[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Thu Sep 6 05:00:13 CDT 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Thu Sep 6 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Galatians 3:23-4:5
23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept
for the faith which would afterward be revealed.
24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we
might be justified by faith.
25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free,
there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs
according to the promise.
1 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ
at all from a slave, though he is master of all,
2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the
father.
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the
elements of the world.
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son,
born of a woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the
adoption as sons.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2

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Mark 6:30-45
30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both
what they had done and what they had taught.
31 And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place
and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did
not even have time to eat.
32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.
33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran
there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came
together to Him.
34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved
with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a
shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said,
"This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.
36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and
villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.
37 But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."
And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth
of bread and give them something to eat?"
38 But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And
when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."
39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the
green grass.
40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.
41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked
up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His
disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them
all.
42 So they all ate and were filled.
43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.
44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.
45 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before
Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2

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Commemoration of the Miracle of the Archangel Michael at
Colossae
The Miracle of the Holy Chief Commander Archangel Michael at Colossae.
In Phrygia, not far from the city of Hieropolis, in a place called
Cheretopos, there was a church named for the Archangel Michael, built
over a miraculous spring.
This church was built by a certain inhabitant of the city of Laodicia
in gratitude to God for healing his mute daughter. The holy Chief
Commander Michael appeared to this man in a dream and revealed to him
that his daughter would receive the gift of speech after drinking from
the water of the spring. The girl actually did receive healing and
began to speak. After this miracle, the father and his daughter and
all their family were baptized. In fervent gratitude, the father built
the church in honor of the holy Chief Commander Michael. Not only did
Christians begin to come to the spring for healing, but also pagans.
In so doing, many of the pagans turned from their idols and were
converted to the faith in Christ.
At this church of the holy Chief Commander Michael, a certain pious
man by the name of Archippus served for sixty years as church
custodian. By his preaching and by the example of his saintly life he
brought many pagans to faith in Christ. With the general malice of
that time towards Christians, and especially against Archippus, the
pagans thought to destroy the church in order to prevent people from
coming to that holy place of healing, and at the same time kill
Archippus.
Toward this end they made a confluence of the Lykokaperos and Kufos
Rivers and directed its combined flow against the church. St Archippus
prayed fervently to the Chief Commander Michael to ward off the
danger. Through his prayer the Archangel Michael appeared at the
temple, and with a blow of his staff, opened a wide fissure in a rock
and commanded the rushing torrents of water to flow into it. The
temple remained unharmed. Seeing such an awesome miracle, the pagans
fled in terror. Archippus and the Christians gathered in church
glorified God and gave thanks to the holy Archangel Michael for the
help. The place where the rivers plunged into the fissure received the
name "Chonae", which means "plunging."
The Chudov ("of the Miracle") monastery in Moscow is named for this
Feast.
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Martyr Eudoxius
The Martyrs Eudoxius, Zeno, Macarius and their Companions received a
martyric death for Christ under the emperor Maximian Galerius, the
successor of the emperor Diocletian.
St Eudoxius held the high position of a military commander in the
imperial armies. He was a Christian, as were his friend Zeno and his
house steward Macarius. After the emperor Diocletian issued an edict
that Christians who refused to offer sacrifice to idols were to be put
to death, many people fled to various lands with their families to
avoid torture and death. At this time St Eudoxius resigned his high
position, and with his wife St Basilissa and all their family
abandoned their property and went into hiding in the region of
Armenian Melitene.
The governor of Melitene sent soldiers to search for Eudoxius. When
they found Eudoxius, he was attired in white garb. Not recognising
him, the soldiers began to question whether a certain military
commander Eudoxius had come into these parts. Not revealing who he
was, the saint invited the soldiers into his home, fed them and gave
them lodging for the night.
St Eudoxius considered his encounter with the soldiers as a sign from
the Lord of his impending death by martyrdom. In the morning, he
disclosed to his guests that he was the one whom they were seeking. In
gratitude for the hospitality, the soldiers offered to conceal from
the authorities that they had found St Eudoxius. However, the saint
would not consent to this.
Setting his affairs in order, he told his wife not to weep for him,
but on the contrary to celebrate the day of his martyric death.
Donning his military garb, he went with the soldiers to the governor.
St Basilissa and his friends Sts Zeno and Macarius followed after St
Eudoxius.
The governor tried to persuade St Eudoxius to offer sacrifice to the
idols and by this safeguard his life, exalted rank and property. St
Eudoxius firmly refused, denouncing the folly of anyone who would
worship soulless idols. He removed his soldier's belt, the emblem of
his authority, and threw it in the governor's face.
Soldiers present at this, secret Christians, did the same thing, and
they numbered more than a thousand men. The embarrassed governor asked
the emperor what he should do. He was ordered to try the ringleaders
and set the others free.
After prolonged tortures, they led St Eudoxius forth to execution.
Following after her husband, St Basilissa wept, and his friend St Zeno
also wept for the martyr. St Eudoxius again urged his wife not to
mourn him, but rather to rejoice that he was worthy of the crown of
martyrdom. He asked that she bury his body in a place called Amimos.
To his weeping friend St Zeno St Eudoxius predicted that they would
enter the Kingdom of Heaven at the same time. Emboldened by these
words, Zeno loudly declared himself a Christian, for which he was
immediately sentenced to death.
Later, St Basilissa took her husband's body without hindrance, and
buried it in the place where he had requested. After this, they
arrested the saint and led her before the governor. Desiring to share
the fate of her husband, she fearlessly denounced both the governor
and his false gods, the idols. The governor, however, saw her intent
and would not torture her, but instead sent her away. As she left, the
saint said to him that God would see her intention to suffer for her
faith and would accept this intent as an accomplished deed.
Seven days later, St Eudoxius appeared to his wife in a vision and
bade her to inform his friend and house steward Macarius, that both he
and St Zeno awaited the arrival of Macarius. Macarius immediately went
to the governor and declared himself a Christian, for which he was
sentenced to death and beheaded. Many Christians also suffered
martyrdom during this time.
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Martyr Zeno
The Martyrs Eudoxius, Zeno, Macarius and their Companions received a
martyric death for Christ under the emperor Maximian Galerius, the
successor of the emperor Diocletian.
St Eudoxius held the high position of a military commander in the
imperial armies. He was a Christian, as were his friend Zeno and his
house steward Macarius. After the emperor Diocletian issued an edict
that Christians who refused to offer sacrifice to idols were to be put
to death, many people fled to various lands with their families to
avoid torture and death. At this time St Eudoxius resigned his high
position, and with his wife St Basilissa and all their family
abandoned their property and went into hiding in the region of
Armenian Melitene.
The governor of Melitene sent soldiers to search for Eudoxius. When
they found Eudoxius, he was attired in white garb. Not recognizing
him, the soldiers began to question whether a certain military
commander Eudoxius had come into these parts. Not revealing who he
was, the saint invited the soldiers into his home, fed them and gave
them lodging for the night.
St Eudoxius considered his encounter with the soldiers as a sign from
the Lord of his impending death by martyrdom. In the morning, he
disclosed to his guests that he was the one whom they were seeking. In
gratitude for the hospitality, the soldiers offered to conceal from
the authorities that they had found St Eudoxius. However, the saint
would not consent to this.
Setting his affairs in order, he told his wife not to weep for him,
but on the contrary to celebrate the day of his martyric death.
Donning his military garb, he went with the soldiers to the governor.
St Basilissa and his friends Sts Zeno and Macarius followed after St
Eudoxius.
The governor tried to persuade St Eudoxius to offer sacrifice to the
idols and by this safeguard his life, exalted rank and property. St
Eudoxius firmly refused, denouncing the folly of anyone who would
worship soulless idols. He removed his soldier's belt, the emblem of
his authority, and threw it in the governor's face.
Soldiers present at this, secret Christians, did the same thing, and
they numbered more than a thousand men. The embarrassed governor asked
the emperor what he should do. He was ordered to try the ringleaders
and set the others free.
After prolonged tortures, they led St Eudoxius forth to execution.
Following after her husband, St Basilissa wept, and his friend St Zeno
also wept for the martyr. St Eudoxius again urged his wife not to
mourn him, but rather to rejoice that he was worthy of the crown of
martyrdom. He asked that she bury his body in a place called Amimos.
To his weeping friend St Zeno St Eudoxius predicted that they would
enter the Kingdom of Heaven at the same time. Emboldened by these
words, Zeno loudly declared himself a Christian, for which he was
immediately sentenced to death.
Later, St Basilissa took her husband's body without hindrance, and
buried it in the place where he had requested. After this, they
arrested the saint and led her before the governor. Desiring to share
the fate of her husband, she fearlessly denounced both the governor
and his false gods, the idols. The governor, however, saw her intent
and would not torture her, but instead sent her away. As she left, the
saint said to him that God would see her intention to suffer for her
faith and would accept this intent as an accomplished deed.
Seven days later, St Eudoxius appeared to his wife in a vision and
bade her to inform his friend and house steward Macarius, that both he
and St Zeno awaited the arrival of Macarius. Macarius immediately went
to the governor and declared himself a Christian, for which he was
sentenced to death and beheaded. Many Christians also suffered
martyrdom during this time.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Macarius
The Martyrs Eudoxius, Zeno, Macarius and their Companions received a
martyric death for Christ under the emperor Maximian Galerius, the
successor of the emperor Diocletian.
St Eudoxius held the high position of a military commander in the
imperial armies. He was a Christian, as were his friend Zeno and his
house steward Macarius. After the emperor Diocletian issued an edict
that Christians who refused to offer sacrifice to idols were to be put
to death, many people fled to various lands with their families to
avoid torture and death. At this time St Eudoxius resigned his high
position, and with his wife St Basilissa and all their family
abandoned their property and went into hiding in the region of
Armenian Melitene.
The governor of Melitene sent soldiers to search for Eudoxius. When
they found Eudoxius, he was attired in white garb. Not recognising
him, the soldiers began to question whether a certain military
commander Eudoxius had come into these parts. Not revealing who he
was, the saint invited the soldiers into his home, fed them and gave
them lodging for the night.
St Eudoxius considered his encounter with the soldiers as a sign from
the Lord of his impending death by martyrdom. In the morning, he
disclosed to his guests that he was the one whom they were seeking. In
gratitude for the hospitality, the soldiers offered to conceal from
the authorities that they had found St Eudoxius. However, the saint
would not consent to this.
Setting his affairs in order, he told his wife not to weep for him,
but on the contrary to celebrate the day of his martyric death.
Donning his military garb, he went with the soldiers to the governor.
St Basilissa and his friends Sts Zeno and Macarius followed after St
Eudoxius.
The governor tried to persuade St Eudoxius to offer sacrifice to the
idols and by this safeguard his life, exalted rank and property. St
Eudoxius firmly refused, denouncing the folly of anyone who would
worship soulless idols. He removed his soldier's belt, the emblem of
his authority, and threw it in the governor's face.
Soldiers present at this, secret Christians, did the same thing, and
they numbered more than a thousand men. The embarrassed governor asked
the emperor what he should do. He was ordered to try the ringleaders
and set the others free.
After prolonged tortures, they led St Eudoxius forth to execution.
Following after her husband, St Basilissa wept, and his friend St Zeno
also wept for the martyr. St Eudoxius again urged his wife not to
mourn him, but rather to rejoice that he was worthy of the crown of
martyrdom. He asked that she bury his body in a place called Amimos.
To his weeping friend St Zeno St Eudoxius predicted that they would
enter the Kingdom of Heaven at the same time. Emboldened by these
words, Zeno loudly declared himself a Christian, for which he was
immediately sentenced to death.
Later, St Basilissa took her husband's body without hindrance, and
buried it in the place where he had requested. After this, they
arrested the saint and led her before the governor. Desiring to share
the fate of her husband, she fearlessly denounced both the governor
and his false gods, the idols. The governor, however, saw her intent
and would not torture her, but instead sent her away. As she left, the
saint said to him that God would see her intention to suffer for her
faith and would accept this intent as an accomplished deed.
Seven days later, St Eudoxius appeared to his wife in a vision and
bade her to inform his friend and house steward Macarius, that both he
and St Zeno awaited the arrival of Macarius. Macarius immediately went
to the governor and declared himself a Christian, for which he was
sentenced to death and beheaded. Many Christians also suffered
martyrdom during this time.
_________________________________________________________________
St Archippus of Herapolis
Saint Archippus, son of devout Christians from the city of Hieropolis,
at age ten went to pray in the church of the holy Chief Commander
Michael and he remained at this temple to serve as church caretaker.
He led a strict and ascetic manner of life, constantly at fasting and
prayer.
He persuaded many pagans who came to the holy spring to accept holy
Baptism, to forsake pagan impiety, and to turn to the One True God and
Savior Jesus Christ. Tenacious pagans headed by idolous priests
repeatedly tried to kill St Archippus, but each time the Lord
delivered him out of their hands.
Finally, the pagans devised a plan to destroy the church and at the
same time kill also Archippus by flooding the spot where both the
church and the curative spring stood. Seeing the preparations for this
wicked deed, St Archippus firmly resolved not to abandon the holy
place, and he prayed to God and to the Archangel Michael to preserve
the church and the spring. The Lord heard his prayer, and the saint
witnessed the great Miracle of the Chief Commander Michael at
Colossae. Miraculously delivered from death, St Archippus lived at the
church into his old age, and he died peacefully at the age of 70.
Christians buried the saint at Colossae, at the place of his deeds.
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Martyr Romulus and with him many others
The Martyr Romulus lived during the reign of the emperor Trajan
(98-117) and was a confidant of the emperor by virtue of his office of
military commander. While the emperor was waging war in the East to
put down the uprisings of various peoples against the Romans, the
Iberians, the Sarmatians, the Arabs.
In the year 107, and again a second time in 115, the emperor conducted
a review of the military strength of his army, and found in his troops
upwards of 11,000 Christians. Trajan immediately sent these Christians
into exile in Armenia in disgrace. St Romulus, in view of this,
reproached the emperor for his impiety and the sheer folly to diminish
the army's strength during a time of war. St Romulus, moreover,
acknowledged that he himself was a Christian. The enraged Trajan had
the holy martyr subjected to a merciless beating, after which St
Romulus was beheaded.
The Christian soldiers sent into exile in Armenia were killed by
various forms of execution.
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Hieromartyr Cyril the Bishop of Gortyna
The Hieromartyr Cyril, Bishop of Gortyna, lived during the time of the
emperor Diocletian and his co-emperor Maximian (284-305). As a
Christian he was brought to trial before the governor Agrippina and
after interrogation he was thrown into prison. One night the saint
heard a voice commanding him to go to Rome.
In the morning the doors of the prison were open, and the idols
overthrown and destroyed. On the road to Rome St Cyril had a vision:
St Philoxenos appeared and said that he would receive two crowns, one
of a hierarch and the other of a martyr.
At Rome, St Cyril rendered great help to the Church by his preaching.
When a persecution against Christians started up, St Cyril went to
Jerusalem to encourage the Christians living there. Along the way he
had a vision and received a command not to neglect Crete.
When he arrived there, St Cyril was chosen bishop of the city of
Gortyna. He was then 60 years of age. Still on the episcopal throne of
Gortyna at age 95, St Cyril was brought to trial at the start of a new
persecution against Christians and sentenced to death. He was beheaded
with the sword in the vicinity of Raukos at the beginning of the
fourth century.
St Cyril is commemorated on June 14 on the Greek calendar.
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Martyr Cyriacus and 11 others at Alexandria
The Martyrs Cyriacus, Faustus the Presbyter, (Habib) Abibas the
Deacon, and eleven other martyrs suffered martyrdom for Christ at
Alexandria under the emperor Decius (249-251). During the persecution,
they all steadfastly confessed themselves as Christians before the
governor Valerius. They were beheaded by the sword, about the year
250. Their bodies were buried by Christians in Alexandria.
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Martyr Faustus the Presbyter and 11 others at Alexandria
The Martyrs Faustus the Presbyter, (Habib) Abibas the Deacon, Cyriacus
and eleven other martyrs suffered martyrdom for Christ at Alexandria
under the emperor Decius (249-251). During the persecution, they all
steadfastly confessed themselves as Christians before the governor
Valerius. They were beheaded by the sword, about the year 250. Their
bodies were buried by Christians in Alexandria.
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Martyr Abibas the Deacon and 11 others at Alexandria
The Martyrs (Habib) Abibas the Deacon, Faustus the Presbyter, Cyriacus
and eleven other martyrs suffered martyrdom for Christ at Alexandria
under the emperor Decius (249-251). During the persecution, they all
steadfastly confessed themselves as Christians before the governor
Valerius. They were beheaded by the sword, about the year 250. Their
bodies were buried by Christians in Alexandria.
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11 Martyred with Faustus and Abibas at Alexandria
These eleven martyrs were martyred at Alexandria with Faustus the
Presbyter, Abibas (Habib) the Deacon, Cyriacus under the emperor
Decius (249-251). During the persecution, they all steadfastly
confessed themselves as Christians before the governor Valerius. They
were beheaded by the sword, about the year 250. Their bodies were
buried by Christians in Alexandria.
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St David of Hermopolis in Egypt
Saint David of Egypt before his entry into a monastery was the leader
of a band of bandits in Egypt, in the desert of Hermopolis. He had
committed many murders and other wicked deeds. As he grew older, he
contemplated his life and was filled with fear because of his past
crimes. Leaving his gang of bandits, he went to the monastery
intending to repent of his wickedness.
He begged the igumen to accept him as one of the brethren, but the
igumen refused. He explained to David that their monastic life was
very severe and would be beyond his strength. David persisted and
finally, he revealed to the igumen, that he was the notorious robber
David. He said that if they did not accept him, he would return to his
former life, then come back and plunder the monastery and kill the
monks.
Then the igumen allowed him into the monastery, and to the surprise of
all, David became an excellent monk. By his severe efforts David
surpassed all the monks. After a certain time the Lord sent the
Archangel Gabriel to David to say that the Lord had forgiven him. St
David, in his great humility, could not believe that the Lord would
forgive such a great sinner as he was, in such a short time. The
Archangel then said to him, that because of his doubt David would
become speechless. David asked that he should be permitted to say his
prayers, monastic rule and share in the church services. This was
granted him, but the rest of the time he remained speechless. Towards
the end of his life, St David received from God the power to perform
miracles. He healed many of the sick and cast out evil spirits. Having
lived in such manner for many years, he fell asleep in the Lord.
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Icon of the Mother of God of Kiev-Bratsk
The Kiev-Bratsk Icon of the Mother of God was at first in the church
of Sts Boris and Gleb in the city of Vyshgorod (Kiev), where it
miraculously appeared in the year 1654. In 1662, when Russia was at
war with Poland (1659-1667), the city was dealt heavy losses by the
Crimean Tatars fighting on the side of the Polish. The temple of the
holy Passion-Bearers Boris and Gleb was destroyed and defiled. But the
Providence of God preserved the holy wonderworking icon of the Mother
of God, which was taken out of the church beforehand and set off along
the Dniepr. The relics of the saints were hidden beneath a crypt.
The river carried the icon to the Podol section of Kiev, where it was
joyfully taken up by the Orthodox and with due reverence transferred
to the Bratsk (Brotherhood) monastery. The icon is described in the
records of church property of the Kiev-Bratsk monastery, made in the
year 1807.
There existed a "Song about the Wonderworking Kiev-Bratsk Icon of the
Mother of God", compiled soon after the year 1692. The Kiev-Bratsk
Icon of the Mother of God is commemorated four times during the year:
September 6, May 10, June 2, and on Saturday of the Fifth Week of
Great Lent. All these days are dedicated to the miraculous appearance
of the holy icon in 1654. The original icon has not been preserved.
The copy was painted from it "measure for measure," and is at present
located in the Kiev monastery of the Protection of the Mother of God.
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Hieromartyr Maxim Sandovich
No information available at this time.
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Icon of the Mother of God Arapet (Arabian)
The Arapet, or "Arabian" Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos appeared
while the holy Apostle Thomas (October 6) was evangelizing Ethiopia,
Arabia, and India.
Instead of the usual three stars (signifying the perpetual virginity
of the Mother of God), the outer garment of the Theotokos has three
circles with the head of an angel inside each one. In this feature, it
resembles the icons "In Giving Birth you Preserved your Virginity" ("A
Virgin Before and After Giving Birth") (October 17) and "O All-Hymned
Mother" (October 6).
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