[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

Sat Feb 24 05:00:31 CST 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sat Feb 24 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Luke 7:17-30  (Matins Gospel)
17 And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the
surrounding region.
18 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these
things.
19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus,
saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"
20 When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent
us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for
another?' "
21 And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and
evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.
22 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you
have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel
preached to them.
23 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.
24 When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the
multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness
to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
25 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments?
Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in
kings' courts.
26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and
more than a prophet.
27 This is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger
before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'
28 For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater
prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of
God is greater than he.
29 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors
justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.
30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for
themselves, not having been baptized by him.
Scripture Reading 1 of 5

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2 Timothy 2:1-10  (St. Theodore)
1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ
Jesus.
2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses,
commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus
Christ.
4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this
life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless
he competes according to the rules.
6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.
7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all
things.
8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from
the dead according to my gospel,
9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of
chains; but the word of God is not chained.
10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they
also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal
glory.
Scripture Reading 2 of 5

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2 Corinthians 4:6-15   (Forerunner)
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who
has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of
the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are
perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that
the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that
the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.
13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is
written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and
therefore speak,
14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up
with Jesus, and will present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread
through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of
God.
Scripture Reading 3 of 5

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John 15:17-16:2  (St. Theodore)
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
18 If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated
you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because
you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore
the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater
than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake,
because they do not know Him who sent Me.
22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but
now they have no excuse for their sin.
23 He who hates Me hates My Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they
would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and
My Father.
25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written
in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'
26 But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the
Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will
testify of Me.
27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from
the beginning.
1 These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to
stumble.
2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming
that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
Scripture Reading 4 of 5

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Matthew 11:2-15  (Forerunner)
2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent
two of his disciples
3 and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for
another?"
4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which
you hear and see:
5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the
deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel
preached to them.
6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.
7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning
John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken
by the wind?
8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments?
Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and
more than a prophet.
10 For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger
before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'
11 Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not
risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the
kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of
heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.
15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Scripture Reading 5 of 5

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1st Saturday of Great Lent St Theodore the Recruit
Today we remember the miracle of St Theodore and the boiled wheat.
Fifty years after the death of St Theodore, the emperor Julian the
Apostate (361-363), wanting to commit an outrage upon the Christians,
commanded the city-commander of Constantinople during the first week
of Great Lent to sprinkle all the food provisions in the marketplaces
with the blood offered to idols. St Theodore appeared in a dream to
Archbishop Eudoxius, ordering him to inform all the Christians that no
one should buy anything at the marketplaces, but rather to eat cooked
wheat with honey (kolyva).
In memory of this occurrence, the Orthodox Church annually celebrates
the holy Great Martyr Theodore the Recruit on the first Saturday of
Great Lent. On Friday evening, at the Divine Liturgy of the
Presanctified Gifts following the prayer at the ambo, the Canon to the
holy Great Martyr Theodore, composed by St John of Damascus, is sung.
After this, kolyva is blessed and distributed to the faithful. The
celebration of the Great Martyr Theodore on the first Saturday of
Great Lent was set by the Patriarch Nectarius of Constantinople
(381-397).
The Troparion to St Theodore is quite similar to the Troparion for the
Prophet Daniel and the Three Holy Youths (December 17, Sunday Before
Nativity). 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).
Saint Theodore is also commemorated on February 17.
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First and second finding of the Honorable Head of the Holy
Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord, John
After the Beheading of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John
(August 29), his body was buried by disciples in the Samarian city of
Sebaste, and his venerable head was hidden by Herodias in an unclean
place. St Joanna (June 27), the wife of King Herod's steward Chuza
(Luke 8:3), secretly took the holy head and placed it into a vessel
and buried it on the Mount of Olives in one of Herod's properties.
After many years, this property passed into the possession of a
government official who became a monk with the name of Innocent. He
built a church and a cell there. When they started to dig the
foundation, the vessel with the venerable head of John the Baptist was
uncovered. Innocent recognized its great holiness from the signs of
grace emanating from it. Thus occurred the First Finding of the Head.
Innocent preserved it with great piety, but fearful that the holy
relic might be abused by unbelievers, before his own death he again
hid it in that same place, where it was found. Upon his death the
church fell into ruin and was destroyed.
During the days of St Constantine the Great (May 21), when
Christianity began to flourish, the holy Forerunner appeared twice to
two monks journeying to Jerusalem on pilgrimage to the holy places,
and he revealed the location of his venerable head.
The monks uncovered the holy relic and, placing it into a sack of
camel-hair, they proceeded homewards. Along the way they encountered
an unnamed potter and gave him the precious burden to carry. Not
knowing what he was carrying, the potter continued on his way. But the
holy Forerunner appeared to him and ordered him to flee from the
careless and lazy monks, with what he held in his hands. The potter
concealed himself from the monks and at home he preserved the
venerable head with reverence. Before his death he placed it in a
water jug and gave it to his sister.
>From that time the venerable head was successively preserved by devout
Christians, until the priest Eustathius (infected with the Arian
heresy) came into possession of it. He beguiled a multitude of the
infirm who had been healed by the holy head, ascribing their cures to
the fact that it was in the possession of an Arian. When his blasphemy
was uncovered, he was compelled to flee. After he buried the holy
relic in a cave, near Emesa, the heretic intended to return later and
use it for disseminating falsehood. God, however, did not permit this.
Pious monks settled in the cave, and then a monastery arose at this
place. In the year 452 St John the Baptist appeared to Archimandrite
Marcellus of this monastery, and indicated where his head was hidden.
This became celebrated as the Second Finding. The holy relic was
transferred to Emesa, and later to Constantinople.
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Venerable Erasmus of the Kiev Near Caves
Saint Erasmus of the Kiev Caves St Simon, Bishop of Vladimir (May 10),
wrote about him to his friend St Polycarp (July 24): "At the Caves was
Erasmus the black-robed. He acquired a legacy of fame because he used
everything he possessed for the adornment of the monastery church. He
donated many icons, which even now may be seen over the altar.
The saint experienced great temptations after he had given away his
wealth. The Evil One began to suggest to him that he should have given
the money to the poor, rather than spend it on the beautification of
the church. St Erasmus did not understand such thoughts, so he fell
into despondency and began to live in a careless manner. Because of
his former virtue the gracious and merciful God saved him. He sent him
a grievous illness, and the monk lay near death.
In this sickness Erasmus lay for seven days, unable to see or speak,
and hardly breathing. On the eighth day the brethren came to him and,
seeing the difficulty of his approaching death, said,"Woe to the soul
of this brother, for he lived in idleness and in sin. Now his soul
beholds something and tarries, not having the strenght to leave the
body."
Erasmus suddenly got up, as though he had not been ill, and said to
the monks, "Fathers and brethren! It is true that I am a sinner, and
have not repented, as you said. Today, however, our monastic fathers
Anthony and Theodosius have appeared to me, and said: 'We have prayed
for you, and the Lord has given you time for repentance.' Then I saw
the All-Pure Mother of God with Christ in Her arms, and She said to
me, 'Erasmus, since you adorned My Church with icons, I will also
adorn you and exalt you in the Kingdom of my Son! Arise, repent, take
the angelic schema, and on the third day you will be taken from this
life.'
Having said this, Erasmus began to confess his sins before all without
shame, then went to church and was clothed in the schema, and on the
third day he died." St Erasmus was buried in the Near Caves. His
memory is also celebrated on September 28 and on the second Sunday of
Great Lent.
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