[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Tue Jul 24 05:00:26 CDT 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Tue Jul 24 2007

----------------------------------------------------
------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------

Isaiah 43:9-14  (Vespers, 1st Reading)
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, And let the people be
assembled. Who among them can declare this, And show us former things?
Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified; Or let
them hear and say, It is truth.
10 You are My witnesses, says the Lord, And My servant whom I have
chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior.
12 I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no
foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses, Says the Lord,
that I am God.
13 Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can
deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?
14 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: For your
sake I will send to Babylon, And bring them all down as fugitives The
Chaldeans, who rejoice in their ships.
Scripture Reading 1 of 6

-----------------------------

Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9  (Vespers, 1st Reading)
1 But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no
torment will ever touch them.
2 In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their
departure was thought to be affliction,
3 and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at
peace.
4 For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is
full of immortality.
5 Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good,
because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;
6 like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt
offering he accepted them.
7 In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run
like sparks through the stubble.
8 They will govern nations and rule other peoples, and the Lord will
reign over them for ever.
9 Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will
abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his elect,
and he watches over his holy ones.
Scripture Reading 2 of 6

-----------------------------

Wisdom of Solomon 4:7-15  (Vespers, 1st Reading)
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 3 of 6

-----------------------------

Luke 21:12-19  (Matins Gospel)
12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and
persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You
will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.
13 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.
14 Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on
what you will answer;
15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries
will not be able to contradict or resist.
16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and
friends; and they will put some of you to death.
17 And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.
18 But not a hair of your head shall be lost.
19 By your patience possess your souls.
Scripture Reading 4 of 6

-----------------------------

Romans 8:28-39  (Epistle, Saints)
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who
love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the
image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called,
these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also
glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can
be against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all,
how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who
justifies.
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is
also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes
intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation,
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword?
36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are
accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who
loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Scripture Reading 5 of 6

-----------------------------

John 15:17-16:2  (Gospel, Saints)
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 6 of 6

----------------------------------------------------
------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------

Martyrs and Passion-Bearers Boris and Gleb
Saint Boris was one of the sons of St Vladimir (July 15), and was
named Romanus at his Baptism. After their father's death the eldest
son Sviatopolk planned to kill his brothers Boris, Gleb, and Yaroslav
in order to seize power. He sent a message to Boris, pretending that
he wished to live in peace with him, and to increase Boris's land
holdings inherited from their father.
Some of Vladimir's advisers told Boris that he should take the army
and establish himelf as ruler of Kiev. St Boris, however, said that he
could never lift his hand against his own brother. Unfortunately,
Sviatopolk was not so scrupulous. He came to the town of Vyshegorod to
ask its leaders if they were loyal to him. They assured him that they
were ready to die for him.
Sviatopolk sent assassins to the Alta to kill Boris, who already knew
that his brother wanted him dead. When they arrived they heard him
chanting psalms and praying before an icon of Christ. He asked the
Lord to strengthen him for the suffering he was about to endure. He
also prayed for Sviatopolk, asking God not to count this against him
as sin.
Then he lay down upon his couch, and the assassins stabbed him with
their lances, and also killed some of Boris's servants. Wrapping Boris
in a cloth, they threw him onto a wagon and drove off with him. When
Sviatopolk saw that he was still breathing, he sent some men to finish
him off with swords.
St Boris received the crown of martyrdom in 1015. He and his brother
Gleb became known as Passion-Bearers, since they did not resist evil
with violence.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr and Passion-Bearer Gleb, in Holy Baptism David
Saint Gleb was the son of St Vladimir (July 15) and the brother of
Sviatopolk, Yaroslav, and St Boris. He was named David at his Baptism.
After Sviatopolk had killed Boris, he wondered, "Now how can I kill
Gleb?" He sent him a message saying that their father was ill and
wished to see him. As he was on his way, he received word from
Yaroslav that their father had died and that Sviatopolk had murdered
Boris.
St Gleb wept for his father and brother, and was lamenting them when
the assassins arrived. They seized his boat and drew their weapons,
but it was Gleb's cook Torchin who stabbed him with a knife.
The martyr's body was thrown onto the shore between two trees. Later,
he was buried beside St Boris in the church of St Basil.
The holy martyrs Princes Boris and Gleb are also commemorated on May
2.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Christina of Tyre
The Martyr Christina lived during the third century. She was born into
a rich family, and her father was governor of Tyre. By the age of 11
the girl was exceptionally beautiful, and many wanted to marry her.
Christina's father, however, envisioned that his daughter should
become a pagan priestess. To this end he placed her in a special
dwelling where he had set up many gold and silver idols, and he
commanded his daughter to burn incense before them. Two servants
attended Christina.
In her solitude, Christina began to wonder who had created this
beautiful world. From her room she was delighted by the stars of the
heavens and she constantly came back to the thought about the Creator
of all the world. She was convinced, that the voiceless and inanimate
idols in her room could not create anything, since they themselves
were created by human hands. She began to pray to the One God with
tears, entreating Him to reveal Himself. Her soul blazed with love for
the Unknown God, and she intensified her prayer all the more, and
combined it with fasting.
One time Christina was visited by an angel, who instructed her in the
true faith in Christ, the Savior of the world. The angel called her a
bride of Christ and told her about her future suffering. The holy
virgin smashed all the idols standing in her room and threw them out
the window. In visiting his daughter Christina's father, Urban, asked
her where all the idols had disappeared. Christina was silent. Then,
having summoned the servants, Urban learned the truth from them.
In a rage the father began to slap his daughter's face. At first, the
holy virgin remained quiet, but then she told her father about her
faith in the One True God, and that she had destroyed the idols with
her own hands. Urban gave orders to kill all the servants in
attendance upon his daughter, and he gave Christina a fierce beating
and threw her in prison. Having learned about what had happened, St
Christina's mother came in tears, imploring her to renounce Christ and
to return to her ancestral beliefs. But Christina remained unyielding.
On another day, Urban brought his daughter to trial and urged her to
offer worship to the gods, and to ask forgiveness for her misdeeds.
Instead, he saw her firm and steadfast confession of faith in Christ.
The torturers tied her to an iron wheel, beneath which they lit a
fire. The body of the martyr, turning round on the wheel, was scorched
on all sides. They then threw her into prison.
An angel of God appeared at night, healing her wounds and
strengthening her with food. Her father, seeing her unharmed, gave
orders to drown her in the sea. An angel sustained the saint while the
stone sank down, and Christina miraculously came out of the water and
reappeared before her father. In terror, the torturer imputed this to
sorcery and he decided to execute her in the morning. That night he
himself suddenly died. Another governor, Dion, was sent in his place.
He summoned the holy martyr and also tried to persuade her to renounce
Christ, but seeing her unyielding firmness, he again subjected her to
cruel tortures. The holy martyr was for a long while in prison. People
began to flock to her, and she converted them to the true faith in
Christ. Thus about 300 were converted.
In place of Dion, a new governor Julian arrived and resumed the
torture of the saint. After various torments, Julian gave orders to
throw her into a red-hot furnace and lock her in it. After five days
they opened the furnace and found the martyr alive and unharmed.
Seeing this miracle take place, many believed in Christ the Savior,
and the torturers executed St Christina with a sword.
_________________________________________________________________
Venerable Polycarp the Archimandrite of the Kiev Far Caves
Saint Polycarp the Archimandrite entered the Kiev Caves Monastery,
where he received monastic tonsure and struggled for the salvation of
his soul.
Soon Polycarp (whose name means "much fruit") began to bear fruits of
repentance and virtue. His relative St Simon (May 10), who became
Bishop of Vladimir and Suzdal, planted the seeds which St Polycarp
developed. As the holy bishop taught Polycarp the principles of the
spiritual life, the two became increasingly united in spirit, just as
they were related by blood.
When St Simon left the Monastery of the Caves to assume his hierarchal
responsibilities in Vladimir, he took Polycarp with him. St Polycarp
wrote down the stories that St Simeon told him of the God-pleasing
ascetics of the Kiev Caves so that others might also benefit from
them. Therefore, he is also known as St Polycarp the Hagiologist.
Although St Polycarp returned to the monastery, he always tried to
live according to St Simeon's instructions.
After the repose of Igumen Akindynus, the brethren chose Polycarp to
succeed him as the Superior of the Lavra. He proved to be a skilled
guide for the brethren in their struggle for salvation, and also for
those outside the monastery.
The Great Prince Rostislav was one of many who profited from the
teaching of St Polycarp, and asked that he be allowed to become a
monk. The saint told him, "God has appointed you to stand for the
truth, to judge with justice, and to stand firmly before the Cross."
Rostislav answered, "Holy Father, one cannot be a prince in this world
without falling into sin. I am already exhausted and weakened by daily
cares and labors. Now in my old age I would like to serve God and
emulate those who have followed the narrow and sorrowul path and
received the Kingdom of Heaven. I have heard of how Constantine (May
21), great among kings, appeared to a certain Elder and said, 'If I
had known what glory the monks receive in heaven I would have taken
off my crown and royal purple, and replaced them with the monastic
garb'."
St Polycarp told him, "If you desire this from your heart, then may it
be God's will."
However, as the prince was passing through Smolensk, he fell ill and
asked to be taken home to Kiev. Seeing how weak he was, his sister
Rogneda urged him to remain in Smolensk and be buried in the church
they had built there.
Rostislav would not accept this suggestion. He said, "If I do not make
it back to Kiev, then let me be placed in the church my father built
in the Monastery of St Theodore. If God delivers me from this illness
and grants me health, then I vow to become a monk at the Monastery of
the Caves under Polycarp."
As he lay at death's door, Rostislav said to the priest Simeon, "You
must answer before God since you hindered me from being tonsured by
the holy one in the Caves Monastery, for I truly desired that. May the
Lord not count it as a sin that I did not fulfill this."
St Polycarp went to the Lord on July 24, 1182. After this, no
successor was chosen for a long time. Although there were many worthy
Elders in the Lavra, they all declined the office of igumen out of
humility. The brethren realized that they could not remain for long
without a shepherd. They assembled in the church and prayed to Sts
Anthony and Theodosius and St Polycarp to help them find someone
worthy to take his place.
Then a voice was heard saying, "Let us go to the priest Basil in
Schekovitsa. Let him be our Superior and rule the monastery in the
monastic rank."
The monks went to the widowed priest Basil and asked him to be their
Superior, but he refused for a long time. After many entreaties, he
finally agreed and went with them to the monastery. He was tonsured as
a monk and installed as igumen by Metropolitan Nicephorus of Kiev,
Bishops Laurence of Turov and Nicholas of Polotsk. Igumen Basil proved
to be a model of virtues and a worthy successor to St Polycarp.
_________________________________________________________________
St Hilarion of Tvali
Saint Hilarion of Tvali (Tulashvili) served as abbot of Khakhuli
Monastery in southwestern Georgia at the beginning of the 11th
century.
In his work _The Life of George of the Holy Mountain_, George the
Lesser writes that Venerable Hilarion was outstanding in virtue and
celebrated for his sermons and ascetic labors.
St. Hilarion raised the young George of the Holy Mountain to be a
brilliant writer, translator, theologian and patriot. From him George
also received a blessing to enter the monastic life.
According to the chronicle _Life of Kartli_, St. Hilarion was a famous
translator and writer and an eminent theologian.
Eventually St. Hilarion moved from Khakhuli to Tvali Monastery, not
far from Antioch, where he remained for the rest of his life.
According to the 19th-century historian-iconographer Michael Sabinin,
St. Hilarion reposed in the year 1041.
_________________________________________________________________