[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Sat Nov 24 05:00:12 CST 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sat Nov 24 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Galatians 3:8-12
8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by
faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all
the nations shall be blessed."
9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for
it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things
which are written in the book of the law, to do them."
11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is
evident, for "the just shall live by faith."
12 Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live
by them."
Scripture Reading 1 of 2

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Luke 10:19-21
19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by
any means hurt you.
20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject
to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.
21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You,
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things
from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father,
for so it seemed good in Your sight.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2

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Afterfeast of the Entry of the Most Holy Mother of God into
the Temple
No information available at this time.
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Greatmartyr Catherine of Alexandria
The Holy Great Martyr Catherine was the daughter of Constus, the
governor of Alexandrian Egypt during the reign of the emperor Maximian
(305-313). Living in the capital, the center of Hellenistic knowledge,
and possessed of a rare beauty and intellect, Catherine received an
excellent education, studying the works of the greatest philosophers
and teachers of antiquity. Young men from the most worthy families of
the empire sought the hand of the beautiful Catherine, but she was not
interested in any of them. She told her parents that she would enter
into marriage only with someone who surpassed her in nobility, wealth,
comeliness and wisdom.
Catherine's mother, a secret Christian, sent her to her own spiritual
Father, a saintly Elder living in a cave outside the city, for advice.
After listening to Catherine, the Elder said that he knew of a Youth
who surpassed her in everything. "His countenance is more radiant than
the shining of the sun, and all of creation is governed by His wisdom.
His riches are given to all the nations of the world, yet they never
diminish. His compassion is unequaled."
This description of the Heavenly Bridegroom produced in the soul of
the holy maiden an ardent desire to see Him. "If you do as I tell
you," said the monk, "you will gaze upon the countenance of this
illustrious man." In parting, the Elder handed Catherine an icon of
the Theotokos with the divine Child Jesus on Her arm and told her to
pray with faith to the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of the Heavenly
Bridegroom, and She would hear Catherine and grant her heart's desire.
Catherine prayed all night and was permitted to see the Most Holy
Virgin, Who said Her Divine Son, "Behold Thy handmaiden Catherine, how
fair and virtuous she is." But the Child turned His face away from her
saying, "No, she is ugly and unbelieving. She is a foolish pauper, and
I cannot bear to look at her until she forsakes her impiety."
Catherine returned again to the Elder deeply saddened, and told him
what she had seen in the dream. He lovingly received her, instructed
her in the faith of Christ, admonished her to preserve her purity and
integrity and to pray unceasingly. She then received the Mystery of
holy Baptism from him. Again St Catherine had a vision of the Most
Holy Theotokos with Her Child. Now the Lord looked tenderly at her and
gave her a beautiful ring, a wondrous token of her betrothal to the
Heavenly Bridegroom (This ring is still on her hand).
At that time the emperor Maximian was in Alexandria for a pagan
festival. Therefore, the celebration was especially splendid and
crowded. The cries of the sacrificial animals, the smoke and the smell
of the sacrifices, the endless blazing of fires, and the bustling
crowds at the arenas defiled the city of Alexandria. Human victims
also were brought, the confessors of Christ, those who would not deny
Him under torture. They were condemned to death in the fire. The
saint's love for the Christian martyrs and her fervent desire to ease
their sufferings compelled Catherine to speak to the pagan priest and
to the emperor Maximian.
Introducing herself, the saint confessed her faith in the One True God
and with wisdom exposed the errors of the pagans. The beauty of the
maiden captivated the emperor. In order to convince her and to show
the superiority of pagan wisdom, the emperor ordered fifty of the most
learned philosophers and rhetoricians of the Empire to dispute with
her, but the saint got the better of the wise men, so that they came
to believe in Christ themselves. St Catherine made the Sign of the
Cross over the martyrs, and they bravely accepted death for Christ and
were burned alive by order of the emperor.
Maximian, no longer hoping to convince the saint, tried to entice her
with the promise of riches and fame. Receiving an angry refusal, the
emperor gave orders to subject the saint to terrible tortures and then
throw her in prison. The Empress Augusta, who had heard much about the
saint, wanted to see her. She prevailed upon the military commander
Porphyrius to accompany her to the prison with a detachment of
soldiers. The empress was impressed by the strong spirit of St
Catherine, whose face was radiant with divine grace. The holy martyr
explained the Christian teaching to them, and they were converted to
Christ.
On the following day they again brought the martyr to the judgment
court where, under the threat of being broken on the wheel, they urged
that she renounce the Christian Faith and offer sacrifice to the gods.
The saint steadfastly confessed Christ and she herself approached the
wheels; but an angel smashed the instruments of execution, which
shattered into pieces with many pagans standing nearby.
Having beheld this wonder, the Empress Augusta and the imperial
courtier Porphyrius with 200 soldiers confessed their faith in Christ
in front of everyone, and they were beheaded. Maximian again tried to
entice the holy martyr, proposing marriage to her, and again he was
refused. St Catherine firmly confessed her fidelity to the heavenly
Bridegroom Christ, and with a prayer to Him she herself lay her head
on the block beneath the executioner's sword.
The relics of St Catherine were taken by the angels to Mount Sinai. In
the sixth century,, the venerable head and left hand of the holy
martyr were found through a revelation and transferred with honor to a
newly-constructed church of the Sinai monastery, built by the holy
Emperor Justinian (November 14).
St Catherine is called upon for relief and assistance during a
difficult childbirth. Pilgrims to her monastery on Mt Sinai are given
souvenir rings as a remembrance of their visit.
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Greatmartyr Mercurius of Caesarea, in Cappadocia
The Holy Great Martyr Mercurius, a Scythian by descent, served as a
soldier in the Roman army. The impious emperors Decius (249-251) and
Valerian (253-259) issued a decree ordering all Roman citizens to
worship the pagan gods, and condemning Christians to torture and death
unless they obeyed the decree.
At that time barbarians attacked the Roman empire, and the emperor
Decius went on campaign with a large army. In one of the battles an
angel of the Lord appeared to Mercurius in the guise of a nobleman and
presented him a sword saying, "Fear not, Mercurius. Go forth bravely
against the enemy, and when you are victorious, do not forget the Lord
your God." With this sword the holy warrior cut through the ranks of
the barbarians. He also killed their king, winning victory for the
Romans. The grateful Emperor Decius rewarded St Mercurius for his
bravery, and made him commander of the entire army.
The angel of the Lord appeared again to the holy warrior, who had
received great honors and riches, and reminded him by Whom the victory
had been given. He also told General Mercurius that he would suffer
for Christ, and would receive a crown of victory in His Kingdom.
Mercurius recalled that his father Gordian had also confessed the
Christian Faith. Although the saint had been baptized, he felt he had
not devoted his life to God as his father and grandfather had done.
Thus, he was weeping and lamenting when he was summoned before the
emperor.
Decius consulted Mercurius on matters of state, then suggested that
they offer sacrifice in the temple of Artemis. Not wishing to do this,
the saint returned to his home. He was denounced as a Christian by a
nobleman, whose name was Catullus. The emperor would not believe this,
however, until he himself had questioned the saint. Openly declaring
himself a Christian, Mercurius threw down his military belt and cloak
at the emperor's feet, and he repudiated all the honors he had
received. The angel of the Lord again appeared to St Mercurius in the
prison, encouraging him to endure every suffering for Christ.
They stretched the holy martyr between four pillars and lit a fire
beneath him. They cut his body with knives, and so much blood flowed
from his wounds that it extinguished the fire. When they threw him
back into the prison nearly dead from his wounds, St Mercurius was
healed by the Lord, demonstrating the great power of Christ to the
impious pagans. Condemned to death, the saint was deemed worthy of a
vision of the Lord, Who promised him a quick release from his
sufferings. The Great Martyr Mercurius was beheaded at Caesarea in
Cappadocia. His holy body emitted a fragrance like myrrh and incense.
Many of the sick were healed at his tomb.
Even after his death the warrior of Christ performed a soldier's
service for the good of the earthly Church. St Basil the Great
(January 1) once prayed before an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos,
upon which St Mercurius was depicted as a soldier holding a spear. He
asked God not to permit the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363) to
return from his war against the Persians and resume his oppression of
Christians. The image of the holy Great Martyr Mercurius, depicted on
the icon beside the image of the Most Holy Theotokos, became
invisible. It reappeared later with a bloodied spear.
At this very moment Julian the Apostate, on his Persian campaign, was
wounded by the spear of an unknown soldier, who immediately
disappeared. The mortally wounded Julian, as he lay dying, cried out,
"Thou hast conquered, O Galilean!"
The Most Holy Theotokos, through the prayers of St Basil, had sent St
Mercurius to defend the Christians from the apostate Julian. May we
also be preserved from God's foes, overcoming them through the prayers
and assistance of St Mercurius.
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Martyr Mercurius of Smolensk
The Holy Martyr Mercurius of Smolensk was a Slav by birth, probably
from Moravia, the descendant of a princely line. Brought up in
Orthodoxy, St Mercurius in zeal for the true Faith left his own native
land for Russia, where he served in the army of the Prince of
Smolensk. The saintly soldier secretly led an ascetic life. He was
strict in fasting, he was chaste, spending his nights at prayer, and
spiritually preparing himself to suffer for Christ. In the year 1239 a
horde of Tatars [Mongols], already having laid waste to many Russian
cities, appeared in the vicinity of Smolensk and set up camp 25 versts
away at Dolgomost, threatening to destroy the city and its holy
places.
A church warden, praying by night in the Smolensk cathedral before a
wonderworking icon of the Theotokos, heard the voice of the Queen of
Heaven commanding him to find the holy warrior and say to him:
"Mercurius, go forth into battle, for the Sovereign Lady summons you."
The soldier went himself to the cathedral and heard the voice of the
All-Pure Virgin, sending him to fight the enemy and promising him
heavenly assistance.
The warrior of Christ set off that very night to the Tatar camp at
Dolgomost. He fought there with the leader of the Tatar army, a giant
possessed of immense strength. He killed him and entered into
single-combat with the enemy host. Invoking the name of the Lord and
of the All-Pure Theotokos, the holy warrior destroyed many of the
enemy. The Tatar warriors watched with terror as lightning-bearing men
and a radiant Woman aided St Mercurius in the fight. Unable to stand
against the warrior of Christ, they retreated in flight. St Mercurius
was himself killed in the battle by the son of the Tatar giant he had
killed.
The inhabitants of Smolensk, saved through the miraculous intervention
of the Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos, reverently buried the body of
the soldier-martyr in the cathedral of the Dormition of the Most Holy
Theotokos. Soon after his death, St Mercurius appeared in a vision to
the church warden and ordered that his armor be hung over his grave,
promising the Smolensk people constant help and intervention in every
sorrow and struggle. Even today the sandals of the holy Martyr
Mercurius are still preserved in the Smolensk cathedral church. His
Feast was established at the end of the sixteenth century, and in 1509
the inhabitants of Smolensk were already calling him their special
patron.
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Venerable Mercurius the Faster of the Kiev Caves
Saint Mercurius of Kiev Caves pursued asceticism in the Farther Caves
in the fourteenth century, and was strict in fasting. During his
lifetime St Mercurius had a deep spiritual friendship with St Paisius,
and when they died, they were buried in the same grave.
The November 24 commemoration of the saint is made because of his
namesake, the holy Great Martyr Mercurius. He is also remembered on
August 28, the Synaxis of the Saints of the Far Caves; and on the
second Sunday of Great Lent, the Synaxis of all the monastic Fathers
of the Kiev Caves.
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Martyr Augusta the Empress martyred at Alexandria, with the
Greatmartyr Catherine
No information available at this time.
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Martyr Porphyrius the General martyred at Alexandria, with
Greatmartyr Catherine
No information available at this time.
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Martyred 200 Soldiers martyred at Alexandria, with the
Greatmartyr Catherine
No information available at this time.
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Virginmartyr Mastridia of Alexandria
The Nun Mastridia lived in Alexandria. She made a vow of virginity and
she dwelt in unceasing prayer, keeping the fasts and keeping silence.
The pure life of the holy virgin was beset by trials. A certain young
man, attracted to her with impure desire, began to pursue her so that
she could not even leave her home to go to church.
Grieving because she had unwillingly led the youth into temptation,
and being zealous for his salvation, the saint invited him into her
home. She sked what it was about her that made him bother her so much.
He replied, "Your beautiful eyes!" Hearing this, she gouged them out
with a needle she used for sewing. Thus she saved herself and the
youth from temptation. He then repented and became a monk, living as a
strict ascetic. St Mastridia finished her life in works for the Lord.
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Martyr Philotheus the Romanian
No information available at this time.
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Venerable Simon the Abbot of Soiga Monastery, Vologda
Saint Simon of Soiga belonged to the Komel disciples of St Sergius of
Radonezh. He was born at Solvychegodsk, and was tonsured at the Komel
monastery under St Cornelius (May 19). He passed through his
obediences with such ascetics and disciples of Cornelius of Komel as
Gennadius of Liubimsk (January 23), Cyril of New Lake (February 4),
Herodion of Iloezersk (September 28), Adrian of Poshekhonsk (March 5),
Laurence of Komel (May 16).
After the death of his mentor St Cornelius, St Simon was, for a
certain time, the companion of St Longinus (February 10), the founder
of the Koryazhemsk monastery, and went with him to dwell in the
wilderness. After this he settled at the River Soiga, 60 versts from
Koryazhma. There he established a church in honor of the
Transfiguration of the Lord, consecrated on May 17, 1541. After
founding a monastery by this church, the saint was chosen igumen by
the brethren.
St Simon died on November 24, 1562 and was buried in the monastery he
founded, in the church dedicated to the holy Great Martyr Catherine,
whose Feast is also observed on November 24.
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