[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

Thu Feb 15 05:00:17 CST 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Thu Feb 15 2007

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Jude 1:11-25
11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run
greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the
rebellion of Korah.
12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you
without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water,
carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice
dead, pulled up by the roots;
13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering
stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also,
saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,
15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among
them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an
ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have
spoken against Him.
16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own
lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain
advantage.
17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by
the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:
18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who
would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.
19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the
Spirit.
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our
Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction;
23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating
even the garment defiled by the flesh.
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present
you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2

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Luke 23:2-34, 44-56
2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow
perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying
that He Himself is Christ, a King."
3 Then Pilate asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" He
answered him and said, "It is as you say."
4 So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault
in this Man."
5 But they were the more fierce, saying, "He stirs up the people,
teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place."
6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean.
7 And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he
sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had
desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things
about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him.
9 Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.
10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.
11 Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and
mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to
Pilate.
12 That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for
previously they had been at enmity with each other.
13 Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the
rulers, and the people,
14 said to them, "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads
the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have
found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse
Him;
15 no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed
nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.
16 I will therefore chastise Him and release Him
17 (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).
18 And they all cried out at once, saying, "Away with this Man, and
release to us Barabbas"-
19 who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the
city, and for murder.
20 Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to
them.
21 But they shouted, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"
22 Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done? I
have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him
and let Him go."
23 But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be
crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests
prevailed.
24 So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.
25 And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion
and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to
their will.
26 Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a
Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the
cross that he might bear it after Jesus.
27 And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who
also mourned and lamented Him.
28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not
weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
29 For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are
the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!'
30 Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, Fall on us!" and to
the hills, "Cover us!" '
31 For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in
the dry?
32 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to
death.
33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they
crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other
on the left.
34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what
they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.
44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all
the earth until the ninth hour.
45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in
two.
46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father,
'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' " Having said this, He breathed
His last.
47 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God,
saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"
48 And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what
had been done, beat their breasts and returned.
49 But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from
Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
50 Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good
and just man.
51 He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from
Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the
kingdom of God.
52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb
that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.
54 That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.
55 And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after,
and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid.
56 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they
rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2

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Apostle Onesimus of the Seventy
Saint Onesimus, Apostle of the Seventy in his youth was a servant of
Philemon, a Christian of distinguished lineage, living in the city of
Colossae, Phrygia. Guilty of an offense against his master and fearing
punishment, St Onesimus fled to Rome, but as a runaway slave he wound
up in prison. In prison he encountered the Apostle Paul, was
enlightened by him, and was baptized.
In prison St Onesimus served the Apostle Paul like a son. St Paul was
personally acquainted with Philemon, and wrote him a letter filled
with love, asking him to forgive the runaway slave and to accept him
like a brother. He sent St Onesimus with this letter to his master,
depriving himself of help, of which he was very much in need.
After he received the letter, St Philemon not only forgave Onesimus,
but also sent him back to Rome to the apostle. St Philemon was
afterwards consecrated bishop of the city of Gaza (January 4, February
19, and November 22).
After the death of the Apostle Paul, St Onesimus served the apostles
until their end, and he was made a bishop. After the death of the holy
apostles he preached the Gospel in many lands and cities: in Spain,
Carpetania, Colossae, Patras. In his old age, St Onesimus occupied the
bishop's throne at Ephesus, after the Apostle Timothy. When they took
St Ignatius the God-Bearer (December 20) to Rome for execution, Bishop
Onesimus came to meet with him with other Christians, as St Ignatius
mentions in his Epistle to the Ephesians.
During the reign of the emperor Trajan (89-117), St Onesimus was
arrested and brought to trial before the eparch Tertillus. He held the
saint in prison for eighteen days, and then sent him to prison in the
city of Puteoli. After a certain while, the eparch sent for the
prisoner and, convincing himself that St Onesimus maintained his faith
in Christ, had him stoned, after which they beheaded the saint with a
sword. A certain illustrious woman took the body of the martyr and
placed it in a silver coffin. This took place in the year 109.
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Venerable Paphnutius the Recluse of the Kiev Caves
Saint Paphnutius had the gift of tears, which St John of the Ladder
says (Step 6:1) is preceded by the remembrance of death. For worldly
people, this remembrance may lead to fear and distress, but for St
Paphnutius it led to constant prayer and the guarding of his mind.
By remembering the hour of death and God's judgment, St Paphnutius was
able to free himself from worldly distractions and passions through
prayer, repentance and fasting. This, in turn, led to tears.
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Venerable Paphnutius of Alexandria
The Holy Martyr Paphnutius hailed from Egypt and struggled in the
desert. During the persecution against Christians under Diocletian
(284-305), the governor Hadrian commanded that St Paphnutius be
brought to him. The ascetic, not waiting for those sent to bring him,
appeared before the governor, confessed his faith in Christ, and was
subjected to torture.
The soldiers involved in his torture, Dionysius and Callimachus,
seeing how the power of God preserved the martyr, believed in Christ
the Savior themselves, for which they were then beheaded. Cast into
prison after the tortures, St Paphnutius converted forty prisoners to
the Faith. They were all burned alive.
After a while St Paphnutius was set free, and a Christian named
Nestorius gladly took him in. He and all his family, after spiritual
guidance, became steadfast in the Faith, and ultimately endured
martyrdom. The saint strengthened many other Christians to confess our
Lord Jesus Christ, and they all died as martyrs. Some were cut with
swords, others were burned. There were 546 men in all.
St Paphnutius himself was thrown by the torturers into a river with a
stone about his neck, but he miraculously floated to shore with the
stone. Finally, they sent the holy martyr to the emperor Diocletian
himself, who commanded him to be crucified on a date tree.
St Paphnutius is also commemorated on September 25.
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Venerable Euphrosyne of Alexandria
Saint Euphrosyne of Alexandria was born at the beginning of the fifth
century in the city of Alexandria. She was the only child in her
family of illustrious and rich parents. Since her mother died early,
she was raised by her father, Paphnutius, a deeply believing and pious
Christian. He frequented a monastery, the igumen of which was his
spiritual guide.
When Euphrosyne turned eighteen, her father wanted her to marry. He
went to the monastery to his spiritual guide to receive his blessing
for the planned wedding of his daughter. The igumen conversed with the
daughter and gave her his blessing, but St Euphrosyne yearned for the
monastic life.
She secretly accepted tonsure from a wandering monk, left her father's
house and decided to enter a monastery in order to lead her life in
solitude and prayer. She feared, however, that in a women's monastery
her father would find her. Calling herself the eunuch Smaragdos, she
went to the very same men's monastery which she had visited with her
father since childhood.
The monks did not recognize Euphrosyne dressed in men's garb, and so
they accepted her into the monastery. Here in a solitary cell, St
Euphrosyne spent 38 years in works, fasting and prayer, and attained a
high level of spiritual accomplishment.
Her father grieved over the loss of his beloved daughter and more than
once, on the advice of the igumen, he conversed with the monk
Smaragdos, revealing his grief and receiving spiritual comfort. Before
her death, the nun Euphrosyne revealed her secret to her grieving
father and asked that no one but he should prepare her body for
burial. Having buried his daughter, Paphnutius distributed all his
wealth to both the poor and to the monastery, and then he accepted
monasticism. For ten years right up to his own death, he labored in
the cell of his daughter.
Saint Euphrosyne is also commemorated on September 25.
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Venerable Eusebius the Hermit of Syria
Saint Eusebius the Hermit lived in the fourth century and lived in
asceticism on a mountain near the village of Asicha in Syria. He led a
very strict life under the open sky, patiently enduring the summer
heat and winter cold. He wore skins for clothing, and nourished
himself on the pods of peas and beans.
Though he was elderly and infirm, he ate only fifteen figs during the
Great Forty day Fast. When many people began to flock to St Eusebius,
he went to a nearby monastery, built a small enclosure at the
monastery walls and lived in it until his death.
St Eusebius died at the age of ninety, sometime after the year 400.
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Icon of the Mother of God of Vilnius
This icon is from Vilnius (or Vilna), Lithuania, and depicts the Most
Holy Theotokos by Herself with hands crossed over Her breast. She is
crowned, and there is a circle of stars around Her head.
The Vilnius Icon is also commemorated on April 14.
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Icon of the Mother of God of Dalmatia
The Dalmatian Icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is from
the Dormition-Dalmatov Monastery in the Province of Perm.
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