[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

Thu Mar 15 04:00:32 CST 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Thu Mar 15 2007

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Isaiah 28:14-22  (6th Hour)
14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scornful men, Who rule
this people who are in Jerusalem,
15 Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, And with
Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes
through, It will not come to us, For we have made lies our refuge, And
under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.
16 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for
a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure
foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.
17 Also I will make justice the measuring line, And righteousness the
plummet; The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, And the waters
will overflow the hiding place.
18 Your covenant with death will be annulled, And your agreement with
Sheol will not stand; When the overflowing scourge passes through,
Then you will be trampled down by it.
19 As often as it goes out it will take you; For morning by morning it
will pass over, And by day and by night; It will be a terror just to
understand the report.
20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on, And the covering so
narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.
21 For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as
in the Valley of Gibeon That He may do His work, His awesome work, And
bring to pass His act, His unusual act.
22 Now therefore, do not be mockers, Lest your bonds be made strong;
For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts, A destruction determined
even upon the whole earth.
Scripture Reading 1 of 3

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Genesis 10:32-11:9  (Vespers, 1st Reading)
32 These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their
generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided
on the earth after the flood.
1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they
found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.
3 Then they said to one another, Come, let us make bricks and bake
them thoroughly. They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for
mortar.
4 And they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower
whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we
be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.
5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons
of men had built.
6 And the Lord said, Indeed the people are one and they all have one
language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they
propose to do will be withheld from them.
7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may
not understand one anothers speech.
8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all
the earth, and they ceased building the city.
9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused
the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them
abroad over the face of all the earth.
Scripture Reading 2 of 3

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Proverbs 13:19-14:6  (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
19 A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, But it is an
abomination to fools to depart from evil.
20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools
will be destroyed.
21 Evil pursues sinners, But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.
22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his childrens children, But the
wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
23 Much food is in the fallow ground of the poor, And for lack of
justice there is waste.
24 He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him
disciplines him promptly.
25 The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul, But the stomach
of the wicked shall be in want.
1 The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with
her hands.
2 He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, But he who is
perverse in his ways despises Him.
3 In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise
will preserve them.
4 Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; But much increase comes by
the strength of an ox.
5 A faithful witness does not lie, But a false witness will utter
lies.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, But knowledge is easy
to him who understands.
Scripture Reading 3 of 3

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Martyr Agapius at Caesarea, in Palestine
The Holy Martyrs Agapius, Publius, Timolaus, Romulus, Alexander,
Alexander, Dionysius and Dionysius suffered under the emperor
Diocletian (284-305) in the city of Palestinian Caesarea. During one
of the pagan festivals they began to torture and execute Christians
who refused to offer sacrifice to idols.
The Martyr Timolaus (August 19) was sentenced to burning, and the
Martyrs Agapius and Thekla (August 19) were sentenced to be torn apart
by wild beasts. A group of young Christians: Publius, Timolaus,
Alexander, another Alexander, Dionysius, and Romulus, the subdeacon of
the Diospolis church decided to confess their faith and suffer for
Christ.
As a sign of their voluntary deed they tied their own hands behind
their backs and appeared before the governor Urbanus. Seeing their
youth, the governor tried to persuade them to reconsider their
decision, but in vain. He then threw them in prison, where there were
already two Christians, Agapius and his servant Dionysius. All these
saints were subjected to terrible tortures and beheaded.
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Martyr Publius (Pausis) at Caesarea, in Palestine
The Holy Martyrs Publius, Agapius, Timolaus, Romulus, Alexander,
Alexander, Dionysius and Dionysius suffered under the emperor
Diocletian (284-305) in the city of Palestinian Caesarea. During one
of the pagan festivals they began to torture and execute Christians
who refused to offer sacrifice to idols.
The Martyr Timolaus (August 19) was sentenced to burning, and the
Martyrs Agapius and Thekla (August 19) were sentenced to be torn apart
by wild beasts. A group of young Christians: Publius, Timolaus,
Alexander, another Alexander, Dionysius, and Romulus, the subdeacon of
the Diospolis church decided to confess their faith and suffer for
Christ.
As a sign of their voluntary deed they tied their own hands behind
their backs and appeared before the governor Urbanus. Seeing their
youth, the governor tried to persuade them to reconsider their
decision, but in vain. He then threw them in prison, where there were
already two Christians, Agapius and his servant Dionysius. All these
saints were subjected to terrible tortures and beheaded.
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Martyr Timolaus at Caesarea, in Palestine
The Holy Martyrs Timolaus, Agapius, Publius, Romulus, Alexander,
Alexander, Dionysius and Dionysius suffered under the emperor
Diocletian (284-305) in the city of Palestinian Caesarea. During one
of the pagan festivals they began to torture and execute Christians
who refused to offer sacrifice to idols.
The Martyr Timolaus (August 19) was sentenced to burning, and the
Martyrs Agapius and Thekla (August 19) were sentenced to be torn apart
by wild beasts. A group of young Christians: Publius, Timolaus,
Alexander, another Alexander, Dionysius, and Romulus, the subdeacon of
the Diospolis church decided to confess their faith and suffer for
Christ.
As a sign of their voluntary deed they tied their own hands behind
their backs and appeared before the governor Urbanus. Seeing their
youth, the governor tried to persuade them to reconsider their
decision, but in vain. He then threw them in prison, where there were
already two Christians, Agapius and his servant Dionysius. All these
saints were subjected to terrible tortures and beheaded.
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Martyr Romulus at Caesarea, in Palestine
The Holy Martyrs Romulus, Agapius, Publius, Timolaus, Alexander,
Alexander, Dionysius and Dionysius suffered under the emperor
Diocletian (284-305) in the city of Palestinian Caesarea. During one
of the pagan festivals they began to torture and execute Christians
who refused to offer sacrifice to idols.
The Martyr Timolaus (August 19) was sentenced to burning, and the
Martyrs Agapius and Thekla (August 19) were sentenced to be torn apart
by wild beasts. A group of young Christians: Publius, Timolaus,
Alexander, another Alexander, Dionysius, and Romulus, the subdeacon of
the Diospolis church decided to confess their faith and suffer for
Christ.
As a sign of their voluntary deed they tied their own hands behind
their backs and appeared before the governor Urbanus. Seeing their
youth, the governor tried to persuade them to reconsider their
decision, but in vain. He then threw them in prison, where there were
already two Christians, Agapius and his servant Dionysius. All these
saints were subjected to terrible tortures and beheaded.
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2 Martyrs Named Dionysius at Caesarea in Palestine
The Holy Martyrs Dionysius, Dionysius, Agapius, Publius, Timolaus,
Romulus, Alexander, and Alexander suffered under the emperor
Diocletian (284-305) in the city of Palestinian Caesarea. During one
of the pagan festivals they began to torture and execute Christians
who refused to offer sacrifice to idols.
The Martyr Timolaus (August 19) was sentenced to burning, and the
Martyrs Agapius and Thekla (August 19) were sentenced to be torn apart
by wild beasts. A group of young Christians: Publius, Timolaus,
Alexander, another Alexander, Dionysius, and Romulus, the subdeacon of
the Diospolis church decided to confess their faith and suffer for
Christ.
As a sign of their voluntary deed they tied their own hands behind
their backs and appeared before the governor Urbanus. Seeing their
youth, the governor tried to persuade them to reconsider their
decision, but in vain. He then threw them in prison, where there were
already two Christians, Agapius and his servant Dionysius. All these
saints were subjected to terrible tortures and beheaded.
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2 Martyrs named Alexander, at Caesarea in Palestine
The Holy Martyrs Alexander, Alexander, Agapius, Publius, Timolaus,
Romulus, Dionysius and Dionysius suffered under the emperor Diocletian
(284-305) in the city of Palestinian Caesarea. During one of the pagan
festivals they began to torture and execute Christians who refused to
offer sacrifice to idols.
The Martyr Timolaus (August 19) was sentenced to burning, and the
Martyrs Agapius and Thekla (August 19) were sentenced to be torn apart
by wild beasts. A group of young Christians: Publius, Timolaus,
Alexander, another Alexander, Dionysius, and Romulus, the subdeacon of
the Diospolis church decided to confess their faith and suffer for
Christ.
As a sign of their voluntary deed they tied their own hands behind
their backs and appeared before the governor Urbanus. Seeing their
youth, the governor tried to persuade them to reconsider their
decision, but in vain. He then threw them in prison, where there were
already two Christians, Agapius and his servant Dionysius. All these
saints were subjected to terrible tortures and beheaded.
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Hieromartyr Alexander of Side, in Pamphylia
The Hieromartyr Alexander was from Side, Pamphylia. He suffered for
Christ during the persecution under the emperor Aurelian (270-275).
The saint was interrogated by the governor Antoninus and given over to
fierce tortures.
Miraculously preserved by the Lord, the saint underwent all the
tortures with surprising endurance, and finally, he was beheaded. Just
as the torturer Antoninus went from the judgment place, he was
possessed by demons and perished in frenzied convulsions.
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Martyr Nicander of Egypt
The Holy Martyr Nicander suffered in Egypt under the emperor
Diocletian (284-305). He was a physician and during a time of
persecution he visited Christians in prison. He assisted them, brought
them food, and buried the dead.
Once, he came to the place where the bodies of the martyrs were thrown
to be eaten by wild beasts. Fearing to bury them by day, he waited for
night and buried the bodies under cover of darkness. They discovered
St Nicander and subjected him to terrible tortures: they skinned him
alive and then beheaded him in 302.
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