[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

[Daily Orthodox Readings and Saints]

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sun May 27 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Numbers 11:16-17, 24-29  (Vespers, 1st Reading)
16 So the LORD said to Moses: Gather to Me seventy men of the elders
of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers
over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may
stand there with you.
17 Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the
Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they
shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it
yourself alone.
24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD, and he
gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them
around the tabernacle.
25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of
the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy
elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they
prophesied, although they never did so again.
26 But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad,
and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now
they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the
tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp.
27 And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad are
prophesying in the camp.
28 So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses assistant, one of his choice men,
answered and said, Moses my lord, forbid them!
29 Then Moses said to him, Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all
the LORDs people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit
upon them!
Scripture Reading 1 of 6


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Joel 2:23-32  (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your
God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will
cause the rain to come down for you-- The former rain, And the latter
rain in the first month.
24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall
overflow with new wine and oil.
25 So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has
eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing
locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty
and be satisfied, And praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has
dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.
Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord
your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.
And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on
all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men
shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.
26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of
the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people
shall never be put to shame.
27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord
your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.
Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord
your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.
28 "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit
on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old
men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.
29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out
My Spirit in those days.
30 "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and
fire and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the
Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be
deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord
calls.
Scripture Reading 2 of 6


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Ezekiel 36:24-28  (Vespers, 3rd Reading)
24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all
countries, and bring you into your own land.
25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I
will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will
take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of
flesh.
27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My
statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you
shall be My people, and I will be your God.
Scripture Reading 3 of 6


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John 20:19-23  (Matins Gospel)
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week,
when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear
of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them,
"Peace be with you."
20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then
the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent
Me, I also send you."
22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you
retain the sins of any, they are retained.
Scripture Reading 4 of 6


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Acts 2:1-11  (Epistle)
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one
accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty
wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat
upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak
with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every
nation under heaven.
6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were
confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.
7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another,
"Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?
8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we
were born?
9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia,
Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining
Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretans and Arabs-we hear them speaking in our own tongues the
wonderful works of God.
Scripture Reading 5 of 6


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John 7:37-52; 8:12  (Gospel)
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried
out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart
will flow rivers of living water.
39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in
Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because
Jesus was not yet glorified.
40 Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said,
"Truly this is the Prophet."
41 Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Will the Christ
come out of Galilee?
42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of
David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
43 So there was a division among the people because of Him.
44 Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
45 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said
to them, "Why have you not brought Him?"
46 The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"
47 Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived?
48 Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?
49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.
50 Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said
to them,
51 Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is
doing?
52 They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee? Search
and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the
world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the
light of life."
Scripture Reading 6 of 6



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Holy Pentecost
In the Church's annual liturgical cycle, Pentecost is "the last and
great day." It is the celebration by the Church of the coming of the
Holy Spirit as the end - the achievement and fulfillment - of the
entire history of salvation. For the same reason, however, it is also
the celebration of the beginning: it is the "birthday" of the Church
as the presence among us of the Holy Spirit, of the new life in
Christ, of grace, knowledge, adoption to God and holiness.
This double meaning and double joy is revealed to us, first of all, in
the very name of the feast. Pentecost in Greek means fifty, and in the
sacred biblical symbolism of numbers, the number fifty symbolizes both
the fulness of time and that which is beyond time: the Kingdom of God
itself. It symbolizes the fulness of time by its first component: 49,
which is the fulness of seven (7 x 7): the number of time. And, it
symbolizes that which is beyond time by its second component: 49 + 1,
this one being the new day, the "day without evening" of God's eternal
Kingdom. With the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's disciples,
the time of salvation, the Divine work of redemption has been
completed, the fulness revealed, all gifts bestowed: it belongs to us
now to "appropriate" these gifts, to be that which we have become in
Christ: participants and citizens of His Kingdom.
THE VIGIL OF PENTECOST
The all-night Vigil service begins with a solemn invitation:
"Let us celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, The
appointed day of promise, and the fulfillment of hope, The mystery
which is as great as it is precious."
In the coming of the Spirit, the very essence of the Church is
revealed:
"The Holy Spirit provides all, Overflows with prophecy, fulfills the
priesthood, Has taught wisdom to illiterates, has revealed fishermen
as theologians, He brings together the whole council of the Church."
In the three readings of the Old Testament (Numbers 11:16-17, 24-29;
Joel 2:23-32; Ezekiel 36:24-28) we hear the prophecies concerning the
Holy Spirit. We are taught that the entire history of mankind was
directed towards the day on which God "would pour out His Spirit upon
all flesh." This day has come! All hope, all promises, all
expectations have been fulfilled. At the end of the Aposticha hymns,
for the first time since Easter, we sing the hymn: "O Heavenly King,
the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth," the one with which we inaugurate
all our services, all prayers, which is, as it were, the life-breath
of the Church, and whose coming to us, whose "descent" upon us in this
festal Vigil, is indeed the very experience of the Holy Spirit "coming
and abiding in us."
Having reached its climax, the Vigil continues as an explosion of joy
and light for "verily the light of the Comforter has come and
illumined the world." In the Gospel reading (John 20:19-23) the feast
is interpreted to us as the feast of the Church, of her divine nature,
power and authority. The Lord sends His disciples into the world, as
He Himself was sent by His Father. Later, in the antiphons of the
Liturgy, we proclaim the universality of the apostles' preaching, the
cosmical significance of the feast, the sanctification of the whole
world, the true manifestation of God's Kingdom.
THE VESPERS OF PENTECOST
The liturgical peculiarity of Pentecost is a very special Vespers of
the day itself. Usually this service follows immediately the Divine
Liturgy, is "added" to it as its own fulfillment. The service begins
as a solemn "summing up" of the entire celebration, as its liturgical
synthesis. We hold flowers in our hands symbolizing the joy of the
eternal spring, inaugurated by the coming of the Holy Spirit. After
the festal Entrance, this joy reaches its climax in the singing of the
Great Prokeimenon:
"Who is so great a God as our God?"
Then, having reached this climax, we are invited to kneel. This is our
first kneeling since Easter. It signifies that after these fifty days
of Paschal joy and fulness, of experiencing the Kingdom of God, the
Church now is about to begin her pilgrimage through time and history.
It is evening again, and the night approaches, during which
temptations and failures await us, when, more than anything else, we
need Divine help, that presence and power of the Holy Spirit, who has
already revealed to us the joyful End, who now will help us in our
effort towards fulfillment and salvation.
All this is revealed in the three prayers which the celebrant reads
now as we all kneel and listen to him. In the first prayer, we bring
to God our repentance, our increased appeal for forgiveness of sins,
the first condition for entering into the Kingdom of God.
In the second prayer, we ask the Holy Spirit to help us, to teach us
to pray and to follow the true path in the dark and difficult night of
our earthly existence. Finally, in the third prayer, we remember all
those who have achieved their earthly journey, but who are united with
us in the eternal God of Love.
The joy of Easter has been completed and we again have to wait for the
dawn of the Eternal Day. Yet, knowing our weakness, humbling ourselves
by kneeling, we also know the joy and the power of the Holy Spirit who
has come. We know that God is with us, that in Him is our victory.
Thus is completed the feast of Pentecost and we enter "the ordinary
time" of the year. Yet, every Sunday now will be called "after
Pentecost" - and this means that it is from the power and light of
these fifty days that we shall receive our own power, the Divine help
in our daily struggle. At Pentecost we decorate our churches with
flowers and green branches - for the Church "never grows old, but is
always young." It is an evergreen, ever-living Tree of grace and life,
of joy and comfort. For the Holy Spirit - "the Treasury of Blessings
and Giver of Life - comes and abides in us, and cleanses us from all
impurity," and fills our life with meaning, love, faith and hope.
Father Alexander Schmemann (1974)
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Hieromartyr Therapon the Bishop of Sardis
The Hieromartyr Therapon, Bishop of Sardis suffered for Christ during
the third century (the city of Sardis was in Lydia, Asia Minor). In
fulfilling his priestly service, St Therapon enlightened many of the
pagan Greeks with the light of the Christian Faith and baptized them.
For this, he was brought to trial before the governor Julian and
fearlessly declared himself a Christian bishop.
They threw him into prison, where he languished with hunger and
thirst, and then they gave him over to cruel tortures. These torments
did not break the saint's valiant confession of faith. They led the
saint off in chains to the city of Sinaion in Phrygia, and then to
Ancyra.
In these cities they tortured him again. They took him to the River
Astala, where they stretched him naked upon the ground, fastened to
four stakes, and fiercely beat him. After this torture, they took the
passion-bearer to the outskirts of the Satalia diocese, part of the
Sardis metropolitanate, and here after long beatings St Therapon ended
his martyric contest.
The stakes to which the saint had been tied, and which were soaked
with his blood, put forth green shoots and grew into large trees,
whose leaves were found to have curative powers. Many people received
healing through them.
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Translation of the relics of the Venerable Nilus of Stolbensk
Saint Nilus of Stolobensk reposed on December 7, 1554 (see his Life
under December 7).
Many years afterwards, hieromonk Germanus came to the island of Lake
Seliger, where the holy ascetic had struggled, and immediately after
him the hill-dweller and wanderer Boris. They settled together on the
island and built a church in honor of the Theophany, with a chapel
dedicated to St Basil of Moscow (August 2).
On the site where St Nilus had struggled, a monastery named for him
was built. An icon of St Nilus was painted by the monks of the Orshin
monastery, and numerous miracles of healings of the sick began to
occur at the saint's grave.
Later, St Nectarius, Archbishop of Sibirsk and Tobolsk lived at the
monastery, and he decided to build a stone church to replace the
former wooden one. When the foundations were dug, the earth crumbled
away and revealed the incorrupt relics of St Nilus. The Uncovering of
the Relics occurred on May 27, 1667, and a Feast day was established
in honor of the event.
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St John the Russian and Confessor, whose relics are on the
island of Euboia
The Holy Confessor John the Russian was born in Little Russia around
1690, and was raised in piety and love for the Church of God. Upon
attaining the age of maturity he was called to military service, and
he served as a simple soldier in the army of Peter I and took part in
the Russo-Turkish War. During the Prutsk Campaign of 1711 he and other
soldiers were captured by the Tatars, who handed him over to the
commander of the Turkish cavalry. He took his Russian captive home
with him to Asia Minor, to the village of Prokopion.
The Turks tried to convert the Christian soldiers to the Moslem faith
with threats and flattery, but those who resisted were beaten and
tortured. Some, alas, denied Christ and became Moslems, hoping to
improve their lot. St John was not swayed by the promise of earthly
delights, and he bravely endured the humiliation and beatings.
His master tortured him often in the hope that his slave would accept
Islam. St John resolutely resisted the will of his master saying, "You
cannot turn me from my holy Faith by threats, nor with promises of
riches and pleasures. I will obey your orders willingly, if you will
leave me free to follow my religion. I would rather surrender my head
to you than to change my faith. I was born a Christian, and I shall
die a Christian."
St John's bold words and firm faith, as well as his humility and
meekness, finally softened the fierce heart of his master. He left
John in peace, and no longer tried to make him renounce Christianity.
The saint lived in the stable and took care of his master's animals,
rejoicing because his bed was a manger such as the one in which the
Savior was born.
>From morning until late evening the saint served his Turkish master,
fulfilling all his commands. He performed his duties in the winter
cold and summer heat, half naked and barefoot. Other slaves frequently
mocked him, seeing his zeal. St John never became angry with them, but
on the contrary, he helped them when he could, and comforted them in
their misfortune.
The saint's kindness and gentle nature had its effect on the souls of
both the master and the slaves. The Agha and his wife came to love
him, and offered him a small room near the hayloft. St John did not
accept it, preferring to remain in the stable with the animals. Here
he slept on the hay, covered only by an old coat. So the stable became
his hermitage, where he prayed and chanted Psalms.
St John brought a blessing to his master simply by living in his
household. The cavalry officer became rich, and was soon one of the
most powerful men in Prokopion. He knew very well why his home had
been blessed, and he did not hesitate to tell others.
Sometimes St John left the stable at night and went to the church of
the Great Martyr George, where he kept vigil in the narthex. On
Saturdays and Feast days, he received the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
During this time St John continued to serve his master as before, and
despite his own poverty, he always helped the needy and the sick, and
shared his meager food with them.
One day, the officer left Prokopion and went to Mecca on pilgrimage. A
few days later, his wife gave a banquet and invited her husband's
friends and relatives, asking them to pray for her husband's safe
return. St John served at the table, and he put down a dish of pilaf,
his master's favorite food. The hostess said, "How much pleasure your
master would have if he could be here to eat this pilaf with us." St
John asked for a dish of pilaf, saying that he would send it to his
master in Mecca. The guests laughed when they heard his words. The
mistress, however, ordered the cook to give him a dish of pilaf,
thinking he would eat it himself, or give it to some poor family.
Taking the dish, St John went into the stable and prayed that God
would send it to his master. He had no doubt that God would send the
pilaf to his master in a supernatual manner. The plate disappeared
before his eyes, and he went into the house to tell his mistress that
he had sent the pilaf to his master.
After some time, the master returned home with the copper plate which
had held the pilaf. He told his household that on a certain day (the
very day of the banquet), he returned from the mosque to the home
where he was staying. Although the room was locked, he found a plate
of steaming pilaf on the table. Unable to explain who had brought the
food, or how anyone could enter the locked room, the officer examined
the plate. To his amazement, he saw his own name engraved on the
copper plate. In spite of his confusion, he ate the meal with great
relish.
When the officer's family heard this story, they marveled. His wife
told him of how John had asked for a plate of pilaf to send to his
master in Mecca, and how they all laughed when John came back and said
that it had been sent. Now they saw that what the saint had said was
true (Compare the story of Habakkuk, who miraculously brought a dish
of pottage to Daniel in the lions' den [Dan. 14:33-39], in the
Septuagint).
Toward the end of his difficult life St John fell ill, and sensed the
nearness of his end. He summoned the priest so that he could receive
Holy Communion. The priest, fearing to go to the residence of the
Turkish commander openly with the Holy Gifts, enclosed the life-giving
Mysteries in an apple and brought them to St John.
St John glorified the Lord, received the Body and Blood of Christ, and
then reposed. The holy Confessor John the Russian went to the Lord
Whom he loved on May 27, 1730. When they reported to the master that
his servant John had died, he summoned the priests and gave them the
body of St John for Christian burial. Almost all the Christian
inhabitants of Prokopion came to the funeral, and they accompanied the
body of the saint to the Christian cemetery.
Three and a half years later the priest was miraculously informed in a
dream that the relics of St John had remained incorrupt. Soon the
relics of the saint were transferred to the church of the holy Great
Martyr George and placed in a special reliquary. The new saint of God
began to be glorified by countless miracles of grace, accounts of
which spread to the remote cities and villages. Christian believers
from various places came to Prokopion to venerate the holy relics of
St John the Russian and they received healing through his prayers. The
new saint came to be venerated not only by Orthodox Christians, but
also by Armenians, and even Turks, who prayed to the Russian saint,
"Servant of God, in your mercy, do not disdain us."
In the year 1881 a portion of the relics of St John were transferred
to the Russian monastery of the holy Great Martyr Panteleimon by the
monks of Mount Athos, after they were miraculously saved by the saint
during a dangerous journey.
Construction of a new church was begun in 1886, through the
contributions of the monastery and the inhabitants of Prokopion. This
was necessary because the church of the holy Great Martyr George,
where the relics of St John were enshrined, had fallen into disrepair.
On August 15, 1898 the new church dedicated to St John the Russian was
consecrated by the Metropolitan John of Caesarea, with the blessing of
the Ecumenical Patriarch Constantine V.
In 1924, an exchange of the populations of Greece and Turkey took
place. Many Moslems moved out of Greece, and many Christians moved out
of Turkey. The inhabitants of Prokopion, when they moved to the island
of Euboia, took with them part of the relics of St John the Russian.
For several decades the relics were in the church of Sts Constantine
and Helen at New Prokopion on Euboia, and in 1951 they were
transferred into a new church dedicated to St John the Russian.
Thousands of pilgrims flocked here from all the corners of Greece,
particularly on his Feast, May 27. St John the Russian is widely
venerated on Mount Athos, particularly in the Russian monastery of St
Panteleimon.
St John's help is sought by travelers, and by those transporting
things.
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Venerable Therapon the Abbot of White Lake
Saint Therapon of White Lake, Wonderworker of Luzhetsk, in the world
Theodore, was born in the year 1337 at Volokolamsk into the noble
Poskochin family. From his childhood, he was raised in faith and
piety, which he displayed throughout his life as a holy ascetic.
At the age of forty he was tonsured a monk by the igumen of Moscow's
Simonov monastery, St Theodore, a nephew of St Sergius (November 28).
As a monk in this monastery Therapon became close to St Cyril of White
Lake (June 9). Together they passed through their ascetic struggles of
prayer and fasting. They were under the spiritual guidance of St
Sergius of Radonezh (September 25 and July 5), who visited the
monastery to instruct the brethren. St Therapon went north, to the
frontier of White Lake, on monastery matters. The harsh northern land
attracted the ascetic, and he decided to remain there for his ascetic
endeavors.
After returning with St Cyril, to whom the Mother of God had appeared,
also ordering him to go to the north, St Therapon received the
blessing of the igumen to go to White Lake. For a while the ascetics
lived together in a cell that they had built, but later and by mutual
consent, St Therapon moved to another place fifteen versts away from
Cyril, between two lakes, Borodava and Pava.
Having cleared a small plot for a garden, and building a cell in the
deep forest near a river, St Therapon continued his ascetic efforts as
a hermit in silence. At first he endured much deprivation and
tribulation in his solitude. More than once he was set upon by
robbers, who tried to chase away or even kill the ascetic. In time
monks began to gather to the saint, and the wilderness place was
gradually transformed into a monastery, afterwards called the
Theraponov.
In 1398 St Therapon built a wooden church in honor of the Nativity of
the Most Holy Theotokos, and the monastery was gradually set in order.
The monks toiled together with their saintly guide building cells,
copying books, and adorning the church. (At the end of the fifteenth
century on the place of the former wooden church a stone cathedral was
built in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. It was
painted in the years 1500-1501 by the renowned Russian iconographer
Dionysius and his sons, Vladimir and Theodosius. The frescoes are
devoted to the Praise of the Most Holy Theotokos. The unique frescoes
of the St Therapon monastery have been preserved up to the present
time and are an outstanding memorial of Russian church art and
painting, having world significance).
A cenobitic monastic rule was introduced at the monastery, strictly
observed by the monks. St Therapon declined to head the monastery out
of humility, and instead entrusted the position of igumen to one of
his disciples. The holy ascetic, endowed with the gift of counsel,
turned to his friend, St Cyril of White Lake for spiritual guidance
just as before. News about the ascetic deeds of the saint spread far
beyond the White Lake frontier.
At the beginning of the fifteenth century, the lands on which the St
Cyril and St Therapon monasteries were built, were part of the
holdings of the Mozhaisk prince Andrew (1382-1432), son of Great
Prince Demetrius Donskoy (1363-1389). In the year 1408 Prince Andrew
Dimitrievich, learning of the high level of spiritual life of the
White Lake ascetic, asked the monastic Elder Therapon to establish a
monastery in the city of Mozhaisk.
It was difficult for the saint to leave his own monastery, where he
had labored for more than ten years. St Therapon was met at Mozhaisk
with great honor. Soon, not far from Mozhaisk, in the locality of
Lushko, St Therapon founded his second monastery on a hilly part of
the right bank of the Moscow River. Its chief temple was in honor of
the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, in memory of the White Lake
monastery. Prince Andrew, esteeming the saint for his true humility,
provided generous help in the construction and establishment of the
monastery. With the blessing of St Photius, Metropolitan of Moscow
(July 2 and May 27), the monastery was to be headed by an
archimandrite, and St Therapon was elevated to the rank of
archimandrite.
St Therapon dwelt at this new monastery for eighteen years. He reposed
at an advanced age, on May 27, 1426. His body was buried at the north
wall of the cathedral of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. Over
his grave a church was built in honor of St John of the Ladder (March
30), and renamed in 1730 for St Therapon.
Veneration of the saint began soon after his death. In 1514, the
incorrupt relics of the holy ascetic were uncovered and glorified by
numerous miracles. After the Moscow Council of 1547 the canonization
of St Therapon of Mozhaisk took place after the igumen of the St
Therapon monastery brought to Metropolitan Macarius (1543-1564) a Life
of the saint.
Among the numerous disciples and conversers of St Sergius of Radonezh,
the Russian Church venerates the memory of St Therapon, who in
following the counsel of his great teacher and guide, combined the
ascetic feats of silence and solitude with active service to his
neighbor and the spiritual enlightenment of his Fatherland.
The memory of St Therapon is celebrated twice, May 27 (his repose in
1426), and December 27 (Uncovering of his relics, 1514).
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Translation of the relics of St Cyprian the Metropolitan of
Moscow and All Russia
The Uncovering and Transfer of Relics of Holy Hierarchs Cyprian,
Photius and Jonah occured on May 27, 1472 during the construction of
the new stone Dormition cathedral in the Kremlin, under Metropolitan
Philip (January 9) and Great Prince Ivan III (1462-1505). The saints
are also commemorated separately: Metropolitan Cyprian (September 16),
Metropolitan Photius (July 2), Metropolitan Jonah (March 31).
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Translation of the relics of St Photius the Metropolitan of
Moscow and All Russia
The Uncovering and Transfer of Relics of Holy Hierarchs Cyprian,
Photius and Jonah occured on May 27, 1472 during the construction of
the new stone Dormition cathedral in the Kremlin, under Metropolitan
Philip (January 9) and Great Prince Ivan III (1462-1505). The saints
are also commemorated separately: Metropolitan Cyprian (September 16),
Metropolitan Photius (July 2), Metropolitan Jonah (March 31).
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Translation of the relics of St Jonah the Metropolitan of
Moscow and All Russia
The Uncovering and Transfer of Relics of Holy Hierarchs Cyprian,
Photius and Jonah occured on May 27, 1472 during the construction of
the new stone Dormition cathedral in the Kremlin, under Metropolitan
Philip (January 9) and Great Prince Ivan III (1462-1505). The saints
are also commemorated separately: Metropolitan Cyprian (September 16),
Metropolitan Photius (July 2), Metropolitan Jonah (March 31).
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Venerable Therapon the Abbot of Monza
Saint Therapon of Monza (+ 1597): Today the holy ascetic's namesake St
Therapon of Sardis is celebrated. See account of St Therapon under
December 12, the day of his repose.
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Virginmartyr Theodora of Alexandria
The Holy Martyrs Theodora the Virgin and Didymus the Soldier suffered
for Christ during the persecution against Christians under the emperor
Diocletian (284-305), in the city of Alexandria in either the year 303
or 304.
The Virgin Martyr Theodora, standing trial before the prefect
Eustratius of Alexandria, bravely confessed herself a Christian. When
the prefect asked why she had not married, the saint replied that she
had dedicated herself to God, and had resolved to remain a virgin for
the name of Christ.
Eustratius ordered the holy virgin to be taken to prison, giving her
three days to make up her mind, and he threatened to have her taken to
a brothel if she persisted in her disobedience. Brought again to trial
three days later, St Theodora remained as resolute in her faith as
before.
The saint was taken to the brothel, where dissolute youths began to
argue which of them should be the first to have her. At this moment
the Christian Didymus, dressed in soldier's garb, entered the brothel
without hindrance. He chased the frightened profligates out and saved
the holy virgin, giving her his clothes so she could escape.
Upon learning what had happened, Eustratius interrogated St Didymus.
Brought before the angry judge, St Didymus told how he had set the
holy virgin free, and for this he was sentenced to death. St Theodora
appeared at the place of execution, and said that she wanted to die
with St Didymus. The prefect gave orders to execute both of them . The
first to bend the neck beneath the sword was the holy martyr Theodora,
and then the holy Martyr Didymus. The bodies of the martyrs were then
burned.
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Martyr Didymus the Soldier of Alexandria
The Holy Martyrs Didymus the Soldier and Theodora the Virgin suffered
for Christ during the persecution against Christians under the emperor
Diocletian (284-305), in the city of Alexandria in either the year 303
or 304.
The Virgin Martyr Theodora, standing trial before the prefect
Eustratius of Alexandria, bravely confessed herself a Christian. When
the prefect asked why she had not married, the saint replied that she
had dedicated herself to God, and had resolved to remain a virgin for
the name of Christ.
Eustratius ordered the holy virgin to be taken to prison, giving her
three days to make up her mind, and he threatened to have her taken to
a brothel if she persisted in her disobedience. Brought again to trial
three days later, St Theodora remained as resolute in her faith as
before.
The saint was taken to the brothel, where dissolute youths began to
argue which of them should be the first to have her. At this moment
the Christian Didymus, dressed in soldier's garb, entered the brothel
without hindrance. He chased the frightened profligates out and saved
the holy virgin, giving her his clothes so she could escape.
Upon learning what had happened, Eustratius interrogated St Didymus.
Brought before the angry judge, St Didymus told how he had set the
holy virgin free, and for this he was sentenced to death. St Theodora
appeared at the place of execution, and said that she wanted to die
with St Didymus. The prefect gave orders to execute both of them . The
first to bend the neck beneath the sword was the holy martyr Theodora,
and then the holy Martyr Didymus. The bodies of the martyrs were then
burned.
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Venerable Bede, the Church Historian
Saint Bede was a church historian who recorded the history of
Christianity in England up to his own time. He was probably born
around 673 in Northumbria. We do not know exactly where he was born,
but it is likely that it was somewhere near Jarrow.
When he was seven, Bede was sent to St Benedict Biscop (January 12) at
the monastery of St Peter at Wearmouth to be educated and raised. Then
he was sent to the new monastery of St Paul founded at Jarrow in 682,
where he remained until his death. There he was guided by the abbot St
Ceolfrith (September 25), who succeeded St Benedict in 690, ruling
both Wearmouth and Jarrow.
There is an incident in the anonymous Life of Ceolfrith which may
refer to the young Bede. A plague swept through Ceolfrith's monastery
in 686, taking most of the monks who sang in the choir for the church
services. Only the abbot and a young boy raised and educated by him
remained. This young boy "is now a priest of the same monastery and
commends the abbot's admirable deeds both verbally and in writing to
all who desire to learn them."
Grieved by this catastrophe, Ceolfrith decided that they should sing
the Psalms without antiphons, except at Matins and Vespers. After a
week of this, he went back to chanting the antiphons in their proper
place. With the help of the boy and the surviving monks, the services
were performed with difficulty until other monks could be brought in
and trained to sing.
St Bede was ordained as a deacon when he was nineteen, and to the holy
priesthood at the age of thirty by St John of Beverley (May 7), the
holy Bishop of Hexham (687), and later (705) of York. Bede had a great
love for the church services, and believed that since the angels were
present with the monks during the services, that he should also be
there. "What if they do not find me among the brethren when they
assemble? Will they not say, 'Where is Bede?'
Bede began as a pupil of St Benedict Biscop, who had been a monk of
the famous monastery at Lerins, and had founded monasteries himself.
St Benedict had brought many books with him to England from Lerins and
from other European monasteries. This library enabled Bede to write
his own books, which include biblical commentary, ecclesiastical
history, and hagiography.
Bede was not an objective historian. He is squarely on the Roman side
in the debate with Celtic Christianity, for example. He was, however,
fair and thorough. His books, derived from "ancient documents, from
the traditions of our ancestors, and from my own personal knowledge"
(Book V, 24) give us great insight into the religious and secular life
of early Britain. To read St Bede is to enter a world shaped by
spiritual traditions very similar to those cherished by Orthodox
Christians. These saints engage in the same heroic asceticism shown by
saints in the East, and their holiness fills us with love and
admiration. Christians were expected to fast on Wednesdays and
Fridays, and there was a forty day Nativity Fast (Book IV, 30).
St Bede became ill in 735. For about two weeks before Pascha, he was
weak and had trouble breathing, but experienced little pain. He
remained cheerful and gave daily lessons to his students, then spent
the rest of the day singing Psalms and giving thanks to God. He would
often quote the words of St Ambrose, "I have not lived in such a way
that I am ashamed to live among you, and I do not fear to die, for God
is gracious" (Paulinus, Life of Saint Ambrose, Ch. 45).
In addition to giving daily lessons and chanting the Psalms, St Bede
was also working on an Anglo-Saxon translation of the Gospel of St
John, and also a book of extracts from the writings of St Isidore of
Seville (April 4). On the Tuesday before the Feast of the Lord's
Ascension, the saint's breathing became more labored, and his feet
began to swell. "Learn quickly," he told those who were taking
dictation from him, "for I do not know how long I can continue. The
Lord may call me in a short while."
After a sleepless night, St Bede continued his dictation on Wednesday
morning. At the Third Hour, there was a procession with the relics of
the saints in the monastery, and the brethren went to attend this
service, leaving a monk named Wilbert with Bede. The monk reminded him
that there remained one more chapter to be written in the book which
he was dictating. Wilbert was reluctant to disturb the dying Bede,
however. St Bede said, "It is no trouble. Take your pen and write
quickly."
At the Ninth Hour, Bede paused and told Wilbert that he had some items
in his chest, such as pepper, incense, and linen. He asked the monk to
bring the priests of the monastery so that he could distribute these
items to them. When they arrived, he spoke to each of them in turn,
requesting them to pray for him and to remember him in the services.
Then he said, "The time of my departure is at hand, and my soul longs
to see Christ my King in His beauty."
That evening, Wilbert said to him, "Dear Master, there is one sentence
left unfinished."
Bede said, "Very well, write it down."
Then the young monk said, "It is finished now."
St Bede replied, "You have spoken truly, it is well finished." Then he
asked Wilbert to raise his head so that he could see the church where
he used to pray. After chanting, "Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit" to its ending, St Bede fell asleep in the Lord
Whom he had loved.
Although St Bede reposed on May 25, the eve of the Ascension, he is
commemorated on the 27th, since the Feast of St Augustine of
Canterbury is appointed for the 26th. His body was first buried in the
south porch of the monastery church, then later transferred to a place
near the altar. Today his holy relics lie in Durham Cathedral, in the
Galilee chapel. St Bede is the only Englishman mentioned by Dante in
the DIVINE COMEDY (Paradiso).
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St Basil of Georgia, the son of King Bagrat III
Saint Basil, the son of King Bagrat III, lived in the 11th century and
labored at Khakhuli Monastery (in southwestern Georgia, present-day
Turkey). He was a major figure in the spiritual and educational life
of southern Georgia.
The famous 19th-century scholar Prince John Bagrationi describes St.
Basil in his work Kalmasoba: (the tradition of monks journeying
throughout the land to collect alms for the Church. In his book Prince
John follows a fictional monk traveling throughout the country on
kalmasoba. With this literary device he describes the contemporary
situation, the life of the people, diverse branches of knowledge, and
Georgian literature and folk culture, creating a veritable Georgian
encyclopedia.) Basil Bagrationi was highly educated in philosophy and
theology. He was fluent in several languages and translated many
books. He was the composer of many distinguished rhetorical works.
Perfected in the monastic life and in the spiritual learning of the
Church, our Holy Father Basil was known among the people as the Jewel
of the Georgian Church.
The 18th-century historian and geographer Prince Vakhushti Bagrationi
examined the cultural development of Georgia during the rule of King
Bagrat IV in his book _The Ancient History of Georgia_, and Basil is
among the major Church figures he mentions: The great translators of
the time were Basil, son of Bagrat. In his work _The Life of St.
Giorgi of the Holy Mountain_, Giorgi the Lesser recalls the pious
laborer of Khakhuli Monastery: The great Basil, son of King Bagrat
III, shepherd and enlightener of our country at that time.
St. Basil eventually moved from Georgia to Mt. Athos and labored there
until his death. It was there that he composed his Praises to Holy
Father Ekvtime.
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Venerable Michael of Parekhi
Saint Michael of Parekhi was a native of the village of Norgiali in
the Shavsheti region of southern Georgia. He was tonsured a monk in
the Midznadzori Wilderness.
Fr. Michael journeyed to Khandzta Monastery, and with the blessing of
the brotherhood, he built a small chapel and dwelling for the monks
nearby. Built in a cave on the side of a cliff, St. Michaels
establishment was difficult to reach (the new monastery was called
Parekhi, or Cave). God was pleased with his good works, and He granted
St. Michael the gift of working wonders. In a divine revelation, St.
Michael was instructed to send his disciples Serapion and John to the
region of Samtskhe. There they established a beautiful monastery in
the village of Zarzma.
After some time Father Michael abandoned his cell and settled at the
top of a large boulder. Once the devil caused him to stumble off the
rock, but the Lord protected him and he remained unharmed.
Frightened by the incident, Michael sent his disciples to bring St.
Gregory of Khandzta, and he related to him all that had happened. The
blessed Gregory assuaged his brothers fears, erected a cross on either
side of Michaels cell, and told him, These two crosses of Christ will
protect you, and the mercy of the Most Holy Trinity and the Precious
Cross will be upon you.
St. Michael lived to an old age, and he was buried at Parekhi
Monastery. Many faithful pilgrims who have visited his grave have been
healed of their infirmities.
According to Basil of Zarzma, St. Michaels disciples wrote accounts of
his labors, wisdom, and miracles after his repose, but these works
have unfortunately not been preserved. What we know about the life of
St. Michael of Parekhi was preserved in the hagiographical writings of
the 10th and 11th centuries.
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