[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

[Daily Orthodox Readings and Saints]

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sun Nov 25 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Luke 24:1-12  (4th Matins Gospel)
1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they,
and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the
spices which they had prepared.
2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.
3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that
behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.
5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they
said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?
6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He
was still in Galilee,
7 saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful
men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'
8 And they remembered His words.
9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the
eleven and to all the rest.
10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the
other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.
11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not
believe them.
12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the
linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to
himself at what had happened.
Scripture Reading 1 of 5


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Ephesians 5:9-19
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and
truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but
rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by
them in secret.
13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for
whatever makes manifest is light.
14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And
Christ will give you light."
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the
Lord is.
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be
filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
Scripture Reading 2 of 5


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Hebrews 9:1-7  (Theotokos)
1 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine
service and the earthly sanctuary.
2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the
lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the
sanctuary;
3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is
called the Holiest of All,
4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on
all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna,
Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;
5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy
seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always
went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.
7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not
without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins
committed in ignorance;
Scripture Reading 3 of 5


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Luke 13:10-17
10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.
11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity
eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself
up.
12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her,
"Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."
13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made
straight, and glorified God.
14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because
Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are
six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on
them, and not on the Sabbath day."
15 The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one
of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead
it away to water it?
16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan
has bound-think of it-for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on
the Sabbath?
17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to
shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that
were done by Him.
Scripture Reading 4 of 5


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Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28  (Theotokos)
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and
a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and
heard His word.
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him
and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve
alone? Therefore tell her to help me."
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are
worried and troubled about many things.
42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which
will not be taken away from her.
27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman
from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb
that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"
28 But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word
of God and keep it!"
Scripture Reading 5 of 5



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------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Leavetaking of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos Into the
Temple
No information available at this time.
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Hieromartyr Clement the Pope of Rome
The Hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome, was born at Rome into a rich
and illustrious family. Separated from his parents from childhood by
force of circumstances, Clement was raised by strangers. Living in
Rome, the youth received a fine education, he was surrounded by
luxury, and had access to the imperial court. But these comforts
brought him no joy, and pagan wisdom failed to attract him. He began
to ponder the meaning of life.
When the news of Christ and His teaching began to reach the capital,
St Clement left his home and estate and went to the lands where the
Apostles were preaching. At Alexandria St Clement met the holy Apostle
Barnabas, listening to his words with deep attention, and perceiving
the power and truth of the Word of God. Arriving in Palestine, St
Clement was baptized by the holy Apostle Peter and became his zealous
disciple and constant companion, sharing his toil and sufferings with
him. Shortly before his own sufferings and death, St Peter consecrated
St Clement as Bishop of Rome. After the death of the Apostle Peter, St
Linus (67-79) was the next Bishop of Rome, succeeded by St Anacletus
(79-91), and then St Clement (92-101).
The virtuous life, charitable works and prayerful activity of St
Clement converted many to Christ. He once baptized 424 people on the
day of Pascha. Among the baptized were people of all social classes:
slaves, officials, and even members of the imperial family.
The pagans, seeing the success of his apostolic preaching, denounced
St Clement to the emperor Trajan (98-117), accusing the saint of
insulting the pagan gods. The emperor banished St Clement from the
capital, sending him to the Crimea, to work at a stone quarry near the
city of Cherson. Many of the saint's disciples followed after him
voluntarily, preferring to go into exile rather than live without
their spiritual Father.
When he arrived at the place of exile, St Clement found many Christian
believers there, sentenced to labor under harsh conditions amidst a
scarcity of water. He prayed together with the condemned, and the Lord
appeared to him in the form of a lamb and revealed the location of a
spring, from which gushed forth a veritable river of water. This
miracle attracted a multitude of people to St Clement. Hearing the
zealous preacher, hundreds of pagans were converted to Christ. Each
day 500 or more men were baptized. And there in the stone quarry, a
church was built, in which he served as priest.
The apostolic activity of the saint aroused the wrath of the emperor
Trajan, and he ordered that St Clement be drowned. They threw the
martyr into the sea with an anchor tied to his neck. This occurred in
the year 101.
The saint's faithful disciples Cornelius and Fibius asked the people
to pray that the Lord would permit them to see the martyr's body. The
sea drew back a distance of three miles from the shore and the people
walked out on the seabed until they found a marble cave shaped like a
church. There they found the incorrupt body of their archpastor in
this "Angelic Church" formed by God. After this, each year on the
anniversary of St Clement's martyric death the sea receded, and for
seven days Christians were able to venerate his holy relics.
During the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus (802-811), by
divine providence, the sea failed to withdraw, and the relics of St
Clement became inaccessible for fifty years. In the time of the
emperor Michael and his mother Theodora (855-867), Sts Cyril and
Methodius visited Cherson. When they learned of the concealed relics
of St Clement, they asked Bishop George of Cherson to pray that the
Lord would show them the relics of the hieromartyr.
Sts Cyril and Methodius walked along the shore in procession with the
clergy who came with them from Constantinople. Through the fervent
prayers of everyone gathered there, the holy relics of St Clement
miraculously appeared on the surface of the sea at midnight. They
solemnly took them to the Church of the Holy Apostles at
Constantinople. A portion of the relics were then brought to Rome by
Sts Cyril and Methodius, but a large portion of the relics was later
brought to Kiev by the holy Prince Vladimir (July 15) and placed in
the Desyatin-Tithe church, together with the relics of St Fibius,
where a chapel dedicated to St Clement had been built. The hieromartyr
Clement is widely venerated in Russia. From ancient times, many
churches have been dedicated to him.
St Clement, who belongs to the Apostolic Fathers, has left to us a
spiritual legacy (two Epistles to the Corinthians) the first written
examples of Christian teaching after the writings of the holy
Apostles.
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Hieromartyr Peter the Archbishop of Alexandria
The Holy Hieromartyr Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria, was born and
raised at Alexandria. He was a highly educated man, and was head of
the school of Alexandria. In the year 300 he became the archpastor of
the Alexandrian Church, succeeding his teacher and spiritual guide,
the holy Bishop Theonas.
Forced into exile from the city during the anti-Christian persecutions
under the emperors Diocletian and Maximian, St Peter traveled through
many lands, encouraging his flock by letter. Again returned to his
city, in order to guide the Alexandrian Church personally during this
dangerous period. The saint secretly visited Christians locked up in
prison, encouraging them to be steadfast in faith, assisting the
widows and orphans, preaching the Word of God, constantly praying and
officiating at the divine services. And the Lord kept him safe from
the hands of the persecutors.
During this time of unrest the iniquitous heretic Arius, who denied
the divinity of Jesus Christ, sowed the tares of his impious teaching.
When Arius refused to be corrected and submit to the truth, St Peter
anathematized the heretic and excommunicated him from the Church.
Arius then sent two of St Peter's priests to beg the saint to lift the
excommunication from him, pretending that he had repented and given up
his false teachings. This was not true, for Arius hoped to succeed St
Peter as Archbishop of Alexandria. St Peter, under the guidance of the
Holy Spirit, saw through the wickedness and deceit of Arius, and so he
instructed his flock not to believe Arius nor to accept him into
communion.
Under the wise nurturing of St Peter the Church of Alexandria
strengthened and grew in spite of the persecutions. But finally, on
orders from the emperor Maximian (305-311), the saint was arrested and
sentenced to death. A multitude of people gathered at the entrance of
the prison, expressing their outrage. Wanting to avoid bloodshed and a
riot by the people, the saint sent a message to the authorities, in
which he suggested that they make an opening in the back wall of the
prison, so that he might be taken away secretly to execution.
In the dark of the night St Peter went with the executioners, who took
him beyond the city walls and beheaded him at the same spot where
formerly St Mark had been executed. That night a certain pious virgin
heard a Voice from heaven saying, "Peter was first among the Apostles;
Peter is the last of the Alexandrian Martyrs." This took place in the
year 311. In the morning, when people learned of the death of their
bishop, a crowd gathered at the place of execution. They took up the
body and head of the martyr and went to the church, dressing him in
his bishop's vestments, they sat him in his throne at the high place
in the altar. During his life St Peter never sat on it, but sat on a
footstool instead. The saint once explained that whenever he
approached his throne he beheld a heavenly light shining on it, and he
sensed the presence of a divine power. Therefore, he didn't dare to
sit there.
The Lord Jesus Christ once appeared to St Peter as a twelve-year-old
child wearing a robe that was torn from top to bottom. St Peter asked
the Savior who had torn his garment, and He replied, "That madman
Arius has torn it by dividing the people whom I have redeemed by My
blood. Do not receive him into Communion with the Church, for he has
worked evil against Me and My flock."
St Peter, a great champion of Orthodoxy, is known also as a profound
theologian. Passages from his book, "On the Divinity (of Jesus
Christ)", were consulted at the Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon. Of
all his works, the most widely known and highly esteemed by the Church
are his "Penitential Canons".
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St Peter of Galatia
Saint Peter of Galatia left home at the age of seven, then spent the
rest of his life in ascetical labors as a monk. At first, he remained
in Galatia, then went to Palestine. Later, he went to Antioch. There
he enclosed himself in a tomb, devoting himself to deeds of prayer and
strict abstinence. He partook of bread and water only every other day.
In these exploits he was granted from God the gift of wonderworking,
healing infirmities and expelling devils.
St Peter died around the year 429 at the age of ninety-nine. His Life
was written by Theodoret of Cyrrhus, whose mother had been healed by
the saint.
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St Clement the Bishop of Ochrid and Enlightener of the
Bulgarians
Saints Clement, Bishop of Ochrid, Equal of the Apostles, Naum, Sava,
Gorazd and Angelar were Slavs, disciples of Sts Cyril and Methodius
(May 11). At first they lived as ascetics in Moravia, where St Gorazd
succeded St Methodius as bishop. He was fluent in Slavonic, Greek and
Latin. Sts Clement, Naum, Angelar and Sava were priests.
The Enlighteners of the Slavs were opposed by German missionaries, who
had the support of the Pope and the patronage of the Moravian prince
Svyatopolk. The struggle centered around the questions of the need for
divine services in Slavonic, the Filioque and Saturday fasting. Pope
Stephen VI prohibited the use of Slavonic in church.
The proponents of the three-tongued heresy (who wanted to use only
Hebrew, Greek, or Latin for Church purposes), after setting aside the
ancestral language of the Slavic peoples, brought the disciples of St
Methodius to trial, including St Clement. They subjected them to
fierce torture: dragging them through thorns, and holding them in
prison for a long time, just as they had done with their spiritual
Father, St Methodius.
In 886, some of the prisoners were sold to slave-traders, and ended up
in the Venice marketplace. The ambassador of the Byzantine Emperor
Basil the Macedonian went to Venice, ransomed the saints and brought
them to Constantinople. The older confessors were banished. It is not
known where St Gorazd went, nor where St Sava found shelter. Naum and
Angelar went to Bulgaria.
In 907 Moravia collapsed under the onslaught of the Magyars, and
Moravian refugees escaped along those same paths followed earlier by
the saints they had exiled.
The Bulgarians received the Slavonic confessors with respect and
requested them to conduct divine services in the Slavonic language.
The Bulgarian prince Boris sought out such people as the disciples of
St Methodius, who labored for the enlightenment of his nation. The
saints immediately began to study Slavonic books collected by the
Bulgarian nobles.
St Angelar soon died, and St Clement received the appointment to teach
at Kutmichivitsa, a region in southwest Macedonia. In the Eastern
Church a worthy man was chosen to be a teacher, someone known for his
pious life, and possessed with a gift of words. St Clement was a
teacher while he was still in Moravia. In Bulgaria, St Clement worked
as an instructor until 893. He organized a school at the princely
court, which attained high esteem during the reign of Simeon. In
southwest Macedonia he created separate schools for adults and for
children.
St Clement instructed the children in reading and in writing. The
total number of his students was enormous. Those chosen and accepted
for the clergy amounted to 3500 men. In the year 893, St Clement
became Bishop of Dremvitsa, or Velitsa, and St Naum took his place.
St Clement was the first Bulgarian hierarch to serve, preach and write
in the Slavonic language. To this end he systematically prepared
clergy from among the Slavic people. The holy bishop labored for the
glory of God into his old age. When his strength failed, and he was
unable to fulfill his responsibilities in the cathedral, he asked Tsar
Simeon to let him retire.
The Tsar urged the saint not to forsake the cathedral, and St Clement
agreed to continue his episcopal service. After this he went to
Ochrid, to a monastery he founded. There the saint continued with his
translation activities and translated important parts of the
PENTEKOSTARION.
Soon the saint became seriously ill and departed to the Lord in the
year 916. The saint's body was placed in a coffin he made with his own
hands, and was buried in Ochrid's St Panteleimon monastery.
St Clement is considered the first Slavonic author. He not only
continued the translation work begun by Sts Cyril and Methodius, but
also left behind works of his own composition, the first samples of
Slavonic spiritual literature.
Many of the lessons and sermons of St Clement were brought to Russia,
where they were read and lovingly copied by pious Russian Christians.
St Clement is also commemorated on July 27.
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