[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

Wed Mar 28 04:00:32 CST 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Wed Mar 28 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Isaiah 58:1-11  (6th Hour)
1 Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My
people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation
that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their
God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in
approaching God.
3 Why have we fasted, they say, and You have not seen? Why have we
afflicted our souls, and You take no notice? In fact, in the day of
your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers.
4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist
of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your
voice heard on high.
5 Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his
soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out
sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day
to the Lord?
6 Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of
wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to
your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you
cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing
shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before
you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He
will say, Here I am. If you take away the yoke from your midst, The
pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted
soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness
shall be as the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in
drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered
garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Scripture Reading 1 of 3

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Genesis 43:26-31; 45:1-16  (Vespers, 1st Reading)
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was
in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth.
27 Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, Is your father
well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?
28 And they answered, Your servant our father is in good health; he is
still alive. And they bowed their heads down and prostrated
themselves.
29 Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mothers
son, and said, Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?
And he said, God be gracious to you, my son.
30 Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and
sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there.
31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself,
and said, Serve the bread.
1 Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by
him, and he cried out, Make everyone go out from me! So no one stood
with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
2 And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard
it.
3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph; does my father still
live? But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in
his presence.
4 And Joseph said to his brothers, Please come near to me. So they
came near. Then he said: I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into
Egypt.
5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves
because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.
6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are
still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor
harvesting.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the
earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me
a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout
all the land of Egypt.
9 Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, Thus says your son
Joseph: God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not
tarry.
10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me,
you and your children, your childrens children, your flocks and your
herds, and all that you have.
11 There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all
that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of
famine.
12 And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that
it is my mouth that speaks to you.
13 So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all
that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.
14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamins neck and wept, and Benjamin
wept on his neck.
15 Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after
that his brothers talked with him.
16 Now the report of it was heard in Pharaohs house, saying, Josephs
brothers have come. So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well.
Scripture Reading 2 of 3

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Proverbs 21:23-22:4  (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
23 Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles.
24 A proud and haughty man Scoffer is his name; He acts with arrogant
pride.
25 The desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to
labor.
26 He covets greedily all day long, But the righteous gives and does
not spare.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; How much more when
he brings it with wicked intent!
28 A false witness shall perish, But the man who hears him will speak
endlessly.
29 A wicked man hardens his face, But as for the upright, he
establishes his way.
30 There is no wisdom or understanding Or counsel against the Lord.
31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance is of
the Lord.
1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor
rather than silver and gold.
2 The rich and the poor have this in common, The Lord is the maker of
them all.
3 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass
on and are punished.
4 By humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches and honor and life.
Scripture Reading 3 of 3

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Venerable Hilarion the New the Abbot of Pelecete
Saint Hilarion the New, Igumen of Peleke Monastery, from his youth, he
devoted himself to the service of God and spent many years as a
hermit. Because of his holy and blameless life he was ordained to the
holy priesthood, and later he was made igumen of the Pelekete
monastery (near the Dardanelles). St Hilarion was granted gifts of
clairvoyance and wonderworking by the Lord.
Through prayer he brought down rain during a drought, and like the
Prophet Elisha he separated the waters of a river, he drove harmful
beasts from the fields, he filled the nets of fishermen when they had
no success in fishing, and he did many other miracles. In addition to
these things, he was able to heal the sick and cast out demons.
St Hilarion suffered on Great and Holy Thursday in the year 754, when
the military commnander Lakhanodrakon suddenly descended upon the
Pelekete monastery in pursuit of icon-venerators, boldly forcing his
way into the church, disrupting the service and throwing the Holy
Gifts upon the ground. Forty-two monks were arrested, slapped into
chains, sent to the Edessa district and murdered. The remaining monks
were horribly mutilated, they beat them, they burned their beards with
fire, they smeared their faces with tar and cut off the noses of some
of the confessors. St Hilarion died for the veneration of icons during
this persecution.
St Hilarion left behind spiritual works containing moral directives
for spiritual effort. St Joseph of Volokolamsk (September 9 and
October 18) was well acquainted with the work of St Hilarion, and he
also wrote about the significance of monastic struggles in his own
theological works.
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Venerable Stephen the Wonderworker the Abbot of Tryglia
St Stephen the Confessor, Igumen of Triglia Monastery, suffered under
the iconoclast emperor Leo the Armenian (813-820). From a young age,
the holy ascetic dedicated his life to God and received monastic
tonsure. He later became head of the Triglia monastery near
Constantinople.
When persecution again began against holy icons, the saintly igumen
was summoned for questioning, and they tried to force him to sign a
document rejecting the veneration of icons. St Stephen steadfastly
refused to betray Orthodoxy and he boldly denounced the emperor for
his impiety. They subjected the saint to cruel torments, after which
they sent him to prison in the year 815. Weakened and sick, the holy
Confessor Stephen soon died in prison from his sufferings.
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Monkmartyr Eustratius of the Kiev Near Caves
Martyr Eustratius of the Caves was born in the eleventh century at
Kiev into a wealthy family. As an adult, he received monastic tonsure
at the Kiev Caves monastery, after giving away all his possesions to
the poor. St Eustratius humbly underwent obediences at the monastery,
strictly fulfilling the rule of prayer and passing his days in fasting
and vigilance.
In 1096 the Polovetsians captured Kiev and ravaged the monastery of
the Caves, doing away with many of the monks. St Eustratius was taken
into captivity, and was sold into slavery with thirty monastic
laborers and twenty inhabitants of Kiev to a certain Jew living in
Korsun.
The impious Jew tried to make the captives to deny Christ, threatening
to kill those who refused by starving them. St Eustratius encouraged
and exhorted his brother Christians, "Brothers! Let none of us who are
baptized and believe in Christ betray the vows made at Baptism. Christ
has regenerated us through water and the Spirit. He has freed us from
the curse of the Law by His Blood, and He has made us heirs of His
Kingdom. If we live, we shall live for the Lord. If we die, we shall
die in the Lord and inherit eternal life."
Inspired by the saint's words, the captives resolved to die of
starvation, rather than renounce Christ, Who is the food and drink of
Eternal Life. Exhausted by hunger and thirst, some captives perished
after three days, some after four days, and some after seven days. St
Eustratius remained alive for fourteen days, since he was accustomed
to fasting from his youth. Suffering from hunger, he still did not
touch food nor water. The impious Jew, seeing that he had lost the
money he had paid for the captives, decided to take revenge on the
holy monk.
The radiant Feast of the Resurrection of Christ drew near, and the
Jewish slave owner was celebrating the Jewish Passover with his
companions. He decided to crucify St Eustratius. The cruel tormentors
mocked the saint, offering to let him share their Passover meal. The
Martyr replied, "The Lord has now bestown a great grace upon me. He
has permitted me to suffer on a cross for His Name just as He
suffered." The saint also predicted a horrible death for the Jew.
Hearing this, the enraged Jew grabbed a spear and stabbed St
Eustratius on the cross. The martyr's body was taken down from the
cross and thrown into the sea. Christian believers long searched for
the holy relics of the martyr, but were not able to find them. But
through the Providence of God the incorrupt relics were found in a
cave and worked many miracles. Later, they were transferred to the
Near Caves of the Kiev Caves monastery.
The prediction of the holy Martyr Eustratius that his blood would be
avenged was fulfilled soon after his death. The Byzantine Emperor
issued a decree expelling all Jews from Korsun, depriving them of
their property, and putting their elders to death for torturing
Christians. The Jew who crucified St Eustratius was hanged on a tree,
receiving just punishment for his wickedness.
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Venerable Hilarion of Pskov, Lake Gdov
St Hilarion of Gdov and Pskov Lake, was a disciple of St Euphrosynus
of Pskov (May 15). In 1460 on the banks of the River Zhelcha, not far
from Gdov, he founded the Ozersk [Lake] Monastery of the Protection of
the Mother of God. The monastery bordered the territory of the
Livonian Knights, and the monks constantly suffered the incursions of
that military order. Despite harsh conditions and insufficient means,
St Hilarion maintained a high level of pious and ascetic life at the
monastery, and made great efforts to adorn and build up the monastery.
St Hilarion reposed on March 28, 1476 and was buried in the church of
the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos in the monastery he founded.
Afterwards, a church was built at the monastery in honor of the
Nativity of Christ. The left chapel was dedicated to the founder of
the Gdov monastery. St Hilarion of Gdov is also commemorated on
October 21, on the Feast of his heavenly patron and namesake.
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Martyr Jonah and those with him, in Persia
Saint Jonah was one of those martyred with Sts Jonah and Barachisius.
The brothers Jonah and Barachisius were Christians who lived in the
village of Yasa in Persia during the time of the emperor Sapor
(310-331), a fierce persecutor of Christians.
Learning that Christians were being tortured in the city of Baravokh,
they went there to the prison where Sts Zanithas, Lazarus, Maruthas,
Narses, Elias, Marinus, Habib, Sivsithina and Sava were being held.
They encouraged them to adhere to the Christian Faith until the very
end. The holy martyrs firmly confessed their faith in Christ and would
not agree to the demands of the pagans. Therefore, they were subjected
to fierce torments and death.
The bodies of the holy martyrs Jonah, Barachisius and the other
martyrs were buried by a pious Christian named Habdisotes.
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Martyr Barachisius and those with him, in Persia
Saint Barachisius was the brother of St Jonah. They were Christians
who lived in the village of Yasa in Persia during the time of the
emperor Sapor (310-331), a fierce persecutor of Christians.
Learning that Christians were being tortured in the city of Baravokh,
they went there to the prison where Sts Zanithas, Lazarus, Maruthas,
Narses, Elias, Marinus, Habib, Sivsithina and Sava were being held.
They encouraged them to adhere to the Christian Faith until the very
end. The holy brothers were arrested and brought to trial before the
Persian princes Masdrath, Siroth and Marmis, who urged them to worship
the sun, fire, and water. The holy martyrs firmly confessed their
faith in Christ and would not agree to the demands of the pagans.
Therefore, they were subjected to fierce torments and death.
St Jonah suffered first. They tied the holy martyr to a tree and beat
him for a long time, then they dragged him across the ice of a frozen
lake. They also cut off his fingers and toes, and cut out his tongue.
Then they peeled the skin from his head, and finally sawed his body in
half and threw it in a ditch.
They placed red-hot shackles on the wrists of St Barachisius, poured
molten tin in his nose, ears and mouth, and they raked him with sharp
instruments, after they tied him to a turning wheel. The holy martyr
surrendered his soul to God after they poured boiling tar in his
mouth.
The bodies of the holy martyrs Jonah, Barachisius and the other
martyrs were buried by a pious Christian named Habdisotes.
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Martyr Zanitas and those with him, in Persia
Saint Zanitas was one of those martyred with Sts Jonah and
Barachisius.
The brothers Jonah and Barachisius were Christians who lived in the
village of Yasa in Persia during the time of the emperor Sapor
(310-331), a fierce persecutor of Christians.
Learning that Christians were being tortured in the city of Baravokh,
they went there to the prison where Sts Zanithas, Lazarus, Maruthas,
Narses, Elias, Marinus, Habib, Sivsithina and Sava were being held.
They encouraged them to adhere to the Christian Faith until the very
end. The holy martyrs firmly confessed their faith in Christ and would
not agree to the demands of the pagans. Therefore, they were subjected
to fierce torments and death.
The bodies of the holy martyrs Jonah, Barachisius and the other
martyrs were buried by a pious Christian named Habdisotes.
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Martyr Lazarus and those with him in Persia
Saint Lazarus was one of those martyred with Sts Jonah and
Barachisius.
The brothers Jonah and Barachisius were Christians who lived in the
village of Yasa in Persia during the time of the emperor Sapor
(310-331), a fierce persecutor of Christians.
Learning that Christians were being tortured in the city of Baravokh,
they went there to the prison where Sts Zanithas, Lazarus, Maruthas,
Narses, Elias, Marinus, Habib, Sivsithina and Sava were being held.
They encouraged them to adhere to the Christian Faith until the very
end. The holy martyrs firmly confessed their faith in Christ and would
not agree to the demands of the pagans. Therefore, they were subjected
to fierce torments and death.
The bodies of the holy martyrs Jonah, Barachisius and the other
martyrs were buried by a pious Christian named Habdisotes.
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Martyr Maruthas (Marotas) and those with him in Persia
Saint Maruthas (Marotas) was one of those martyred with Sts Jonah and
Barachisius.
The brothers Jonah and Barachisius were Christians who lived in the
village of Yasa in Persia during the time of the emperor Sapor
(310-331), a fierce persecutor of Christians.
Learning that Christians were being tortured in the city of Baravokh,
they went there to the prison where Sts Zanithas, Lazarus, Maruthas,
Narses, Elias, Marinus, Habib, Sivsithina and Sava were being held.
They encouraged them to adhere to the Christian Faith until the very
end. The holy martyrs firmly confessed their faith in Christ and would
not agree to the demands of the pagans. Therefore, they were subjected
to fierce torments and death.
The bodies of the holy martyrs Jonah, Barachisius and the other
martyrs were buried by a pious Christian named Habdisotes.
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Martyr Narses and those with him in Persia
Saint Narses was one of those martyred with Sts Jonah and Barachisius.
The brothers Jonah and Barachisius were Christians who lived in the
village of Yasa in Persia during the time of the emperor Sapor
(310-331), a fierce persecutor of Christians.
Learning that Christians were being tortured in the city of Baravokh,
they went there to the prison where Sts Zanithas, Lazarus, Maruthas,
Narses, Elias, Marinus, Habib, Sivsithina and Sava were being held.
They encouraged them to adhere to the Christian Faith until the very
end. The holy martyrs firmly confessed their faith in Christ and would
not agree to the demands of the pagans. Therefore, they were subjected
to fierce torments and death.
The bodies of the holy martyrs Jonah, Barachisius and the other
martyrs were buried by a pious Christian named Habdisotes.
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Martyr Elias and those with him, in Persia
Saint Elias was one of those martyred with Sts Jonah and Barachisius.
The brothers Jonah and Barachisius were Christians who lived in the
village of Yasa in Persia during the time of the emperor Sapor
(310-331), a fierce persecutor of Christians.
Learning that Christians were being tortured in the city of Baravokh,
they went there to the prison where Sts Zanithas, Lazarus, Maruthas,
Narses, Elias, Marinus, Habib, Sivsithina and Sava were being held.
They encouraged them to adhere to the Christian Faith until the very
end. The holy martyrs firmly confessed their faith in Christ and would
not agree to the demands of the pagans. Therefore, they were subjected
to fierce torments and death.
The bodies of the holy martyrs Jonah, Barachisius and the other
martyrs were buried by a pious Christian named Habdisotes.
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Martyr Marinus (Mares) and those with him, in Persia
Saint Marinus (Mares) was one of those martyred with Sts Jonah and
Barachisius.
The brothers Jonah and Barachisius were Christians who lived in the
village of Yasa in Persia during the time of the emperor Sapor
(310-331), a fierce persecutor of Christians.
Learning that Christians were being tortured in the city of Baravokh,
they went there to the prison where Sts Zanithas, Lazarus, Maruthas,
Narses, Elias, Marinus, Habib, Sivsithina and Sava were being held.
They encouraged them to adhere to the Christian Faith until the very
end. The holy martyrs firmly confessed their faith in Christ and would
not agree to the demands of the pagans. Therefore, they were subjected
to fierce torments and death.
The bodies of the holy martyrs Jonah, Barachisius and the other
martyrs were buried by a pious Christian named Habdisotes.
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Martyr Abibus (Habib) and those with him, in Persia
Saint Abibus (Habib) was one of those martyred with Sts Jonah and
Barachisius.
The brothers Jonah and Barachisius were Christians who lived in the
village of Yasa in Persia during the time of the emperor Sapor
(310-331), a fierce persecutor of Christians.
Learning that Christians were being tortured in the city of Baravokh,
they went there to the prison where Sts Zanithas, Lazarus, Maruthas,
Narses, Elias, Marinus, Habib, Sivsithina and Sava were being held.
They encouraged them to adhere to the Christian Faith until the very
end. The holy martyrs firmly confessed their faith in Christ and would
not agree to the demands of the pagans. Therefore, they were subjected
to fierce torments and death.
The bodies of the holy martyrs Jonah, Barachisius and the other
martyrs were buried by a pious Christian named Habdisotes.
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Martyr Sembeeth (Sivsithina) and those with him, in Persia
Saint Sambeeth (Sivsithina) was one of those martyred with Sts Jonah
and Barachisius.
The brothers Jonah and Barachisius were Christians who lived in the
village of Yasa in Persia during the time of the emperor Sapor
(310-331), a fierce persecutor of Christians.
Learning that Christians were being tortured in the city of Baravokh,
they went there to the prison where Sts Zanithas, Lazarus, Maruthas,
Narses, Elias, Marinus, Habib, Sivsithina and Sava were being held.
They encouraged them to adhere to the Christian Faith until the very
end. The holy martyrs firmly confessed their faith in Christ and would
not agree to the demands of the pagans. Therefore, they were subjected
to fierce torments and death.
The bodies of the holy martyrs Jonah, Barachisius and the other
martyrs were buried by a pious Christian named Habdisotes.
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Martyr Sava in Persia
Saint Sava was one of those martyred with Sts Jonah and Barachisius.
The brothers Jonah and Barachisius were Christians who lived in the
village of Yasa in Persia during the time of the emperor Sapor
(310-331), a fierce persecutor of Christians.
Learning that Christians were being tortured in the city of Baravokh,
they went there to the prison where Sts Zanithas, Lazarus, Maruthas,
Narses, Elias, Marinus, Habib, Sivsithina and Sava were being held.
They encouraged them to adhere to the Christian Faith until the very
end. The holy martyrs firmly confessed their faith in Christ and would
not agree to the demands of the pagans. Therefore, they were subjected
to fierce torments and death.
The bodies of the holy martyrs Jonah, Barachisius and the other
martyrs were buried by a pious Christian named Habdisotes.
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Martyr Enravota - Boyan, the Prince of Bulgaria
The Holy Martyr Boyan, Prince of Bulgaria, suffered for Christ around
the year 830. When his pagan brother Malomir [Vladimir] ascended the
Bulgarian throne, Prince Boyan asked him to free the learned Christian
Kinamon, who had been in prison for a long time for refusing to
participate in pagan sacrifices under Prince Obrit (Krutogon), Prince
Malomir's predecessor.
Malomir consented and gave Kinamon to Prince Boyan as a slave. Boyan
spoke to Kinamon about Christianity, telling him of the errors of
paganism and that belief in Christ is necessary for salvation. At the
end of their conversation he told the prince, "Without Jesus Christ
there is no light for the mind, no life for the soul. He alone is the
Teacher of mankind and our Savior. By His death, He has reconciled
fallen mankind with God. If you do not wish to perish, believe in the
Lord Jesus." Prince Boyan recognized the truth of his words, and was
inspired to ask for Baptism.
The newly-converted prince was filled with a love of prayer, fasting
and contemplation of God. Malomir, learning about the conversion of
his brother to Christianity, demanded that he renounce the Christian
Faith and return to paganism. Instead, the holy Prince Boyan answered,
"I despise the pagan idols and I revere Christ, the true God. No one
shall separate me from the love of Christ." Malomir, hearing his
brother's reply, sentenced him to death.
Before his martyric death, the holy martyr-prince declared: "The faith
for which I now die will spread throughout the Bulgarian land. You
vainly imagine that you will stop it by killing me. Temples to the
true God will be built, and priests will offer Him true worship. The
idols and their foul sacrifices, however, will vanish." Then he said
to his brother Malomir, "You will gain nothing from your cruelty, and
death will soon overtake you."
The holy martyr was killed by the sword, and his predictions to his
brother were the first to be fulfilled. Malomir soon died, and since
he had no heir, his elder brother Presian (836-852) succeeded to the
throne. Prince Presian's son, the holy Prince Boris, in holy Baptism
Michael (May 2) later Christianized the Bulgarian nation. Thus the
prophecy of the holy Martyr Prince Boyan was fulfilled.
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Icon of the Mother of God of "the Sign"
The account of the Icon of the Sign is to be found on November 27.
Today's commemoration may be for a wonder-working copy of the original
icon.
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Venerable John, Bishop of Manglisi
No information available at this time.
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