[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Sun Jul 8 05:00:22 CDT 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sun Jul 8 2007

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Luke 24:36-53  (6th Matins Gospel)
36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of
them, and said to them, "Peace to you."
37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen
a spirit.
38 And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise
in your hearts?
39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and
see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.
40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.
41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said
to them, "Have you any food here?"
42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.
43 And He took it and ate in their presence.
44 Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you
while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which
were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms
concerning Me."
45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the
Scriptures.
46 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was
necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third
day,
47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His
name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 And you are witnesses of these things.
49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the
city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.
50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands
and blessed them.
51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from
them and carried up into heaven.
52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
53 and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.
Scripture Reading 1 of 3

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Romans 12:6-14
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to
us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our
faith;
7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in
teaching;
8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he
who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is
good.
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor
giving preference to one another;
11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly
in prayer;
13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Scripture Reading 2 of 3

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Matthew 9:1-8
1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.
2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When
Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good
cheer; your sins are forgiven you."
3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man
blasphemes!"
4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in
your hearts?
5 For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to
say, 'Arise and walk'?
6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to
forgive sins-then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed,
and go to your house."
7 And he arose and departed to his house.
8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who
had given such power to men.
Scripture Reading 3 of 3

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Martyr Epictetus the Presbyter at Halmyris
The monastic martyrs Epictetus and Astion lived in Bithynia on the
southwest coast of the Black Sea during the reign of the Roman emperor
Diocletian (284-305). From his youth, St Epictetus had dedicated his
life to God, and studied to acquire knowledge of the Gospel. He
entered a monastery, and later was found worthy to be ordained to the
holy priesthood. Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, the saint converted
many people to Christianity. God granted Epictetus the gift of
wonderworking, and he healed many people troubled by unclean spirits,
or afflicted with other maladies.
One day while out for a stroll, the illustrious youth Astion met St
Epictetus. During a long conversation St Epictetus enlightened Astion,
sowing the seed of God's Word in the young man's soul. He spoke to him
about the only true God, about the great value of the immortal human
soul, and about fleeting worldly pleasures.
Astion came to believe in Christ and was baptized. Soon after this, he
also became a monk. Since Christians were being persecuted in
Bithynia, he asked St Epictetus if they might travel together to some
distant land where they could dedicate their lives completely to God.
Boarding a ship, Sts Epictetus and Astion journeyed to Scythia and
settled among the pagan Slavs near the Roman outpost of Halmyris in
the province of Histria south of the mouth of the Danube. The city was
the site of a military fort and a base for the Roman fleet which
patrolled the Danube and the Black Sea.
When they arrived at Halmyris in 273, St Epictetus was forty-seven
years old, and St Astion was only eighteen. During the next seventeen
years, the saints spent their lives in prayer and fasting, and
performed many miracles.
The God-pleasing lives of the monks could not remain hidden from
others for very long. People afflicted by various illnesses or
oppressed by evil spirits came to the saints seeking relief. Even
pagans asked the holy ascetics for help, and after being healed of
their afflictions, they embraced Christianity.
St Epictetus once healed a fifteen-year-old deaf and dumb boy by
praying and breathing on him three times. More than a thousand people
became Christians after witnessing this miracle. St Astion once cured
a man whose legs and toes were crushed when he fell from a building.
Latronianus, the military commander of the district, arrived in
Halmyris in 290 on an official visit of inspection. The pagan priests
wasted no time in complaining to him about Sts Epictetus and Astion.
They denounced the two men from Bithynia, accusing them of converting
people to Christianity through sorcery, and persuading them not to
offer sacrifice to the pagan gods.
The saints were arrested and interrogated by Latronianus, who tried to
find out their names and where they were from. Their only reply was,
"We are Christians." Latronianus had them tortured in an effort to
make them abandon their Christian beliefs.
After thirty days in prison without food and water, the holy martyrs
Epictetus and Astion were once again brought before Latronianus. They
remained steadfast and ready to endure even more suffering for Christ.
The commander declared that Epictetus and Astion were traitors, and
ordered them to be tortured and beheaded.
Sts Epictetus and Astion received the crown of martyrdom on July 8,
290. At first, they were buried in an unknown spot. Later, their holy
relics were transferred into the basilica built in the fourth century
by St Constantine the Great (May 21) at Halmyris.
Archaeologists discovered the holy relics of Sts Epictetus and Astion
at Halmyris in 2001. The bones were scattered about in two rooms of a
burial crypt, indicating that the tomb had been vandalized, perhaps in
the sixth century. Scientific tests on the bones revealed that one of
the men was approximately sixty-four years old, and the other about
thirty-five. This is consistent with the ages of the two saints as
given in the written accounts of their martyrdom. The bones also
indicate that the two had been beheaded.
The holy relics of Sts Epictetus and Astion were reburied in 2001 by
Archbishop Theodosius of Tomis (Romania).
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Monkmartyr Astion at Halmyris
The monastic martyrs Astion and Epictetus lived in Bithynia on the
southwest coast of the Black Sea during the reign of the Roman emperor
Diocletian (284-305).
One day while out for a stroll, the illustrious youth Astion met St
Epictetus. During a long conversation St Epictetus enlightened Astion,
sowing the seed of God's Word in the young man's soul. He spoke to him
about the only true God, about the great value of the immortal human
soul, and about fleeting worldly pleasures.
Astion came to believe in Christ and was baptized. Soon after this, he
also became a monk. Since Christians were being persecuted in
Bithynia, he asked St Epictetus if they might travel together to some
distant land where they could dedicate their lives completely to God.
Boarding a ship, Sts Epictetus and Astion journeyed to Scythia and
settled among the pagan Slavs near the Roman outpost of Halmyris in
the province of Histria south of the mouth of the Danube. The city was
the site of a military fort and a base for the Roman fleet which
patrolled the Danube and the Black Sea.
When they arrived at Halmyris in 273, St Epictetus was forty-seven
years old, and St Astion was only eighteen. During the next seventeen
years, the saints spent their lives in prayer and fasting, and
performed many miracles.
The God-pleasing lives of the monks could not remain hidden from
others for very long. People afflicted by various illnesses or
oppressed by evil spirits came to the saints seeking relief. St Astion
once cured a man whose legs and toes were crushed when he fell from a
building. Even pagans asked the holy ascetics for help, and after
being healed of their afflictions, they embraced Christianity.
Latronianus, the military commander of the district, arrived in
Halmyris in 290 on an official visit of inspection. The pagan priests
wasted no time in complaining to him about Sts Epictetus and Astion.
They denounced the two men from Bithynia, accusing them of converting
people to Christianity through sorcery, and persuading them not to
offer sacrifice to the pagan gods.
The saints were arrested and interrogated by Latronianus, who tried to
find out their names and where they were from. Their only reply was,
"We are Christians." Latronianus had them tortured in an effort to
make them abandon their Christian beliefs.
After thirty days in prison without food and water, the holy martyrs
Epictetus and Astion were once again brought before Latronianus. They
remained steadfast and ready to endure even more suffering for Christ.
The commander declared that Epictetus and Astion were traitors, and
ordered them to be tortured and beheaded.
Sts Epictetus and Astion received the crown of martyrdom on July 8,
290. At first, they were buried in an unknown spot. Later, their holy
relics were transferred into the basilica built in the fourth century
by St Constantine the Great (May 21) at Halmyris.
St Astion's parents, Alexander and Marcelina, traveled from Asia Minor
to Halmyris in search of their son. After learning of his fate, they
were converted by the priest Bonosus. Two weeks after their son's
martyrdom, they were baptized by Bishop Evangelicus of Tomis (July 7),
who soon suffered martyrdom by being decapitated. Alexander and
Marcelina left Halmyris in sorrow.
Archaeologists discovered the holy relics of Sts Epictetus and Astion
at Halmyris in 2001. The bones were scattered about in two rooms of a
burial crypt, indicating that the tomb had been vandalized, perhaps in
the sixth century. Scientific tests on the bones revealed that one of
the men was approximately sixty-four years old, and the other about
thirty-five. This is consistent with the ages of the two saints as
given in the written accounts of their martyrdom. The bones also
indicate that the two had been beheaded.
The holy relics of Sts Epictetus and Astion were reburied in 2001 by
Archbishop Theodosius of Tomis (Romania).
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Icon of the Mother of God "Our Lady of Sitka"
The Sitka Icon of the Mother of God Located at the Cathedral of St
Michael the Archangel in Sitka, Alaska is one of the most revered
Icons in North America: the Sitka Mother of God.
This Icon has been attributed to a famous Iconographer, Vladimir
Lukich Borovikovsky (1758-1826), a protégé of the Empress Catherine II
who was instructed at the Academy of Arts in St Petersburg, Russia. In
addition to being a great portrait painter, Borovikovsky also painted
many of the Icons for the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon in St
Petersburg.
Painted in the style of the Kazan Mother of God Icon, on canvas, the
Sitka Mother of God Icon is 36 x 17½ inches in size. An exceptionally
beautiful and detailed riza of silver covers the Icon of the Theotokos
and Christ child, and the Image of God the Father blessing from above.
The Cathedral received the Icon as a gift from the laborers of the
Russian American Company in 1850, two years after the Cathedral was
completed. Even with their meager wages, these men generously made
their contribution to the Church.
Miracles have been attributed to the Sitka Mother of God Icon over the
years. It is believed that the gaze of the eyes of the Theotokos have
led to the restored health of those who prayed before the Icon.
Because of the peaceful gaze of the Theotokos, the Icon has been
described as a "pearl of Russian ecclesiastical art of ineffable
gentleness, purity and harmony." And "the most beautiful face of the
Mother of God with the Divine Child in her arms is so delicately and
artistically done that the more one looks at it the more difficult it
is to tear ones gaze away."
Originally part of the main Iconostasis at the Cathedral of St Michael
the Archangel in Sitka, Alaska, the Icon is now permanently located on
the far left side of the Iconostasis in a special place of honor.
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Greatmartyr Procopius of Caesarea, in Palestine
The Holy Great Martyr Procopius, in the world Neanius, a native of
Jerusalem, lived and suffered during the reign of the emperor
Diocletian (284-305). His father, an eminent Roman by the name of
Christopher, was a Christian, but the mother of the saint, Theodosia,
remained a pagan. He was early deprived of his father, and the young
child was raised by his mother. Having received an excellent secular
education, he was introduced to Diocletian in the very first year of
the emperor's accession to the throne, and he quickly advanced in
government service. Towards the year 303, when open persecution
against Christians began, Neanius was sent as a proconsul to
Alexandria with orders to mercilessly persecute the Church of God.
On the way to Egypt, near the Syrian city of Apamea, Neanius had a
vision of the Lord Jesus, similar to the vision of Saul on the road to
Damascus. A divine voice exclaimed, "Neanius, why do you persecute
Me?"
Neanius asked, "Who are you, Lord?"
"I am the crucified Jesus, the Son of God."
At that moment a radiant Cross appeared in the air. Neanius felt an
inexpressible joy and spiritual happiness in his heart and he was
transformed from being a persecutor into a zealous follower of Christ.
>From this point in time Neanius became favorably disposed towards
Christians and fought victoriously against the barbarians.
The words of the Savior came true for the saint, "A man's foes shall
be those of his own household" (Mt. 10:36). His mother, a pagan
herself, went to the emperor to complain that her son did not worship
the ancestral gods. Neanius was summoned to the procurator Judaeus
Justus, where he was solemnly handed the decree of Diocletian. Having
read through the blasphemous directive, Neanius quietly tore it up
before the eyes of everyone. This was a crime, which the Romans
regarded as an "insult to authority." Neanius was held under guard and
in chains sent to Caesarea of Palestine, where the Apostle Paul once
languished. After terrible torments, they threw the saint into a dank
prison. That night, a light shone in the prison, and the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself baptized the suffering confessor, and gave him the name
Procopius.
Repeatedly they led St Procopius to the courtroom, demanding that he
renounce Christ, and they subjected him to more tortures. The
stolidity of the martyr and his fiery faith brought down God's
abundant grace on those who witnessed the execution.
Inspired by the example of Procopius, many of the holy martyr's former
guards and Roman soldiers went beneath the executioner's sword
together with their tribunes Nikostrates and Antiochus. Twelve
Christian women received martyr's crowns, after they came to the gates
of the Caesarea Praetorium.
Struck by the great faith and courage of the Christians, and seeing
the firmness of her son in bearing terrible sufferings, Theodosia
became repentant and stood in the line of confessors and was executed.
Finally the new procurator, Flavian, convinced of the futility of the
tortures, sentenced the holy Great Martyr Procopius to beheading by
the sword. By night Christians took up his much-tortured body, and
with tears and prayers, they committed it to the earth. This was the
first martyrdom at Caesarea (303).
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Appearance of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
The Wonderworking Copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, found
in 1579, is in the Kazan cemetery church named for the holy Prince
Theodore and his sons David and Constantine. The holy icon is
venerated by the residents of the city.
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Icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" in Novgorod
The Tenderness icon of the Mother of God belongs to the Eleousa
(Umilenie) type.
On July 8, 1337 a caretaker in Holy Trinity Church in Novgorod heard a
noise inside the church and went to investigate. He was astonished to
see that the icon of the Mother of God from the second tier of icons
above the northern door of the iconostasis had left its place and was
floating in the air, and tears were flowing from the eyes of the
Virgin.
Archbishop Alexis was notified, and he and his clergy came to the
church with a large crowd of people. A special shrine was built for
the icon, and July 8 was appointed as its date of commemoration.
That same year, a plague appeared in Novgorod. People flocked to pray
before the wonderworking icon, and the plague was stopped. In 1352,
Archbishop Basil ordered that an annual procession be made from the
church of Holy Wisdom to Holy Trinity Church.
In the summer of 1366 Holy Trinity Church burned down, and the "Tender
Feeling" Icon floated in the air above the flames. Archbishop Alexis
came to the church to serve a Molieben, and the icon descended into
his hands. The fire went out, but a burn mark seven inches long was
left on the back of the icon.
Great Prince John III took the icon to Moscow in 1397, where it
remained until 1508. At that time, the Mother of God appeared to
Princess Maria in a dream and ordered that the icon be returned to
Novgorod.
The "Tender Feeling" Icon is of the Umilenie, or Eleousa type.
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Miracle of the Annunciation Icon of the Mother of God at
Ustiug
The Ustiug Annunciation Icon of the Mother of God The "Ustiug
Annunciation" is a venerable icon, before which St Procopius,
Fool-for-Christ (+ 1303) prayed with intense fervor on June 25, 1290
for the salvation of the city of Ustiug from the wrath of God.
The icon was painted by a Novgorod iconographer when the holy Prince
Vsevolod-Gabriel (February 11) ruled in the city. In 1567, under
Metropolitan Philip (January 9), the holy icon was transferred from
Great Ustiug to Moscow and placed in the Dormition cathedral. At the
present time it is located in the state Tretyakov gallery.
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Righteous Procopius the Fool-For-Christ and Wonderworker of
Ustiug, Vologda
Blessed Procopius of Usya, Fool-for-Christ The incorrupt relics of St
Procopius were uncovered during the eighteenth century near the Entry
of the Theotokos parish church in Ustya (Vologda diocese) and placed
in the church, where for two hundred years they remained in open view,
a source of numerous healings. No account of the origin and life of
the holy saint of God has been preserved. His name became known when
he himself revealed it in a vision to a pious local inhabitant named
Savela.
In connection with an increase in the number of miraculous healings,
the relics of St Procopius were examined in 1696 (or 1645) and in
1739. After this a chapel in honor of the saint was consecrated in the
church where his relics rest. His icon was painted, and a Service to
him was composed.
In 1818 the universal celebration of the saint was established.
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Venerable Theophilus the Myrrhgusher of Macedonia
No information available at this time.
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Icon of the Mother of God of Tambov
No information available at this time.
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Royal Martyr Mirdat, King of Kartli
King Mirdat (408410), the son of Varaz-Bakur, was the first martyred
king of Georgia. He was raised by his maternal grandfather, King
Trdat.
The faithful grandfather taught the future king to love God and his
nation, and the young prince mindfully preserved his grandfathers
wisdom throughout his life. Mirdat was endowed with the greatest of a
noblemans virtues: wisdom, discretion, physical prowess, fearlessness,
valor, and courage. He liberated Klarjeti from the Byzantines,
abolished the tribute system (by which Georgia was required to pay
taxes to Persia), and prepared for war against the Persians.
The Persian king gathered an enormous army to punish the Georgian
nation, and King Mirdat courageously marched toward Gardabani (in
eastern Georgia) with his much smaller army. But the selflessness and
bravery of the Georgian soldiers were no match for the multitude of
Persian warriors. The Georgians suffered defeat, and the Persian
conquerors captured the young king.
The Persian king demanded that Mirdat renounce the Christian Faith,
but he was firmly rebuffed. Neither intimidation nor fear of
persecution would break the will of the king. After torturing him for
his love of Christ, the Persians bound him in chains, tormented him
almost to death, and cast him into prison, where he gave up his soul
to the Lord.
The martyrdom of King Mirdat took place at the beginning of the 5th
century, in the year 410.
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