[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Wed Oct 24 05:00:13 CDT 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Wed Oct 24 2007

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Colossians 3:17-4:1
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.
20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well
pleasing to the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become
discouraged.
22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the
flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of
heart, fearing God.
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the
inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and
there is no partiality.
1 Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that
you also have a Master in heaven.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2

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Luke 11:9-13
9 So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you
will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him
who knocks it will be opened.
11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him
a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead
of a fish?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask Him!
Scripture Reading 2 of 2

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Martyr Arethas
The Martyr Arethas and with him 4299 Martyrs suffered for the Lord
Jesus Christ in the sixth century. Arethas was prefect of the
Christian city of Negran in Arabia. The Arabian (or Omirite) king,
Dunaan, who was Jewish, decided to eliminate Christianity from the
land. He issued an edict that all followers of Christ were to be put
to death. Because the inhabitants of Negran remained faithful to the
Lord, Dunaan came with a large army to destroy the city. At the city
walls of Negran the king's heralds announced that Dunaan would only
spare those who renounced Christ and referred to His Cross as a "sign
of malediction."
Not daring to assault the Christian city by force, Dunaan resorted to
a ruse. Dunaan swore an oath that he would not force the Christians
into Judaism, but would merely collect a tribute from Negran. The
inhabitants of the city would not heed the advice of St Arethas, and
putting their trust in Dunaan, they opened the city gates.
The very next day Dunaan gave orders to light an immense fire and
throw all the clergy of the city into it in order to frighten the rest
of the Christians. 427 men were burned. He also threw the prefect
Arethas and the other chief men into prison. Then the oppressor sent
his messengers through the city to convert the Christians to Judaism.
Dunaan himself conversed with those inhabitants brought from the
prisons, saying, "I do not demand that you should renounce the God of
heaven and earth, nor do I want you to worship idols, I want merely
that you do not believe in Jesus Christ, since the Crucified One was a
man, and not God."
The holy martyrs replied that Jesus is God the Word, the Second Person
of the Holy Trinity, Who for the salvation of mankind was incarnate of
the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. Those suffering said, "We shall
not abjure Christ, since He is Life for us. To die for Him is to find
Life."
More than four thousand Christians, men, women, both the aged and
children, from the city of Negran and surrounding villages suffered
martyrdom for Christ.
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4,299 Martyrs with Arethas
The 4299 Martyrs suffered for the Lord Jesus Christ with St Arethas in
the sixth century. Arethas was prefect of the Christian city of Negran
in Arabia. The Arabian (or Omirite) king, Dunaan, who was Jewish,
decided to eliminate Christianity from the land. He issued an edict
that all followers of Christ were to be put to death.
Because the inhabitants of Negran remained faithful to the Lord,
Dunaan came with a large army to destroy the city. At the city walls
of Negran the king's heralds announced that Dunaan would only spare
those who renounced Christ and referred to His Cross as a "sign of
malediction."
Not daring to assault the Christian city by force, Dunaan resorted to
a ruse. Dunaan swore an oath that he would not force the Christians
into Judaism, but would merely collect a tribute from Negran. The
inhabitants of the city would not heed the advice of St Arethas, and
putting their trust in Dunaan, they opened the city gates.
The very next day Dunaan gave orders to light an immense fire and
throw all the clergy of the city into it in order to frighten the rest
of the Christians. 427 men were burned. He also threw the prefect
Arethas and the other chief men into prison. Then the oppressor sent
his messengers through the city to convert the Christians to Judaism.
Dunaan himself conversed with those inhabitants brought from the
prisons, saying, "I do not demand that you should renounce the God of
heaven and earth, nor do I want you to worship idols, I want merely
that you do not believe in Jesus Christ, since the Crucified One was a
man, and not God."
The holy martyrs replied that Jesus is God the Word, the Second Person
of the Holy Trinity, Who for the salvation of mankind was incarnate of
the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. Those suffering said, "We shall
not abjure Christ, since He is Life for us. To die for Him is to find
Life."
More than four thousand Christians, men, women, both the aged and
children, from the city of Negran and surrounding villages suffered
martyrdom for Christ.
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Venerable Arethus the Recluse of the Kiev Near Caves
Saint Arethas (12th century), Sisoes (13th century), and Theophilus
(12th-13th century) were hermits of the Near Caves in Kiev. They
struggled at the Kiev Caves monastery and were buried in the Near
Caves.
St Arethas was from Polotsk. While living at the monastery, he kept
many possessions in his cell. One day robbers made off with it.
Grieving over his lost riches, St Arethas began to murmur against God,
for which he was stricken with a serious illness. Being at the very
brink of death, he saw how both angels and devils had come for him and
were arguing between them. The devils asserted that he ought to be
given over to them because of his avarice and complaints against God.
Then the angels said to him, "You hapless man, if you had given thanks
to God for the pilfered riches, this would have been accounted as
charity for you."
After this vision, the saint recovered. He spent his final days as a
hermit, in distress and repentance over his sins, having renounced all
earthly possessions. St Arethas died not later than 1190. In the
Iconographic Manuals, the saint is described in this way: "In
appearance stooped over, his beard the same length as Kozmina, dressed
in monastic garb."
The general commemoration of all the Fathers of the Near Caves takes
place on September 28 and on the second Sunday of Great Lent.
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Venerable Sisoes the Recluse of the Kiev Near Caves
Saint Sisoes (13th century), Arethas (12th century), and Theophilus
(12th-13th century) were hermits of the Near Caves in Kiev. They
struggled at the Kiev Caves monastery and were buried in the Near
Caves.
In the general service for the Fathers of the Kiev Caves, St Sisoes is
called "radiant in fasting."
The general commemoration of all the Fathers of the Near Caves takes
place on September 28 and on the second Sunday of Great Lent.
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Venerable Theophilus the Recluse of the Kiev Near Caves
Saint Theophilus (12th-13th century), Arethas (12th century), and
Sisoes (13th century), were hermits of the Near Caves in Kiev. They
struggled at the Kiev Caves monastery and were buried in the Near
Caves.
St Theophilus, in the general service to the Fathers of the Kiev
Caves, is called "resplendant in miracles."
The general commemoration of all the Fathers of the Near Caves takes
place on September 28 and on the second Sunday of Great Lent.
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Blessed Elesbaan the King of Ethiopia
Saint Elesbaan, King of Ethiopia lived when Arabia was ruled by
Dunaan, the oppressor of Christians. The pious Elesbaan was unable to
look on indifferently as believers in Christ were being massacred. He
declared war on Dunaan, but his military campaign was unsuccessful.
Wishing to learn the reason for his defeat, Elesbaan, with prompting
from above, turned to a certain hermit. He revealed to the emperor
that he had proceeded unrighteously in deciding to take revenge
against Dunaan, since the Lord had said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will
repay!" (Heb 10:30).
The hermit counseled St Elesbaan make a vow to devote his final days
of life to God, to escape the wrath of God for his self-willed
revenge, and then to defeat Dunaan. St Elesbaan made a vow to the
Lord, and marching off with his army against the enemy, he defeated,
captured and executed him. After the victory the saint resigned as
emperor, secluded himself within a monastery and for fifteen years he
dwelt in strict fasting and asceticism.
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Martyr Syncletica and her two daughters
The Martyr Syncletica and her two daughters suffered under the Arabian
king Dunaan. St Syncletica was a descendant of an illustrious family.
Left widowed while still quite young, she devoted herself to the
Christian upbringing of her daughters, and she herself led a life both
chaste and virtuous.
Dunaan in the meantime had begun a persecution, intending to eliminate
Christians from his realm. He summoned St Syncletica and her daughters
before him, and in urging her to forsake her "folly," he promised as
reward to take her into the retinue of his wife.
"How can you not be afraid, O King, to speak evil of Him Who has given
you both royal crown and life?" replied the holy martyr.
Dunaan gave orders to lead St Syncletica and her daughters through the
city as though they were criminals. Women, looking on at the disgrace
of the saint, started crying, but she told them that this "shame" for
her was dearer than any earthly honor.
Again they brought the martyr before Dunaan, and he said, "If you wish
to remain alive, you must renounce Christ."
"If I do, then who will deliver me from eternal death?" the saint
asked. In a rage, the tormentor ordered that St Syncletica's daughters
be killed first, and then for the mother to be beheaded with a sword.
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Martyred Daughters of Syncletica
The Martyr Syncletica and her two daughters suffered under the Arabian
king Dunaan. St Syncletica was a descendant of an illustrious family.
Left widowed while still quite young, she devoted herself to the
Christian upbringing of her daughters, and she herself led a life both
chaste and virtuous.
Dunaan in the meantime had begun a persecution, intending to eliminate
Christians from his realm. He summoned St Syncletica and her daughters
before him, and in urging her to forsake her "folly," he promised as
reward to take her into the retinue of his wife.
"How can you not be afraid, O King, to speak evil of Him Who has given
you both royal crown and life?" replied the holy martyr.
Dunaan gave orders to lead St Syncletica and her daughters through the
city as though they were criminals. Women, looking on at the disgrace
of the saint, started crying, but she told them that this "shame" for
her was dearer than any earthly honor.
Again they brought the martyr before Dunaan, and he said, "If you wish
to remain alive, you must renounce Christ."
"If I do, then who will deliver me from eternal death?" the saint
asked. In a rage, the tormentor ordered that St Syncletica's daughters
be killed first, and then for the mother to be beheaded with a sword.
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St Athanasius the Patriarch of Constantinople
Saint Athanasius I, Patriarch of Constantinople (1289-1293;
1303-1311), in the world Alexius, was from Adrianopolis. While still
in his youth, thriving upon the knowledge of the wisdom of Christ, he
left his home and went to Thessalonica, where he was tonsured in one
of the monasteries with the name Acacius. He soon withdrew to Mount
Athos and entered the brethren of the Esphigmenou monastery, where for
three years he served in the trapeza. In his works and his ascetic
deeds he acquired the gift of tears, and by his virtuous acts he won
the overall goodwill of the brethren.
Shunning praise, Acacius humbly left Mt. Athos at first for the holy
places in Jerusalem, and then to Mount Patra, where for a long time he
lived ascetically as an hermit. From there the ascetic transferred to
the Auxention monastery, and then to Mount Galanteia to the monastery
of Blessed Lazarus, where he accepted the great angelic schema with
the name Athanasius, was ordained a priest and became ecclesiarch
(monk in charge of the sacred relics and vessels in the church). Here
the saint was granted a divine revelation: he heard the Voice of the
Lord from a crucifix, summoning him to pastoral service.
Wishing to strengthen his spirit still more in silence and prayer, St
Athanasius again settled on Mount Athos after ten years. But because
of disorders arising there he returned to Mount Galanteia. Here also
he was not long to remain in solitude. Many people thronged to him for
pastoral guidance, and so he organized a women's monastery there.
During this time the throne of the Church of Constantinople fell
vacant after the disturbances and disorder of the period of the
Patriarch John Bekkos. At the suggestion of the pious emperor
Andronicus Paleologos, a council of hierarchs and clergy unanimously
chose St Athanasius to the Patriarchal throne of the Church in 1289.
Patriarch Athanasius began fervently to fulfill his new obedience and
did much for strengthening the Church. His strictness of conviction
roused the dissatisfaction of influential clergy, and in 1293 he was
compelled to resign the throne and to retire again to his own
monastery, where he lived an ascetic life in solitude. In 1303 he was
again entrusted with the staff of patriarchal service, which he
worthily fulfilled for another seven years. In 1308 St Athanasius
established St Peter as Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus (December
21).
Again, because of some sort of dissatisfaction, and not wanting to be
the cause of church discord, St Athanasius resigned the governance of
the Church in 1311. He departed to his own monastery, devoting himself
fully to monastic deeds.
Toward the end of his life, the saint was again found worthy to behold
Christ. The Lord reproached him because Athanasius had not carried out
his pastoral duty to the end. Weeping, the saint repented of his
cowardice and received from the Lord both forgiveness and the gift of
wonderworking. St Athanasius died at the age of 100.
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Icon of the Mother of God "the Joy of All Who Sorrow"
The wonderworking "Joy of All Who Sorrow" Icon of the Mother of God
was glorified in the year 1688. Euphymia, the sister of Patriarch
Joachim (1674-1690), lived at Moscow and suffered from an incurable
illness for a long time. One morning during a time of prayer she heard
a voice say, "Euphymia! Go to the temple of the Transfiguration of My
Son; there you will find an icon called the "Joy of All Who Sorrow."
Have the priest celebrate a Molieben with the blessing of water, and
you will receive healing from sickness." Euphymia did as she was
directed by the Most Holy Theotokos, and she was healed. This occurred
on October 24, 1688.
The icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" (with coins
fused to it by a bolt of lightning), was manifested at St Petersburg
in 1888. See July 23.
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St John the Hermit of Pskov
Saint John, Hermit of Pskov (+1616) lived an ascetic life during a
terrible time of military troubles. In 1592 the Swedes besieged the
city of Pskov. From 1608, for seven years, Polish forces attacked
under the head of Lisovski. It was only in the week before the death
of the monk, through the intercession of the Pskov Caves Icon of the
Mother of God and the Pskov Saints, that Pskov was delivered from the
besieging army of the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus.
St John, as the chronicle relates, "lived within the city walls for 23
years; his fish was rancid and he did not eat bread. He lived within
the city as though in a wilderness, in great silence," and he died on
October 24, 1616.
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