[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Mon Jul 9 05:00:23 CDT 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Mon Jul 9 2007

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1 Corinthians 5:9-6:11
9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually
immoral people.
10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of
this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since
then you would need to go out of the world.
11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named
a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a
reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner-not even to eat with such a
person.
12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do
you not judge those who are inside?
13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from
yourselves the evil person."
1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before
the unrighteous, and not before the saints?
2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the
world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest
matters?
3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things
that pertain to this life?
4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this
life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to
judge?
5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man
among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his
brethren?
6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before
unbelievers!
7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to
law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do
you not rather let yourselves be cheated?
8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to
your brethren!
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of
God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were
sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and
by the Spirit of our God.
Scripture Reading 1 of 4

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1 Corinthians 6:20-7:12  (Tuesday)
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body
and in your spirit, which are God's.
1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a
man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his
own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and
likewise also the wife to her husband.
4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband
does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own
body, but the wife does.
5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you
may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so
that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
6 But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment.
7 For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his
own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.
8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if
they remain even as I am;
9 but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is
better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not
to depart from her husband.
11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be
reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.
12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who
does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not
divorce her.
Scripture Reading 2 of 4

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Matthew 13:54-58
54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their
synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man
get this wisdom and these mighty works?
55 Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And
His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?
56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man
get all these things?
57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is
not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."
58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their
unbelief.
Scripture Reading 3 of 4

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Matthew 14:1-13  (Tuesday)
1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus
2 and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen
from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."
3 For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison
for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.
4 Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have
her."
5 And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude,
because they counted him as a prophet.
6 But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias
danced before them and pleased Herod.
7 Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might
ask.
8 So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the
Baptist's head here on a platter."
9 And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and
because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.
10 So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.
11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and
she brought it to her mother.
12 Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and
went and told Jesus.
13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted
place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him
on foot from the cities.
Scripture Reading 4 of 4

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Hieromartyr Pancratius the Bishop of Taormina in Sicily
The Hieromartyr Pancratius, Bishop of Taormina, was born when our Lord
Jesus Christ yet lived upon the earth.
The parents of Pancratius were natives of Antioch. Hearing the good
news of Jesus Christ, Pancratius' father took his young son with him
and went to Jerusalem in order to see the great Teacher for himself.
The miracles astonished him, and when he heard the divine teaching, he
then believed in Christ as the Son of God. He became close with the
disciples of the Lord, especially with the holy Apostle Peter. It was
during this period that young Pancratius got to know the holy Apostle
Peter.
After the Ascension of the Savior, one of the Apostles came to Antioch
and baptized the parents of Pancratius together with all their
household. When the parents of Pancratius died, he left behind his
inherited possessions and went to Pontus and began to live in a cave,
spendng his days in prayer and deep spiritual contemplation. The holy
Apostle Peter, while passing through those parts, visited Pancratius
at Pontus. He took him along to Antioch, and then to Sicily, where the
holy Apostle Paul then was. There the holy Apostles Peter and Paul
made St Pancratius Bishop of Taormina in Sicily.
St Pancratius toiled zealously for the Christian enlightenment of the
people. In a single month he built a church where he celebrated divine
services. The number of believers quickly grew, and soon almost all
the people of Taormina and the surrounding cities accepted the
Christian Faith.
St Pancratius governed his flock peacefully for many years. However,
pagans plotted against the saint, and seizing an appropriate moment,
they fell upon him and stoned him. Thus, St Pancratius ended his life
as a martyr.
The saint's relics are in the church named for him in Rome. He is also
commemorated on February 9.
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Hieromartyr Cyril the Bishop of Gortyna in Crete
The Hieromartyr Cyril, Bishop of Gortyna, was bishop at Gortyna on the
island of Crete for 50 years. He suffered either under the emperor
Decius (249-251), or according to other historical sources, the
emperor Maximian (284-305).
Brought to trial before a governor named Lucius, who demanded that he
offer sacrifice to idols, the holy Elder steadfastly confessed his
faith in Christ and refused to fulfill the soul-destroying command.
The governor sentenced St Cyril to burning, but the flames did not
touch him. Seeing this miracle, many pagans came to believe in Christ.
Lucius himself offered up praise to the Christian God and set the
saint free.
St Cyril continued with his preaching and led many pagans to Christ,
but also he grieved that he had not been allowed to suffer for the
Savior. It was reported to the governor that St Cyril would not cease
his preaching, and that he continued to convert people from the
darkness of paganism to the light of Christ. Hearing the sentence
against him, St Cyril rejoiced that he was to be granted a martyr's
death for Truth, and the 84-year-old Elder willingly placed his head
beneath the sword.
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Martyr Patermuthius of Egypt
The Hosiomartyrs Patermuthius and Copres, and the Martyr Alexander
suffered under the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363). Patermuthius
and his disciple Copres were Egyptian hermits. When the emperor heard
about the saints, he ordered them to be brought to him, and he tried
to turn them to paganism. He said that he had formerly served Christ,
but had learned that only the pagan gods could provide salvation.
Copres was deceived by these words of the emperor and he denied
Christ. By the prayers and tears of his Elder he came to understand
what a mistake he had made. He repented and again confessed himself a
Christian. The emperor became enraged and ordered that Copres be
tortured. Patermuthius encouraged his brother monk to be brave and
endure. One of the soldiers, whose name was Alexander, saw the
terrible sufferings of Copres, and believed in Christ. He was
sentenced to be burned alive. Sts Patermuthius and Copres were
beheaded by the sword.
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Martyr Copres of Egypt
Saint Copres was the disciple of St Patermuthius. These Egyptian
hermits suffered during the reign of Julian the Apostate (361-363)
along with the martyr Alexander. When the emperor heard about the
saints, he ordered them to be brought to him, and he tried to turn
them to paganism. He said that he had formerly served Christ, but had
learned that only the pagan gods could provide salvation.
Copres was deceived by these words of the emperor and he denied
Christ. By the prayers and tears of his Elder he came to understand
what a mistake he had made. He repented and again confessed himself a
Christian. The emperor became enraged and ordered that Copres be
tortured. Patermuthius encouraged his brother monk to be brave and
endure. One of the soldiers, whose name was Alexander, saw the
terrible sufferings of Copres, and believed in Christ. He was
sentenced to be burned alive. Sts Patermuthius and Copres were
beheaded by the sword.
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Martyr Alexander the Soldier of Egypt
Saint Alexander suffered with the hosiomartyrs Patermuthius and
Copres, during the reign of the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363).
He was a soldier who witnessed the torture of St Copres, and believed
in Christ. He was burned alive.
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St Theodore the Bishop of Edessa
Saint Theodore, Bishop of Edessa, was born in the Syrian city of
Edessa. All his life the holy saint was a bright witness of the great
deeds of God, glorified in His Saints.
At twelve years of age, after he lost his parents and gave away his
inheritance to the poor, he went to Jerusalem, where he was tonsured
at the Lavra of the St Sava the Sanctified. After twelve years of
fervent monastic obedience and then another twenty-four years of full
seclusion and great abstinence, the Lord called the valiant ascetic to
be a bishop, so that he might enlighten the world. After the death of
the Bishop of Edessa, no worthier successor was found than Theodore,
and with the mutual consent of the Patriarchs of Antioch and
Jerusalem, and of the clergy and laity, this fine man was chosen
bishop.
It was not easy for St Theodore to forsake his solitude, but he
submitted himself to the will of God and undertook his pastoral
guidance of the Edessa Church. This occurred during the reign of the
Byzantine emperor Michael and his mother Theodora (842-855). At the
time of St Theodore's episcopal consecration, there occurred a great
miracle. The people beheld a dove, white as snow, flying about beneath
the cupola of the church, which then alit upon the head of the
newly-made bishop. St Theodore devoted all his abilities to the
governance of his flock. He was a model for the faithful in word, in
life, in love. By the good example of his holy ascetic life, he guided
the flock entrusted to him by God, onto the path of salvation.
Theodore exerted much effort in the struggle with heretics, and with a
firm hand he guarded the Church from temptations and false teachings.
By his consolation and support for StTheodore, the clairvoyant Elder
Theodosius the Stylite also served the spiritual community while
laboring in asceticism not far from the city, near the monastery of
the holy Great Martyr George. With the blessing of the Elder, St
Theodore journeyed to Baghdad to the caliph Mavi to complain about
unjust measures against the Orthodox. Having come to Mavi, the saint
found him seriously ill. Calling on the help of the Lord, the holy
bishop threw a bit of earth from the Sepulchre of the Lord into a
vessel of water and gave it to the caliph to drink, and the sick one
was healed. The grateful Mavi, favorably disposed towards the saint,
happily heard his teachings. Finally, together with three close
associates, he accepted holy Baptism with the name John. Shortly
afterwards for his open confession of faith in Christ before the
Moslems, the caliph John was killed with his three associates. Having
appeared in a dream simultaneously to St Theodore and to Theodosius
the Stylite, he said that he had been granted to suffer for Christ,
and was numbered among the ranks of the Martyrs. He promised that soon
he would meet them in the Kingdom of Heaven. This was an indication to
the saint of God that his own end was approaching. In 848, again in
solitude at the Lavra of St Sava the Sanctified, he peacefully
departed to the Lord. St Theodore has left Christians his edifying
writings. The Life of St Theodore of Edessa was popular reading in Rus
during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and was preserved in
many manuscripts.
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Venerable Patermuthius the Ascetic of Egypt
Saints Patermuthius and Copres: Patermuthius at first was a pagan and
also the head of a band of robbers, but then he repented, was baptized
and withdrew into the desert. The monk devoted all the rest of his
life to attending the sick and burying the dead. For his love of toil
and efforts, Patermuthius received from God the gift of wonderworking.
The priest Copres was an eyewitness of the doings of the venerable
Patermuthius and recorded his life and miracles. St Copres narrated
this Life to the presbyter Rufinus, who in turn transmitted it to
Palladius, Bishop of Hellenopolis, who included the account in his
book, the Lausiac History.
Once St Copres entered into a debate with the heretic Manicheus, and
seeing that he could not prevail against him in dispute, he suggested
that a large fire be lit, and that they should go into it together. In
this way, the Lord Himself would decide whose was the true Faith.
Manicheus refused to go in first, but Copres went into the fire, and
standing in the midst of the flames, he remained unharmed. The people
glorified the faith of Copres, and they threw the heretic into the
fire. He jumped out all scorched and tried to flee, but they caught
him and again cast him into the flames. St Copres then calmed the
crowd and let Manicheus go.
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Venerable Copres the Ascetic of Egypt
The holy priest Copres was an eyewitness of how St Patermuthius tended
the sick and buried the dead. He also recorded his life and miracles.
St Copres narrated this Life to the presbyter Rufinus, who in turn
transmitted it to Palladius, Bishop of Hellenopolis, who included the
account in his book, the LAUSIAC HISTORY.
Once St Copres debated with the heretic Manicheus, and seeing that he
could not prevail against him in dispute, he suggested that a large
fire be lit, and that they should enter it together. In this way, the
Lord Himself would decide whose was the true Faith. Manicheus refused
to go in first, but St Copres went into the fire, and stood in the
midst of the flames, yet remained unharmed. The people glorified the
faith of Copres, and they threw the heretic into the fire. He jumped
out all scorched and tried to flee, but they caught him and again cast
him into the flames. St Copres then calmed the crowd and released
Manicheus.
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Venerable Dionysius the Orator of St Anne Skete of Mt Athos
No information available at this time.
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Venerable Metrophanes the Disciple of the Venerable Dionysius
No information available at this time.
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Icon of the Mother of God of Koloch
The Koloch Icon of the Mother of God manifested itself in the year
1413 during the reign of Basil I, 15 versts from the city of Mozhaisk,
in the vicinity of Koloch in the Smolensk governia. A peasant of this
village by the name of Luke found the holy icon and took it to his
home. One of his household was paralyzed. The sick one put his
forehead to the icon with faith and received complete healing.
This became known through the surrounding area, and many of the
suffering began to flock to the wonderworking icon, and they received
help from the Mother of God. Luke afterwards took the icon to
Mozhaisk, and from there to Moscow. At the capital, Metropolitan
Photius, together with a gathering of clergy and a multitude of the
people, met the holy icon. As the icon was carried through Moscow many
of the sick were healed of their infirmities. Later they returned the
icon to Mozhaisk.
At the place where the icon appeared, a church was built in honor of
the Mother of God. Here the holy icon was housed.
With the offerings of the peasant Luke and other Orthodox, Prince
Andrew Dimitrievich built a monastery on this site called the Kolochsk
or Mozhaisk.
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Icon of the Mother of God of Cyprus
The Cyprus Icon of the Mother of God belongs to the Panachrana type.
In this icon the Mother of God is depicted sitting on a throne with
the Divine Infant in Her arms. On either side of Her is an angel.
The prototype of this holy icon manifested itself in the year 392 on
the island of Cyprus at the tomb of Righteous Lazarus, the friend of
Christ (October 17), and is kept there in a monastery. renowned copies
of the Cyprus Icon are at the Moscow's Dormition Cathedral, and in the
Nikolo-Golutvin church in the village of Stromyn, Moscow diocese
(Commemorated on the Sunday of Orthodoxy).
During the week of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, the Greek Synaxarion has
an account of an icon which is probably the Cyprus Icon. On the island
of Cyprus a certain Arab was passing by a church dedicated to the Most
Holy Theotokos. In order to display his hatred for Christianity, the
man shot an arrow at an icon of the Mother of God which hung by the
gate. The arrow struck the Virgin's knee, from which blood began to
flow. Overcome with fear, the Arab spurred his horse and rode for
home, but was struck dead before he could get there. In this way, he
was punished for his impiety.
Other days commemorating the Cyprus Icon are the Day of the Holy
Spirit, and April 20. Some copies of the Cyprus Icon have additional
names such as "Cleansing," "Knife," and "Hawk." The Cyprus Icon called
"Hawk" was so named because of the way it was discovered. One day, the
Christian ruler of Cyprus was hunting with his trained hawk. The hawk
became tangled in a thicket while diving after another bird, and the
ruler ordered the thicket to be cut away so that the hawk could be
rescued. His servants rescued the hawk and also discovered an icon of
the Mother of God in the thicket. The ruler later built a monastery on
the site. The "Cleansing" Cyprus Icon was in another monastery on
Cyprus, and was famous for healing many people with diseases of the
eyes. The "Stromyn" Cyprus Icon became famous in 1841. An
eighteen-year-old girl from Stromyn, a village not far from Moscow,
was close to death from an illness. In a dream she saw the Cyprus Icon
standing over the entrance to the church, and a voice came from the
icon: "Take me into your home and have the priest serve a Molieben
with the Blessing of Water, and you will be cured." The sick girl was
brought to the church and finally located the icon after a long
search. The girl obeyed the command of the Most Holy Theotokos, and
after the Molieben she felt strong enough to carry the icon back to
the church herself. Shortly thereafter, she was completely healed. The
"Stromyn" Cyprus Icon continued to work miracles of healing, which the
rector of the church reported to the holy Metropolitan Philaret of
Moscow (November 19).
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