[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

[Daily Orthodox Readings and Saints]

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sun Mar 25 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Genesis 28:10-17  (Vespers, 1st Reading)
10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran.
11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because
the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put
it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.
12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and
its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending
and descending on it.
13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: I am the Lord God of
Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I
will give to you and your descendants.
14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall
spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south;
and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be
blessed.
15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will
bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have
done what I have spoken to you.
16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, Surely the Lord is in
this place, and I did not know it.
17 And he was afraid and said, How awesome is this place! This is none
other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!
Scripture Reading 1 of 10


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Ezekiel 43:27-44:4  (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
27 When these days are over it shall be, on the eighth day and
thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your
peace offerings on the altar; and I will accept you, says the Lord
God.
1 Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which
faces toward the east, but it was shut.
2 And the Lord said to me, This gate shall be shut; it shall not be
opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel
has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.
3 As for the prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to eat
bread before the Lord; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the
gateway, and go out the same way.
4 Also He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the
temple; so I looked, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the
house of the Lord; and I fell on my face.
Scripture Reading 2 of 10


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Proverbs 9:1-11  (Vespers, 3rd Reading)
1 Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has slaughtered her meat, She has mixed her wine, She has also
furnished her table.
3 She has sent out her maidens, She cries out from the highest places
of the city,
4 Whoever is simple, let him turn in here! As for him who lacks
understanding, she says to him,
5 Come, eat of my bread And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.
7 He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, And he who rebukes
a wicked man only harms himself.
8 Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a
just man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge
of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be
added to you.
Scripture Reading 3 of 10


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Exodus 3:1-8  (Vespers, 4th Reading)
1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the
priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and
came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from
the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning
with fire, but the bush was not consumed.
3 Then Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why
the bush does not burn.
4 So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him
from the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here I
am.
5 Then He said, Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off
your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.
6 Moreover He said, I am the God of your fatherthe God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was
afraid to look upon God.
7 And the Lord said: I have surely seen the oppression of My people
who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their
taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the
Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large
land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the
Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites
Scripture Reading 4 of 10


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Proverbs 8:22-30  (Vespers, 5th Reading)
22 The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works
of old.
23 I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning,
before there was ever an earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no
fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought
forth;
26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primal
dust of the world.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on
the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the
fountains of the deep,
29 When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not
transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the
earth,
30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His
delight, Rejoicing always before Him,
Scripture Reading 5 of 10


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Luke 1:39-49, 56  (Matins Gospel)
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with
haste, to a city of Judah,
40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that
the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy
Spirit.
42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you
among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should
come to me?
44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my
ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of
those things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold,
henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His
name.
56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her
house.
Scripture Reading 6 of 10


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Hebrews 9:11-14
11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the
greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not
of this creation.
12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He
entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal
redemption.
13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer,
sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,
14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God?
Scripture Reading 7 of 10


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Hebrews 2:11-18  (Theotokos)
11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are
all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
12 saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of
the assembly I will sing praise to You."
13 And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and
the children whom God has given Me."
14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He
Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might
destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime
subject to bondage.
16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to
the seed of Abraham.
17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that
He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining
to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to
aid those who are tempted.
Scripture Reading 8 of 10


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Mark 10:32-45
32 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was
going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they
were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell
them the things that would happen to Him:
33 Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be
betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will
condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles;
34 and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill
Him. And the third day He will rise again.
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying,
"Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."
36 And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
37 They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand
and the other on Your left, in Your glory."
38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able
to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I
am baptized with?"
39 They said to Him, "We are able." So Jesus said to them, "You will
indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized
with you will be baptized;
40 but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but
it is for those for whom it is prepared.
41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with
James and John.
42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that
those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them,
and their great ones exercise authority over them.
43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become
great among you shall be your servant.
44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give His life a ransom for many.
Scripture Reading 9 of 10


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Luke 1:24-38  (Theotokos)
24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid
herself five months, saying,
25 Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me,
to take away my reproach among people.
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city
of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house
of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored
one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and
considered what manner of greeting this was.
30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have
found favor with God.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son,
and shall call His name JESUS.
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and
the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His
kingdom there will be no end.
34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know
a man?"
35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come
upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore,
also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her
old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called
barren.
37 For with God nothing will be impossible.
38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to
me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Scripture Reading 10 of 10



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5th Sunday of Great Lent St Mary of Egypt
St Zosimas (April 4) was a monk at a certain Palestinian monastery on
the outskirts of Caesarea. Having dwelt at the monastery since his
childhood, he lived there in asceticism until he reached the age of
fifty-three. Then he was disturbed by the thought that he had attained
perfection, and needed no one to instruct him. "Is there a monk
anywhere who can show me some form of asceticism that I have not
attained? Is there anyone who has surpassed me in spiritual sobriety
and deeds?"
Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, "Zosimas, you
have struggled valiantly, as far as this is in the power of man.
However, there is no one who is righteous (Rom 3:10). So that you may
know how many other ways lead to salvation, leave your native land,
like Abraham from the house of his father (Gen 12:1), and go to the
monastery by the Jordan."
Abba Zosimas immediately left the monastery, and following the angel,
he went to the Jordan monastery and settled in it.
Here he met Elders who were adept in contemplation, and also in their
struggles. Never did anyone utter an idle word. Instead, they sang
constantly, and prayed all night long. Abba Zosimas began to imitate
the spiritual activity of the holy monks.
Thus much time passed, and the holy Forty Day Fast approached. There
was a certain custom at the monastery, which was why God had led St
Zosimas there. On the First Sunday of Great Lent the igumen served the
Divine Liturgy, everyone received the All-Pure Body and Blood of
Christ. Afterwards, they went to the trapeza for a small repast, and
then assembled once more in church.
The monks prayed and made prostrations, asking forgiveness one of
another. Then they made a prostration before the igumen and asked his
blessing for the struggle that lay before them. During the Psalm "The
Lord is my Light and my Savior, whom shall I fear? The Lord is
defender of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" (Ps 26/27:1), they
opened the monastery gate and went off into the wilderness.
Each took with him as much food as he needed, and went into the
desert. When their food ran out, they ate roots and desert plants. The
monks crossed the Jordan and scattered in various directions, so that
no one might see how another fasted or how they spent their time.
The monks returned to the monastery on Palm Sunday, each having his
own conscience as a witness of his ascetic struggles. It was a rule of
the monastery that no one asked how anyone else had toiled in the
desert.
Abba Zosimas, according to the custom of the monastery, went deep into
the desert hoping to find someone living there who could benefit him.
He walked into the wilderness for twenty days and then, when he sang
the Psalms of the Sixth Hour and made the usual prayers. Suddenly, to
the right of the hill where he stood, he saw a human form. He was
afraid, thinking that it might be a demonic apparition. Then he
guarded himself with the Sign of the Cross, which removed his fear. He
turned to the right and saw a form walking southward. The body was
black from the blazing sunlight, and the faded short hair was white
like a sheep's fleece. Abba Zosimas rejoiced, since he had not seen
any living thing for many days.
The desert-dweller saw Zosimas approaching, and attempted to flee from
him. Abba Zosimas, forgetting his age and fatigue, quickened his pace.
When he was close enough to be heard, he called out, "Why do you flee
from me, a sinful old man? Wait for me, for the love of God."
The stranger said to him, "Forgive me, Abba Zosimas, but I cannot turn
and show my face to you. I am a woman, and as you see, I am naked. If
you would grant the request of a sinful woman, throw me your cloak so
I might cover my body, and then I can ask for your blessing."
Then Abba Zosimas was terrified, realizing that she could not have
called him by name unless she possessed spiritual insight.
Covered by the cloak, the ascetic turned to Zosimas: "Why do you want
to speak with me, a sinful woman? What did you wish to learn from me,
you who have not shrunk from such great labors?"
Abba Zosimas fell to the ground and asked for her blessing. She also
bowed down before him, and for a long time they remained on the ground
each asking the other to bless. Finally, the woman ascetic said: "Abba
Zosimas, you must bless and pray, since you are honored with the grace
of the priesthood. For many years you have stood before the holy
altar, offering the Holy Gifts to the Lord."
These words frightened St Zosimas even more. With tears he said to
her, "O Mother! It is clear that you live with God and are dead to
this world. You have called me by name and recognized me as a priest,
though you have never seen me before. The grace granted you is
apparent, therefore bless me, for the Lord's sake."
Yielding finally to his entreaties, she said, "Blessed is God, Who
cares for the salvation of men." Abba Zosimas replied, "Amen." Then
they rose to their feet. The woman ascetic again said to the Elder,
"Why have you come, Father, to me who am a sinner, bereft of every
virtue? Apparently, the grace of the Holy Spirit has brought you to do
me a service. But tell me first, Abba, how do the Christians live, how
is the Church guided?"
Abba Zosimas answered her, "By your holy prayers God has granted the
Church and us all a lasting peace. But fulfill my unworthy request,
Mother, and pray for the whole world and for me a sinner, that my
wanderings in the desert may not be useless."
The holy ascetic replied, "You, Abba Zosimas, as a priest, ought to
pray for me and for all, for you are called to do this. However, since
we must be obedient, I will do as you ask.
The saint turned toward the East, and raising her eyes to heaven and
stretching out her hands, she began to pray in a whisper. She prayed
so softly that Abba Zosimas could not hear her words. After a long
time, the Elder looked up and saw her standing in the air more than a
foot above the ground. Seeing this, Zosimas threw himself down on the
ground, weeping and repeating, "Lord, have mercy!"
Then he was tempted by a thought. He wondered if she might not be a
spirit, and if her prayer could be insincere. At that moment she
turned around, lifted him from the ground and said, "Why do your
thoughts confuse you, Abba Zosimas? I am not an apparition. I am a
sinful and unworthy woman, though I am guarded by holy Baptism."
Then she made the Sign of the Cross and said, "May God protect us from
the Evil One and his schemes, for fierce is his struggle against us."
Seeing and hearing this, the Elder fell at her feet with tears saying,
"I beseech you by Christ our God, do not conceal from me who you are
and how you came into this desert. Tell me everything, so that the
wondrous works of God may be revealed."
She replied, "It distresses me, Father, to speak to you about my
shameless life. When you hear my story, you might flee from me, as if
from a poisonous snake. But I shall tell you everything, Father,
concealing nothing. However, I exhort you, cease not to pray for me a
sinner, that I may find mercy on the Day of Judgment.
"I was born in Egypt and when I was twelve years old, I left my
parents and went to Alexandria. There I lost my chastity and gave
myself to unrestrained and insatiable sensuality. For more than
seventeen years I lived like that and I did it all for free. Do not
think that I refused the money because I was rich. I lived in poverty
and worked at spinning flax. To me, life consisted in the satisfaction
of my fleshly lust.
"One summer I saw a crowd of people from Libya and Egypt heading
toward the sea. They were on their way to Jerusalem for the Feast of
the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. I also wanted to sail with them.
Since I had no food or money, I offered my body in payment for my
passage. And so I embarked on the ship.
"Now, Father, believe me, I am very amazed, that the sea tolerated my
wantonness and fornication, that the earth did not open up its mouth
and take me down alive into hell, because I had ensnared so many
souls. I think that God was seeking my repentance. He did not desire
the death of a sinner, but awaited my conversion.
"So I arrived in Jerusalem and spent all the days before the Feast
living the same sort of life, and maybe even worse.
"When the holy Feast of the Exaltation of the Venerable Cross of the
Lord arrived, I went about as before, looking for young men. At
daybreak I saw that everyone was heading to the church, so I went
along with the rest. When the hour of the Holy Elevation drew nigh, I
was trying to enter into the church with all the people. With great
effort I came almost to the doors, and attempted to squeeze inside.
Although I stepped up to the threshold, it was as though some force
held me back, preventing me from entering. I was brushed aside by the
crowd, and found myself standing alone on the porch. I thought that
perhaps this happened because of my womanly weakness. I worked my way
into the crowd, and again I attempted to elbow people aside. However
hard I tried, I could not enter. Just as my feet touched the church
threshold, I was stopped. Others entered the church without
difficulty, while I alone was not allowed in. This happened three or
four times. Finally my strength was exhausted. I went off and stood in
a corner of the church portico.
"Then I realized that it was my sins that prevented me from seeing the
Life-Creating Wood. The grace of the Lord then touched my heart. I
wept and lamented, and I began to beat my breast. Sighing from the
depths of my heart, I saw above me an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Turning to Her, I prayed: "O Lady Virgin, who gave birth in the flesh
to God the Word! I know that I am unworthy to look upon your icon. I
rightly inspire hatred and disgust before your purity, but I know also
that God became Man in order to call sinners to repentance. Help me, O
All-Pure One. Let me enter the church. Allow me to behold the Wood
upon which the Lord was crucified in the flesh, shedding His Blood for
the redemption of sinners, and also for me. Be my witness before Your
Son that I will never defile my body again with the impurity of
fornication. As soon as I have seen the Cross of your Son, I will
renounce the world, and go wherever you lead me."
"After I had spoken, I felt confidence in the compassion of the Mother
of God, and left the spot where I had been praying. I joined those
entering the church, and no one pushed me back or prevented me from
entering. I went on in fear and trembling, and entered the holy place.
"Thus I also saw the Mysteries of God, and how God accepts the
penitant. I fell to the holy ground and kissed it. Then I hastened
again to stand before the icon of the Mother of God, where I had given
my vow. Bending my knees before the Virgin Theotokos, I prayed:
"'O Lady, you have not rejected my prayer as unworthy. Glory be to
God, Who accepts the repentance of sinners. It is time for me to
fulfill my vow, which you witnessed. Therefore, O Lady, guide me on
the path of repentance.'"
"Then I heard a voice from on high: 'If you cross the Jordan, you will
find glorious rest.'
"I immediately believed that this voice was meant for me, and I cried
out to the Mother of God: 'O Lady, do not forsake me!'
"Then I left the church portico and started on my journey. A certain
man gave me three coins as I was leaving the church. With them I
bought three loaves of bread, and asked the bread merchant the way to
the Jordan.
"It was nine o'clock when I saw the Cross. At sunset I reached the
church of St John the Baptist on the banks of the Jordan. After
praying in the church, I went down to the Jordan and washed my face
and hands in its water. Then in this same temple of St John the
Forerunner I received the Life-Creating Mysteries of Christ. Then I
ate half of one of my loaves of bread, drank water from the holy
Jordan, and slept there that night on the ground. In the morning I
found a small boat and crossed the river to the opposite shore. Again
I prayed that the Mother of God would lead me where She wished. Then I
found myself in this desert."
Abba Zosimas asked her, "How many years have passed since you began to
live in the desert?"
"'I think," she replied, "it is forty-seven years since I came from
the Holy City."
Abba Zosimas again asked, "What food do you find here, Mother?"
And she said, "I had with me two and a half loaves of bread when I
crossed the Jordan. Soon they dried out and hardened Eating a little
at a time, I finished them after a few years."
Again Abba Zosimas asked, "Is it possible you have survived for so
many years without sickness, and without suffering in any way from
such a complete change?"
"Believe me, Abba Zosimas," the woman said, "I spent seventeen years
in this wilderness (after she had spent seventeen years in
immorality), fighting wild beasts: mad desires and passions. When I
began to eat bread, I thought of the meat and fish which I had in
abundance in Egypt. I also missed the wine that I loved so much when I
was in the world, while here I did not even have water. I suffered
from thirst and hunger. I also had a mad desire for lewd songs. I
seemed to hear them, disturbing my heart and my hearing. Weeping and
striking myself on the breast, I remembered the vow I had made. At
last I beheld a radiant Light shining on me from everywhere. After a
violent tempest, a lasting calm ensued.
"Abba, how shall I tell you of the thoughts that urged me on to
fornication? A fire seemed to burn within me, awakening in me the
desire for embraces. Then I would throw myself to the ground and water
it with my tears. I seemed to see the Most Holy Virgin before me, and
She seemed to threaten me for not keeping my vow. I lay face downward
day and night upon the ground, and would not get up until that blessed
Light encircled me, dispelling the evil thoughts that troubled me.
"Thus I lived in this wilderness for the first seventeen years.
Darkness after darkness, misery after misery stood about me, a sinner.
But from that time until now the Mother of God helps me in
everything."
Abba Zosimas again inquired, "How is it that you require neither food,
nor clothing?"
She answered, "After finishing my bread, I lived on herbs and the
things one finds in the desert. The clothes I had when I crossed over
the Jordan became torn and fell apart. I suffered both from the summer
heat, when the blazing heat fell upon me, and from the winter cold,
when I shivered from the frost. Many times I fell down upon the earth,
as though dead. I struggled with various afflictions and temptations.
But from that time until the present day, the power of God has guarded
my sinful soul and humble body. I was fed and clothed by the
all-powerful word of God, since man does not live by bread alone, but
by every word proceeding from the mouth of God (Dt 8:3, Mt.4:4, Luke
4:4), and those who have put off the old man (Col 3:9) have no refuge,
hiding themselves in the clefts of the rocks (Job 24:8, Heb 11:38).
When I remember from what evil and from what sins the Lord delivered
me, I have imperishible food for salvation."
When Abba Zosimas heard that the holy ascetic quoted the Holy
Scripture from memory, from the Books of Moses and Job and from the
Psalms of David, he then asked the woman, "Mother, have you read the
Psalms and other books?"
She smiled at hearing this question, and answered, "Believe me, I have
seen no human face but yours from the time that I crossed over the
Jordan. I never learned from books. I have never heard anyone read or
sing from them. Perhaps the Word of God, which is alive and acting,
teaches man knowledge by itself (Col 3:16, 1 Thess 2:13). This is the
end of my story. As I asked when I began, I beg you for the sake of
the Incarnate Word of God, holy Abba, pray for me, a sinner.
"Furthermore, I beg you, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord and
Savior, tell no one what you have heard from me, until God takes me
from this earth. Next year, during Great Lent, do not cross the
Jordan, as is the custom of your monastery."
Again Abba Zosimas was amazed, that the practice of his monastery was
known to the holy woman ascetic, although he had not said anything to
her about this.
"Remain at the monastery," the woman continued. "Even if you try to
leave the monastery, you will not be able to do so. On Great and Holy
Thursday, the day of the Lord's Last Supper, place the Life-Creating
Body and Blood of Christ our God in a holy vessel, and bring it to me.
Await me on this side of the Jordan, at the edge of the desert, so
that I may receive the Holy Mysteries. And say to Abba John, the
igumen of your community, 'Look to yourself and your brothers (1 Tim
4:16), for there is much that needs correction. Do not say this to him
now, but when the Lord shall indicate."
Asking for his prayers, the woman turned and vanished into the depths
of the desert.
For a whole year Elder Zosimas remained silent, not daring to reveal
to anyone what he had seen, and he prayed that the Lord would grant
him to see the holy ascetic once more.
When the first week of Great Lent came again, St Zosimas was obliged
to remain at the monastery because of sickness. Then he remembered the
woman's prophetic words that he would not be able to leave the
monastery. After several days went by, St Zosimas was healed of his
infirmity, but he remained at the monastery until Holy Week.
On Holy Thursday, Abba Zosimas did what he had been ordered to do. He
placed some of the Body and Blood of Christ into a chalice, and some
food in a small basket. Then he left the monastery and went to the
Jordan and waited for the ascetic. The saint seemed tardy, and Abba
Zosimas prayed that God would permit him to see the holy woman.
Finally, he saw her standing on the far side of the river. Rejoicing,
St Zosimas got up and glorified God. Then he wondered how she could
cross the Jordan without a boat. She made the Sign of the Cross over
the water, then she walked on the water and crossed the Jordan. Abba
Zosimas saw her in the moonlight, walking toward him. When the Elder
wanted to make prostration before her, she forbade him, crying out,
"What are you doing, Abba? You are a priest and you carry the Holy
Mysteries of God."
Reaching the shore, she said to Abba Zosimas, "Bless me, Father." He
answered her with trembling, astonished at what he had seen. "Truly
God did not lie when he promised that those who purify themselves will
be like Him. Glory to You, O Christ our God, for showing me through
your holy servant, how far I am from perfection."
The woman asked him to recite both the Creed and the "Our Father."
When the prayers were finished, she partook of the Holy Mysteries of
Christ. Then she raised her hands to the heavens and said, "Lord, now
let Your servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen Your
salvation."
The saint turned to the Elder and said, "Please, Abba, fulfill another
request. Go now to your monastery, and in a year's time come to the
place where we first time spoke."
He said, "If only it were possible for me to follow you and always see
your holy face!"
She replied, "For the Lord's sake, pray for me and remember my
wrechedness."
Again she made the Sign of the Cross over the Jordan, and walked over
the water as before, and disappeared into the desert. Zosimas returned
to the monastery with joy and terror, reproaching himself because he
had not asked the saint's name. He hoped to do so the following year.
A year passed, and Abba Zosimas went into the desert. He reached the
place where he first saw the holy woman ascetic. She lay dead, with
arms folded on her bosom, and her face was turned to the east. Abba
Zosimas washed her feet with his tears and kissed them, not daring to
touch anything else. For a long while he wept over her and sang the
customary Psalms, and said the funeral prayers. He began to wonder
whether the saint would want him to bury her or not. Hardly had he
thought this, when he saw something written on the ground near her
head: "Abba Zosimas, bury on this spot the body of humble Mary. Return
to dust what is dust. Pray to the Lord for me. I reposed on the first
day of April, on the very night of the saving Passion of Christ, after
partaking of the Mystical Supper."
Reading this note, Abba Zosimas was glad to learn her name. He then
realized that St Mary, after receiving the Holy Mysteries from his
hand, was transported instantaneously to the place where she died,
though it had taken him twenty days to travel that distance.
Glorifying God, Abba Zosimas said to himself, "It is time to do what
she asks. But how can I dig a grave, with nothing in my hands?" Then
he saw a small piece of wood left by some traveler. He picked it up
and began to dig. The ground was hard and dry, and he could not dig
it. Looking up, Abba Zosimas saw an enormous lion standing by the
saint's body and licking her feet. Fear gripped the Elder, but he
guarded himself with the Sign of the Cross, believing that he would
remain unharmed through the prayers of the holy woman ascetic. Then
the lion came close to the Elder, showing its friendliness with every
movement. Abba Zosimas commanded the lion to dig the grave, in order
to bury St Mary's body. At his words, the lion dug a hole deep enough
to bury the body. Then each went his own way. The lion went into the
desert, and Abba Zosimas returned to the monastery, blessing and
praising Christ our God.
Arriving at the monastery, Abba Zosimas related to the monks and the
igumen, what he had seen and heard from St Mary. All were astonished,
hearing about the miracles of God. They always remembered St Mary with
faith and love on the day of her repose.
Abba John, the igumen of the monastery, heeded the words of St Mary,
and with the help of God corrected the things that were wrong at the
monastery. Abba Zosimas lived a God-pleasing life at the monastery,
reaching nearly a hundred years of age. There he finished his temporal
life, and passed into life eternal.
The monks passed on the life of St Mary of Egypt by word of mouth
without writing it down.
"I however," says St Sophronius of Jerusalem (March 11), "wrote down
the Life of St Mary of Egypt as I heard it from the holy Fathers. I
have recorded everything, putting the truth above all else."
"May God, Who works great miracles and bestows gifts on all who turn
to Him in faith, reward those who hear or read this account, and those
who copy it. May he grant them a blessed portion together with St Mary
of Egypt and with all the saints who have pleased God by their pious
thoughts and works. Let us give glory to God, the Eternal King, that
we may find mercy on the Day of Judgment through our Lord Jesus
Christ, to Whom is due all glory, honor, majesty and worship together
with the Unoriginate Father, and the Most Holy and Life-Creating
Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen."
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The Annunciation of our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and
Ever-Virgin Mary
THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE MOST HOLY THEOTOKOS
The Feast of the Annunciation is one of the earliest Christian feasts,
and was already being celebrated in the fourth century. There is a
painting of the Annunciation in the catacomb of Priscilla in Rome
dating from the second century. The Council of Toledo in 656 mentions
the Feast, and the Council in Trullo in 692 says that the Annunciation
was celebrated during Great Lent.
The Greek and Slavonic names for the Feast may be translated as "good
tidings." This, of course, refers to the Incarnation of the Son of God
and the salvation He brings. The background of the Annunciation is
found in the Gospel of St Luke (1:26-38). The troparion describes this
as the "beginning of our salvation, and the revelation of the eternal
mystery," for on this day the Son of God became the Son of Man.
There are two main components to the Annunciation: the message itself,
and the response of the Virgin. The message fulfills God's promise to
send a Redeemer (Genesis 3:15): "I will put enmity between you and the
woman, between your seed and her seed; he shall crush your head, and
you shall lie in wait for his heel." The Fathers of the Church
understand "her seed" to refer to Christ. The prophets hinted at His
coming, which they saw dimly, but the Archangel Gabriel now proclaims
that the promise is about to be fulfilled.
We see this echoed in the Liturgy of St Basil, as well: "When man
disobeyed Thee, the only true God who had created him, and was
deceived by the guile of the serpent, becoming subject to death by his
own transgressions, Thou, O God, in Thy righteous judgment, didst send
him forth from Paradise into this world, returning him to the earth
from which he was taken, yet providing for him the salvation of
regeneration in Thy Christ Himself."
The Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth in Galilee. There he
spoke to the undefiled Virgin who was betrothed to St Joseph: "Hail,
thou who art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou
among women. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring
forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and
shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give
unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the
house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."
In contrast to Eve, who was readily deceived by the serpent, the
Virgin did not immediately accept the Angel's message. In her
humility, she did not think she was deserving of such words, but was
actually troubled by them. The fact that she asked for an explanation
reveals her sobriety and prudence. She did not disbelieve the words of
the angel, but could not understand how they would be fulfilled, for
they spoke of something which was beyond nature.
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a
man?" (Luke 1:34).
"And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come
upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that which shall be born of thee shall be called the
Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth hath also conceived a
son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was
called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.' And Mary
said, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy
word.' And the angel departed from her" (Luke 1: 35-38)."
In his Sermon 23 on the day of the Annunciation, St Philaret of Moscow
boldly stated that "the word of the creature brought the Creator down
into the world." He explains that salvation is not merely an act of
God's will, but also involves the Virgin's free will. She could have
refused, but she accepted God's will and chose to cooperate without
complaint or further questions.
The icon of the Feast shows the Archangel with a staff in his left
hand, indicating his role as a messenger. Sometimes one wing is
upraised, as if to show his swift descent from heaven. His right hand
is stretched toward the holy Virgin as he delivers his message.
The Virgin is depicted either standing or sitting, usually holding
yarn in her left hand. Sometimes she is shown holding a scroll. Her
right hand may be raised to indicate her surprise at the message she
is hearing. Her head is bowed, showing her consent and obedience. The
descent of the Holy Spirit upon her is depicted by a ray of light
issuing from a small sphere at the top of the icon, which symbolizes
heaven. In a famous icon from Sinai, a white dove is shown in the ray
of light.
There are several famous icons of the Annunciation. One is in the
Moscow Kremlin in the church of the Annunciation. This icon appeared
in connection with the rescue of a prisoner by the Mother of God
during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Another is to be found in the
Dormition Cathedral in Moscow (July 8). It was originally located in
Ustiug, and was the icon before which St Procopius the fool (July 8)
prayed to save the city from destruction in 1290. One of the most
highly revered icons in Greece is the Tinos icon of the Annunciation
(January 30).
The Annunciation falls during Lent, but it is always celebrated with
great joy. The Liturgy of St Basil or St John Chrysostom is served,
even on the weekdays of Lent. It is one of the two days of Great Lent
on which the fast is relaxed and fish is permitted (Palm Sunday is the
other).
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