[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Sun Sep 30 05:00:16 CDT 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sun Sep 30 2007

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

-----------------------------

John 20:1-10  (7th Matins Gospel)
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb
early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken
away from the tomb.
2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple,
whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out
of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."
3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to
the tomb.
4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and
came to the tomb first.
5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying
there; yet he did not go in.
6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he
saw the linen cloths lying there,
7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with
the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.
8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also;
and he saw and believed.
9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again
from the dead.
10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
Scripture Reading 1 of 3

-----------------------------

2 Corinthians 9:6-11  (Epistle)
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and
he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or
of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you,
always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for
every good work.
9 As it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the
poor; His righteousness endures forever."
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food,
supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of
your righteousness,
11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which
causes thanksgiving through us to God.
Scripture Reading 2 of 3

-----------------------------

Luke 6:31-36  (Gospel)
31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them
likewise.
32 But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For
even sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that
to you? For even sinners do the same.
34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what
credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as
much back.
35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in
return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the
Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
Scripture Reading 3 of 3

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

Hieromartyr Gregory the Bishop of Greater Armenia, Equal of
the Apostles and Enlightener of Armenia
The Hieromartyr Gregory, Enlightener of Great Armenia, was born in the
year 257. He was descended from the line of the Parthian Arsakid
emperors. The father of St Gregory, Anak, in striving after the
Armenian throne, had murdered his kinsman, the emperor Kursar, in
consequence of which all the line of Anak was marked for destruction.
A certain kinsman saved Gregory: he carried off the infant from
Armenia to Caesarea Cappadocia and raised him in the Christian Faith.
At maturity, Gregory married, had two sons, but soon was left a
widower. Gregory raised his sons in piety. One of them -- Orthanes,
afterwards became a priest, and the other -- Arostanes, accepted
monasticism and went off into the wilderness.
In order to atone for the sin of his father, who had murdered the
father of Tiridates, Gregory entered into the service of the latter
and was a faithful servant to him. Tiridates loved Gregory like a
friend, but he was intolerant of the Christian confession of faith.
After ascending the Armenian throne, he began to demand that St
Gregory renounce the Christian Faith.
The steadfastness of the saint embittered Tiridates, and he gave his
faithful servant over to cruel tortures: they suspended the sufferer
head downwards with a stone about his neck, for several days they
choked him with a stinking smoke, they beat and ridiculed him, and
forced him to walk in iron sandals inset with nails.
At the time of these sufferings St Gregory sang Psalms. In prison the
Lord healed all his wounds. When Gregory again stood before the
emperor cheerful and unharmed, he was astonished and gave orders to
repeat the torments. St Gregory endured them, not wavering, with all
his former determination and bearing. They then poured hot tin over
him and threw him into a pit filled with vipers. The Lord, however,
saved His chosen one: the snakes did him no harm.
Some pious women fed him with bread, secretly lowering it into the
pit. A holy angel, appeared to the martyr, strengthening and
encouraging him. St Gregory remained in the pit for fourteen years.
During this time the emperor Tiridates executed the holy virgin St
Rhipsime, the aged abbess Gaiana and another 35 virgins from one of
the monasteries of Asia Minor. As punishment for this horrible deed,
the king's face became disfigured.
St Gregory was released from the pit, and buried the relics of the
holy virgins with honor. Then he began to preach to the people, urging
them to turn away from the darkness of idolatry and toward Christ. The
people came to believe in Christ, and wished to build a large church.
When it was completed, St Gregory had the relics of the holy nuns
brought into it. Then he brought King Tiridates there before the
bodies of the saints whom he had slain. He repented, and immediately
his face was made whole once more.
Soon all of Armenia was converted to Christ. The temples of the idols
were destroyed, and churches for the worship of the true God were
built. St Gregory ordained priests, established schools, founded
monasteries, and provided for the good order of the Church.
St Gregory went into the wilderness, where he departed to the Lord.
His son Aristanes was made a bishop in Cappadocia, and was one of the
318 holy Fathers at the Council of Nicea.
_________________________________________________________________
Venerable Gregory the Abbot of Pelsheme and Wonderworker of
Vologda
Saint Gregory of Pelsheme, Vologda, was born in the city of Galich,
Kostroma governia. He came from the line of the Lopotov nobility. When
the youth reached age fifteen, his parents wanted him to marry, but
they died, without seeing this come to pass. Young Gregory distributed
the inheritance left him to the poor, and entered the monastery of the
Most Holy Theotokos on the shore of Lake Galich.
The Igumen of the monastery regarded the new monk with mistrust
because of his youth and noble parentage. Therefore, he placed Gregory
in obedience to an experienced Elder. With great humility St Gregory
served all the brethren. After a certain while he was ordained a
priest. Soon St Gregory's fame as a pastor spread, and many began to
arrive for spiritual guidance and counsels.
The Galich prince asked the monk to be godfather for his children.
Burdened by fame and the nearness of his relatives, the monk went to
Rostov to venerate the relics of St Leontius (May 23), and he settled
in the monastery of St Abramius, (October 29). But here also news of
the saint's ascetic feats quickly spread.
The monks of the Savior (Yakovlev) monastery turned to Archbishop
Dionysius of Rostov (1418-1425) with a request to assign St Gregory to
head their monastery. Out of humility the monk accepted the guidance
over the monastery, but after two years he secretly left the monastery
and withdrew into the Vologda forest.
In the Sosnovetsk wilderness he became acquainted with St Dionysius of
Glushitsa (June 1). When the Lord prompted the holy ascetic to found
his own monastery, St Dionysius approved his friend's intention. With
a cross on his shoulders, St Gregory crossed over the River Pelsheme
and planted the cross in a thicket by the river bank.
The first monk in the new monastery was the priest Alexis, in
monasticism Alexander. In 1426 a church was built at the monastery in
honor of the Most Holy Theotokos. Its icons were painted by St
Dionysius, and St Gregory himself copied the sacred texts for the
monastery. Gradually the number of monks increased, the monastery grew
and became more famous.
St Gregory concerned himself with the nurturing of piety at the
monastery, and at the same time he shared in the destiny of his
country. In the year 1433, he went to Moscow in order to prevail upon
the Galich prince Yuri Dimitrievich, who had seized the Moscow
principality from Basil the Dark, to return Moscow to Prince Basil.
Prince Yuri obeyed the monastic Elder.
But in 1434 the son of Prince Yuri, Demetrius Shemyaka, began to
ravage the Vologda lands belonging to the Great Prince. St Gregory,
distraught over the discord and violence, went to Demetrius Shemyaka
and addressed him with bold words. "Prince Demetrius," said the monk,
"you do things that are not Christian. It would be better if you had
gone into a pagan land to a vile people ignorant of God. Widows and
orphans cry out against you to God. How many people will perish from
hunger and cold because of you, and if you don't stop the fratricide,
the bloodshed and violence soon, then you shall lose both your glory
and your princedom."
After this bold denunciation, Shemyaka gave orders to throw the holy
Elder off a bridge. For several hours the monk lay there unmoving. His
denunciations produced the desired effect, and Shemyaka soon quit
Vologda. The courage of the monk only increased the veneration of him.
Before his death, he received the Holy Mysteries, spoke a word of
guidance to the brethren, and appointed as igumen of the monastery his
fellow ascetic Alexander. St Gregory reposed on September 30, 1442 and
was buried in the monastery he founded.
_________________________________________________________________
St Michael the first Metropolitan of Kiev
Saint Michael the first Metropolitan of Kiev, according to the
Joakimov chronicle, was a Syrian by birth, but according to other
chronicles, he was a Bulgarian or Serb. In the year 989, he arrived at
Korsun with other clergy for holy Prince Vladimir (July 15), not long
after Vladimir's Baptism (988).
As first metropolitan of the Russian Church his service was difficult,
but grace-filled. He zealously made the rounds of the
newly-enlightened Russian Land, preaching the Holy Gospel, baptizing
and teaching the newly-illumined people, founding the first churches
and religious schools.
In Rostov he established the first wooden church in honor of the
Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos and installed Theodore the Greek
there as bishop. St Michael was a wise and gentle, but also strict
hierarch. The Russian Church has preserved the memory of the saint's
praiseworthy deeds. In the Synodikon of the Novgorod and Kiev Sophia
cathedrals he is rightfully called the initiator.
St Michael died in the year 992 and was buried in the Desyatin-Tithe
church of the Most Holy Theotokos in Kiev. In about the year 1103,
under the Igumen St Theoctistus (afterwards Bishop of Chernigov,
August 5), his relics were transferred to the Antoniev Cave, and on
October 1, 1730 into the Great Church of the Caves. Thus his memory
was celebrated on September 30, and also July 15, the day of his
repose.
Formerly, his memory was celebrated on September 2, along with Sts
Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves. There is a trace of this earlier
celebration in the service to St Michael. In the second verse of the
"Praises" we sing: "Having begun the new year, we offer you our first
songs, O blessed one, for you were the beginning of the hierarchy in
the Russian land."
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Rhipsime of Armenia
Saint Rhipsime had fled to Armenia, together with her abbess and
fellow nuns, to avoid entering into marriage with the emperor
Diocletian (284-305), who was charmed by her beauty. Diocletian sent a
letter to the Armenian emperor Tiridates asking that he either send
Rhipsime back, or wed her himself.
The servants of the emperor found the fugitives and they urged
Rhipsime to submit to the will of the emperor. The saint declared that
she and the other nuns were betrothed to the Heavenly Bridegroom, and
could marry no earthly suitor. Then a Voice was heard from the
heavens: "Be brave and fear not, for I am with you." The messengers
withdrew in fear. Tiridates gave the maiden over to cruelest torments:
they plucked out her tongue, cut open her stomach, blinded and killed
her, chopping her body into pieces.
Inspired by Rhipsime's example to endure torments for Christ, the
abbess St Gaiana and two other nuns endured similar tortures, after
which they were beheaded. The other nuns were run through with swords
and their bodies thrown to be devoured by wild beasts.
The wrath of God befell emperor Tiridates, and also his associates and
soldiers who had participated in the torture of the saints. Beset by
demons, they became like wild boars (as once with Nebuchadnezzar, Dan.
4: 30), ranging through the forests, rending their clothes and gnawing
at their own bodies.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Gaiana of Armenia
Saint Gaiana was the abbess of a women's monastery in Asia Minor. When
the emperor Diocletian (284-305) saw a portrait of St Rhipsime, he
fell in love with her and wanted to marry her. She refused, saying
that she was a bride of Christ. Fearing that the emperor's agents
would seize Rhipsime, the abbess and the nuns fled to Armenia.
Diocletian sent word to King Tiridates of Armenia, asking him to
capture Rhipsime and send her to him, or to marry her himself.
Armed soldiers took Rhipsime away from her place of refuge. When
nothing would induce the holy virgin to marry the king, he sent for St
Gaiana, hoping she might persuade her. The abbess, however, told her
that death would be preferable to life with the king. After many cruel
torments, St Rhipsime surrendered her pure soul to God.
Inspired by Rhipsime's example to endure torments for Christ, the
abbess St Gaiana and two other nuns endured similar tortures, after
which they were beheaded. The other nuns were run through with swords
and their bodies thrown to be devoured by wild beasts.
The wrath of God befell emperor Tiridates, and also his associates and
soldiers who had participated in the torture of the saints. Beset by
demons, they became like wild boars (as once with Nebuchadnezzar, Dan.
4: 30), ranging through the forests, rending their clothes and gnawing
at their own bodies.
_________________________________________________________________
35 Martyrs with Gaiana and Rhipsime of Armenia
These nuns suffered with Sts Rhipsime and Gaiana in the fourth
century. They were run through with swords, and their bodies thrown to
be devoured by wild beasts.
_________________________________________________________________