[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

[Daily Orthodox Readings and Saints]

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sun Sep 16 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Luke 24:12-35  (5th Matins Gospel)
12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the
linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to
himself at what had happened.
13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village
called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.
14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself
drew near and went with them.
16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.
17 And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you
have with one another as you walk and are sad?"
18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are
You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things
which happened there in these days?"
19 And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The
things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed
and word before God and all the people,
20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be
condemned to death, and crucified Him.
21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.
Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things
happened.
22 Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb
early, astonished us.
23 When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had
also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive.
24 And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it
just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.
25 Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe
in all that the prophets have spoken!
26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter
into His glory?
27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them
in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He
indicated that He would have gone farther.
29 But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward
evening, and the day is far spent." And He went in to stay with them.
30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took
bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.
31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from
their sight.
32 And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us
while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the
Scriptures to us?"
33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found
the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,
34 saying, "The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!"
35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and
how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.
Scripture Reading 1 of 5


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Galatians 2:16-20  (Sunday After)
16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by
faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we
might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law;
for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
17 But if, while we seek to be justi fied by Christ, we ourselves also
are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly
not!
18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself
a transgressor.
19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live
by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Scripture Reading 2 of 5


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2 Corinthians 6:1-10
1 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to
receive the grace of God in vain.
2 For He says: In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day
of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
3 We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed.
4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much
patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,
5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in
sleeplessness, in fastings;
6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy
Spirit, by sincere love,
7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of
righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
8 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers,
and yet true;
9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as
chastened, and yet not killed;
10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich;
as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Scripture Reading 3 of 5


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Mark 8:34-9:1  (Sunday After)
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also,
He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.
36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and
loses his own soul?
37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and
sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He
comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.
1 And He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some
standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of
God present with power."
Scripture Reading 4 of 5


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Matthew 25:14-30
14 For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country,
who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
Scripture Reading 5 of 5



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------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Afterfeast of the Elevation of the Cross
>From September 15 until the Leavetaking, we sing "O come, let us
worship and fall down before Christ. O son of God crucified in the
flesh, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia" at weekday Liturgies
following the Little Entrance.
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Greatmartyr Euphemia the All-praised
The Holy Great Martyr Euphemia the All-Praised was the daughter of
Christians, the senator Philophronos and Theodosia. She suffered for
Christ in the year 304 in the city of Chalcedon, on the banks of the
Bosphorus opposite Constantinople.
The Chalcedon governor Priscus circulated an order to all the
inhabitants of Chalcedon and its surroundings to appear at a pagan
festival to worship and offer sacrifice to an idol of Ares,
threatening grave torments for anyone who failed to appear. During
this impious festival, 49 Christians were hidden in one house, where
they secretly attended services to the True God.
The young maiden Euphemia was also among those praying there. Soon the
hiding place of the Christians was discovered, and they were brought
before Priscus to answer for themselves. For nineteen days the martyrs
were subjected to various tortures and torments, but none of them
wavered in their faith nor consented to offer sacrifice to the idol.
The governor, beside himself with rage and not knowing any other way
of forcing the Christians to abandon their faith, sent them for trial
to the emperor Diocletian. He kept the youngest, the virgin Euphemia,
hoping that she would not remain strong if she were all alone.
St Euphemia, separated from her brethren in faith, fervently prayed
the Lord Jesus Christ, that He strengthen her in her impending ordeal.
Priscus at first urged the saint to recant, promising her earthly
blessings, but then he gave the order to torture her.
The martyr was tied to a wheel with sharp knives, which cut her body.
The saint prayed aloud, and as it happened, the wheel stopped by
itself and would not move even with all the efforts of the
executioners. An angel of the Lord, came down from Heaven, removed
Euphemia from the wheel and healed her of her wounds. The saint gave
thanks unto the Lord with gladness.
Not perceiving the miracle that had occurred, the torturer ordered the
soldiers Victor and Sosthenes to take the saint to a red-hot oven. But
the soldiers, seeing two fearsome angels in the midst of the flames,
refused to carry out the order of the governor and became believers in
the God Whom Euphemia worshipped. Boldly proclaiming that they too
were Christians, Victor and Sosthenes bravely went to suffering. They
were sent to be eaten by wild beasts. During their execution, they
cried out for mercy to God, asking that the Lord would receive them
into the Heavenly Kingdom. A heavenly Voice answered their cries, and
they entered into eternal life. The beasts, however, did not even
touch their bodies.
St Euphemia, castinto the fire by other soldiers, remained unharmed.
With the help of God she emerged unharmed after many other tortures
and torments. Ascribing this to sorcery, the governor gave orders to
dig out a new pit, and filling it with knives, he had it covered over
with earth and grass, so that the martyr would not notice the
preparation for her execution.
Here also St Euphemia remained safe, easily passing over the pit.
Finally, they sentenced her to be devoured by wild beasts at the
circus. Before execution the saint began to implore that the Lord deem
her worthy to die a violent death. But none of the beasts, set loose
at her in the arena, attacked her. Finally, one of the she-bears gave
her a small wound on the leg, from which came blood, and immediately
the holy Great Martyr Euphemia died. During this time there was an
earthquake, and both the guards and the spectators ran in terror, so
that the parents of the saint were able to take up her body and
reverently bury it not far from Chalcedon.
A majestic church was afterwards built over the grave of the Great
Martyr Euphemia. At this temple the sessions of the Fourth Ecumenical
Council took place in the year 451. At that time, the holy Great
Martyr Euphemia confirmed the Orthodox confession in a miraculous
manner, and exposed the Monophysite heresy. Details of this miracle
are related under July 11.
With the taking of Chalcedon by the Persians in the year 617, the
relics of the holy Great Martyr Euphemia were transferred to
Constantinople (in about the year 620). During the Iconoclast heresy,
the reliquary with the relics of St Euphemia appears to have been
thrown into the sea. Pious sailors recovered them. They were
afterwards taken to the Island of Lemnos, and in the year 796 they
were returned to Constantinople.
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Repose of St Cyprian the Metropolitan of Moscow and All
Russia
Saint Cyprian, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia, was a Serb by
origin, and struggled on Mt. Athos. By his pious life and education he
came to the attention of Patriarch Philotheus of Constantinople
(1354-1355, 1364-1376), who in 1375 consecrated Cyprian as
Metropolitan of Kiev and Lithuania.
At the Constantinople Council it was decided to avoid a fragmentation
of the Russian metropolia, and that "upon the death of St Alexis
(February 12), he should become the Metropolitan of All Rus." At
Moscow, St Cyprian endured many sorrows from the Great Prince, so at
first he lived either in Lithuania or at Constantinople. Only in the
year 1390, in the time of Great Prince Basil Dimitrievich, was he
accepted as primate at Moscow.
St Cyprian concerned himself with the correction of the service books.
There are preserved autographic manuscripts of certain Slavonic
translations by the saint, witnessing to his great scientific work.
And by his pastoral epistles he encouraged the faith of the Church.
His activity in the translation of liturgical literature is widely
known.
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St Sebastiana the Martyr and Disciple of St Paul the Apostle
at Heraclea
The Holy Martyr Sebastiana was a follower of the holy Apostle Paul.
During a persecution against Christians under the emperor Dometian
(81-96), she was on trial as a Christian before the governor named
Georgios in the city of Marcianopolis in the Mizea region.
St Sebastiana firmly confessed her faith in Christ, and for this she
was subjected to cruel tortures. At first they beat her, and then they
threw her into a red-hot oven, from which she emerged unharmed. They
sent the saint to the city of Heraklea, where sentence was pronounced
on her a second time.
The governor, named Pompian, gave orders to tie the saint to a tree
and lacerate her body with roof-tiles. The martyr remained unbroken in
her faith. Then the governor gave her to be eaten by wild beasts.
There too, the Lord preserved the holy martyr, and the beasts refused
to touch her. Then, by order of the governor, St Sebastiana was
beheaded. Her body, thrown into the sea, was taken by angels to the
island of Rhodes (in Thrace, in the Sea of Marmara).
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Martyr Melitina of Marcianopolis
The Holy Martyr Melitina lived in the city of Marcianopolis in Thrace
during the rule of the emperor Antoninus Pius ((138-161). She was a
fervent Christian, and the Lord blessed her with the gift of
wonderworking. By the power of her prayers she shattered the idols of
Apollo and Herakles.
Her fiery preaching converted many pagans to Christ. Antiochus, the
governor of the city of Marcianopolis, ordered that she be tortured,
since this holy woman could not be persuaded to deny Christ. She was
handed over to the governor's women who tried to convert her by
flattery and kindness. Not only was St Melitina not deceived or
softened by their efforts, but she made Christians of the governor's
women. When the governor learned of this, he had St Melitina brought
to trial, and sentenced her to be beheaded.
A Christian named Acacius reverently took the martyr's body with the
intention of burying her in his homeland of Macedonia. During the
voyage, however, Acacius fell sick and died. The ship stopped at the
island of Limnos, where the body of St Melitina was buried. The
martyr-loving Acacius was laid to rest beside her grave.
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Martyr Victor at Chalcedon
No information available at this time.
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Martyr Sosthenes at Chalcedon
No information available at this time.
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Venerable Dorotheus the Hermit of Egypt
Saint Dorotheus, Egyptian Hermit, a native of the Thebaid region in
Egypt, labored in asceticism for 60 years in the Skete desert, on the
Western side of the River Nile. Palladius, Bishop of Helenopolis and
author of the renowned LAUSIAC HISTORY, had been a disciple of St
Dorotheus in his youth, and has preserved memories of him.
St Dorotheus led a austere and ascetic life. After finishing his
prayers, he went into the noonday heat to gather stones along the
seashore to build cells for the other hermits. By night the saint wove
baskets, in exchange for which he received the supplies he needed in
order to live.
Food for St Dorotheus consisted of bread and the meager grass in the
wilderness. Once a day he partook of food and drank a little water. He
did not lie down to sleep, but only dozed off sometimes at work, or
after eating.
Once, St Dorotheus sent his disciple to fetch water, but he returned
saying that he saw a snake in the well and that the water in the well
was now poisoned. St Dorotheus went to the well himself, took up a
ladle of water, and making the Sign of the Cross over it he drank it,
saying: "Where the Cross is, there the demonic powers do no harm." St
Dorotheus died peacefully at an advanced age.
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Martyr Ludmilla the grandmother of St Wenceslaus the Prince
of the Czechs
The Holy Martyr Ludmilla, a Czech (Bohemian) princess, was married to
the Czech prince Borivoy. Both spouses received holy Baptism from St
Methodius, Archbishop of Moravia and Enlightener of the Slavs (Comm.
11 May).
As Christians, they showed concerned for the enlightening of their
subjects with the light of the true Faith, they built churches and
invited priests to celebrate the divine services. Prince Borivoy died
early at age 36. St Ludmilla, as a widow, led an austere, pious life
and continued to be concerned for the Church during the reign of her
son Bratislav, which lasted for 33 years.
Bratislav was married to Dragomira, with whom he had a son,
Vyacheslav. After the death of Bratislav, eighteen-year-old Vyacheslav
came on the throne. Taking advantage of the inexperience and youth of
her son, Dragomira began to introduce pagan manners and customs in the
country.
St Ludmilla, of course, opposed this. Dragomira came to hate her
mother-in-law and tried to destroy her. When St Ludmilla moved away to
the city of Techin, Dragomira sent two boyars in secret to murder her.
St Ludmilla was praying at the time, and the two assassins entered the
house and carried out Dragomira's orders.
The relics of the holy Martyr Ludmilla was buried in Techin in the
city wall. Numerous healings occurred at her grave. Prince Vyacheslav
transferred the body of St Ludmilla to the city of Prague and placed
it in the church of St George.
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New Martyr Isaac of Georgia
The holy martyrs Isaac and Joseph the Georgians were born into a
Muslim family, but their Georgian mother, a Christian, secretly raised
them according to the Christian tradition.
The brothers were so firmly dedicated to the Faith that they journeyed
to Byzantium to request that Emperor Nicephorus I Phocas (802811)
permit them to settle in his capital. The pious ruler extended a warm
welcome to the brothers, who were already well known and respected by
the nobility of Theodosiopolis (Karnu).
Learning of the brothers intention, the emir of Theodosiopolis
demanded to know the reason for their journey to Constantinople. The
brothers answered him openly, citing their Christian Faith as the
reason for their journey. Hearing this, the emir was infuriated, but
he did not want to kill the brothers, since they were deeply respected
by the people of his city. Instead he resolved to convert them from
the Christian Faith.
Isaac and Josephs elderly father tearfully pleaded with them to deny
Christ, while the emir promised them every honor and reward for
betraying Him, and terrible suffering and death in the case of their
refusal. But the holy brothers answered the emir, saying, Remember
that the flesh is like grass and every glory of this earth is like a
flower that grows in the grass. When the grass withers, the flower
also dies (c.f. Isaiah 40:67). Your threats of torture and death are
for us rather absurd, for _neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord_
(Rom. 8:389).
The young mens boldness enraged the emir, and he ordered his servants
to execute them.
Before the holy brothers gave up their souls, they knelt to the ground
and prayed: O Holy King and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, look down
upon Thy servants with mercy and receive us as a holy sacrifice.
Number us among Thy martyrs and make us worthy of the crown of
righteousness, for every good and perfect gift is from above and comes
down from Thee, the Father of lights (c.f. James 1:17)!
Then they bowed their necks beneath the sword.
The executioners chopped off their heads, leaving their bodies
untouched. That night their holy remains shone with a radiant light.
This miracle frightened the godless persecutors, and they ordered the
local Christians to bury the holy martyrs remains. The local bishop
and clergy committed their bodies to the earth with great reverence.
A church was later erected over the place where Sts. Isaac and Joseph
were laid to rest.
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New Martyr Joseph of Georgia
The holy martyrs Isaac and Joseph the Georgians were born into a
Muslim family, but their Georgian mother, a Christian, secretly raised
them according to the Christian tradition.
The brothers were so firmly dedicated to the Faith that they journeyed
to Byzantium to request that Emperor Nicephorus I Phocas (802811)
permit them to settle in his capital. The pious ruler extended a warm
welcome to the brothers, who were already well known and respected by
the nobility of Theodosiopolis (Karnu).
Learning of the brothers intention, the emir of Theodosiopolis
demanded to know the reason for their journey to Constantinople. The
brothers answered him openly, citing their Christian Faith as the
reason for their journey. Hearing this, the emir was infuriated, but
he did not want to kill the brothers, since they were deeply respected
by the people of his city. Instead he resolved to convert them from
the Christian Faith.
Isaac and Josephs elderly father tearfully pleaded with them to deny
Christ, while the emir promised them every honor and reward for
betraying Him, and terrible suffering and death in the case of their
refusal. But the holy brothers answered the emir, saying, Remember
that the flesh is like grass and every glory of this earth is like a
flower that grows in the grass. When the grass withers, the flower
also dies (c.f. Isaiah 40:67). Your threats of torture and death are
for us rather absurd, for _neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord_
(Rom. 8:389).
The young mens boldness enraged the emir, and he ordered his servants
to execute them.
Before the holy brothers gave up their souls, they knelt to the ground
and prayed: O Holy King and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, look down
upon Thy servants with mercy and receive us as a holy sacrifice.
Number us among Thy martyrs and make us worthy of the crown of
righteousness, for every good and perfect gift is from above and comes
down from Thee, the Father of lights (c.f. James 1:17)!
Then they bowed their necks beneath the sword.
The executioners chopped off their heads, leaving their bodies
untouched. That night their holy remains shone with a radiant light.
This miracle frightened the godless persecutors, and they ordered the
local Christians to bury the holy martyrs remains. The local bishop
and clergy committed their bodies to the earth with great reverence.
A church was later erected over the place where Sts. Isaac and Joseph
were laid to rest.
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Icon of the Mother of God Support of Humble
The Icon of the Mother of God, "Support of the Humble", appeared in
1420 at Stony Lake near Pskov. That same year, on September 16, it was
transferred to Pskov and placed in the cathedral church. Today's
celebration was established in memory of the transfer of this
wonderworking icon.
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New Hieromartyr Gregory (Raevskii) of Tver
No information available at this time.
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St Procopius
Saint Procopius was born in Bohemia, in the village of Hotun. In his
dignity of priest he toiled much to spread the Christian Faith in
Czechia. By the River Zasava he founded a monastery in the name of St
John the Forerunner, where he died in the year 1053.
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