[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

[Daily Orthodox Readings and Saints]

Scripture Readings and Saints for Tue Nov 13 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Composite 2  - Proverbs 10, 3, 8 (Vespers, 1st Reading)
The memory of the righteous is with praise and the blessing of the
Lord is upon his head. Blessed is the man who has found wisdom and the
mortal who has understanding. For it is better to purchase her than
treasuries of gold and silver. She is more precious than precious
stones and all that is precious is unworthy of her. For length of days
and years of life are in her right hand; and in her left hand are
riches and glory. Out of her mouth proceeds righteousness and she
bears law and mercy upon her tongue.
Hear me, O child, for I will speak noble things. Blessed is the man
who keeps my ways, for my ways are the way of life, and in them is
prepared favor from the Lord. Therefore, I pray you, and utter my
voice to the sons of men: For I, wisdom, have dwelt with counsel and
knowledge and I have called upon understanding. Counsel and safety are
mine, understanding and strength are mine. I love those who love me
and those seeking me shall find grace.
Understand craftiness, O you who are simple, and imbibe knowledge, you
who are untaught. Hear me again, for I will speak noble things: I will
open _my mouth_ and from my lips _shall_ come what is right. For my
throat shall meditate truth; false lips are an abomination before me.
All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing in them that
is twisted or perverse. They are all straight to him who understands
and right to those who find knowledge.
I shall instruct you in truth, so that your hope will be in the Lord
and you shall be filled with the Spirit.
Scripture Reading 1 of 6


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Composite 4  - Wisdom of Solomon (Prov. 10; Wis. 6, 7, 8, 9) (Vespers,
2nd Reading)
The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom; the lips of the wise
man know grace. The mouth of the wise speaks wisdom, and the truth
delivers them from death. If a righteous man dies, hope is not, for
the son of the righteous is born to life, and in his own good things
he acquires the fruit of righteousness. There is always light for the
righteous and they obtain grace and glory from the Lord. The tongue of
the wise is a good sister-in-law, and in their hearts rests wisdom.
The Lord loves the hearts of the holy, and acceptable to Him are all
the undefiled in the way.
The wisdom of the Lord illumines the faces of the wise. For she takes
hold of those desiring her by making herself first known to them. She
is easily seen by those who love her. He who rises early to seek her
shall have no difficulty, and those keeping vigil for the sake of her
shall quickly be without sorrows. For she goes about seeking those
worthy of her, and graciously reveals herself in the pathways. Against
wisdom evil does not prevail.
Therefore I was a lover of her beauty; I loved her and sought her out
from my youth. I desired to make her my bride, and even the Master of
All loved her. For she is an initiate in the knowledge of God, and a
discoverer of His works. Her labors are virtues, for she teaches
temperance and prudence, justice and courage; nothing in life is more
necessary for men than these. And if anyone desires much knowledge,
she knows the things of old, and beholds things to come; she
understands turns of speech and the solution of riddles; she has
foreknowledge of signs and wonders and the outcome of times and
seasons. She is a mediator of good things for all, for immortality is
in her, and glory in the company of her words.
Therefore I appealed to the Lord and prayed to Him, and said to Him
with all my heart: "O God of _my_ fathers and Lord of mercy, Who hast
made all things by Thy word, and by Thy wisdom hast fashioned man that
he should have dominion over the creatures made by Thee, that he
should rule the world in holiness and righteusness: Give me wisdom
that sits by Thy throne, and cast me not away from among Thy children,
for I am Thy servant and the son of Thy handmaid. Send her forth from
the heavens, from Thy holy abode, and from the throne of Thy glory,
that she may be with me, in understanding, and preserve me in her
glory. For the thoughts of mortals are miserable, and their intentions
likely to fail."
Scripture Reading 2 of 6


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Composite 5  - Wisdom of Solomon 4, 6, 7, 2 (Vespers, 3rd Reading)
When the righteous is praised, the people rejoice: For his memory is
immortality, since it is known both by the Lord and by men, for his
soul was pleasing to the Lord. Therefore love wisdom, O men, and live.
Desire her and be instructed: For her beginning is love and the
keeping of her laws. Honor wisdom that you may reign forever.
I will tell you and not hide the mysteries of God from you. For He is
the Guide of wisdom, the Corrector of the wise and the Artisan of all
thoughts and deeds. Wisdom will teach with all understanding: For in
her is a Spirit, intelligent and holy, the Radiance of the Everlasting
Light and the Image of the Grace of God.
She fashions friends of God and prophets. For she is more beautiful
than the sun and above all the order of the stars. Compared with the
light she is found to be first. She delivered from infirmities those
pleasing her and guided them on the paths of righteousness. She gave
to them understanding to be holy and to preserve them from those who
would ensnare them, and she granted them strength in struggles, so
that all might understand that the most powerful of all is piety, and
that evil might not prevail against wisdom, nor judgment pass away
without convicting the wicked.
Having reasoned unrighteously, they said to themselves, "Let us
oppress the righteous man and not spare his venerableness, nor let us
be ashamed of the gray hairs of the old man of many years. But let our
might be our law and let us seize the righteous, because he is
inconvenient to us and is opposed to our deeds; he reproaches us for
apostasy against the law and divulges the sins of our training.
"He declares to us to have knowledge of God and calls himself a child
of the Lord. He became to us a reproof of our thoughts; the very sight
of him is a burden to us, because his life is unlike that of others,
and his ways are very different. We are considered by him to be an
insult, and he avoids our ways as unclean; he calls the end of the
righteous blessed.
"Let us see if his words are true; let us test him to see what will
happen to him. Let us torment him with revilement and tortures, that
we may understand his meekness and test his guilelessness. Let us
condemn him to a shameful death, for, according to his own words, he
shall be respected."
Thus they reasoned, but were deceived, for their wickedness blinded
them. They did not know the mysteries of God, nor did they discern
that Thou alone art God, having the power of life and death: Who
savest in times of affliction and delivereth from every evil; Who art
compassionate and merciful, granting Grace to His venerable ones, and
opposing the proud with His arm.
Scripture Reading 3 of 6


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John 10:1-9  (Matins Gospel)
1 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by
the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a
robber.
2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he
calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the
sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him,
for they do not know the voice of strangers.
6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things
which He spoke to them.
7 Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am
the door of the sheep.
8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep
did not hear them.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go
in and out and find pasture.
Scripture Reading 4 of 6


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Hebrews 7:26-8:2  (St. John)
26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the
heavens;
27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up
sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this
He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the
word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has
been perfected forever.
1 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such
a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the
Majesty in the heavens,
2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the
Lord erected, and not man.
Scripture Reading 5 of 6


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John 10:9-16  (St. John)
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go
in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have
it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the
sheep.
12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own
the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and
the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about
the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My
own.
15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down
My life for the sheep.
Scripture Reading 6 of 6



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------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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St John Chrysostom the Archbishop of Constantinople
Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, one of the Three
Hierarchs [January 30], was born at Antioch in about the year 347 into
the family of a military commander. His father, Secundus, died soon
after the birth of his son. His mother, Anthusa, widowed at twenty
years of age, did not seek to remarry but rather devoted all her
efforts to the raising of her son in Christian piety. The youth
studied under the finest philosophers and rhetoricians. But, scorning
the vain disciplines of pagan knowledge, the future hierarch turned
himself to the profound study of Holy Scripture and prayerful
contemplation. St Meletius, Bishop of Antioch (February 12), loved
John like a son, guided him in the Faith, and in the year 367 baptized
him.
After three years John was tonsured as a Reader. When St Meletius had
been sent into exile by the emperor Valens in the year 372, John and
Theodore (afterwards Bishop of Mopsuestia) studied under the
experienced instructors of ascetic life, the presbyters Flavian and
Diodorus of Tarsus. The highly refined Diodorus had particular
influence upon the youth. When John's mother died, he embraced
monasticism, which he called the "true philosophy." Soon John and his
friend Basil were being considered as candidates for the episcopal
office, and they decided to withdraw into the wilderness to avoid
this. While St John avoided the episcopal rank out of humility, he
secretly assisted in Basil's consecration.
During this period St John wrote his "Six Discourses on the
Priesthood," a great work of Orthodox pastoral theology. The saint
spent four years struggling in the wilderness, living the ascetic life
under the guidance of an experienced spiritual guide. And here he
wrote three books entitled, "Against the Opponents of Those Attracted
to the Monastic Life", and a collection entitled, "A Comparison of the
Monk with the Emperor" (also known as "Comparison of Imperial Power,
Wealth and Eminence, with the True and Christian Wisdom-Loving
Monastic Life"), both works which are marked by a profound reflection
of the worthiness of the monastic vocation.
For two years, the saint lived in a cave in complete silence, but was
obliged to return to Antioch to recover his health. St Meletius, the
Bishop of Antioch, ordained him deacon in the year 381. The following
years were devoted to work on new theological writings: "Concerning
Providence" ("To the Ascetic Stagirios"), "Book Concerning Virginity,"
"To a Young Widow" (2 discourses), and the "Book of St Babylos, and
Against Julian and the Pagans."
In the year 386 St John was ordained presbyter by Bishop Flavian of
Antioch. St John was a splendid preacher, and his inspired words
earned him the name "Golden-Mouthed" ("Chrysostom"). For twelve years
the saint preached in church, usually twice a week, but sometimes
daily, deeply stirring the hearts of his listeners.
In his pastoral zeal to provide Christians with a better understanding
of Holy Scripture, St John employed hermeneutics, an interpretation
and analysis of the Word of God (i.e. exegesis"). Among his exegetical
works are commentaries on entire books of the Holy Scripture (Genesis,
the Psalter, the Gospels of Matthew and John, the Epistles of the
Apostle Paul), and also many homilies on individual texts of the Holy
Bible, but also instructions on the Feastdays, laudations on the
Saints, and also apologetic (i.e. defensive) homilies (against
Anomoeans, Judaizers and pagans). As a priest, St John zealously
fulfilled the Lord's command to care for the needy. Under St John, the
Antiochian Church provided sustenance each day to as many as 3,000
virgins and widows, not including in this number the shut-ins,
wanderers and the sick.
St John began his commentary on Genesis at the beginning of Great Lent
in 388, preaching thirty-two homilies during the forty day period.
During Holy Week he spoke of how Christ was betrayed, and about the
Cross. During Bright Week, his pastoral discourse was devoted to the
Resurrection. His exegesis of the Book of Genesis was concluded only
at the end of October (388).
At Pascha in the following year the saint began his homilies on the
Gospel of John, and toward the end of the year 389 he took up the
Gospel of Matthew. In the year 391 the Antioch Christians listened to
his commentary on the Epistles of the holy Apostle Paul to the Romans
and to the Corinthians. In 393 he explained the Epistles to the
Galatians, the Ephesians, Timothy, Titus, and the Psalms. In his
homily on the Epistle to the Ephesians, St John denounced a schism in
Antioch, "I tell you and I witness before you, that to tear asunder
the Church means nothing less than to fall into heresy. The Church is
the house of the heavenly Father, one Body and one Spirit."
The fame of the holy preacher grew, and in the year 397 with the death
of Archbishop Nectarius of Constantinople, successor to St Gregory the
Theologian, St John Chrysostom was summoned from Antioch, and elected
to the See of Constantinople. At the capital, the holy archpastor was
not able to preach as often as he had at Antioch. Many matters awaited
the saint's attention, and he began with the most important -- the
spiritual perfection of the priesthood. He himself was the best
example of this. The financial means apportioned for the archbishop
were channeled by the saint into the upkeep of several hospices for
the sick and two hostels for pilgrims. He fasted strictly and ate very
little food, and usually refused invitations to dine because of his
delicate stomach.
The saint's zeal in spreading the Christian Faith extended not only to
the inhabitants of Constantinople, but also to Thrace to include Slavs
and Goths, and to Asia Minor and the Pontine region. He established a
bishop for the Bosphorus Church in the Crimea. St John sent off
zealous missionaries to Phoenicia, to Persia, and to the Scythians, to
convert pagans to Christ. He also wrote letters to Syria to bring back
the Marcionites into the Church, and he accomplished this. Preserving
the unity of the Church, the saint would not permit a powerful Gothic
military commander, who wanted the emperor to reward his bravery in
battle, to open an Arian church at Constantinople. The saint exerted
much effort in enhancing the splendor of the church services: he
compiled a Liturgy, he introduced antiphonal singing for the all-night
Vigil, and he wrote several prayers for the rite of anointing the sick
with oil.
The saintly hierarch denounced the dissolute morals of people in the
capital, especially at the imperial court, irrespective of person.
When the empress Eudoxia connived to confiscate the last properties of
the widow and children of a disgraced dignitary, the saint rose to
their defense. The arrogant empress would not relent, and nursed a
grudge against the archpastor. Eudoxia's hatred of the saint blazed
forth anew when malefactors told her that the saint apparently had her
in mind during his sermon on vain women. A court was convened composed
of hierarchs who had been justly condemned by Chrysostom: Theophilus
of Alexandria, Bishop Severian of Gabala, who had been banished from
the capital because of improprieties, and others.
This court of judgment declared St John deposed, and that he be
executed for his insult to the empress. The emperor decided on exile
instead of execution. An angry crowd gathered at the church, resolved
to defend their pastor. In order to avoid a riot, St John submitted to
the authorities. That very night there was an earthquake at
Constantinople. The terrified Eudoxia urgently requested the emperor
to bring the saint back, and promptly sent a letter to the banished
pastor, beseeching him to return. Once more, in the capital church,
the saint praised the Lord in a short talk, "For All His Ways."
The slanderers fled to Alexandria. But after only two months a new
denunciation provoked the wrath of Eudoxia. In March 404, an unjust
council was convened, decreeing the exile of St John. Upon his removal
from the capital, a fire reduced the church of Hagia Sophia and also
the Senate building to ashes. Devastating barbarian incursions soon
followed, and Eudoxia died in October 404. Even pagans regarded these
events as God's punishment for the unjust judgment against the saint.
In Armenia, the saint strove all the more to encourage his spiritual
children. In numerous letters (245 are preserved) to bishops in Asia,
Africa, Europe and particularly to his friends in Constantinople, St
John consoled the suffering, guiding and giving support to his
followers. In the winter of 406 St John was confined to his bed with
sickness, but his enemies were not to be appeased. From the capital
came orders to transfer St John to desolate Pityus in Abkhazia on the
Black Sea. Worn out by sickness, the saint began his final journey
under military escort, traveling for three months in the rain and
frost. He never arrived at his place of exile, for his strength failed
him at Comana.
At the crypt of St Basiliscus (May 22), St John was comforted by a
vision of the martyr, who said, "Despair not, brother John! Tomorrow
we shall be together." After receiving the Holy Mysteries, the
hierarch fell asleep in the Lord on September 14, 407. His last words
were, "Glory to God for all things!"
The holy relics of St John Chrysostom were solemnly transferred to
Constantinople in the year 438. The disciple of St John, the venerable
Isidore of Pelusium (February 4), wrote: "The house of David is grown
strong, and the house of Saul enfeebled. He is victor over the storms
of life, and has entered into heavenly repose."
Although he died on September 14, St John's celebration was
transferred to this day because of the Feast of the Elevation of the
Holy Cross. St John Chrysostom is also celebrated on January 27 and
January 30.
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Martyr Antoninus of Caesarea, in Palestine
No information available at this time.
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Martyr Nicephorus of Caesarea, in Palestine
No information available at this time.
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Martyr Germanus of Caesarea, in Palestine
No information available at this time.
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Martyr Manetha of Caesarea, in Palestine
No information available at this time.
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Monkmartyr Damascene of Lavra of Mt Athos
No information available at this time.
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Monkmartyr Damian of Lavra on Mt Athos
No information available at this time.
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