[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

Mon Feb 26 05:00:25 CST 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Mon Feb 26 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Isaiah 4:2-5:7  (6th Hour)
2 In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious;
And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those
of Israel who have escaped.
3 And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in
Jerusalem will be called holyeveryone who is recorded among the living
in Jerusalem.
4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion,
and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of
judgment and by the spirit of burning,
5 then the Lord will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion,
and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of
a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a
covering.
6 And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the
heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.
1 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding
His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill.
2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the
choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a
winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it
brought forth wild grapes.
3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please,
between Me and My vineyard.
4 What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done
in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it
bring forth wild grapes?
5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I
will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its
wall, and it shall be trampled down.
6 I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, But there shall
come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds That they
rain no rain on it.
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, And
the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but
behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.
Scripture Reading 1 of 6

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Genesis 3:21-4:7  (Vespers, 1st Reading)
21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and
clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become like one of Us,
to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also
of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever
23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till
the ground from which he was taken.
24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the
garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard
the way to the tree of life.
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and
said, I have acquired a man from the Lord.
2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a
keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an
offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord.
4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.
And the Lord respected Abel and his offering,
5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very
angry, and his countenance fell.
6 So the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why has your
countenance fallen?
7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well,
sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule
over it.
Scripture Reading 2 of 6

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Proverbs 3:34-4:22  (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
34 Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of
fools.
1 Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention
to know understanding;
2 For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law.
3 When I was my fathers son,
4 He also taught me, and said to me: Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.
5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the
words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she
will keep you.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your
getting, get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when
you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory
she will deliver to you.
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And the years of your life
will be many.
11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right
paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run,
you will not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is
your life.
14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of
evil.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; And their sleep
is taken away unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of
violence.
18 But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever
brighter unto the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes
them stumble.
20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of
your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their
flesh.
Scripture Reading 3 of 6

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Composite 2  (St. Raphael)
The memory of the righteous is with praise and the blessing of the
Lord is upon his head. Blessed is the man who has found wisdom and the
mortal who has understanding. For it is better to purchase her than
treasuries of gold and silver. She is more precious than precious
stones and all that is precious is unworthy of her. For length of days
and years of life are in her right hand; and in her left hand are
riches and glory. Out of her mouth proceeds righteousness and she
bears law and mercy upon her tongue.
Hear me, O child, for I will speak noble things. Blessed is the man
who keeps my ways, for my ways are the way of life, and in them is
prepared favor from the Lord. Therefore, I pray you, and utter my
voice to the sons of men: For I, wisdom, have dwelt with counsel and
knowledge and I have called upon understanding. Counsel and safety are
mine, understanding and strength are mine. I love those who love me
and those seeking me shall find grace.
Understand craftiness, O you who are simple, and imbibe knowledge, you
who are untaught. Hear me again, for I will speak noble things: I will
open _my mouth_ and from my lips _shall_ come what is right. For my
throat shall meditate truth; false lips are an abomination before me.
All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing in them that
is twisted or perverse. They are all straight to him who understands
and right to those who find knowledge.
I shall instruct you in truth, so that your hope will be in the Lord
and you shall be filled with the Spirit.
Scripture Reading 4 of 6

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Proverbs 10:31-11:12  (St. Raphael)
31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, But the perverse
tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth of
the wicked what is perverse.
1 Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight
is His delight.
2 When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of
the unfaithful will destroy them.
4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers
from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright, But
the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the
unfaithful will be caught by their lust.
7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, And the hope of
the unjust perishes.
8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, And it comes to the wicked
instead.
9 The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, But through
knowledge the righteous will be delivered.
10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; And when
the wicked perish, there is jubilation.
11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, But it is
overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
12 He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, But a man of
understanding holds his peace.
Scripture Reading 5 of 6

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Wisdom of Solomon 4:7-15  (St. Raphael)
7 But the righteous man, though he die early, will be at rest.
8 For old age is not honored for length of time, nor measured by
number of years;
9 but understanding is gray hair for men, and a blameless life is ripe
old age.
10 There was one who pleased God and was loved by him,
11 He was caught up lest evil change his understanding or guile
deceive his soul.
12 For the fascination of wickedness obscures what is good, and roving
desire perverts the innocent mind.
13 Being perfected in a short time, he fulfilled long years;
14 for his soul was pleasing to the Lord, therefore he took him
quickly from the midst of wickedness.
15 Yet the peoples saw and did not understand, nor take such a thing
to heart, that God's grace and mercy are his elect, and he watches
over his holy ones.
Scripture Reading 6 of 6

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------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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St Porphyrius the Bishop of Gaza
Saint Porphyrius, Archbishop of Gaza, was born about the year 346 at
Thessalonica. His parents were people of substance, and this allowed
St Porphyrius to receive a fine education. Having the inclination for
monastic life, he left his native region at twenty-five years of age
and set off for Egypt, where he lived in the Nitrian desert under the
guidance of St Macarius the Great (January 19). There he also met St
Jerome (June 15), who was then visiting the Egyptian monasteries. He
went to Jerusalem on pilgrimage to the holy places, and to venerate
the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord (September 14), then he moved into
a cave in the Jordanian wilderness for prayer and ascetic deeds.
After five years, St Porphyrius was afflicted with a serious malady of
the legs. He decided to go to the holy places of Jerusalem to pray for
healing. As he lay half-conscious at the foot of Golgotha, St
Porphyrius fell into a sort of trance. He beheld Jesus Christ
descending from the Cross and saying to him, "Take this Wood and
preserve it."
Coming out of his trance, he found himself healthy and free from pain.
Then he gave away all his money to the poor and for the adornment of
the churches of God. For a time he supported himself by working as a
shoemaker. The words of the Savior were fulfilled when the saint was
forty-five years old. The Patriarch of Jerusalem ordained St
Porphyrius to the holy priesthood and appointed him custodian of the
Venerable Wood of the Cross of the Lord.
In 395 the bishop of the city of Gaza (in Palestine) died. The local
Christians went to Caesarea to ask Metropolitan John to send them a
new bishop who would be able to contend against the pagans, which were
predominant in their city and were harassing the Christians there. The
Lord inspired the Metropolitan to summon the priest Porphyrius. With
fear and trembling the ascetic accepted the office of bishop, and with
tears he prostrated himself before the Life-Creating Wood and went to
fulfill his new obedience.
In Gaza there were only three Christian churches, but there were a
great many pagan temples and idols. During this time there had been a
long spell without rain, causing a severe drought. The pagan priests
brought offerings to their idols, but the woes did not cease. St
Porphyrius imposed a fast for all the Christians; he then served an
all-night Vigil, followed by a church procession around the city.
Immediately the sky covered over with storm clouds, thunder boomed,
and abundant rains poured down. Seeing this miracle, many pagans cried
out, "Christ is indeed the only true God!" As a result of this, 127
men, thirty-five women and fourteen children were united to the Church
through Holy Baptism, and another 110 men soon after this.
The pagans continued to harass the Christians. They passed them over
for public office, and burdened them with taxes. St Porphyrius and
Metropolitan John of Caesarea journeyed to Constantinople to seek
redress from the emperor. St John Chrysostom (September 14, January 27
and 30) received them and assisted them.
Ss. John and Porphyrius were presented to the empress Eudoxia who was
expecting a child at that time. "Intercede for us," said the bishops
to the empress, "and the Lord will send you a son, who shall reign
during your lifetime". Eudoxia very much wanted a son, since she had
given birth only to daughters. Through the prayer of the saints an
heir was born to the imperial family. As a result of this, the emperor
issued an edict in 401 ordering the destruction of pagan temples in
Gaza and the restoration of privileges to Christians. Moreover, the
emperor gave the saints money for the construction of a new church,
which was to be built in Gaza on the site of the chief pagan temple.
St Porphyrius upheld Christianity in Gaza to the very end of his life,
and guarded his flock from the vexatious pagans. Through the prayers
of the saint numerous miracles and healings occurred. The holy
archpastor guided his flock for twenty-five years, and reposed in 420
at an advanced age.
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Venerable Sebastian of Poshekhonye
Saint Sebastian of Sokhota, Poshekhonye, founded a monastery in honor
of the Transfiguration of the Lord, located at the River Sokhota, 90
versts from the city of Romanov (now Tutaev) in the Yaroslav district.
The monks of the monastery themselves cultivated the soil and ate
through the work of their own hands. The founder of the monastery
taught the ascetics this by his own example and guidance. St Sebastian
reposed about the year 1500.
The Transfiguration monastery on the River Sokhota was later annexed
to the Cherepovets Ascension monastery, and in 1764 closed down. In
the mid-nineteenth century a stone church was built over the relics of
St Sebastian. The saint is also commemorated on December 18. .
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Martyr Sebastian
The Holy Martyrs Sebastian and Christodoulus died by the sword under
Nero (54-68). They were companions of the holy Martyr Photina (March
20).
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Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of the Kiev Caves Lavra
On the second Sunday of Great Lent, we commemorate all the Holy
Fathers whose relics lie in the Near and Far Caves of the Kiev Caves
Lavra.
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Martyr Christodoulos
The Holy Martyrs Christodoulus and Sebastian died by the sword under
Nero (54-68). They were companions of the holy Martyr Photina (March
20).
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Holy New Martyr John Kalphes, the Apprentice
The Holy New Martyr John Kalphes (the Apprentice) lived in a suburb of
Constantinople, called Galata. He was a cabinetmaker by profession,
and he had acquired great skill in his craft, so that important
officials made use of his services. He was entrusted with the inner
adornment of the sultan's palace.
St John Kalphes was distinguished for his Christian charity, he
provided for orphans and those locked up in prison, and many turned to
him for help. One time a certain dignitary asked St John to take on
his nephew as an apprentice. He agreed, and the youth received an
honorable position at court upon the completion of his apprenticeship.
Once, encountering his former teacher and benefactor, he asked St John
what it says in the Christian books about their "prophet" Mohammed. St
John did not want to answer his question, but because of the
persistent demands of the youth, he declared that Mohammed was a mere
mortal, an uneducated man who did not perform a single miracle during
his lifetime. He went on to say that Mohammed was no prophet, but
rather an adversary of God. The youth, devoted to Islam, reported to
his fellow Moslems that the cabinetmaker had insulted Mohammed.
St John was brought to trial, where they demanded that he renounce
Christ, but he bravely confessed his faith in Christ. After torture,
they sent the holy martyr off to penal servitude, where he spent six
months. Then, for the next three months they beat him in the prison.
Seeing that they could not coerce him into submitting to their will,
they beheaded him in the crowded city square in Ergat-Bazara, near the
Bedestan (a covered bazaar) on February 26, 1575.
The suffering of the holy Martyr John Kalphes were recorded by Father
Andrew, the Chief Steward (Megas Oikonomos) of the Patriarch of
Constantinople, who communed him with the Holy Mysteries in prison.
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