[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

[Daily Orthodox Readings and Saints]

Scripture Readings and Saints for Thu Feb 8 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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1 John 4:20-5:21
20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar;
for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love
God whom he has not seen?
21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must
love his brother also.
1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and
everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of
Him.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God
and keep His commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His
commandments are not burdensome.
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the
victory that has overcome the world-our faith.
5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is
the Son of God?
6 This is He who came by water and blood-Jesus Christ; not only by
water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness,
because the Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the
Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the
water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for
this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.
10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he
who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not
believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and
this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God
does not have life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the
Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you
may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask
anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we
have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to
death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin
not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that
he should pray about that.
17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has
been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway
of the wicked one.
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an
understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who
is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal
life.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2


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Mark 15:1-15
1 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation
with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound
Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.
2 Then Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" He answered
and said to him, "It is as you say."
3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered
nothing.
4 Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Do You answer nothing? See how
many things they testify against You!"
5 But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.
6 Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to
them, whomever they requested.
7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow
rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.
8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he
had always done for them.
9 But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you
the King of the Jews?"
10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of
envy.
11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should
rather release Barabbas to them.
12 Pilate answered and said to them again, "What then do you want me
to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?"
13 So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!"
14 Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they
cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!"
15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them;
and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2



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------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Afterfeast of the Meeting of our Lord in the Temple
The sixth day of the Afterfeast of the Meeting of the Lord falls on
February 8. The hymns of the day speak of Christ fulfilling the Law by
being brought to the Temple, and of how the Theotokos "reveals to the
world its Creator, and the Giver of the Law."
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Greatmartyr Theodore Stratelates "the General"
The Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates came from the city of Euchaita
in Asia Minor. He was endowed with many talents, and was handsome in
appearance. For his charity God enlightened him with the knowledge of
Christian truth. The bravery of the saintly soldier was revealed after
he, with the help of God, killed a giant serpent living on a precipice
in the outskirts of Euchaita. The serpent had devoured many people and
animals, terrorizing the countryside. St Theodore armed himself with a
sword and vanquished it, glorifying the name of Christ among the
people.
For his bravery St Theodore was appointed military commander
[stratelatos] in the city of Heraclea, where he combined his military
service with preaching the Gospel among the pagans subject to him. His
gift of persuasion, reinforced by his personal example of Christian
life, turned many from their false gods. Soon, nearly all of Heraclea
had accepted Christianity.
During this time the emperor Licinius (311-324) began a fierce
persecution against Christians. In an effort to stamp out the new
faith, he persecuted the enlightened adherents of Christianity, who
were perceived as a threat to paganism. Among these was St Theodore.
Licinius tried to force St Theodore to offer sacrifice to the pagan
gods. The saint invited Licinius to come to him with his idols so both
of them could offer sacrifice before the people.
Blinded by his hatred for Christianity, Licinius trusted the words of
the saint, but he was disappointed. St Theodore smashed the gold and
silver statues into pieces, which he then distributed to the poor.
Thus he demonstrated the vain faith in soulless idols, and also
displayed Christian charity.
St Theodore was arrested and subjected to fierce and refined torture.
He was dragged on the ground, beaten with iron rods, had his body
pierced with sharp spikes, was burned with fire, and his eyes were
plucked out. Finally, he was crucified. Varus, the servant of St
Theodore, barely had the strength to write down the incredible
torments of his master.
God, however, in His great mercy, willed that the death of St Theodore
should be as fruitful for those near him as his life was. An angel
healed the saint's wounded body and took him down from the cross. In
the morning, the imperial soldiers found him alive and unharmed.
Seeing with their own eyes the infinite might of the Christian God,
they were baptized not far from the place of the unsuccessful
execution.
Thus St Theodore became "like a day of splendor" for those pagans
dwelling in the darkness of idolatary, and he enlightened their souls
"with the bright rays of his suffering." Unwilling to escape martyrdom
for Christ, St Theodore voluntarily surrendered himself to Licinius,
and discouraged the Christians from rising up against the torturer,
saying, "Beloved, halt! My Lord Jesus Christ, hanging upon the Cross,
restrained the angels and did not permit them to take revenge on the
race of man."
Going to execution, the holy martyr opened up the prison doors with
just a word and freed the prisoners from their bonds. People who
touched his robe were healed instantly from sicknesses, and freed from
demonic possession. By order of the emperor, St Theodore was beheaded
by the sword. Before his death he told Varus, " Do not fail to record
the day of my death, and bury my body in Euchaita." He also asked to
be remembered each year on this date. Then he bent his neck beneath
the sword, and received the crown of martyrdom which he had sought.
This occurred on February 8, 319, on a Saturday, at the third hour of
the day.
St Theodore is regarded as the patron saint of soldiers. He is also
commemorated on June 8.
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Prophet Zechariah
The Prophet Zachariah the Sickle-Seer the eleventh of the twelve Minor
Prophets. He was descended from the tribe of Levi, and seems to have
been a priest (Nehemiah 12:4,16). He was called to prophetic service
at a young age and became, in the wondrous expression of church
hymnology, "a spectator of supra-worldly visions."
The Book of the Prophet Zachariah contains inspired details about the
coming of the Messiah (Zach 6:12); about the last days of the Savior's
earthly life, about the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem on a young
donkey (Zach 9:9); about the betrayal of the Lord for thirty pieces of
silver and the purchase of the potter's field with them (Zach
11:12-13); about the piercing of the Savior's side (Zach 12:10); about
the scattering of the apostles from the Garden of Gethsemane (Zach
13:7); about the eclipse of the sun at the time of the Crucifixion
(Zach 14:6-7).
"Enlightened by dawnings all above," the Prophet Zachariah, "saw the
future as it were the present." According to Tradition, this "most
true God-proclaimer" lived to old age and was buried near Jerusalem,
beside his illustrious contemporary and companion, the Prophet Haggai
(December 16). The title "Sickle-Seer" given Zachariah comes from a
vision in which he saw a sickle flying in the air, destroying thieves
and perjurors (Zach 5:1-3).
The holy Prophet Zachariah died around 520 B.C. His tomb was
discovered in 415 in a village near Eleutheropolis (Sozomen, Hist.
Eccles. VI:32, IX:17). At the prophet's feet was the body of a child
dressed in royal accoutrements. His holy relics were transferred to
the church of St James the Brother of the Lord (October 23) in
Constantinople.
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St Sava II the Archbishop of Serbia
Saint Sava II of Serbia was the son of King Stephen the First-Crowned,
and the nephew of St Sava.
Before becoming a monk, his name was Predislav. In the monastery he
devoted himself to the practice of asceticism, just as his uncle had
done.
After the repose of St Arsenius (October 28), St Sava II succeeded him
as Archbishop. He guided the Church with great love and dedication
until he fell asleep in the Lord in the year 1269.
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St Sava II of Serbia
Saint Sava II was the son of King Stephen the First-Crowned (September
24), the nephew of St Sava I (January 14). He was named Predislav at
birth.
He succeeded St Arsenius (October 28) as Archbishop of Serbia in 1266,
and took the name Sava.
The faithful archpastor fell asleep in the Lord in 1268, and his holy
relics are at Pec.
St Sava II is also commemorated on August 30, the Synaxis of the
Serbian Hierarchs.
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