[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Tue Jul 31 05:00:15 CDT 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Tue Jul 31 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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1 Corinthians 15:29-38
29 Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the
dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?
30 And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour?
31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our
Lord, I die daily.
32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus,
what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, "Let us eat and
drink, for tomorrow we die!"
33 Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the
knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
35 But someone will say, "How are the dead raised up? And with what
body do they come?"
36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.
37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere
grain-perhaps wheat or some other grain.
38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own
body.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2

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Matthew 21:23-27
23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders
of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what
authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this
authority?"
24 But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one
thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what
authority I do these things:
25 The baptism of John-where was it from? From heaven or from men? And
they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He
will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'
26 But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count
John as a prophet.
27 So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know." And He said to
them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2

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------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Forefeast of the Procession of the Honorable and Lifegiving
Cross of the Lord
No information available at this time.
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Righteous Eudocimus of Cappadocia
Saint Eudocimus, a native of Cappadocia (Asia Minor), lived during the
ninth century during the reign of Emperor Theophilus (829-842). He was
the son of the pious Christians Basil and Eudokia, an illustrious
family known to the emperor. They raised their son "in discipline and
admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6: 4), planting in his soul a sincere
faith and holy virtues.
The righteous life of St Eudocimus was devoted to pleasing God and
serving his neighbor. Having given a vow to remain unmarried and
chaste, he avoided conversation with women and did not look at them.
He would speak only with his own mother, whom he greatly respected.
The emperor valued his virtue and talents, so he appointed St
Eudocimus as governor of Chorziane, Armenia. Fulfilling his duty as a
servant of God, St Eudocimus governed the people justly and with
kindness. He concerned himself with the unfortunate, and with orphans
and widows, and he was a defender of the common people. His personal
Christian exploits which he did in secret, were known only to God.
Eudocimus pleased God by his blameless life, and the Lord called him
at age 33. Lying on his deathbed, St Eudocimus gave final instructions
to place him in the grave in those clothes in which he would meet
death. Then he sent everyone out of the room and entreated the Lord
that no one would see his end, just as no one saw his secret efforts
during life. His attendants buried him as he had instructed them.
Right after the death of St Eudocimus miracles took place at his
grave. Many sick people were healed, and the news of the miraculous
healings spread.
After 18 months, the mother of St Eudocimus came from Constantinople
to venerate his relics. She gave orders to remove the stone, dig up
the ground, and open the grave. Everyone beheld the face of the saint,
bright as if alive, altogether untouched by decay. A great fragrance
came from him. They took up the coffin with the relics from the earth,
and they dressed the saint in new clothes. His mother wanted to take
the relics of her son to Constantinople, but the Kharsian people would
not clear a path for their holy one. After a certain time the
hieromonk Joseph, having lived and served at the grave of the saint,
transported the relics of St Eudocimus to Constantinople. There they
were placed in a silver reliquary in the church of the Most Holy
Theotokos, built by the parents of the saint.
St Eudocimus is considered by the Russian Church to be one of the
special protectors and intercessors before God of the family hearth.
He was, as his name implies, truly successful in every virtue.
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Martyr Julitta at Caesarea
The Holy Martyr Julitta lived at Caesarea in Cappadocia during the
reign of the emperor Diocletian (284-305). A certain pagan stole all
her property, and when Julitta turned for relief to the courts, her
antagonist reported to the judge that she was a Christian, which
placed her outside the law's protection.
The judge demanded that the saint renounce Christ, for which he
promised to return her unlawfully taken property. St Julitta
resolutely refused the deceitful conditions, and for this she was
burned to death in the year 304 (or 305). St Basil the Great wrote an
Encomium to St Julitta 70 years after her death as a martyr.
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St Germanus the Bishop of Auxerre
Saint Germanus was born at Auxerre around 389, and studied rhetoric
and law at Rome. There he practiced as a lawyer.
The emperor Honorius sent him back to Gaul as a provincial governor,
with his headquarters at Auxerre. He also married about this time. In
418 he was chosen to succeed St Amator (May 1) as Bishop of Auxerre.
>From that time on, his faith became deeper, and his prayer more
fervent. He gave away his possessions to the poor, and ate coarse
barley bread only in the evening. He often fasted for several days,
and dressed in simple monastic garb.
Pope Celestine I sent him to Britain in 429 with St Lupus of Troyes
(July 29) to fight the Pelagian heresy, where they defeated the
teachers of this false doctrine. During one of his two trips to
Britain St Germanus took command of an army and defeated a combined
force of Saxons and Picts.
When savage barbarians threatened the city of Armorica (now Brittany),
St Germanus met their leader, seized his horse's bridle, and turned
him around. After defusing the threat, the saint traveled to Ravenna
seeking pardon for the rebels from the emperor Valentian III. He was
received with honor, and died there on July 31, 448.
The body of St Germanus was brought back to Auxerre for burial.
Centuries later, his holy relics were scattered by the Huguenots.
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Hieromartyr Benjamin the Metropolitan of Petrograd and Gdovsk
The New Hieromartyr Benjamin (Kazansky) was appointed Metropolitan of
Petrograd in the summer of 1917. During those tumultuous times, he was
one of the few people in Russia with no interest in politics. He was
more concerned with caring for his diocese and his flock.
In 1922, the Communists began confiscating Church treasures. They
professed that they wanted to sell them in order to buy food for the
starving population. When the people protested, there were bloody
reprisals. Metropolitan Benjamin did not resist turning over the
Church's valuables, for he believed it was his duty to help save
people's lives. He wanted this sacrifice to be voluntary, however, and
not a plundering of church property by the government.
On March 6, 1922 Metropolitan Benjamin met with a commission which had
been formed to help the starving. They agreed to his request that the
dispersal of funds from voluntary contributions should be controlled
by the parishes. Newspapers of that time praised the Metropolitan and
his clergy for their charitable spirit.
Party leaders in Moscow did not approve of the decision made by the
Communists of Petrograd allowing voluntary contributions to be
administered by the parishes, and declared that the confiscation of
Church property would continue. Protesters gathered in Petrograd,
shouting and throwing stones at those who were stealing from the
churches.
On March 24, 1922 "Pravda" printed a letter from twelve priests who
broke ranks with the other clergy, referring to them as
"counter-revolutionaries" and blaming them for the famine. Most of
these twelve would later be active in the "Living Church." They called
for unconditional surrender of all Church valuables to the Soviets.
The clergy of Petrograd were outraged by the letter from the twelve.
Metropolitan Benjamin, hoping to avoid confrontations between the
people and the Communists, tried to calm his priests. He also asked
for a meeting with the authorities. Vvedensky and Boyarsky, two of the
twelve, were delegated to talk with Soviet leaders, and came to an
agreement. Parishes would be permitted to keep their sacred vessels if
they substituted other property of equal value. This program seemed to
work well for a time.
Vvedensky, Boyarsky, and others tried to wrest control of the Church
from Patriarch Tikhon and the bishops. They informed Metropolitan
Benjamin of the new state of affairs, declaring that Vvedensky had
been appointed as the Petrograd representative of the new Church
administration.
The Metropolitan could not accept this threat to Church order, so he
proclaimed that Vvedensky would be regarded as being outside the
Church until he repented of his error. This decree was published in
the newspapers, and served to enrage the Soviets.
Vvedensky and the Petrograd commandant Bakaev went to see the
Metropolitan and ordered him to rescind his decree. If he did not,
they told him, he and others close to him would be placed on trial.
They warned Metropolitan Benjamin that he and others would be put to
death if he made the wrong choice. He refused to submit.
The courageous archpastor began meeting with his friends in order to
say farewell. He also gave instructions for the administration of the
diocese. A few days later, the Metropolitan was placed under house
arrest. Not long after that, he was taken to prison.
As his trial began, the Metropolitan entered the courtroom with Bishop
Benedict and other clergy. When everyone stood up for him,
Metropolitan Benjamin blessed them. The judges tried to get the
Metropolitan to renounce the idea of the parishes voluntarily
contributing church valuables in order to feed the hungry, or to
provide the names of those who had conceived this idea. It would suit
their purposes very well if he could be made to "repent" or back away
from his previous statements and submit to the authorities.
The other clergy and civilians on trial with Metropolitan Benjamin did
not try to ingratiate themselves with the court, and did not accuse
others in order to win leniency for themselves. The trial lasted for
two weeks, and the prosecutors presented witnesses who had been hired
to bring false accusations against the defendants.
Many witnesses were called, and their testimony seemed to support
Metropolitan Benjamin and to weaken the government's case against him.
A certain professor of the Technological Institute named Egorov
angered the court by his testimony. He was accused of being a follower
of the Metropolitan, so he was arrested on the spot.
In spite of all the evidence, the defendants were found guilty.
Government supporters and members of the Red Army in the court broke
into applause. The defense attorney addressed the court, saying that
he knew that any pleas he might offer would be useless. "Political
considerations come first with you, and all verdicts must favor your
policy," he declared. Even though everyone understood that the trial
was a farce, the Soviet government could not afford to make a martyr
out of Metropolitan Benjamin. The example of history, he pointed out,
should warn them against such a course.
When the defense attorney had finished, there was loud clapping. The
judges tried to restore order, but found that many Communists in the
audience had also joined in the applause.
The defendants were given a chance to speak, and the Metropolitan
stood to address the court. He said it grieved him to be called an
enemy of the people, for he had always loved the people and dedicated
his life to them. The rest of his comments were a defense of the
others on trial with him. When the presiding judge asked him to say
something about himself, he said that no matter what sentence the
court decreed he would thank God by saying, "Glory to Thee, O Lord,
glory to Thee for all things."
At 9:00 P.M. on July 5, the chairman of the tribunal announced that
ten defendants, including the Metropolitan, were to be shot.
St Benjamin and those with him (Archimandrite Sergius, George and John
of Petrograd) were executed on July 31, 1922. They had been shaved and
dressed in rags so that the firing squad would not know that they were
shooting members of the clergy.
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Martyr Sergius the Archimandrite of Petrograd
Archimandrite Sergius (Shein) was executed along with Metropolitan
Benjamin of Petrograd on July 31, 1922. During his trial, he explained
that as a monk he had renounced the world in order to dedicate himself
to God. Only the flimsiest of threads still connected him with the
outside world, he asserted.
"Does this tribunal imagine," he said, "that severing this thread
which connects me with life could frighten me? Do your deed. I pity
you, and I pray for you."
After a short deliberation, the chairman of the tribunal announced
that Metropolitan Benjamin and ten others were to be shot. The
prisoners were taken from jail and executed a few miles from
Petrograd.
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Martyr Yuri the layman of Petrograd
The New Martyr Yuri (George) was executed along with Metropolitan
Benjamin of Petrograd, Archimandrite Sergius, and the layman John on
July 31, 1922. They were taken to a place a few miles from Petrograd
and shot. These saints are also commemorated at the Synaxis of the New
Martyrs and Confessors of Russia (January 25 or the Sunday after the
25th).
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Martyr John the Layman of Petrograd
The New Martyr John was executed along with Metropolitan Benjamin of
Petrograd, Archimandrite Sergius, and the layman Yuri on July 31,
1922. They were taken to a place a few miles from Petrograd and shot.
These saints are also commemorated at the Synaxis of the New Martyrs
and Confessors of Russia (January 25 or the Sunday after the 25th).
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St Arsenius the Bishop of Ninotsminda
Arsenius of Ninotsminda was an ascetic who labored in the 11th
century. History tells us that he was a brilliant translator, writer,
calligrapher, and theologian, and indeed one of the greatest Church
figures of his time.
St. Arsenius was tonsured a monk in Jerusalem, and after some time he
returned to Georgia, where he was consecrated bishop of Ninotsminda.
But the venerable Arsenius longed to lead a life of solitude, so he
approached King Davit Kuropalates for permission to resign from the
bishopric and settle at a monastery. The king honored Arseniuss
request, and the pious man set off for the monastery with John
Grdzeslidze, a man of letters and another great figure in the Church.
When the news of his decision reached the Iveron Monastery on Mt.
Athos, Sts. John and Ekvtime invited the fathers to Mt. Athos, and the
next year Arsenius and John arrived at the Holy Mountain. There they
assisted St. Ekvtime in his translations of the Holy Scriptures and
many theological books.
St. Arsenius labored fruitfully at the Iveron Monastery for many years
and reposed peacefully at an advanced age. He was buried on Mt. Athos
at the monasterys church of St. Simeon the Stylite. St. George of the
Holy Mountain later translated his relics to the ossuary of the
monasterys catholicon.
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Righteous Joseph of Arimathea
Righteous Joseph of Arimathea was a secret disciple of our Lord Jesus
Christ. As a member of the Sanhedrin he did not participate in the
"counsel and deed" of the Jews in passing a death sentence for Jesus
Christ. After the Crucifixion and Death of the Savior he made bold to
go to Pilate and ask him for the Body of the Lord, to Which he gave
burial with the help of Righteous Nicodemus, who was also a secret
disciple of the Lord.
They took down the Body of the Savior from the Cross, wrapped it in a
winding-cloth, and placed it in a new tomb, in which no one had ever
been buried, in the Garden of Gethsemane, in the presence of the
Mother of God and the holy Myrrh-Bearing Women (St Joseph had prepared
this tomb for himself). Having rolled a heavy stone before the
entrance of the tomb, they departed (John. 19: 37-42; Mt. 27: 57-61;
Mark 15: 43-47; Luke. 24: 50-56).
St Joseph traveled around the world, proclaiming the Gospel of Christ.
He died peacefully in England.
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