[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Wed Sep 5 05:00:13 CDT 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Wed Sep 5 2007

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Galatians 3:15-22
15 Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man's
covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it.
16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not
say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed,"
who is Christ.
17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty
years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by
God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.
18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise;
but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of
transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was
made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.
20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if
there had been a law given which could have given life, truly
righteousness would have been by the law.
22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by
faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2

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Mark 6:7-13
7 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two
by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.
8 He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff-no
bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts-
9 but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.
10 Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay
there till you depart from that place.
11 And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from
there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.
Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and
Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that cit
12 So they went out and preached that people should repent.
13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were
sick, and healed them.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2

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Prophet Zachariah the father of St John the Baptist
The Holy Prophet Zachariah and the Righteous Elizabeth were the
parents of the holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John.
They were descended from the lineage of Aaron: St Zachariah, son of
Barach, was a priest in the Jerusalem Temple, and St Elizabeth was the
sister of St Anna, the mother of the Most Holy Theotokos. The
righteous spouses, "walking in all the commandments of the Lord (Luke
1:6), suffered barrenness, which in those times was considered a
punishment from God.
Once, during his turn of priestly service in the Temple, St Zachariah
was told by an angel that his aged wife would bear him a son, who
"will be great in the sight of the Lord" (Luke 1:15) and "will go
before Him in the spirit and power of Elias" (Luke 1:17).
Zachariah doubted that this prediction would come true, and for his
weakness of faith he was punished by becoming mute. When Elizabeth
gave birth to a son, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit she
announced that his name was John, although no one in their family had
this name.
They asked Zachariah and he also wrote the name John down on a tablet.
Immediately the gift of speech returned to him, and inspired by the
Holy Spirit, he began to prophesy about his son as the Forerunner of
the Lord.
When King Herod heard from the Magi about the birth of the Messiah, he
decided to kill all the infants up to two years old at Bethlehem and
the surrounding area, hoping that the new-born Messiah would be among
them.
Herod knew about John's unusual birth and he wanted to kill him,
fearing that he was the foretold King of the Jews. But Elizabeth hid
herself and the infant in the hills. The murderers searched everywhere
for John. Elizabeth, when she saw her pursuers, began to implore God
for their safety, and immediately the hill opened up and concealed her
and the infant from their pursuers.
In these tragic days St Zachariah was taking his turn at the services
in the Temple. Soldiers sent by Herod tried in vain to learn from him
the whereabouts of his son. Then, by command of Herod, they murdered
this holy prophet, having stabbed him between the temple and the altar
(MT 23: 35). Elizabeth died forty days after her husband, and St John,
preserved by the Lord, dwelt in the wilderness until the day of his
appearance to the nation of Israel.
On the Greek calendar, Sts Zachariah and Elizabeth are also
commemorated on June 24, the Feast of the Nativity of St John the
Baptist.
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Righteous Elizabeth the mother of St John the Baptist
The Righteous Elizabeth was the mother of the holy Prophet, Forerunner
and Baptist of the Lord, John. She was descended from the lineage of
Aaron, and St Elizabeth was the sister of St Anna, the mother of the
Most Holy Theotokos. The righteous spouses, "walking in all the
commandments of the Lord (Luke 1:6), suffered barrenness, which in
those times was considered a punishment from God.
When Elizabeth gave birth to a son, through the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit she announced that his name was John, although no one in
their family had this name.
They asked Zachariah (who had been rendered mute) what the child's
name was, and he wrote the name John down on a tablet. Immediately the
gift of speech returned to him, and inspired by the Holy Spirit, he
began to prophesy about his son as the Forerunner of the Lord.
When King Herod heard from the Magi about the birth of the Messiah, he
decided to kill all the infants up to two years old at Bethlehem and
the surrounding area, hoping that the new-born Messiah would be among
them.
Herod knew about John's unusual birth and he wanted to kill him,
fearing that he was the foretold King of the Jews. But Elizabeth hid
herself and the infant in the hills. The murderers searched everywhere
for John. Elizabeth, when she saw her pursuers, began to implore God
for their safety, and immediately the hill opened up and concealed her
and the infant from their pursuers.
In these tragic days St Zachariah was taking his turn at the services
in the Temple. Soldiers sent by Herod tried in vain to learn from him
the whereabouts of his son. Then, by command of Herod, they murdered
this holy prophet, having stabbed him between the temple and the altar
(MT 23: 35). Elizabeth died forty days after her husband, and St John,
preserved by the Lord, dwelt in the wilderness until the day of his
appearance to the nation of Israel.
On the Greek calendar, Sts Zachariah and Elizabeth are also
commemorated on June 24, the Feast of the Nativity of St John the
Baptist.
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Martyr Athanasius the Abbot of Brest
The Hieromartyr Athansius of Bretsk was Belorussian and was born in
about the year 1597 into a pious Christian family named Philippovich.
He received a serious upbringing, and he knew the theological and
historical literature, as is evidenced in the diary of the saint,
which has been preserved.
In his youth, St Athanasius for a while was a teacher in the houses of
Polish merchants. In the year 1627, he accepted tonsure under Igumen
Joseph at the Vilensk monastery of the Holy Spirit. St Athanasius was
ordained hieromonk in the year 1632, and made head of the Duboisk
[Dubovsk] monastery near Pinsk.
St Athanasius, with a special blessing of the Theotokos,
re-established Orthodoxy within the boundaries of the ancient Russian
territories that had been seized by the Polish Reche. Between the
years 1638-1648 St Athanasius fulfilled his obedience as igumen of the
Bretsk-Simeonov monastery. The monk endured much abuse from the
Uniates and illegal persecution from the civil authorities. Three
times he endured being locked up in prison.
The saint was sent to the authorities at Kiev to appear before a
religious tribunal, but he was acquitted, and returned to his own
monastery. For ten years St Athanasius, finding himself among persons
maliciously disposed towards him, led a constant struggle for Holy
Orthodoxy, his faithfulness to which is evidenced by his sufferings.
Attempts to wear down the spiritual endurance of the saint were to no
avail. He again went to trial, after which the monk was sentenced to
death by execution, for his cursing of the Unia. St Athanasius died as
a martyr on the night of September 4-5, 1648 (the Uncovering of Relics
was on July 20, 1679).
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Passion-Bearer Gleb, in Holy Baptism David
The Holy Prince Gleb, in Holy Baptism David, was one of the first
Russian martyrs called "Passion-Bearers." He suffered together with
his brother Prince Boris (Roman in Holy Baptism). After the murder of
St Boris, Svyatopolk the Accursed sent to his younger brother Prince
Gleb a messenger with false information about their father, Great
Prince Vladimir, who had died from illness, thereby using deceit to
murder another possible claimant to the Kievan throne.
The deceived Prince Gleb hastened off to Kiev with a small company.
His apprehensive brother Yaroslav, having caught up with him at
Smolensk, was unable to delay the saint, who did not suspect such
wickedness on the part of his brother Svyatopolk.
Not far from Smolensk the assassins came upon the boat of St Gleb, who
made no resistance, but asked meekly that they should spare him
because of his young age. At the command of the murderers Gleb's cook
slit his throat. The body of the prince was buried in a desolate place
not far from Smolensk, "between two tree-trunks," i.e., in a simple
wooden coffin (+1015). In the year 1019-1020 his brother Yaroslav
found the grave of St Gleb. The body, being incorrupt, was transferred
to Vyshgorod near Kiev and buried beside holy Prince Boris.
Later on, the relics of the brothers were transferred (May 2) into the
church of St Basil the Great, and there at the crypts of these holy
Passion-Bearers many miracles were worked. Metropolitan John of Kiev
compiled a service to the Passion-Bearer princes and also established
a feastday for them together on July 24, which dates from the first
half of the eleventh century.
The Russian Church from of old has venerated these brothers, who
unceasingly have rendered prayerful assistance to their native land,
particularly in years of grievous tribulation. Thus, just before the
Battle of the Neva in 1240, the Passion-Bearers Boris and Gleb
appeared in a vision to one of the soldiers of holy Prince Alexander
Nevsky (November 23, August 30, and May 23), and they aided the
Russians during the combat.
The chronicles are filled with the accounts of the various
manifestations of mercy, witnessed at their tombs, and of the
victories gained through their help. Many churches and monasteries
were built throughout Russia in honor of the holy Passion-Bearers
Boris and Gleb.
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Martyr Tathuil
The Martyrs Tathuil (Thiphael) and his sister Bebaia (or Thivea)
suffered for their bold and effective preaching of Christianity among
the pagans. After long and intense torture, the pagans suspended the
holy Martyr Thiphael on a tree and cut him with a saw. His sister St
Bebaia was killed with a spear thrust in the neck.
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Martyr Bebaia
The Martyrs Bebaia (or Thivea) and her brother Thiphael suffered for
their bold and effective preaching of Christianity among the pagans.
St Bebaia was killed with a spear thrust in the neck.
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Martyr Sarbelus of Edessa
The Holy Martyr Sarbelus was a pagan priest who lived during the reign
of the emperor Trajan (98-117) He and his sister Bebaia were converted
by St Barsimaius, the Bishop of Edessa (January 29). They both
received the crown of martyrdom.
This St Sarbelus appears to be the same one who is commemorated on
January 29 and October 15.
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Virginmartyr Rhais of Alexandria
The Holy Martyr Rhais (Iraida) lived at Alexandria. Once, she went to
a well to draw water and saw a ship at the shore. On board were a
large number of men, women, clergy and monks, all fettered in chains
for their confession of the Christian Faith.
Casting aside her water pitcher, the saint voluntarily joined the
prisoners for Christ, and fetters were placed on her, too. When the
ship arrived in the Egyptian city of Antipolis, St Iraida was the
first to undergo fierce torments and was beheaded with the sword.
After her, the other martyrs sealed their confession of faith in
Christ with their blood.
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Martyr Juventinus the Soldier at Antioch
The martyred soldiers Juventinus and Maximus suffered during the reign
of the emperor Julian the Apostate, whom they served as bodyguards.
Once, while he was at Antioch, Julian decided to defile the food of
the Christians by sprinkling all the food in the marketplaces with
blood offered to idols. Sts Juventinus and Maximus openly condemned
the emperor's course of action and they boldly denounced him for his
apostasy from the Christian Faith. After merciless beatings they were
both put to death on orders of the impious emperor.
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Martyr Maximus the Soldier at Antioch
The martyred soldiers Maximus and Juventinus suffered during the reign
of the emperor Julian the Apostate, whom they served as bodyguards.
Once, while he was at Antioch, Julian decided to defile the food of
the Christians by sprinkling all the food in the marketplaces with
blood offered to idols. Sts Juventinus and Maximus openly condemned
the emperor's course of action and they boldly denounced him for his
apostasy from the Christian Faith. After merciless beatings they were
both put to death on orders of the impious emperor.
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Martyr Urban and 79 Companions at Nicomedia
The Martyrs Urban, Theodore, Medimnus and seventy-nine companions
suffered at Nicomedia during the reign of the Arian emperor Valentus
(Valens) (364-378 or 379). The Orthodox bishop Evagrius was banished
from the Church of Constantinople, and Christians not wishing to
accept the Arian heresy were locked up in prison and subjected to
various outrages.
Driven to the point of despair, the Orthodox Christians decided to ask
for protection from the emperor and they sent 80 chosen men of
religious rank, headed by Sts Urban, Theodore and Medimnus.
Hearing their justified complaints, the emperor flew into a rage, but
he know how to hide his wrath. He quietly summoned the eparch Modestus
and ordered him to put the delegates to death. Modestus put them upon
a ship, telling them that they all would be sent to prison. Instead,
he ordered the ship's officers to burn the ship on the open sea. The
ship was set afire and for a while, it floated upon the sea. Finally,
reaching a place called Dakizis, the ship burned up with all the holy
martyrs on board.
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Martyr Theodore and 79 Companions at Nicomedia
The Martyrs Theodore, Urban, Medimnus and seventy-nine companions
suffered at Nicomedia during the reign of the Arian emperor Valentus
(Valens) (364-378 or 379). The Orthodox bishop Evagrius was banished
from the Church of Constantinople, and Christians not wishing to
accept the Arian heresy were locked up in prison and subjected to
various outrages.
Driven to the point of despair, the Orthodox Christians decided to ask
for protection from the emperor and they sent 80 chosen men of
religious rank, headed by Sts Urban, Theodore and Medimnus.
Hearing their justified complaints, the emperor flew into a rage, but
he know how to hide his wrath. He quietly summoned the eparch Modestus
and ordered him to put the delegates to death. Modestus put them upon
a ship, telling them that they all would be sent to prison. Instead,
he ordered the ship's officers to burn the ship on the open sea. The
ship was set afire and for a while, it floated upon the sea. Finally,
reaching a place called Dakizis, the ship burned up with all the holy
martyrs on board.
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Martyr Medimnus and 79 Companions at Nicomedia
The Martyrs Urban, Theodore, Medimnus and seventy-nine companions
suffered at Nicomedia during the reign of the Arian emperor Valentus
(Valens) (364-378 or 379). The Orthodox bishop Evagrius was banished
from the Church of Constantinople, and Christians not wishing to
accept the Arian heresy were locked up in prison and subjected to
various outrages.
Driven to the point of despair, the Orthodox Christians decided to ask
for protection from the emperor and they sent 80 chosen men of
religious rank, headed by Sts Urban, Theodore and Medimnus.
Hearing their justified complaints, the emperor flew into a rage, but
he know how to hide his wrath. He quietly summoned the eparch Modestus
and ordered him to put the delegates to death. Modestus put them upon
a ship, telling them that they all would be sent to prison. Instead,
he ordered the ship's officers to burn the ship on the open sea. The
ship was set afire and for a while, it floated upon the sea. Finally,
reaching a place called Dakizis, the ship burned up with all the holy
martyrs on board.
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Martyred 79 Companions of Theodore and Medimnus at Nicomedia
These seventy-nine martyrs perished with Sts Urban, Theodore, and
Medimnus at Nicomedia during the reign of the Arian emperor Valentus
(Valens) (364-378 or 379). The Orthodox bishop Evagrius was banished
from the Church of Constantinople, and Christians not wishing to
accept the Arian heresy were locked up into prison and subjected to
various outrages.
Driven to the point of despair, the Orthodox Christians decided to ask
for protection from the emperor and they sent 80 chosen men of
religious rank, headed by Sts Urban, Theodore and Medimnus.
Hearing their justified complaints, the emperor flew into a rage, but
he know how to hide his wrath. He quietly summoned the eparch Modestus
and ordered him to put the delegates to death. Modestus put them upon
a ship, telling them that they all would be sent to prison. Instead,
he ordered the ship's officers to burn the ship on the open sea. The
ship was set afire and for a while, it floated upon the sea. Finally,
reaching a place called Dakizis, the ship burned up with all the holy
martyrs on board.
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Martyr Abdias (Abidas) of Persia
The Martyr Abdias [or Abidas] suffered in Persia during the reign of
the emperor Izdegerd I for his refusal to renounce Christ and instead
worship the sun and fire. He died after many tortures, and until his
final breath, he gave thanks to God for permitting His chosen one to
die for His Holy Name.
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