[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

Sat May 5 05:00:30 CDT 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sat May 5 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Acts 12:1-11
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass
some from the church.
2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to
seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.
4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him
to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before
the people after Passover.
5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered
to God for him by the church.
6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was
sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards
before the door were keeping the prison.
7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in
the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying,
"Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands.
8 Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals";
and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow
me."
9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done
by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came
to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its
own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and
immediately the angel departed from him.
11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for
certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from
the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people."
Scripture Reading 1 of 2

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John 8:31-42
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My
word, you are My disciples indeed.
32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
33 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never
been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, 'You will be made free'?"
34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits
sin is a slave of sin.
35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides
forever.
36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
37 I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me,
because My word has no place in you.
38 I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have
seen with your father.
39 They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said
to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of
Abraham.
40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which
I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.
41 You do the deeds of your father. Then they said to Him, "We were
not born of fornication; we have one Father-God."
42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me,
for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself,
but He sent Me.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2

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Greatmartyr Irene of Thessalonica
The holy Great Martyr Irene was born in the city of Magedon in Persia
during the fourth century. She was the daughter of the pagan king
Licinius, and her parents named her Penelope.
Penelope was very beautiful, and her father kept her isolated in a
high tower from the time she was six so that she would not be exposed
to Christianity. He also placed thirteen young maidens in the tower
with her. An old tutor by the name of Apellian was assigned to give
her the best possible education. Apellian was a Christian, and during
her lessons, he told the girl about Christ the Savior and taught her
the Christian Faith and the Christian virtues.
When Penelope reached adolescence, her parents began to think about
her marriage. One day, a dove flew through the window carrying an
olive branch in its beak, depositing it upon a table. Then an eagle
swooped in with a wreath of flowers in its beak, and also placed it
upon the table. Finally, a raven flew in carrying a snake, which it
dropped on the table. Penelope was puzzled by these events and
wondered what they meant.
Apellian explained that the dove signified her education, and the
olive branch stood for the grace of God which is received in Baptism.
The eagle with the wreath of flowers represented success in her future
life. The raven and the snake foretold her future suffering and
sorrow.
At the end of the conversation Apellianus said that the Lord wished to
betroth her to Himself and that Penelope would undergo much suffering
for her heavenly Bridegroom. After this Penelope refused marriage, was
baptized by the priest Timothy, and she was named Irene (peace). She
even urged her own parents to become Christians. Shortly after this,
she destroyed all her father's idols.
Since St Irene had dedicated herself to Christ, she refused to marry
any of the suitors her father had chosen for her. When Licinius
learned that his daughter refused to worship the pagan gods, he was
furious. He attempted to turn her from Christ by having her tortured.
She was tied up and thrown beneath the hooves of wild horses so that
they might trample her to death, but he horses remained motionless.
Instead of harming the saint, one of the horses charged Licinius,
seized his right hand and tore it from his arm. Then it knocked
Licinius down and began to trample him. They untied the holy virgin,
and through her prayers Licinius rose unharmed in the presence of
eyewitnesses with his hand intact.
Seeing such a miracle, Licinius and his wife, and many of the people,
(about 3000 men) believed in Christ and turned from the pagan gods.
Resigning his administrative duties, Licinius devoted himself to the
service of the Lord Jesus Christ. St Irene lived in the house of her
teacher Apellian, and she began to preach Christ among the pagans,
converting them to the path of salvation.
When Sedecius, the new prefect of the city, heard of this miracle he
summoned Apellian and questioned him about Irene's manner of life.
Apellian replied that Irene, like other Christians, lived in strict
temperance, devoting herself to constant prayer and reading holy
books. Sedecius summoned the saint to him and urged her to stop
preaching about Christ. He also attempted to force her to sacrifice to
the idols. St Irene staunchly confessed her faith before the prefect,
not fearing his wrath, and prepared to undergo suffering for Christ.
By order of Sedecius she was thrown into a pit filled with vipers and
serpents. The saint spent ten days in the pit and remained unharmed,
for an angel of the Lord protected her and brought her food. Sedecius
ascribed this miracle to sorcery, and he subjected St Irene to many
other tortures, but she remained unharmed. Under the influence of her
preaching and miracles even more people were converted to Christ, and
turned away from the worship of inanimate idols.
Sedecius was deposed by his son Savorus, who persecuted Christians
with an even greater zeal than his father had done. St Irene went to
her home town of Magedon in Persia to meet Savorus and his army, and
ask him to end the persecution. When he refused, St Irene prayed and
his entire army was blinded. She prayed again and they received their
sight once more. In spite of this, Savorus refused to recognize the
power of God. Because of his insolence, he was struck and killed by a
bolt of lightning.
After this, St Irene walked into the city and performed many miracles.
She returned to the tower built by her father, accompanied by the
priest Timothy. Through her teaching, she converted five thousand
people to Christ.
Next, the saint went to the city of Callinicus, or Callinicum
(possibly on the Euphrates River in Syria). The ruler of that place
was King Numerian, the son of Sebastian. When she began to teach about
Christ, she was arrested and tortured by the pagan authorities. She
was placed into three bronze oxen which were heated by fire. She was
transferred from one to another, but miraculously she remained
uninjured. Thousands of idolaters embraced Christianity as a result of
this wondrous event.
Sensing the approach of death, Numerian instructed his eparch Babdonus
to continue torturing the saint in order to force her to sacrifice to
idols. Once again, the tortures were ineffective, and many people
turned to Christ.
Christ's holy martyr then traveled to the city of Constantina, forty
miles northeast of Edessa. By 330, the Persian king Sapor II (309-379)
had heard of St Irene's great miracles. To prevent her from winning
more people to Christ, she was arrested, beheaded, and then buried.
However, God sent an angel to raise her up again, and she went into
the city of Mesembria. After seeing her alive and hearing her preach,
the local king was baptized with many of his subjects.
Wishing to convert even more pagans to Christianity, St Irene went to
Ephesus, where she taught the people and performed many miracles. The
Lord revealed to her that the end of her life was approaching. Then St
Irene left the city accompanied by six people, including her former
teacher Apellian. On the outskirts of the town, she found a new tomb
in which no one had ever been buried. After making the Sign of the
Cross, she went inside, directing her companions to close the entrance
to the cave with a large stone, which they did. When Christians
visited the cave four days later, they did not find the body of the
saint.
Apellian returned after only two days, and found the stone rolled away
and the tomb empty. Thus did God glorify St Irene, who loved Him and
devoted her life to serving Him. Although many of these miracles may
seem improbable to those who are skeptical, nothing is impossible with
God.
St Irene led thousands of people to Christ through her preaching, and
by her example. The Church continues to honor her memory and to seek
her heavenly intercession.
The holy, glorious Great Martyr Irene is invoked by those wishing to
effect a swift and happy marriage. In Greece, she is also the patron
saint of policemen. St Irene is also one of the twelve Virgin Martyrs
who appeared to St Seraphim of Sarov (January 2) and the Diveyevo nun
Eupraxia on the Feast of the Annunciation in 1831. By her holy
prayers, may the Lord have mercy upon us and save us.
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Uncovering of the relics of the Venerable James the Abbot of
Zhelezny Bor
Saint James of Zhelezny Bor. Today we celebrate the Uncovering of the
Relics of the Kostroma Wonderworker. See his Life under April 11, the
day of his repose.
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New Martyr Ephraim
The holy New Martyr and wonderworker Ephraim was born in Greece on
September 14, 1384. His father died when the saint was young, and his
pious mother was left to care for seven children by herself.
When Ephraim reached the age of fourteen, the all-good God directed
his steps to a monastery on the mountain of Amoman near Nea Makri in
Attica. The monastery was dedicated to the Annunciation and also to St
Paraskeva. Here he took on his shoulders the Cross of Christ, which
all His followers must bear (Matt. 16:24). Being enflamed with love
for God, St Ephraim eagerly placed himself under the monastic
discipline. For nearly twenty-seven years he imitated the life of the
great Fathers and ascetics of the desert. With divine zeal, he
followed Christ and turned away from the attractions of this world. By
the grace of God, he purified himself from soul-destroying passions
and became an abode of the All-Holy Spirit. He was also found worthy
to receive the grace of the priesthood, and served at the altar with
great reverence and compunction.
On September 14, 1425, the barbarous Turks launched an invasion by
sea, destroying the monastery and and looting the surrounding area. St
Ephraim was one of the victims of their frenzied hatred. Many of the
monks had been tortured and beheaded, but St Ephraim remained calm.
This infuriated the Turks, so they imprisoned him in order to torture
him and force him to deny Christ.
They locked him in a small cell without food or water, and they beat
him every day, hoping to convince him to become a Moslem. For several
months, he endured horrible torments. When the Turks realized that the
saint remained faithful to Christ, they decided to put him to death.
On Tuesday May 5, 1426, they led him from his cell. They turned him
upside down and tied him to a mulberry tree, then they beat him and
mocked him. "Where is your God," they asked, "and why doesn't he help
you?" The saint did not lose courage, but prayed, "O God, do not
listen to the words of these men, but may Thy will be done as Thou
hast ordained."
The barbarians pulled the saint's beard and tortured him until his
strength ebbed. His blood flowed, and his clothes were in tatters. His
body was almost naked and covered with many wounds. Still the
Hagarenes were not satisfied, but wished to torture him even more. One
of them took a flaming stick and plunged it violently into the saint's
navel. His screams were heart-rending, so great was his pain. The
blood flowed from his stomach, but the Turks did not stop. They
repeated the same painful torments many times. His body writhed, and
all his limbs were convulsed. Soon, the saint grew too weak to speak,
so he prayed silently asking God to forgive his sins. Blood and saliva
ran from his mouth, and the ground was soaked with his blood. Then he
lapsed into unconsciousness.
Thinking that he had died, the Turks cut the ropes which bound him to
the tree, and the saint's body fell to the ground. Their rage was
still not diminished, so they continued to kick and beat him. After a
while, the saint opened his eyes and prayed, "Lord, I give up my
spirit to Thee." About nine o'clock in the morning, the martyr's soul
was separated from his body.
_These things remained forgotten for nearly 500 years, hidden in the
depths of silence and oblivion until January 3, 1950. By then a
women's monastery had sprung up on the site of the old monastery.
Abbess Makaria (+ April 23, 1999) was wandering through the ruins of
the monastery, thinking of the martyrs whose bones had been scattered
over that ground, and whose blood had watered the tree of Orthodoxy.
She realized that this was a holy place, and she prayed that God would
permit her to behold one of the Fathers who had lived there.
After some time, she seemed to sense an inner voice telling her to dig
in a certain spot. She indicated the place to a workman whom she had
hired to make repairs at the old monastery. The man was unwilling to
dig there, for he wanted to dig somewhere else. Because the man was so
insistent, Mother Makaria let him go where he wished. She prayed that
the man would not be able to dig there, and so he struck rock.
Although he tried to dig in three or four places, he met with the same
results. Finally, he agreed to dig where the abbess had first
indicated.
In the ruins of an old cell, he cleared away the rubble and began to
dig in an angry manner. The abbess told him to slow down, for she did
not want him to damage the body that she expected to find there. He
mocked her because she expected to find the relics of a saint. When he
reached the depth of six feet, however, he unearthed the head of the
man of God. At that moment an ineffable fragrance filled the air. The
workman turned pale and was unable to speak. Mother Makaria told him
to go and leave her there by herself. She knelt and reverently kissed
the body. As she cleared away more earth, she saw the sleeves of the
saint's rasson. The cloth was thick and appeared to have been woven on
the loom of an earlier time. She uncovered the rest of the body and
began to remove the bones, which appeared to be those of a martyr.
Mother Makaria was still in that holy place when evening fell, so she
read the service of Vespers. Suddenly she heard footsteps coming from
the grave, moving across the courtyard toward the door of the church.
The footsteps were strong and steady, like those of a man of strong
character. The nun was afraid to turn around and look, but then she
heard a voice say, "How long are you going to leave me here?"
She saw a tall monk with small, round eyes, whose beard reached his
chest. In his left hand was a bright light, and he gave a blessing
with his right hand. Mother Makaria was filled with joy and her fear
disappeared. "Forgive me," she said, "I will take care of you tomorrow
as soon as God makes the day dawn." The saint disappeared, and the
abbess continued to read Vespers.
In the morning after Matins, Mother Makaria cleaned the bones and
placed them in a niche in the altar area of the church, lighting a
candle before them. That night St Ephraim appeared to her in a dream.
He thanked her for caring for his relics, then he said, "My name is St
Ephraim." From his own lips, she heard the story of his life and
martyrdom.
Since St Ephraim glorified God in his life and by his death, the Lord
granted him the grace of working miracles. Those who venerate his holy
relics with faith and love have been healed of all kinds of illnesses
and infirmities, and he is quick to answer the prayers of those who
call upon him.
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Icon of the Mother of God "the Inexhaustible Chalice"
The "Inexhaustible Chalice" Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was
revealed in Russia in 1878. A retired soldier from Tula had spent his
pension on alcohol, ruining his health. Though he was no longer able
to walk, he continued to drink.
One night a holy Elder appeared to him in a dream and told him to go
to the Serpukhov monastery of the Mother of God. "Have a Molieben
served before her Icon "The Inexhaustible Chalice." Since he had no
money and could not walk, the man paid no attention to the dream. Then
the Elder appeared a second and third time, speaking to him with
increasing severity.
Crawling on all fours, the man reached the next village and stayed in
the home of an old woman. She rubbed his legs, and he began to feel
better. The next day, he resumed his journey with two canes, then with
one, until he arrived at the monastery.
He described his dreams to the monks, but none of them had ever heard
of "The Inexhaustible Chalice" Icon. Finally, one of them remembered
an icon on which a chalice was depicted. On the back of the icon was
an inscription, "The Inexhaustible Chaice." After the Molieben, the
peasant returned home restored to health, and cured of his alcoholism.
News of the miracle spread, and many alcoholics and their families
came to pray before the Icon. Many of them came back to thank the
Mother of God for answering their prayers. Every Sunday in the
Serpukhov-Vyotsk monastery a Molieben with an Akathist is served
before the Icon for those who are addicted to alcohol.
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