bade him
not to fear, but to stand firm. Encouraged, the Martyr Sabbas
underwent new torture in the morning, and was drowned in a river in
272.
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Martyred 70 Soldiers with Sabbas Stratelates of Rome
After witnessing the torments of St Sava Stratelates, seventy soldiers
came to believe in Christ. They were beheaded by the sword in 272.
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Venerable Sava the Recluse of the Kiev Far Caves
Saint Sava of the Caves lived in the Near Caves of the Kiev Caves
monastery during the thirteenth century. In the manuscripts, in the
"Book of the Saints," and in the Canon of the Services to the Fathers
of the Kiev Caves, he is called a wonderworker.
His memory is celebrated on April 24 because of his namesake, the Holy
Martyr Sava Stratelates. The memory of St Sava is also celebrated on
the Synaxis of the Monastic Fathers of the Near Caves (September 28),
and on the Synaxis of all the Wonderworkers of the Kiev Caves (Second
Sunday of Great Lent).
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Venerable Alexius the Recluse of the Kiev Far Caves
Saint Alexius, Hermit of Caves, lived a life of asceticism in the Near
Caves of the Kiev Caves monastery during the thirteenth century. His
relics were uncovered after 1675. The memory of St Alexius is
celebrated on April 24, because his relics rest beside the relics of
St Sava of Caves. His memory is also celebrated on the Synaxis of the
Monastic Fathers of the Near Caves (September 28) and on the Synaxis
of all the Wonderworkers of the Kiev Caves (Second Sunday of Great
Lent).
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Martyr Pasikrates in Moesia, Bulgaria
The Martyrs Pasikrates and Valention came from the city of Durostorum,
Silistria (now Bulgaria) and were soldiers under the governor
Absolanus. Pasikrates was twenty-two years old, and Valention was
thirty.
When a persecution against Christians began, Sts Pasikrates and
Valention openly confessed their faith in Christ. At the trial
Pasikrates spit at the idol of Apollo, and refused to offer sacrifice.
The brother of St Pasikrates wept and urged him merely to appear to
offer sacrifice to the idols. The martyr placed his hand on the
sacrifice in the fire and said, "The body is mortal and burns in the
fire, the soul, however, is immortal and is not harmed by these
torments." St Valention also showed his readiness to suffer for
Christ.
When they led the martyrs to execution, the mother of St Pasikrates
followed them and exhorted her son not to fear death for Christ. Both
martyrs were tortured and then beheaded in 288.
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Martyr Valentine in Moesia, Bulgaria
The Martyrs Valentine and Pasikrates came from the city of Durostorum,
Silistria (now Bulgaria) and were soldiers under the governor
Absolanus. Pasikrates was twenty-two years old, and Valentine was
thirty.
When a persecution against Christians began, Sts Pasikrates and
Valentine openly confessed their faith in Christ. At the trial
Pasikrates spit at the idol of Apollo, and refused to offer sacrifice.
The brother of St Pasikrates wept and urged him merely to appear to
offer sacrifice to the idols. The martyr placed his hand on the
sacrifice in the fire and said, "The body is mortal and burns in the
fire, the soul, however, is immortal and is not harmed by these
torments." St Valentine also showed his readiness to suffer for
Christ.
When they led the martyrs to execution, the mother of St Pasikrates
followed them and exhorted her son not to fear death for Christ. Both
martyrs were tortured and then beheaded in 288.
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Martyr Eusebius and Others, at Nicomedia
The Martyrs Eusebius, Neon, Leontius, Longinus, and 40 Others were
present at the sufferings of the Great Martyr George (April 23),
through which they came to believe in Christ. They were then locked up
in prison. After the execution of St George, the emperor Diocletian
(284-305) issued an edict stating that all the prisoners were to offer
sacrifice to the idols. The martyrs refused. They were beaten with
iron rods, almost exposing their inner organs, and then their heads
were cut off with a sword.
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Martyr Neon and others, at Nicomedia
The Martyrs Neon, Eusebius, Leontius, Longinus, and 40 Others were
present at the sufferings of the Great Martyr George (April 23),
through which they came to believe in Christ. They were then locked up
in prison. After the execution of St George, the emperor Diocletian
(284-305) issued an edict stating that all the prisoners were to offer
sacrifice to the idols. The martyrs refused. They were beaten with
iron rods, almost exposing their inner organs, and then their heads
were cut off with a sword.
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Martyr Leontius and others at Nicomedia
The Martyrs Leontius, Eusebius, Neon, Longinus, and 40 Others were
present at the sufferings of the Great Martyr George (April 23),
through which they came to believe in Christ. They were then locked up
in prison. After the execution of St George, the emperor Diocletian
(284-305) issued an edict stating that all the prisoners were to offer
sacrifice to the idols. The martyrs refused. They were beaten with
iron rods, almost exposing their inner organs, and then their heads
were cut off with a sword.
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Martyr Longinus and others at Nicomedia
The Martyrs Longinus, Eusebius, Neon, Leontius, and 40 Others were
present at the sufferings of the Great Martyr George (April 23),
through which they came to believe in Christ. They were then locked up
in prison. After the execution of St George, the emperor Diocletian
(284-305) issued an edict stating that all the prisoners were to offer
sacrifice to the idols. The martyrs refused. They were beaten with
iron rods, almost exposing their inner organs, and then their heads
were cut off with a sword.
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Venerable Thomas the Fool of Syria
Saint Thomas the Fool-for-Christ was a monk in one of the monasteries
in Caesarea of Cappadocia (Asia Minor). His obedience was to collect
alms for the monastery. When the Blessed Thomas arrived in the city of
Antioch, Syria he began his exploit of foolishness for the sake of
Christ.
The steward of one of the churches, a certain Anastasius, became
annoyed with the entreaties of St Thomas, and struck him on the cheek.
Those present reproached Anastasius for his inappropriate manner of
dealing with the fool, but St Thomas quieted them saying, "From this
moment I shall accept nothing further from Anastasius, nor will
Anastasius be able to give me anything further." These words proved
prophetic. Anastasius died the very next day, and the saint also died
along the road to his monastery, at the church of St Euthymius in the
suburb of Daphne. They buried him at a place set aside for the burial
of strangers.
After a certain while they buried another stranger in the saint's
grave. After four hours the ground on the grave of the stranger was
thrown aside. They again covered the grave, but in the morning the
ground on the grave again lay open. They reburied the stranger in
another place.
The same thing happened when they buried two women nearby. Everyone
realized that St Thomas did not wish to have a woman buried over him.
The occurrence was reported to Patriarch Domnus of Antioch (546-560).
At his command the relics of St Thomas were transferred to Antioch and
placed in a cemetery where the relics of many holy martyrs rested. A
small church was built over these relics, from which many healings
occurred.
Through the prayers of St Thomas a deadly plague ceased at Antioch.
>From that time the inhabitants began to honor the memory of St Thomas
every year.
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St Elizabeth the Wonderworker of Constantinople
Saint Elizabeth the Wonderworker was from Constantinople, and was
chosen for the service of God at birth. It was revealed to her mother
that the girl would become a chosen vessel of the Lord (Acts 9:15).
The parents sent their daughter to a monastery as a child. She grew up
in an atmosphere of fasting and constant prayer, and received the gift
of healing physical and spiritual infirmities.
The sisters chose her to be abbess of the Sts Cosmas and Damian
Monastery. She wore a coarse hairshirt all year round. Her body was
chilled in winter, but her spirit blazed with ardent love for God.
The saint's asceticism was very strict. For many years she ate only
grass and vegetables, but would not partake of bread, wine, or oil.
Many times St Elizabeth ate nothing at all during the forty days of
the Great Fast. Imitating the Publican in humility, for three years
she did not lift up her eyes to the heavens, but she looked constantly
to God with her spiritual eyes. At midnight prayers, the saint shone
with a heavenly light.
St Elizabeth performed many miracles: a vicious serpent was killed by
her prayer, she healed a woman with issue of blood who had been ill
for many years, and she cast out unclean spirits from people. At her
tomb many were healed of various illnesses, and the blind received
their sight. Many were cured with just some earth from her grave.
We do not know exactly when St Elizabeth lived, but it was probably
between the sixth and ninth centuries.
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St Iorest Metropolitan of Ardeal, and the Confessor of
Romania
Saint Iorest the Confessor was born into a peasant family of
Transylvania, and received the name Elias in Baptism.
At an early age he entered the Puta Monastery and was tonsured with
the name Iorest. He made great progress in the spiritual life, and was
also a calligrapher and an iconographer. Because of his virtuous life,
the igumen of the monastery recommended him to be ordained to the holy
priesthood. St Iorest served in the altar with great compunction and
fear of God, edifying others by his sermons.
In 1640, Prince Basil Lupu of Moldavia proposed St Iorest to succeed
Metropolitan Gennadius of Ardeal, who had reposed. By God's will, St
Iorest was chosen to lead the church in Transylvania, and was
installed as Metropolitan in 1641.
For three years the holy archpastor defended his flock from the snares
of the devil, and from the false teachings of the Calvinists.He
traveled throughout his diocese appointing priests, consecrating
churches, and teaching the people.
St Iorest was thrown into prison in 1643 because of his zealous
opposition to the activities of foreign missionaries who wished to
convert the Orthodox faithful. For nine months he endured beatings and
abuse, then he was released and ordered to pay a fine.
St Iorest returned to Moldavia in 1656-1657, and was appointed as
Bishop of Hushi. Here too, he served the Church well, laboring for the
salvation of the flock which God had entrusted to him. The Lord called
St Iorest to himself on April 24, 1657.
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St Sava Brancovici the Metropolitan of Ardeal, and the
Confessor of Romania
Saint Sava was born into an old Serbian family from Hertzegovina who
took refuge near Arad in Transylvania at the end of the sixteenth
century. The future saint was born at Inau around 1620, and received
the name Simeon in Baptism. His parents were named John and Maria.
At first he was tutored at home, then he traveled in Hungary, Serbia
and Bulgaria. After visiting his uncle, Metropolitan Longinus, at the
Comana Monastery south of Bucharest, he decided to stay there to
complete his education. The Metropolitan tutored him in religious and
secular subjects. After completing his studies, Simeon returned home
and got married at the age of thirty. He was ordained to the holy
priesthood, but his wife died soon after this. Not long afterward, his
mother became a nun. Fr Simeon continued to serve in the Lord's
vineyard for ten years, converting many Moslems, and reconverting
Christians who had embraced Islam..
In 1656, a council of clergy and laymen at Alba Iulia elected the
widowed Fr Simeon as Metropolitan of Ardeal in Transylvania (western
Romania). He traveled to the cathedral in Tirgovishte in Wallachia,
and there he received monastic tonsure with the name Sava. On
September 16, 1656 he was consecrated as a bishop by Metropolitan
Stephen of Wallachia.
St Sava's episcopal service was plagued by the missionary activities
of Calvinists who tried to convert the Orthodox, and who were
supported by the princes of Transylvania. In addition, frequent wars
threatened the stability of the area during his first years as
Metropolitan. The saint, however, proved to be a faithful defender of
the Church.
In the face of these difficulties, St Sava set up a print shop and
published service books, manuals of instruction for clergy and laity,
and a catechism. He also preached sermons based on the writings of
Fathers, and using the Lives of the Saints as models for his flock.
St Sava was driven from his See between 1660-1662 because of his
labors to strengthen his flock in Orthodoxy. Although he returned to
his duties and served without interruption until 1680, Metropolitan
Sava was often harassed because of his refusal to cooperate with the
prince and the Calvinists.
In 1668 Metropolitan Sava journeyed to Russia seeking help. This led
to his persecution by Prince Michael Apaffi and Protestant leaders,
who did not appreciate his fierce opposition to their attempts to
convert the Orthodox of Transylvania to Calvinism. In February of 1669
the prince issued a decree imposing many duties and restrictions on
him.
St Sava convened a council at Alba Iulia in 1675. Among other things,
the council decided to celebrate the Liturgy in the Romanian language
rather than Slavonic, and to improve the spiritual and moral life of
the clergy and laity.
In 1680 the Calvinist Superintendent of Transylvania made false
accusations against St Sava and had him put on trial and thrown into
prison. This effectively ended his career. Old and sickly, the
Metropolitan endured three years of cruel torture in the Blaj Castle
prison. He was finally released through the efforts of Prince Sherban
of Wallachia, but died of his injuries on April 24, 1683.
St Sava served as Metropolitan for almost twenty-five years under very
trying circumstances. In spite of this, he defended his clergy and his
flock against the activities of the proselytizers. Since he endured
all things with Christian patience, even the bitter sufferings to
which he was subjected at the end of his life, St Sava is regarded as
a martyr and a Confessor of the Orthodox Faith.
St Sava was glorified by the Church of Romania on October 21, 1955.
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Hieromartyr and Confessor Elijah (Ilie) the Wallachian
No information available at this time.
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Icon of the Mother of God of Molcha
The Molcha Icon of the Mother of God appeared on September 18, 1405 in
the Molcha swampland not far from Putivl. At first it was in the
Molcha Sophroniev wilderness monastery, but it was transferred to the
Putivl monastery on April 24, 1605.
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Hieromartyr Branko (Dobrosavljevic) the Newmartyr
No information available at this time.
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St Joseph the Confessor of Maramures
Saint Joseph was born in the seventeenth century, and was consecrated
as a bishop in Moldavia (northern Romania in 1690 by Metropolitan
Dositheus. This was a period of great trials and sufferings for the
people of Maramures (in northern Romania) because the Roman Catholic
authorities wanted to wipe out Orthodoxy in the region.
St Joseph was a zealous defender of the Orthodox Faith, and therefore
he was jailed by the civil authorities. He died in 1711 after
suffering for the truth and defending his flock.
St Joseph the Confessor was glorified by the Orthodox Church of
Romania in 1992.
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Hieromartyr Branko, parish priest of Veljusa
No information available at this time.
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