[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

[Daily Orthodox Readings and Saints]

Scripture Readings and Saints for Wed Dec 19 2007

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Hebrews 10:1-18
1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the
very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which
they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.
2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the
worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of
sins.
3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take
away sins.
5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and
offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come- In the volume of the book it is
written of Me- To do Your will, O God.' "
8 Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and
offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which
are offered according to the law),
9 then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes
away the first that He may establish the second.
10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the
body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly
the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever,
sat down at the right hand of God,
13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.
14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being
sanctified.
15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said
before,
16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,
says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their
minds I will write them,
17 then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember
no more."
18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an
offering for sin.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2


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Mark 10:11-16
11 So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her.
12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she
commits adultery.
13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them;
but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them,
"Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of
such is the kingdom of God.
15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of
God as a little child will by no means enter it.
16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and
blessed them.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2



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Martyr Boniface at Tarsus, in Cilicia
The Holy Martyr Boniface was the slave of a rich young Roman woman
named Aglaida and he dwelt with her in an iniquitous cohabitation. But
they both felt the sting of conscience and they wanted somehow to be
cleansed of their sin. And the Lord granted them the possibility to
wash away their sin with their blood and to finish their life in
repentance.
Aglaida learned that whoever keeps relics of the holy martyrs in the
home and venerates them receives great help in gaining salvation.
Under their influence, sin is diminished and virtue prevails. She
arranged for Boniface to go to the East, where there was a fierce
persecution against Christians, and she asked him to bring back the
relics of some martyr, who would become a guide and protector for
them.
As he was leaving, Boniface laughed and asked, "My lady, if I do not
find any relics, and if I myself suffer for Christ, will you accept my
body with reverence?" Aglaida scolded him, saying that he was setting
off on a sacred mission, but he was not taking it seriously. Boniface
pondered her words, and during the whole journey he thought that he
was unworthy of touching the bodies of the martyrs.
Arriving at Tarsus in Cilicia, Boniface left his companions at the inn
and proceeded to the city square, where they were torturing
Christians. Struck by the beastly horrible torments, and seeing the
faces of the holy martyrs radiant with the grace of the Lord, Boniface
marveled at their courage. He embraced them and kissed their feet,
asking them to pray that he might be found worthy to suffer with them.
The judge asked Boniface who he was. He replied, "I am a Christian,"
and then refused to offer sacrifice to idols. They stripped him and
hung him upside down, beating him so hard that the flesh fell from his
body, exposing the bone. They stuck needles under his nails, and
finally they poured molten tin down his throat, but by the power of
the Lord he remained unharmed. The people who witnessed this miracle
shouted, "Great is the God of the Christians!" Then they began to
throw stones at the judge, and then they headed for the pagan temple,
in order to cast down the idols.
On the following morning, when things had quieted down somewhat, the
judge directed that the holy martyr be thrown into a cauldron of
boiling tar, but this also caused the sufferer no harm. An angel come
down from Heaven and bedewed him as he stepped into the cauldron. The
tar overflowed the cauldron, splattering and burning the torturers
themselves. St Boniface was then sentenced to beheading by the sword.
Blood and a milky fluid flowed from his wounds. Beholding such a
miracle, about 550 men believed in Christ.
St Boniface's companions, waiting for two days at the inn for him in
vain, began searching for him, thinking that he had gotten drunk
somewhere. At first their search was without success, but finally they
came across a man who had been an eyewitness to the martyr's death.
The man also led them to the place where the decapitated body lay. St
Boniface's companions tearfully begged his forgiveness for their
unseemly thoughts about him. After they ransomed the martyr's remains,
they brought them back to Rome.
On the eve of their arrival an angel appeared to Aglaida in her sleep
and told her to prepare herself to receive her former slave, now the
brother and fellow-servant of the angels. Aglaida summoned the clergy,
and she received the holy relics with great reverence. Then she built
a church on the site of his grave and dedicated it to the holy martyr.
There she enshrined his relics, glorified by numerous miracles. After
distributing all her wealth to the poor, she withdrew to a monastery,
where she spent fifteen years in repentance, then fell asleep in the
Lord. She was buried beside St Boniface. The sins of the one were
washed away by his blood, the other was purified by her tears and
asceticism. Both were found worthy to appear unsullied before our Lord
Jesus Christ, Who desires not the death of a sinner, but that he
should turn from his wickedness and live (Ezek. 33:11).
We pray to St Boniface for deliverance from drunkenness.
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Righteous Aglaida (Aglae) of Rome
Saint Aglaida (Aglae) was a rich Roman woman and carried on an immoral
relationship with her slave St Boniface. But they both felt the sting
of conscience and they wanted somehow to be cleansed of their sin. And
the Lord granted them the possibility to wash away their sin with
their blood and to finish their life in repentance.
Aglaida learned that whoever keeps relics of the holy martyrs in the
home and venerates them receives great help in gaining salvation.
Under their influence, sin is diminished and virtue prevails. She
arranged for Boniface to go to the East, where there was a fierce
persecution against Christians, and she asked him to bring back the
relics of some martyr, who would become a guide and protector for
them.
As he was leaving, Boniface laughed and asked, "My lady, if I do not
find any relics, and if I myself suffer for Christ, will you accept my
body with reverence?" Aglaida scolded him, saying that he was setting
off on a sacred mission, but he was not taking it seriously. Boniface
pondered her words, and during the whole journey he thought that he
was unworthy of touching the bodies of the martyrs.
Arriving in Tarsus, Boniface witnessed the sufferings of the martyrs
and his heart was changed. He cried out, "I am also a Christian." He
was arrested, tortured, and put to death, then slaves took his body
back to Aglaida in Rome.
On the eve of their arrival an angel appeared to Aglaida in her sleep
and told her to prepare herself to receive her former slave, now the
brother and fellow-servant of the angels. Aglaida summoned the clergy,
and she received the holy relics with great reverence. Then she built
a church on the site of his grave and dedicated it to the holy martyr.
There she enshrined his relics, glorified by numerous miracles. After
distributing all her wealth to the poor, she withdrew to a monastery,
where she spent fifteen years in repentance, then fell asleep in the
Lord. She was buried beside St Boniface. The sins of the one were
washed away by his blood, the other was purified by her tears and
asceticism. Both were found worthy to appear unsullied before our Lord
Jesus Christ, Who desires not the death of a sinner, but that he
should turn from his wickedness and live (Ezek. 33:11).
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Venerable Elias of Murom the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near
Caves
Saint Elias Muromets of the Caves, nicknamed "Shoemaker" or "Cobbler,"
was from the city of Murom. Popular legend identifies him with the
famous warrior hero Elias Muromets, who was the subject of Russian
ballads and of Gliere's Symphony No. 3.
St Elias died with the fingers of his right hand formed to make the
Sign of the Cross in the position accepted even today in the Orthodox
Church: the first three fingers together, and the two outermost
fingers folded onto the palm [in contrast to the Sign of the Cross
used by the "Old Ritualists"]. During the struggle with the Old
Ritualist Schism (seventeenth-nineteenth centuries). This information
about the saint served as a powerful proof in favor of the present
positioning of the fingers.
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Martyr Elias in Cilicia
The Martyrs Elias, Probus and Ares, natives of Egypt, and heedless of
their own safety, cared for Christians locked up in prison during the
persecution of Maximian (305-313). For this they were arrested,
subjected to torture and given over to death (+ 308).
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Martyr Probus in Cilicia
The Martyrs Probus, Elias, and Ares, natives of Egypt, and heedless of
their own safety, cared for Christians locked up in prison during the
persecution of Maximian (305-313). For this they were arrested,
subjected to torture and given over to death (+ 308).
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Martyr Ares in Cilicia
The Martyrs Ares, Elias, and Probus, natives of Egypt, and heedless of
their own safety, cared for Christians locked up in prison during the
persecution of Maximian (305-313). For this they were arrested,
subjected to torture and given over to death (+ 308).
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Martyr Polyeuctus at Caesarea, in Cappadocia
No information available at this time
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Martyr Timothy the Deacon in Mauretania
No information available at this time
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St Boniface the Merciful the Bishop of Ferentino
Saint Boniface the Merciful, Bishop of Firentium From his very
childhood he was distinguished by his non-covetousness and love for
the poor. When he saw a destitute man on the street, he took his own
clothes and gave them away to those in need, to the chagrin of his
widowed mother.
Once, he gave away a year's supply of grain, but the Lord worked a
miracle through his prayer, and the family's granary was filled again.
St Boniface became bishop of the city of Firentium (Florence), north
of Rome (in Tuscany). Even in his lofty position as bishop he remained
completely non-covetous and merciful towards people, and he directed
his flock wisely, exhorting them to attend to even the least among
their neighbors.
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St Gregory the Archbishop of Omirits
Saint Gregory, Bishop of Homer (Omirits), the son of Agapius and
Theodota, was filled with the grace of God and possessed gifts of
healing and wonderworking even in his youth. The Providence of God led
him to hierarchical service. While still a deacon at Mediolanum
(Milan) he heard the foretelling of his destiny from a hermit, and
then he received confirmation of these words from another
spirit-bearing Elder who lived an ascetic life in the mountains.
When Gregory went to this holy schemamonk for guidance, a miracle
occurred. As he approached the mountain, he saw a fiery column in the
air. He soon realized that the fiery column was actually the man of
God coming toward him. That night he saw the Elder standing in the air
above the ground. The Elder revealed to St Gregory that he must go to
Rome to pray in the church of Sts Boniface and Aglaida. Then he would
go to Alexandria and to become a bishop. Then he would arrive in the
city of Negran in the land of Homer (in southern Arabia) to proclaim
the Gospel.
St Gregory felt himself unworthy of this, and wished to remain with
the ascetic as his disciple. So that Gregory should have no doubts of
the veracity of his words, the Elder revealed that he knew a secret
about him. In a vision, Gregory had seen the First-Ranked Apostles
Peter and Paul, and they had placed a bishop's omophorion upon him.
St Gregory stayed a short time in Carthage (North Africa) serving as a
deacon, then arrived in Rome. He went to the church of Sts Boniface
and Aglaida, then to the tomb of St Peter. There he was granted a
vision of the holy Apostle, who told him to walk the path of virtue
and to live according to God's will. That night he saw the Apostle
Paul in a dream bringing to him a cup filled with oil, foretelling
that he should receive the grace of the priesthood and the episcopacy.
During this time the armies of the Ethiopian emperor Elesbaan (October
24) vanquished the Himyarite king Dunaan, who was of Jewish
background. The city of Negran was liberated, and Christianity
restored in the land of Homer. But all the clergy had been cruelly
exterminated by Dunaan, and therefore Elesbaan sent emissaries to the
Patriarch of Alexandria asking him to send a bishop to Negran, and
clergy for the churches. While he was praying, the holy Apostle Mark
appeared to the patriarch, bidding him to find a deacon named Gregory,
who was to be ordained to the priesthood, consecrated as a bishop, and
then to be sent to Elesbaan. The patriarch did this. During the
service a miracle took place. St Gregory's face shone with the grace
of the Holy Spirit, and from his vestments came a sweet fragrance like
myrrh or incense, filling the whole church with the scent.
Arriving in Homer, St Gregory began to set the Church in order,
preaching to both pagans and Jews. After three years Elesbaan returned
to Ethiopia, leaving the noble Abramius behind as King of Homer. St
Gregory crowned and anointed Abramius as king. Soon he issued a decree
that all his subjects be baptized. Then certain prominent Jews turned
to the emperor saying that it was better for people to believe
willingly rather than under compulsion. They requested that he should
permit a debate on faith to be held between them and the Christians,
vowing that if the Christians proved victorious in this debate, the
Jews would then accept Baptism.
The Jews were given forty days to prepare for the debate, which lasted
for several days. St Gregory refuted all the arguments of the head of
the Hebrew elder, Rabbi Ervan, using only texts from the Old
Testament. In a vision Ervan beheld the holy Prophet Moses, who
worshipped the Lord Jesus Christ. The prophet told Ervan that Ervan
was in opposition to the truth and would be defeated.
By the grace of God Christian truth prevailed in the debate, but Ervan
would not acknowledge his defeat. He made a last desperate attempt. He
said, "If you want me to believe in your Christ, and to acknowledge
that yours is the true God, then show Him to me, bishop!" The saint
replied: "Your request is impertinent. It is not with man that you
contend now, but with God. However, the Lord can do what you have
asked in order to convince you.
Everyone waited to see what would happen. St Gregory, having steadfast
faith in God and trusting in Him, began to pray aloud. He recalled the
mystery of the Incarnation of God the Word, the miracles of His
earthly life, the Three-day Resurrection and the Ascension into
Heaven, and he invoked the power of the Life-Creating Cross. "Show
Thyself to these people, O Lord," he prayed, "and glorify Thy holy
Name!"
When he finished the prayer, the earth quaked, and in the east the
heavens were opened, and in a radiant cloud of light the Lord Jesus
Christ came down on earth, and the Voice of the Lord was heard:
"Through the prayers of Bishop Gregory, He Whom your fathers put to
death will heal you."
Like Saul, who was struck blind by the Heavenly light on the road to
Damascus, the Jews were struck blind. Then they believed in Christ and
they implored the holy bishop to heal them. Upon receiving holy
Baptism, all of them were healed. Rabbi Ervan received the Christian
name Leo (meaning "lion").
After this most extraordinary miracle, St Gregory guided the flock of
Homer for another thirty years. He reposed in the year 552 and was
buried in a crypt in the cathedral of Afar.
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Venerable George the Scribe, of Khakhuli
Saints George and Sava of Khakhuli were brothers of Jacob, the father
of St. George of the Holy Mountain. George and Sava labored as monks
at Khakhuli Monastery in southern Georgia.
The holy fathers were filled with divine grace. The elder brother,
George, was a spiritual adviser in the court of King Bagrat III
Kuropalates and, along with the king, he became an active participant
in the production of ecclesiastical literature. (This period is known
as the Golden Age of Georgian Letters, when many translations and
copies of ecclesiastical writings were made.) The younger brother,
Sava, is remembered as a righteous and blameless man by the renowned
Church figure George the Lesser. According to George the Lesser, the
brothers were generously endowed with both spiritual blessings and
material wealth.
When the holy fathers heard about the piety of their nephew, the young
George (later of the Holy Mountain), they suggested that Jacob bring
him to them in Khakhuli in Klarjeti. With exceeding gladness Jacob
brought his son to the God-fearing brothers.
At that time a certain Peris Jojikisdze, a nobleman married to the
daughter of King Bagrat III, governed the village of Tvartsatapi.
Peris thought it wise to invite an intelligent and experienced monk to
his palace to serve as an instructor and spiritual guide, and he
selected St. George to fill this role. With great reluctance the
venerable father consented, and he was entrusted with responsibility
for all the spiritual and earthly affairs at the palace.
George of Khakhuli took the young George with him to the palace of
Peris Jojikisdze. A year later, the Byzantine Emperor Basil II brought
false accusations against Peris and ordered his execution. His wife
and those in his court, among whom were St. George and the young
George of the Holy Mountain, were captured and escorted to
Constantinople.
After twelve years in Byzantium, the captives were finally permitted
to return home. Upon his return to Georgia, George of Khakhuli sent
his nephew to Khakhuli Monastery, entrusting him to the care of his
brother Sava.
The holy fathers reposed peacefully in the mid-11th century.
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Venerable Sava of Khakhuli
Saints George and Sava of Khakhuli were brothers of Jacob, the father
of St. George of the Holy Mountain. George and Sava labored as monks
at Khakhuli Monastery in southern Georgia.
The holy fathers were filled with divine grace. The elder brother,
George, was a spiritual adviser in the court of King Bagrat III
Kuropalates and, along with the king, he became an active participant
in the production of ecclesiastical literature. (This period is known
as the Golden Age of Georgian Letters, when many translations and
copies of ecclesiastical writings were made.) The younger brother,
Sava, is remembered as a righteous and blameless man by the renowned
Church figure George the Lesser. According to George the Lesser, the
brothers were generously endowed with both spiritual blessings and
material wealth.
When the holy fathers heard about the piety of their nephew, the young
George (later of the Holy Mountain), they suggested that Jacob bring
him to them in Khakhuli in Klarjeti. With exceeding gladness Jacob
brought his son to the God-fearing brothers.
At that time a certain Peris Jojikisdze, a nobleman married to the
daughter of King Bagrat III, governed the village of Tvartsatapi.
Peris thought it wise to invite an intelligent and experienced monk to
his palace to serve as an instructor and spiritual guide, and he
selected St. George to fill this role. With great reluctance the
venerable father consented, and he was entrusted with responsibility
for all the spiritual and earthly affairs at the palace.
George of Khakhuli took the young George with him to the palace of
Peris Jojikisdze. A year later, the Byzantine Emperor Basil II brought
false accusations against Peris and ordered his execution. His wife
and those in his court, among whom were St. George and the young
George of the Holy Mountain, were captured and escorted to
Constantinople.
After twelve years in Byzantium, the captives were finally permitted
to return home. Upon his return to Georgia, George of Khakhuli sent
his nephew to Khakhuli Monastery, entrusting him to the care of his
brother Sava.
The holy fathers reposed peacefully in the mid-11th century.
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