[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Thu Nov 29 05:00:16 CST 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Thu Nov 29 2007

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1 Timothy 6:17-21
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty,
nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us
richly all things to enjoy.
18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give,
willing to share,
19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come,
that they may lay hold on eternal life.
20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the
profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely
called knowledge-
21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be
with you. Amen.
Scripture Reading 1 of 4

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2 Timothy 1:1-2, 8-18  (Friday)
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to
the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the
Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me
His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel
according to the power of God,
9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to
our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given
to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus
Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to
light through the gospel,
11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of
the Gentiles.
12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not
ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is
able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me,
in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit
who dwells in us.
15 This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me,
among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
16 The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often
refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain;
17 but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and
found me.
18 The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that
Day-and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at
Ephesus.
Scripture Reading 2 of 4

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Luke 20:9-18
9 Then He began to tell the people this parable: "A certain man
planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far
country for a long time.
10 Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that
they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the
vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
11 Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him
shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.
12 And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him
out.
13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send
my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.'
14 But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves,
saying, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance
may be ours.'
15 So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what
will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
16 He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard
to others. And when they heard it they said, "Certainly not!"
17 Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is
written: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief
cornerstone'?
18 Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it
falls, it will grind him to powder.
Scripture Reading 3 of 4

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Luke 20:19-26  (Friday)
19 And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay
hands on Him, but they feared the people -for they knew He had spoken
this parable against them.
20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous,
that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the
power and the authority of the governor.
21 Then they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You say and
teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the
way of God in truth:
22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?
23 But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Why do you
test Me?
24 Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have? They
answered and said, "Caesar's."
25 And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that
are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
26 But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the
people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.
Scripture Reading 4 of 4

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Martyr Paramon in Bithynia
The Holy Martyr Paramon and the 370 Martyrs with him suffered for
their faith in Christ in the year 250 during the rule of the emperor
Decius (249-251). The governor of the Eastern regions, Aquianus, had
locked up 370 Christians in prison, urging them to abjure Christ and
instead offer sacrifice to idols.
They subjected the captives to beatings, hoping by torture and the
threat of death to persuade them to renounce Christ and worship the
pagan gods. One of the local inhabitants, Paramon by name, openly
denounced the cruel governor and confessed his faith in the One True
God, the Lord Jesus Christ. They beheaded St Paramon after fierce
tortures, together with the other 370 martyrs.
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370 Martyrs in Bithynia
The Holy Martyr Paramon and the 370 Martyrs with him suffered for
their faith in Christ in the year 250 during the rule of the emperor
Decius (249-251). The governor of the Eastern regions, Aquianus, had
locked up 370 Christians in prison, urging them to abjure Christ and
instead offer sacrifice to idols.
They subjected the captives to beatings, hoping by torture and the
threat of death to persuade them to renounce Christ and worship the
pagan gods. One of the local inhabitants, Paramon by name, openly
denounced the cruel governor and confessed his faith in the One True
God, the Lord Jesus Christ. They beheaded St Paramon after fierce
tortures, together with the other 370 martyrs.
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Martyr Philoumenus of Ancyra
The Holy Martyr Philoumenus suffered for Christ in the year 274,
during the persecution against Christians by the emperor Aurelian
(270-275). St Philoumenus was a bread merchant in Ancyra. Envious
persons reported to the governor Felix that Philoumenus was a
Christian, and so he came before a judge.
St Philoumenus did not renounce Christ. For this they hammered nails
into his hands, feet and head, and they forced him to walk. The holy
martyr bravely endured the torments and he died from loss of blood,
giving up his soul to God.
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Martyr Valerian
No information available at this time.
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Martyr Phaedrus
No information available at this time.
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Venerable Acacius of Sinai, who is mentioned in the Ladder
Saint Acacius of Sinai lived during the sixth century and was a novice
at a certain monastery in Asia. The humble monk distinguished himself
by his patient and unquestioning obedience to his Elder, a harsh and
dissolute man. He forced his disciple to toil excessively, starved him
with hunger, and beat him without mercy. Despite such treatment, St
Acacius meekly endured the affliction and thanked God for everything.
St Acacius died after suffering these torments for nine years.
Five days after Acacius was buried, his Elder told another Elder about
the death of his disciple. The second Elder did not believe that the
young monk was dead. They went to the grave of Acacius and the second
Elder called out: "Brother Acacius, are you dead?" From the grave a
voice replied, "No, Father, how is it possible for an obedient man to
die?" The startled Elder of St Acacius fell down with tears before the
grave, asking forgiveness of his disciple.
After this he repented, constantly saying to the Fathers, "I have
committed murder." He lived in a cell near the grave of St Acacius,
and he ended his life in prayer and in meekness. St John Climacus
(March 30) mentions him in THE LADDER (Step 4:110) as an example of
endurance and obedience, and of the rewards for these virtues.
St Acacius is also commemorated on July 7.
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Venerable Nectarius the Obedient of the Kiev Near Caves
Saint Nectarius the Obedient of the Caves, a monk of the Kiev Caves
monastery, pursued asceticism during the twelfth century. For his
unquestioning obedience to the will of elder brethren and his zeal for
work he was termed "the Obedient." St Nectarius was buried in the
Antoniev Cave. His memory is also celebrated on September 28 and the
second Sunday of Great Lent.
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Hieromartyr Abibus, Bishop of Nekressi in Georgia
Saint Abibus of Nekresi was one of the Thirteen Syrian Fathers who
arrived in Georgia in the 6th century under the leadership of St. John
of Zedazeni.
With the blessing of his instructor, St. Abibus began his apostolic
activity in Nekresi, a village set among the hills in the eastern
region of Kakheti. For his virtuous deeds, St. Abibus was soon
consecrated bishop of his diocese.
According to the chronicle _Life of Kartli_, St. Abibus converted not
only Georgians but also most of the mountain tribesincluding the
Dagestani/Didoiansto the Christian Faith. Abounding with apostolic
zeal, St. Abibus journeyed throughout the villages of his diocese,
preaching the Truth and calling upon all to strengthen the true Faith.
The time that St. Abibus was serving as bishop coincided with a dark
period of Persian rule in eastern Georgia. The Persians exerted every
effort to implant their faiththe worship of fireand everywhere erected
altars where the fire burned without ceasing.
Once in the village of Rekhi the holy hierarch, finding a group of
fire-worshipers forcing the Georgian faithful to worship the flame,
poured water on their fire to extinguish it. The enraged pagan priests
bound St. Abibus, beat him cruelly, locked him up, and reported the
incident to the marzban. The marzban ordered that the bishop be
brought to him at once.
St. Abibus was a friend of the holy wonderworker Simeon the Stylite of
the Wonderful Mountain. St. Simeon received a sign from God of the
imminent martyrdom of St. Abibus and, in order to console him, sent
him a letter, an evlogia (a blessingprobably a piece of prosphoron or
some other holy object) and a staff. While Abibus was being escorted
to the marzban, in the village of Ialdo he met a messenger from
Antioch who presented him with St. Simeons gifts. The letter and gifts
gladdened the holy hierarch and strengthened him for his martyrdom.
Then St. Abibus was approached by a group of Christians who offered to
help him escape, but he graciously declined.
Having arrived in Mtskheta, the saint prayed at Svetitskhoveli
Cathedral, then requested that the guards permit him to meet with St.
Shio of Mgvime. The Persians granted his request, and the spiritual
brothers greeted one another with love and prayed together to the
Lord.
St. Abibus was brought before the dread marzban and asked how he could
dare raise his hand against the Persian god. He replied with complete
composure, saying, I did not kill any god; rather I extinguished a
fire. Fire is not a god, but a part of nature, which is created by
God. Your fire was burning wood, and a little water was enough to
extinguish it. The water turned out to be stronger. Your fury amazes
me. Isnt it humiliating to call something a god which has no soul?
Furious at this response, the marzban ordered the holy hierarchs
execution.
The executioners mercilessly beat the blessed Abibus and shattered his
skull with stones. Then they dragged his body through the city, cast
it to the beasts, and assigned a guard to ensure that the Christians
did not come to steal it. Nevertheless, that night the priests and
monks of Rekhi came, took the body of the holy martyr, and buried it
with great honor at Samtavisi Monastery (located midway between
Mtskheta and Gori).
Many miraculous healings have taken place over the grave of St.
Abibus. During the rule of Prince Stepanoz of Kartli, the incorrupt
relics of St. Abibus were translated from Samtavisi to Samtavro
Monastery in Mtskheta, according to the decree of Catholicos Tabori.
They were buried under the holy altar at Samtavro Church.
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