[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

Wed Mar 21 04:00:25 CST 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Wed Mar 21 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Isaiah 41:4-14  (6th Hour)
4 Who has performed and done it, Calling the generations from the
beginning? I, the Lord, am the first; And with the last I am He.
5 The coastlands saw it and feared, The ends of the earth were afraid;
They drew near and came.
6 Everyone helped his neighbor, And said to his brother, Be of good
courage!
7 So the craftsman encouraged the goldsmith; He who smooths with the
hammer inspired him who strikes the anvil, Saying, It is ready for the
soldering; Then he fastened it with pegs, That it might not totter.
8 But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The
descendants of Abraham My friend.
9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from
its farthest regions, And said to you, You are My servant, I have
chosen you and have not cast you away:
10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I
will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My
righteous right hand.
11 Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed
and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you
shall perish.
12 You shall seek them and not find them Those who contended with you.
Those who war against you Shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing.
13 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you,
Fear not, I will help you.
14 Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you, says
the Lord And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Scripture Reading 1 of 3

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Genesis 17:1-9  (Vespers, 1st Reading)
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and
said to him, I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.
2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply
you exceedingly.
3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:
4 As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a
father of many nations.
5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be
Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of
you, and kings shall come from you.
7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your
descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting
covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.
8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which
you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting
possession; and I will be their God.
9 And God said to Abraham: As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you
and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
Scripture Reading 2 of 3

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Proverbs 15:20-16:9  (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
20 A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his
mother.
21 Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, But a man of
understanding walks uprightly.
22 Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors
they are established.
23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due
season, how good it is!
24 The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away
from hell below.
25 The Lord will destroy the house of the proud, But He will establish
the boundary of the widow.
26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, But the
words of the pure are pleasant.
27 He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, But he who hates
bribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of
the wicked pours forth evil.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the
righteous.
30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes
the bones healthy.
31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life Will abide among the wise.
32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds
rebuke gets understanding.
33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor
is humility.
1 The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the
tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs
the spirits.
3 Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be
established.
4 The Lord has made all for Himself,
5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they
join forces, none will go unpunished.
6 In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the
fear of the Lord one departs from evil.
7 When a mans ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at
peace with him.
8 Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without
justice.
9 A mans heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
Scripture Reading 3 of 3

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St James the Confessor the Bishop of Catania
Saint James, Bishop and Confessor,was inclined toward the ascetic life
from his early years. St James left the world and entered the Studite
monastery, where he was tonsured. He led a strict life, full of works,
fasting and prayer. Pious and well-versed in Holy Scripture, St James
was elevated to the bishop's throne of Catania (Sicily).
During the reign of the iconoclast emperor Constantine V Copronymos
(741-775), St James was repeatedly urged not to venerate the holy
icons. They exhausted him in prison, starved him, and beat him, but he
bravely endured all these torments. St James died in exile.
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St Cyril the Bishop of Catania
Saint Cyril was born in Antioch. He was a disciple of the Apostle
Peter (June 29, January 16), who installed him as Bishop of Catania in
Sicily. St Cyril wisely guided his flock; he was pious, and the Lord
granted him the gift of wonderworking. By his prayer the bitter water
in a certain spring lost its bitterness and became drinkable. This
miracle converted many pagans to Christianity. St Cyril died in old
age and was buried in Sicily.
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St Thomas the Patriarch of Constantinople
Saint Thomas, Patriarch of Constantinople, was at first a deacon, and
later under the holy Patriarch John IV the Faster (582-595) he was
made "sakellarios" [sacristan] in the Great Church (Hagia Sophia).
After the death of holy Patriarch Cyriacus (595-606), St Thomas was
elevated to the Patriarchal throne in 607. The saint concerned himself
in every possible way about the spiritual needs of his flock.
During the patriarchate of St Thomas, an ominous portent appeared in
the land of Galatia (Asia Minor). The heavy crosses which were carried
during church processions began to shake and to strike against each
other. The clairvoyant Elder, St Theodore Sykeotes (April 22),
explained the meaning of this portent. He said that discords and
disasters awaited the Church, and the state was in danger of barbarian
invasion. Hearing this, the saint became terrified and asked St
Theodore to pray that God would take his soul before these predictions
were fulfilled.
After the death of the holy Patriarch Thomas in 610, disorders started
in the Church. St Thomas's successor, Patriarch Sergius (610-638),
fell into the Monothelite heresy. Through God's dispensation, war
broke out with Persia, which proved grievous for Byzantium. The Greek
regions of Asia Minor were completely devastated, Jerusalem fell, and
the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord was captured and taken to Persia.
Thus, all the misfortunes portended by the miracle during the church
procession came to pass.
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Venerable Seraphim of Virits
Basil Muraviev (the future St Seraphim) was born in 1865 in the town
of Cheremovsky in the Yaroslavl province. His parents, Nicholas and
Chione, were peasants. When Basil was ten years old, his father died,
and he was left to care for his ailing mother and his sister Olga.
A kind neighbor took Basil with him to St Petersburg, and found him a
job as a store clerk. The boy had a secret desire to become a monk, so
one day he went to the St Alexander Nevsky Lavra to speak to one of
the Elders about this. The Elder advised him to remain in the world
and raise a family, then after their children had grown, he and his
wife were to serve God in the monastic life.
Basil accepted these words as the will of God, and so he lived his
life as the Elder had directed. Returning to the store, Basil
continued to work and send money home to his family. When he was
twenty-four years old, Basil married his wife Olga.
He started his own business as a furrier, and became very wealthy. He
had a son, Nicholas and a daughter, Olga. After their daughter's
death, Basil and his wife agreed to live together as brother and
sister from that time forward.
When he was around thirty, Basil gave away most of his wealth,
donating money to various monasteries. When Nicholas was grown, Basil
and Olga went to monasteries to serve God. Olga was tonsured in 1919
with the name Christina, and lived in the Resurrection-New Divyevo
Monastery in St Petersburg. Later, she was tonsured into the schema
and was given the name Seraphima. She died in 1945.
We do not know where Basil received monastic tonsure (some say it was
on Mt Athos), nor the new name he was given at that time.
In 1927, he arrived at the St Alexander Nevsky Lavra, where he became
Father Confessor to the monks. There he was tonsured into the schema
with the name Seraphim. Soon it became apparent that St Seraphim had
received from God the gifts of clairvoyance and healing, and many
people came to him seeking his help and advice.
Bishop Alexei (Shimansky) of Novgorod came to the Elder in 1927 to ask
if he should leave Russia, since many bishops and priests were facing
arrest and execution under the Communist yoke. Before the bishop could
utter a word, St Seraphim said, "Many now wish to leave Russia, but
there is nothing to fear. You are needed here. You will become
Patriarch and will rule for twenty-five years."
A time of trial came for the Lavra. Monks were arrested, exiled, and
sent to labor camps. Many of them were executed. Beginning in 1929,
the Elder was arrested fourteen times. He continued his priestly
ministry in the prison camps, where he strengthened and encouraged his
fellow-prisoners.
In 1933, the Elder returned from the camps and settled in Vyritsa.
This was a very beautiful place with forests and a river, and it was
known for its healthy climate. St Seraphim's health had deteriorated
in the prison camps, and he had been beaten many times.
A wooden church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos
had been built in Vyritsa in 1913 to commemorate the three hundredth
anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. The upper church has two altars:
one dedicated to the Kazan Icon, the other to St Nicholas. The lower
church was dedicated to St Seraphim of Sarov.
After he had recovered somewhat, Fr Seraphim began to receive visitors
who came seeking advice and comfort from him. Many of those afflicted
with illness received healing by his prayers. The authorities soon
noticed the great numbers of people who came to him. His cell was
searched many times, usually at night. Once, the police came to arrest
the Elder, but a doctor told them that Fr Seraphim would not survive
the trip because of his many infirmities. They decided to leave him
alone, and so the Lord preserved the life of His servant.
The Germans entered Vyritsa in September of 1941, but no one was
harmed, and there was no looting. During the War, Fr Seraphim became
weak and now served only rarely in the chapel of St Seraphim. Starting
in 1945, Fr Alexei Kibardin began serving in the Kazan church.
By the spring of 1949, St Seraphim was very weak and had to remain in
bed. Still, he permitted visitors to come to him as before.
Shortly before his death, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to St
Seraphim and told him to receive Holy Communion every day. Fr Alexei
Kibardin would bring him Communion at 2 AM, but once he overslept and
did not come until 4 AM. He apologized to the Elder for his tardiness,
and noticed that there was a certain radiance around the saint. The
Elder said, "Father, do not worry. The holy angels have already
brought me Communion." Seeing his face, Fr Alexei knew that this was
absolutely true!
The Elder told Fr Alexei to go to Moscow and inform Patriarch Alexei I
that he would depart to the Lord in two weeks. When Fr Alexei relayed
the message, the Patriarch turned to the holy icons and crossed
himself. When he turned around again, tears were streaming down his
cheeks. "I have been Patriarch for four years," he said. "Twenty-one
years remain to me. This is what the holy Elder told me." Patriarch
Alexei died in 1970, just as St Seraphim foretold.
St Seraphim departed to the Lord on March 21, 1949 (April 3 N.S.). In
the hours before his death, he asked that the Akathists to the Most
Holy Theotokos, to St Seraphim of Sarov, and to St Nicholas be read.
For a week after his blessed repose, a sweet fragrance permeated
Vyritsa.
St Seraphim was buried in the cemetery next to the church of the Kazan
Icon in Vyritsa. Great throngs of people came for the funeral, and
Vyritsa became a place of pilgrimage.
The schemamonk St Seraphim was glorified by the Church of Russia in
August of 2000.
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St. Serapion, Bishop of Thmuis in Lower Egypt
No information available at this time.
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