[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

[Daily Orthodox Readings and Saints]

Scripture Readings and Saints for Fri Oct 19 2007

----------------------------------------------------
------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------


-----------------------------
                                      
Colossian 2:1-7
1 For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and
those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the
flesh,
2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love,
and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to
the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.
5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit,
rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith
in Christ.
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in
Him,
7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have
been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2


-----------------------------
                                      
Luke 10:1-15
1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent
them two by two before His face into every city and place where He
Himself was about to go.
2 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers
are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers
into His harvest.
3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.
4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one
along the road.
5 But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'
6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not,
it will return to you.
7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as
they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from
house to house.
8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as
are set before you.
9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has
come near to you.'
10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out
into its streets and say,
11 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against
you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near
you.'
12 But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for
Sodom than for that city.
13 Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty
works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they
would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment
than for you.
15 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down
to Hades.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2



----------------------------------------------------
------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------


Prophet Joel
The Prophet Joel (800 B.C.) predicted the desolation of Jerusalem. He
also prophesied that the Holy Spirit would be poured out upon all
people, through the Savior of the world (Joel 2:28-32).
The hymnographer Anatolius links Joel's prophecy to the Nativity of
the Lord. In the Praises at Matins on the Sunday following the
Nativity, he refers to Joel 2:30, saying that the blood refers to the
Incarnation, the fire to the Divinity, and the pillars of smoke to the
Holy Spirit.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Varus
Martyr Varus lived in Egypt during the period of several persecutions
against Christians (late third to early fourth century). Varus
(Ouaros) was a military commander and secretly a Christian. He gave
assistance to many of the persecuted and imprisoned Christians, and he
visited the prisoners at night. He also brought food to the prisoners,
dressed their wounds, and gave them encouragement.
Once Varus spent a whole night talking with seven imprisoned monks.
These men were Christian teachers who had been beaten and starved.
Varus marched with the teachers when they were led to their execution.
The judge, seeing Varus' strong faith, had him fiercely beaten. Varus
died during the beating. After his death, the monks were beheaded.
_________________________________________________________________
7 Monk Martyrs with Varus
The holy Martyr Varus lived in Egypt during the period of several
persecutions against Christians (late third to early fourth century).
Varus (Ouaros) was a military commander and secretly a Christian. He
gave assistance to many of the persecuted and imprisoned Christians,
and he visited the prisoners at night. He also brought food to the
prisoners, dressed their wounds, and gave them encouragement.
Once Varus spent a whole night talking with seven imprisoned monks.
These men were Christian teachers who had been beaten and starved.
Varus marched with the teachers when they were led to their execution.
The judge, seeing Varus' strong faith, had him fiercely beaten. Varus
died during the beating. After his death, the monks were beheaded.
_________________________________________________________________
Translation of the relics of Venerable St John the Abbot of
Rila in Bulgaria
Today we commemorate the transfer of the relics of Saint John, Abbot
of Rila in Bulgaria (1238).
The relics of St John were transferred from the city of Sredets
[Sofia] to Trnovo, the capital of the Bulgarian realm, in the year
1238. See August 18 for his Life.
_________________________________________________________________
Blessed Cleopatra with her son in Egypt
Saint Cleopatra and her son John came from the village of Edra near
Mount Tabor in Palestine. She was a contemporary of the holy Martyr
Varus and witnessed his voluntary suffering. After the execution, St
Cleopatra brought the body of the holy martyr to her own country and
buried him with reverence. Cleopatra had one beloved son, John, who
had attained the honorable rank of officer. To the great sorrow of his
mother, John suddenly died. Cleopatra with tears of grief turned to
the relics of the holy Martyr Varus, begging him for the return of her
son.
Varus and her son appeared to Cleopatra in a dream, radiant in bright
attire with crowns upon their heads. She realized that the Lord had
received her son into the heavenly Kingdom, and was comforted. After
this vision blessed Cleopatra started to live by a church she built
over the relics of the holy martyr Varus and her son John, and
performed many good deeds. She distributed her property to the poor
and spent her time in prayer and fasting. After seven years she fell
asleep in the Lord.
_________________________________________________________________
Blessed John with his mother, Cleopatra in Egypt
Saint Cleopatra and her son John came from the village of Edra near
Mount Tabor in Palestine. She was a contemporary of the holy Martyr
Varus and witnessed his voluntary suffering. After the execution, St
Cleopatra brought the body of the holy martyr to her own country and
buried him with reverence. Cleopatra had one beloved son, John, who
had attained the honorable rank of officer. To the great sorrow of his
mother, John suddenly died. Cleopatra with tears of grief turned to
the relics of the holy Martyr Varus, begging him for the return of her
son.
Varus and her son appeared to Cleopatra in a dream, radiant in bright
attire with crowns upon their heads. She realized that the Lord had
received her son into the heavenly Kingdom, and was comforted. After
this vision blessed Cleopatra started to live by a church she built
over the relics of the holy martyr Varus and her son John, and
performed many good deeds. She distributed her property to the poor
and spent her time in prayer and fasting. After seven years she fell
asleep in the Lord.
_________________________________________________________________
Hieromartyr Sadoc (Sadoth) the Bishop of Persia
Hieromartyr Sadoc, Bishop of Persia, and 128 Martyrs with him He was
the hierarch of a Persian district. When the Persian emperor Sapor
learned that Sadoc was preaching faith in Christ, he gave orders to
arrest and imprison him together with 128 Christian believers. For
several months they attempted to persuade the righteous martyrs to
repudiate the holy Faith, but unable to accomplish this, they executed
them.
_________________________________________________________________
128 Martyrs with Sadoc of Persia
Hieromartyr Sadoc, Bishop of Persia, and 128 Martyrs with him He was
the hierarch of a Persian district. When the Persian emperor Sapor
learned that Sadoc was preaching faith in Christ, he gave orders to
arrest and imprison him together with 128 Christian believers. For
several months they attempted to persuade the righteous martyrs to
repudiate the holy Faith, but unable to accomplish this, they executed
them.
_________________________________________________________________
Venerable Prochorus of Pcinja
No information available at this time.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Nicholas Dvali
Saint Prokhore the Georgian, a descendant of the noble Shavteli
family, was born at the end of the 10th century and grew up in a
monastery. When he reached manhood he was ordained a hieromonk and
labored for one year at the Lavra of St. Sabbas in Jerusalem. Then,
with the blessing of his spiritual father Ekvtime Grdzeli, he began
the reconstruction of the Holy Cross Georgian Monastery near
Jerusalem.
According to tradition, at this spot Abrahams nephew Lot planted three
treesa cypress, a pine, and a cedar. Eventually these three trees
miraculously grew into one large tree. When the Temple of Solomon was
being built, this tree was cut down but left unused. It is said that
the Cross on which Christ our Savior was crucified was constructed
from the wood of this tree.
In the 4th century, the land on which the miraculous tree had grown
was presented to Holy King Mirian, the first Christian king of
Georgia. Then in the 5th century, during the reign of Holy King
Vakhtang Gorgasali, the Holy Cross Monastery was founded on that land.
The monastery was destroyed several times between the 7th and 9th
centuries.
Finally, in the 11th century, King Bagrat Kuropalates offered much of
his wealth to Fr. Prokhore for the restoration of the monastery. St.
Prokhore beautified the monastery, then gathered eighty monks and
established the typicon (the monastic rule) for the community in
accordance with that of the St. Sabbas Lavra.
When St. Prokhore had labored long and lived to an advanced age, he
chose his disciple Giorgi to be the monasterys next abbot.
Then he departed for the wilderness with two of his disciples, and
after some time the righteous monk yielded up his spirit to God.
Beyond this, little is known about the life of St. Prokhore. According
to Georgian researchers and scholars, he was probably born sometime
between 985 and 990. He spent the years 1010 to 1015 in Jerusalem, and
labored at the Lavra of St. Sabbas until 1025. He reposed in the year
1066, between the ages of 76 and 81.
The holy martyr Luka of Jerusalem lived in the 13th century. He was
born to an honorable, pious Georgian family by the name of Mukhaisdze.
After the repose of Lukas father, his mother left her children and
went to labor at a monastery in Jerusalem.
When Luka reached the age of twenty, he traveled to Jerusalem to visit
his mother and venerate the holy places. After spending some time
there he decided to remain and be tonsured a monk. He was later
ordained a deacon and became fluent in Arabic. Soon the brothers of
the monastery recognized his wisdom and asked him to guide them as
abbot. For three years Luka directed the monastery in an exemplary
manner.
But the devil was envious of the holy father and provoked a certain
Shekh-Khidar, an influential Persian at the court of Sultan Penducht,
(Probably Sultan Zakhir-Rukedin-Baibars-Bundukdar of Egypt (12601277))
to take up arms against St. Luka. Sultan Penducht then transferred
possession of theHoly CrossMonastery to Shekh-Khidar, who treated the
Georgian monks in a beastly manner and finally ousted them from the
monastery altogether. Fulfilling his God-given duty, the blessed Luka
insisted on personally confronting Shekh-Khidar in defense of his
brotherhood.
Lukas Christian brothers and sisters warned him, saying, Shekh-Khidar
is threatening you. Flee and hide fromhim! But Luka paid no heed to
their admonitions, certain that it was more fitting to die for Christ
than to live for the world. As he had insisted, he himself approached
Shekh-Khidar and asked for the release of the imprisoned fathers.
Luka told him that he was prepared to accept any demands. The wicked
Persian leader demanded nothing from Luka except that he convert to
Islam, promising to make him emir if he consented. When he refused,
the furious Shekh-Khidar ordered St. Lukas beheading.
After the terrible deed had been performed, St. Lukas severed head
turned toward the east and gave thanks to God with an expression of
pure peace. Soon after, his precious body was set on fire at the
command of the bewildered Shekh-Khidar. This occurred in 1277. St.
Nikoloz Dvali the Martyr was born at the end of the 13th century to a
God-fearing couple who directed his path toward the spiritual life.
At the age of twelve Nikoloz traveled to the Klarjeti Wilderness and
was tonsured a monk. From there he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and
remained in the holy city, settling at the Holy Cross Monastery.
Burning with desire for the apostolic life, Monk Nikoloz was
determined to die a martyrs death.
In Jerusalem a group of godless men arrested and tormented St. Nikoloz
for publicly confessing the Christian Faith, but a group of Christians
succeeded in rescuing him from prison. Then, in accordance with his
abbots counsel, St. Nikoloz relocated to a Georgian monastery on
Cyprus. There the pious monk beseeched the Lord to make him worthy of
the crown of martyrdom. One day, while he was praying before the icon
of St. John the Baptist, he heard a voice saying, Nikoloz! Arise and
go to Jerusalem. There you will find a Georgian monk who will teach
you the way of righteousness and encourage you on the path of
martyrdom. He has been appointed to guide you.
Accordingly, St. Nikoloz returned to Jerusalem, met the monk whom God
had appointed, and informed him of what had been revealed. The Most
Holy Theotokos and St. John the Baptist appeared to St. Nikolozs
spiritual father, who had been praying intensely for guidance, and
told him that it was the Lords will for Nikoloz to journey to
Damascus.
While in Damascus, the holy father entered a mosque and openly
confessed Christ to be the Savior, reproving those present for their
folly. The angry Muslims seized St. Nikoloz, beat him, and cast him
into prison. After a great struggle, the metropolitan and local
Christians succeeded in recovering him from captivity, but he
immediately returned to the Muslims and began again to denounce their
ungodly ways. Again they beat him mercilessly, lashed him five hundred
times, and cast him in prison for a second time. But the holy martyrs
wounds were healed through the miraculous intercession of St. John the
Baptist, and after two months he was released from prison.
By chance the emir of the city caught a glimpse of St. Nikoloz as he
was preparing to return to Jerusalem. The emir recognized him and sent
him to Dengiz, the emir of emirs. Dengiz flattered him and offered to
convert him to Islam, but St. Nikoloz bravely defended his faith in
Christ. In response, Dengiz ordered his execution.
At the hour appointed by Dengiz, the blessed martyr turned to the
east, joyfully bowed his neck to the sword, and prayed, Glory to Thee,
O Christ God, Who hast accounted me worthy to die for Thy names sake.
The sword pierced his neck, but the severed head glorified God seven
times, crying out, Glory to Thee, O Christ our God!
The Persians burned the saints body, and for three days a pillar of
light shone at the place where it lay.
When St.Nikolozs spiritual father heard about his martyrdom, he prayed
to God to reveal to him whether Nikoloz would be numbered among the
saints. Then one day while he was reading, he saw a vision of a host
of saints standing atop a mountain, illumined and surrounded by a
cloud of incense. Among them the Great-martyr George shone especially
brightly, and he called St. Nikoloz, saying, Nikoloz! Come and see the
monk, your spiritual father. He has shed many tears for you.
Nikoloz greeted his spiritual father, saying, Behold me and the place
where I am, and from this day cease your sorrowing for me.
St. Nikoloz Dvali was tortured to death on Tuesday, October 19, in the
year 1314. The Georgian Church continues to commemorate him on that
date.
_________________________________________________________________