[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Sun Dec 23 05:00:22 CST 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sun Dec 23 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Genesis 14:14-20  (Vespers, 1st Reading)
14 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed
his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his
own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
15 He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his
servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is
north of Damascus.
16 So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother
Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.
17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh
(that is, the Kings Valley), after his return from the defeat of
Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was
the priest of God Most High.
19 And he blessed him and said: Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into
your hand. And he gave him a tithe of all.
Scripture Reading 1 of 6

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Deuteronomy 1:8-11,15-17  (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
8 See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land
which the Lord swore to your fathers--to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--to
give to them and their descendants after them.'
9 "And I spoke to you at that time, saying: 'I alone am not able to
bear you.
10 The Lord your God has multiplied you, and here you are today, as
the stars of heaven in multitude.
11 May the Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times more
numerous than you are, and bless you as He has promised you!
15 So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and
made them heads over you, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds,
leaders of fifties, leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes.
16 Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases
between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his
brother or the stranger who is with him.
17 You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small
as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man's presence,
for the judgment is God's. The case that is too hard for you, bring to
me, and I will hear it.'
Scripture Reading 2 of 6

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Deuteronomy 10:14-21  (Vespers, 3rd Reading)
14 Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God,
also the earth with all that is in it.
15 The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose
their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this
day.
16 Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be
stiff-necked no longer.
17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great
God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.
18 He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves
the stranger, giving him food and clothing.
19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of
Egypt.
20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him
you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name.
21 He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these
great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.
Scripture Reading 3 of 6

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John 20:11-18  (8th Matins Gospel)
11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she
stooped down and looked into the tomb.
12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the
other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to
them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where
they have laid Him."
14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus
standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you
seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if
You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will
take Him away."
16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!"
(which is to say, Teacher).
17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended
to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending
to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' "
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the
Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
Scripture Reading 4 of 6

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Hebrews 11:9-10,17-23,32-40  (Epistle, Sunday Before)
9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same
promise;
10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and
maker is God.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who
had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,"
19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead,
from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of
Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure
of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his
parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not
afraid of the king's command.
32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of
Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and
the prophets:
33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained
promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out
of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to
flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were
tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better
resurrection.
36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of
chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain
with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being
destitute, afflicted, tormented-
38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and
mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did
not receive the promise,
40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not
be made perfect apart from us.
Scripture Reading 5 of 6

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Matthew 1:1-25  (Gospel, Sunday Before)
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son
of Abraham:
2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and
his brothers.
3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron
begot Ram.
4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot
Salmon.
5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot
Jesse,
6 and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her
who had been the wife of Uriah.
7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa.
8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot
Uzziah.
9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah.
10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot
Josiah.
11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were
carried away to Babylon.
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel,
and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel.
13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot
Azor.
14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud.
15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot
Jacob.
16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus
who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen
generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen
generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are
fourteen generations.
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary
was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with
child of the Holy Spirit.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make
her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the
Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not
be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived
in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS,
for He will save His people from their sins.
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they
shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, "God with us."
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him and took to him his wife,
25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.
And he called His name JESUS.
Scripture Reading 6 of 6

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Sunday before the Nativity
The Sunday before the Nativity of the Lord (December 18-24) is known
as the Sunday of the Holy Fathers. On this day the Church commemorates
all those who were well-pleasing to God from all ages, from Adam to St
Joseph the Betrothed of the Most Holy Theotokos, those who are
mentioned in the geneology of Luke 3:23-38. The holy prophets and
prophetesses are also remembered today, especially the Prophet Daniel
and the three holy youths (December 17).
The Troparion to the Prophet Daniel and the three holy youths ("Great
are the accomplishments of faith) is quite similar to the Troparion
for St Theodore the Recruit (February 17, and the first Saturday of
Great Lent). The Kontakion to St Theodore, who suffered martyrdom by
fire, reminds us that he also had faith as his breastplate (see I
Thessalonians 5:8).
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Forefeast of the Nativity of our Lord
The Forefeast of the Nativity of the Lord begins on December 20. From
now on, most of the liturgical hymns will be concerned with the birth
of the Savior.
At Compline on this fourth day of the prefeast of the Nativity we
sing, "Let us purify our minds, washing ourselves with the divine
Mysteries; let us draw near in soul and body to Bethlehem, that we may
behold the fearful dispensation of the birth of the Lord" (Ode Five of
the Canon).
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10 Holy Martyrs of Crete
The Ten Holy Martyrs of Crete: Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus,
Gelasius, Eunician, Zoticus, Pompius, Agathopus, Basilides and
Evaristus suffered for Christ during the third century under the
emperor Decius (249-251). The governor of Crete, also named Decius,
fiercely persecuted the Church, and arrested anyone who believed in
Christ. Once, ten Christians were brought before him from various
cities of Crete, who at the trial steadfastly confessed their faith in
Christ and refused to worship idols.
For thirty days they were subjected to cruel tortures, and with the
help of God they all persevered, glorifying God. Before their death
they prayed that the Lord would enlighten their torturers with the
light of the true Faith. Since pain did not influence them, the saints
were beheaded.
St Paul of Constantinople (November 6) visited Crete about a hundred
years later. He took the relics of the holy martyrs to Constantinople
to serve as a protection for the city, and a source of blessings for
the faithful.
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Martyr Theodulus of Crete
Saints Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician, Zoticus,
Pompius, Agathopus, Basilides and Evaristus suffered for Christ during
the third century under the emperor Decius (249-251). The prefect of
Crete, also named Decius, fiercely persecuted the Church, and arrested
anyone who believed in Christ. Once, ten Christians were brought
before him from various cities of Crete, who at the trial steadfastly
confessed their faith in Christ and refused to worship idols.
For thirty days they were subjected to cruel tortures, and with the
help of God they all persevered, glorifying God. Before their death
they prayed that the Lord would enlighten their torturers with the
light of the true Faith. Since pain did not influence them, the saints
were beheaded.
St Paul of Constantinople (November 6) visited Crete about a hundred
years later. He took the relics of the holy martyrs to Constantinople
to serve as a protection for the city, and a source of blessings for
the faithful.
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Martyr Saturninus of Crete
Saints Saturninus, Theodulus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician, Zoticus,
Pompius, Agathopus, Basilides and Evaristus suffered for Christ during
the third century under the emperor Decius (249-251). The prefect of
Crete, also named Decius, fiercely persecuted the Church, and arrested
anyone who believed in Christ. Once, ten Christians were brought
before him from various cities of Crete, who at the trial steadfastly
confessed their faith in Christ and refused to worship idols.
For thirty days they were subjected to cruel tortures, and with the
help of God they all persevered, glorifying God. Before their death
they prayed that the Lord would enlighten their torturers with the
light of the true Faith. Since pain did not influence them, the saints
were beheaded.
St Paul of Constantinople (November 6) visited Crete about a hundred
years later. He took the relics of the holy martyrs to Constantinople
to serve as a protection for the city, and a source of blessings for
the faithful.
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Martyr Euporus of Crete
Saints Euporus, Theodulus, Saturninus, Gelasius, Eunician, Zoticus,
Pompius, Agathopus, Basilides and Evaristus suffered for Christ during
the third century under the emperor Decius (249-251). The prefect of
Crete, also named Decius, fiercely persecuted the Church, and arrested
anyone who believed in Christ. Once, ten Christians were brought
before him from various cities of Crete, who at the trial steadfastly
confessed their faith in Christ and refused to worship idols.
For thirty days they were subjected to cruel tortures, and with the
help of God they all persevered, glorifying God. Before their death
they prayed that the Lord would enlighten their torturers with the
light of the true Faith. Since pain did not influence them, the saints
were beheaded.
St Paul of Constantinople (November 6) visited Crete about a hundred
years later. He took the relics of the holy martyrs to Constantinople
to serve as a protection for the city, and a source of blessings for
the faithful.
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Martyr Gelasius of Crete
Saints Gelasius, Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Eunician, Zoticus,
Pompius, Agathopus, Basilides and Evaristus suffered for Christ during
the third century under the emperor Decius (249-251). The prefect of
Crete, also named Decius, fiercely persecuted the Church, and arrested
anyone who believed in Christ. Once, ten Christians were brought
before him from various cities of Crete, who at the trial steadfastly
confessed their faith in Christ and refused to worship idols.
For thirty days they were subjected to cruel tortures, and with the
help of God they all persevered, glorifying God. Before their death
they prayed that the Lord would enlighten their torturers with the
light of the true Faith. Since pain did not influence them, the saints
were beheaded.
St Paul of Constantinople (November 6) visited Crete about a hundred
years later. He took the relics of the holy martyrs to Constantinople
to serve as a protection for the city, and a source of blessings for
the faithful.
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Martyr Eunician of Crete
Saints Eunician, Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Zoticus,
Pompius, Agathopus, Basilides and Evaristus suffered for Christ during
the third century under the emperor Decius (249-251). The prefect of
Crete, also named Decius, fiercely persecuted the Church, and arrested
anyone who believed in Christ. Once, ten Christians were brought
before him from various cities of Crete, who at the trial steadfastly
confessed their faith in Christ and refused to worship idols.
For thirty days they were subjected to cruel tortures, and with the
help of God they all persevered, glorifying God. Before their death
they prayed that the Lord would enlighten their torturers with the
light of the true Faith. Since pain did not influence them, the saints
were beheaded.
St Paul of Constantinople (November 6) visited Crete about a hundred
years later. He took the relics of the holy martyrs to Constantinople
to serve as a protection for the city, and a source of blessings for
the faithful.
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Martyr Zoticus of Crete
Saints Zoticus, Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician,
Pompius, Agathopus, Basilides and Evaristus suffered for Christ during
the third century under the emperor Decius (249-251). The prefect of
Crete, also named Decius, fiercely persecuted the Church, and arrested
anyone who believed in Christ. Once, ten Christians were brought
before him from various cities of Crete, who at the trial steadfastly
confessed their faith in Christ and refused to worship idols.
For thirty days they were subjected to cruel tortures, and with the
help of God they all persevered, glorifying God. Before their death
they prayed that the Lord would enlighten their torturers with the
light of the true Faith. Since pain did not influence them, the saints
were beheaded.
St Paul of Constantinople (November 6) visited Crete about a hundred
years later. He took the relics of the holy martyrs to Constantinople
to serve as a protection for the city, and a source of blessings for
the faithful.
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Martyr Pompeius of Crete
Saints Pompius, Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician,
Zoticus, Agathopus, Basilides and Evaristus suffered for Christ during
the third century under the emperor Decius (249-251). The prefect of
Crete, also named Decius, fiercely persecuted the Church, and arrested
anyone who believed in Christ. Once, ten Christians were brought
before him from various cities of Crete, who at the trial steadfastly
confessed their faith in Christ and refused to worship idols.
For thirty days they were subjected to cruel tortures, and with the
help of God they all persevered, glorifying God. Before their death
they prayed that the Lord would enlighten their torturers with the
light of the true Faith. Since pain did not influence them, the saints
were beheaded.
St Paul of Constantinople (November 6) visited Crete about a hundred
years later. He took the relics of the holy martyrs to Constantinople
to serve as a protection for the city, and a source of blessings for
the faithful.
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Martyr Agathopus of Crete
Saints Agathopus, Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician,
Zoticus, Pompius, Basilides and Evaristus suffered for Christ during
the third century under the emperor Decius (249-251). The prefect of
Crete, also named Decius, fiercely persecuted the Church, and arrested
anyone who believed in Christ. Once, ten Christians were brought
before him from various cities of Crete, who at the trial steadfastly
confessed their faith in Christ and refused to worship idols.
For thirty days they were subjected to cruel tortures, and with the
help of God they all persevered, glorifying God. Before their death
they prayed that the Lord would enlighten their torturers with the
light of the true Faith. Since pain did not influence them, the saints
were beheaded.
St Paul of Constantinople (November 6) visited Crete about a hundred
years later. He took the relics of the holy martyrs to Constantinople
to serve as a protection for the city, and a source of blessings for
the faithful.
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Martyr Basilides of Crete
Saints Basilides, Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician,
Zoticus, Pompius, Agathopus, and Evaristus suffered for Christ during
the third century under the emperor Decius (249-251). The prefect of
Crete, also named Decius, fiercely persecuted the Church, and arrested
anyone who believed in Christ. Once, ten Christians were brought
before him from various cities of Crete, who at the trial steadfastly
confessed their faith in Christ and refused to worship idols.
For thirty days they were subjected to cruel tortures, and with the
help of God they all persevered, glorifying God. Before their death
they prayed that the Lord would enlighten their torturers with the
light of the true Faith. Since pain did not influence them, the saints
were beheaded.
St Paul of Constantinople (November 6) visited Crete about a hundred
years later. He took the relics of the holy martyrs to Constantinople
to serve as a protection for the city, and a source of blessings for
the faithful.
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Martyr Evaristus of Crete
Saints Evaristus, Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician,
Zoticus, Pompius, Agathopus and Basilides suffered for Christ during
the third century under the emperor Decius (249-251). The prefect of
Crete, also named Decius, fiercely persecuted the Church, and arrested
anyone who believed in Christ. Once, ten Christians were brought
before him from various cities of Crete, who at the trial steadfastly
confessed their faith in Christ and refused to worship idols.
For thirty days they were subjected to cruel tortures, and with the
help of God they all persevered, glorifying God. Before their death
they prayed that the Lord would enlighten their torturers with the
light of the true Faith. Since pain did not influence them, the saints
were beheaded.
St Paul of Constantinople (November 6) visited Crete about a hundred
years later. He took the relics of the holy martyrs to Constantinople
to serve as a protection for the city, and a source of blessings for
the faithful.
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Repose of St Theoctistus the Archbishop of Novgorod
Saint Theoctistus, Archbishop of Novgorod, prior to becoming a bishop,
was igumen of the Annunciation monastery near Novgorod. After the
death of Archbishop Clement in the year 1300, the people of Novgorod
chose him as their Archbishop, and Metropolitan Maximus with the
bishops Simeon of Rostov and Andrew of Tver consecrated St Theoctistus
as Archbishop of Novgorod.
One of St Theoctistus' concerns was the renovation and building of
churches. He consecrated cathedrals in the name of Sts Boris and Gleb,
and in the name of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council.
The monastery of Valaam was set in good order during his time.
In the year 1307, because of poor health, the saint withdrew to the
Annunciation monastery, where he lived until his death, devoting
himself to the ascetic deed of silence. St Theoctistus was glorified
in 1664, because of the miraculous healings at his relics. In 1786,
the relics of the saint were transferred to Yuriev, where
Archimandrite Photius built a chapel in his honor at the local
cathedral.
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St Niphon the Bishop of Cyprus
Saint Niphon, Bishop of Cyprus was born in Paphlagonia, and was
educated at Constantinople. In childhood he was gentle and good, and
he often attended church services, but in his youth he began to lead a
prodigal and sinful life. He sometimes came to his senses, and he was
horrified by the extent of his fall; but believing that he was lost
and could not receive forgiveness, he resumed his impious life.
He once met a friend who gazed into his face for a long time with
astonishment. When Niphon asked why he was staring, the friend
replied, "I have never seen your face like this before. It is black,
like that of an Ethiopian." These words showed to Niphon his fallen
state, and he began to cry out to the Mother of God, begging Her
intercession.
After an intense and long prayer he saw that the face of the Mother of
God on the holy icon was radiantly bright with a smile. From that time
Niphon prayed incessantly to the Queen of Heaven. If he fell into sin,
the face of the Mother of God turned away from him, but after tears
and prayers, She mercifully turned toward him again. Finally, Niphon
completely turned his life around and began to spend his time in
prayer and repentance. After an illness, from which he received
healing from the Mother of God, he received the Holy Mysteries, and
then accepted monastic tonsure and intensified his efforts, exhausting
his body in the struggle against the passions.
This struggle lasted for many years, and devils often attacked St
Niphon, but with the help of God he overcame them. He received from
God the gift to discern evil spirits and defeat them, and alsoto see
the departure of the soul after death. Already advanced in age, and
arriving at Alexandria, he was pointed out to the Patriarch in a
vision as one worthy to assume the office of bishop. They made him
bishop of the city of Constantia on the island of Cyprus. However, he
did not remain there for long. St Niphon knew the time of his death
three days beforehand. St Athanasius the Great visited him before his
blessed repose. On his deathbed the saint was granted to see angels
and the All-Pure Mother of God.
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St Paul the Bishop of Neocaesarea
Saint Paul, Bishop of Neocaesarea, suffered under the emperor Licinius
(311-324). At his trial he firmly confessed his faith, and was
subjected to beatings. They tortured him also with hunger, but he
remained steadfast. Then they scorched his hands with red-hot iron and
locked him in a prison at the banks of the Euphrates.
After Licinius was executed in the year 324, when St Constantine
became the sole ruler of the Roman Empire, and Christians in prison
received their freedom, St Paul returned to his flock. He was a
participant at the First Ecmenical Council at Nicea, convened in the
year 325, at which the Arian heresy was condemned and the Symbol of
Faith adopted. At the end of the Council, the Emperor Constantine
solemnly received the Council participants and kissed St Paul's burned
hand. After long years of guiding his flock, St Paul peacefully fell
asleep in the Lord.
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St Nahum of Ochrid, the Disciple of St Cyril and Methodius,
Equal of the Apostles
Saint Nahum was a disciple of Sts Cyril and Methodius (May 11), one of
their coworkers known as the Five Followers.
St Nahum was a man of great learning, and he spoke several languages.
After a visit to Rome, he settled on the shores of Lake Ochrid. There
he built a monastery at the time when St Clement of Ochrid (July 27)
was serving as a bishop.
Many monks gathered around St Nahum, who was known as a great
wonderworker and a man of prayer. He also labored to translate the
Holy Scriptures from Greek into Slavonic.
St Nahum fell asleep in the Lord in 910, and his holy relics continue
to work miracles of healing for those who venerate them in faith.
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