[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

Fri Apr 27 05:00:30 CDT 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Fri Apr 27 2007

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Acts 8:40-9:19
40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in
all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples
of the Lord, went to the high priest
2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if
he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring
them bound to Jerusalem.
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone
around him from heaven.
4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul,
Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus,
whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the
goads."
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to
do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you
will be told what you must do."
7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice
but seeing no one.
8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he
saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into
Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to
him the Lord said in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am,
Lord."
11 So the Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called
Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of
Tarsus, for behold, he is praying.
12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and
putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this
man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.
14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who
call on Your name.
15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to
bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's
sake.
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his
hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to
you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your
sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he
received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent
some days with the disciples at Damascus.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2

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John 6:48-54
48 I am the bread of life.
49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of
it and not die.
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats
of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give
is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.
52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can
this Man give us His flesh to eat?"
53 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you
eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life
in you.
54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I
will raise him up at the last day.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2

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Venerable Stephen the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, and Bishop
of Vladimir, in Volhynia
St Stephen, Igumen of the Caves, Bishop of Vladimir in Volhynia,
pursued asceticism at the Kiev Caves monastery under the guidance of
St Theodosius (May 3). St Theodosius sometimes entrusted him to exhort
the brethren with edifying words.
Before the death of St Theodosius the monks asked him to appoint St
Stephen as Igumen, who was the domesticus (chief arranger for the
choir). "He grew up under your instruction," they said, "and he served
you. Give him to us." So St Theodosius transferred the guidance of the
monastery to St Stephen.
During his tenure as Superior, he laid the foundations of a spacious
church in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, begun
under St Theodosius. The cells of the brethren were moved near the new
church. At the front of the place there were several cells for monks
who were entrusted with burying the dead. They served the Divine
Liturgy each day, and also commemorated the dead.
In 1078 St Stephen was removed from office and driven from the
monastery through the malice of an evil monk. He endured his meekly
and without bitterness, and continued to pray for those who had turned
against him.
St Stephen learned that master builders had come from Greece with an
icon of the Theotokos, and they told him of the appearance of the
Heavenly Queen at Blachernae. Because of this, St Stephen also built a
church at Klovo in honor of the Theotokos (in memory of the Placing of
Her Robe at Blachernae). The monastery was founded in thanksgiving for
solicitude of the Most Holy Theotokos for the Caves monastery.
In 1091 St Stephen was made Bishop of Vladimir in Volhynia, and he
participated in the transfer of the relics of St Theodosius from the
cave to the monastery (August 14). He also labored to convert the
inhabitants of Volhynia to Christianity.
St Stephen died on April 27, 1094 during the sixth hour of the night.
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St Eulogius the Hospitable of Constantinople
Saint Eulogius the Hospitable lived during the fourth century in the
Thebaid. He served the Lord by offering hospitality to wanderers (Mark
9:41).
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Hieromartyr Simeon, the Kinsman of the Lord
No information available at this time.
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