[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Mon Feb 18 05:00:19 CST 2008

Scripture Readings and Saints for Mon Feb 18 2008

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2 Peter 1:20-2:9  (Epistle)
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private
interpretation,
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God
spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there
will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in
destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring
on themselves swift destruction.
2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way
of truth will be blasphemed.
3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a
long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does
not slumber.
4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down
to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for
judgment;
5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight
people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the
world of the ungodly;
6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned
them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward
would live ungodly;
7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct
of the wicked
8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his
righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless
deeds)-
9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and
to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,
Scripture Reading 1 of 2

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Mark 13:9-13  (Gospel)
9 But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to
councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be
brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.
10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.
11 But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry
beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given
you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the
Holy Spirit.
12 Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child;
and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to
death.
13 And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures
to the end shall be saved.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2

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St Leo the Great the Pope of Rome
Saint Leo I the Great, Pope of Rome (440-461), received a fine and
diverse education, which opened for him the possibility of an
excellent worldly career. He yearned for the spiritual life, however,
and so he chose the path of becoming an archdeacon under holy Pope
Sixtus III (432-440), after whose death St Leo was chosen as Bishop of
Rome in September 440.
These were difficult times for the Church, when heretics assaulted
Orthodoxy with their false teachings. St Leo combined pastoral
solicitude and goodness with an unshakable firmness in the confession
of the Faith. He was in particular one of the basic defenders of
Orthodoxy against the heresies of Eutyches and Dioscorus, who taught
that there was only one nature in the Lord Jesus Christ. He was also a
defender against the heresy of Nestorius.
He exerted all his influence to put an end to the unrest by the
heretics in the Church, and by his letters to the holy emperors
Theodosius II (408-450) and Marcian (450-457), he actively promoted
the convening of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, at Chalcedon in 451,
to condemn the heresy of the Monophysites.
At the Council at Chalcedon, at which 630 bishops were present, a
letter of St Leo to the deceased St Flavian, Patriarch of
Constantinople (447-449) was read. St Flavian had suffered for
Orthodoxy under the "Robber Council" of Ephesus in the year 449. In
the letter of St Leo the Orthodox teaching about the two natures [the
divine and the human] in the Lord Jesus Christ was set forth. All the
bishops present at the Council were in agreement with this teaching,
and so the heretics Eutyches and Dioscorus were excommunicated from
the Church.
St Leo was also a defender of his country against the incursions of
barbarians. In 452, by the persuasive power of his words, he stopped
Attila the Hun from pillaging Italy. Again in the year 455, when the
leader of the Vandals [a Germanic tribe], Henzerich, turned towards
Rome, he persuaded him not to pillage the city, burn buildings, nor to
spill blood.
He knew the time of his death beforehand, and he prepared himself,
with forty days of fasting and prayer, to pass from this world into
eternity.
He died in the year 461 and was buried at Rome. His literary and
theological legacy is comprised of 96 sermons and 143 letters, of
which the best known is his Epistleto St Flavian.
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Venerable Cosmas of Yakhrom
Saint Cosmas of Yakhrom was the servant of a certain nobleman, whom he
comforted during his prolonged illness by reading him books. And so,
travelling from city to city, they happened to stop at the River
Yakhroma. Here in the woods an icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy
Theotokos appeared to Cosmas, and he heard a voice commanding him to
become a monk and to build a monastery. His sick master then received
healing from the icon, and Cosmas went to Kiev, where he was tonsured
in the Monastery of the Caves. Then with the icon of the Mother of
God, and on an inspiration from above, he again went to Yakhrom, 40
versts from the city of Vladimir, constructing a temple in honor of
the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos with the help of some good
Christians.
Brethren began to gather around the monk, and a monastery was formed.
St Cosmas was chosen as igumen. During this time, word of the monk's
ascetic struggles reached even the Great Prince. St Cosmas died at an
advanced old age on February 18, 1492, and was buried in the monastery
he founded. His memory is celebrated also on October 14, the day that
the Yakhrom Icon of the Mother of God is commemorated.
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St Agapitus the Confessor the Bishop of Synnada in Phrygia
Martyrs Agapitus, Victor, Dorotheus, Theodulus and Agrippa St Agapitus
was born of Christian parents in Cappadocia during the reign of the
emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (284-305). From his youth
he yearned for the monastic life and so he entered a monastery, where
he struggled in fasting, prayer, and service to all the brethren of
the monastery.
The Lord granted St Agapitus the gift of wonderworking. The emperor,
Licinius (311-324), learned that St Agapitus was endowed with great
physical strength, and he commanded the saint to be conscripted into
military service against his wishes.
During the persecution against the Christians initiated by Licinius,
St Agapitus was was wounded by a spear, but remained alive. After the
death of the emperor Licinius, he obtained his freedom from military
service in the following manner.
The holy Emperor Constantine the Great (306-337) heard that St
Agapitus had healed people by his prayers. The emperor sent him a sick
servant, who also received healing. The emperor wanted to reward St
Agapitus, who instead asked only that he be permitted to resign from
military service and return to his monastery. Permission was granted,
and he joyfully returned to the monastery.
Soon after this, the Bishop of Sinaus in Bithynia summoned St Agapitus
and ordained him to the holy priesthood. After the death of the
bishop, St Agapitus was unanimously chosen by the clergy and all the
people to the See of Sinaus. The new hierarch wisely governed his
flock, guiding it in the Orthodox faith and virtuous life. Through his
prayers, numerous miracles occurred. The saint died in peace.
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St Flavian the Confessor the Patriarch of Constantinople
Saint Flavian the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople, occupied the
patriarchal throne of Constantinople under the holy Emperor Theodosius
the Younger (408-450) and his sister the holy Empress Pulcheria
(September 10).
At first he was a presbyter and caretaker of church-vessels in the
cathedral. He became Patriarch after the death of holy Patriarch
Proclus (November 20). During this time, various disturbances and
heresies threatened church unity.
In the year 448, St Flavian convened a local Council at Constantinople
to examine the heresy of Eutyches, which admitted only one nature (the
divine) in the Lord Jesus Christ. Persisting in his error, the heretic
Eutyches was excommunicated from the Church and deprived of dignity,
but Eutyches had a powerful patron in the person of Chrysathios, a
eunuch close to the emperor.
Through intrigue Chrysathios brought Bishop Dioscorus of Alexandria
over to the side of Eutyches, and obtained permission from the emperor
to convene a church council at Ephesus, afterwards known as the
"Robber Council."
Dioscorus presided at this council, gaining the acquittal of Eutyches
and the condemnation of Patriarch Flavian by threats and force. St
Flavian was fiercely beaten up during the sessions of this council by
impudent monks led by a certain Barsumas.
Even the impious president of the Robber Council, the heretic
Dioscorus, took part in these beatings. After this heavy chains were
put upon St Flavian, and he was sentenced to banishment at Ephesus.
The Lord, however, ended his further suffering, by sending him his
death (+ August 449). The holy Empress Pulcheria withdrew from the
imperial court. Soon the intrigues of Chrysathios were revealed. The
emperor dismissed him, and restored his sister St Pulcheria. Through
her efforts, the relics of holy Patriarch Flavian were reverently
transferred from Ephesus to Constantinople.
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St Nicholas the Catholicos of Georgia
Nicholas Batonishvili was the son of Levan I, King of Kakheti
(15201574). He lived during the grievous period of the Persian
invasion of eastern Georgia. The young prince chose the path of
monastic life and bravely helped his elder brother, King Alexandre II
(15741605).
Despite his royal blood, he preferred the monks habit and the sweet,
light yoke of Christ to the glamour and opulence of his inheritance.
According to Gods will, Nicholas was enthroned as Catholicos of All
Georgia. The Georgian chronicle _Life of Kartli (Kartlis Tskhovreba)_
relates the date of his enthronement as Saturday, February 28, 1584.
Armed with the highest hierarchical rank, royal blood, and personal
integrity, Catholicos Nicholas was an exemplary leader for the
Georgian nation. He struggled to plant the seeds of Christian love
between countries of like faith.
He corresponded with Patriarch Job of Russia (15861590) and even sent
him a horse. He also donated a leather-bound illuminated manuscript of
the Gospels, copied in 1049, to the Metekhi Church of the Theotokos.
In his book _Pilgrimage_, the renowned eighteenth-century historian
Archbishop Timote (Gabashvili) reports that there is an icon of Holy
Catholicos Nicholas hanging in the refectory at the Iveron Monastery
on Mt. Athos. Bishop Timote also describes another refectory, built by
Ashotan Mukhran-Batoni, and notes, There, I believe, Catholicos
Nicholas Batonishvili reposed.
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St Theodore (Komogovin) of Serbia
No information available at this time.
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Martyr Victor of Phrygia
Martyrs Agapitus, Victor, Dorotheus, Theodulus and Agrippa. St
Agapitus was born of Christian parents in Cappadocia during the reign
of the emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (305-311). From his
youth he yearned for the monastic life and so he entered a monastery,
where he struggled in fasting, prayer, and service to all the brethren
of the monastery.
The Lord granted St Agapitus the gift of wonderworking. The emperor,
Licinius (311-324), learned that St Agapitus was endowed with great
physical strength, and he commanded the saint to be conscripted into
military service against his wishes.
During the persecution against the Christians initiated by Licinius,
St Agapitus was was wounded by a spear, but remained alive. After the
death of the emperor Licinius, he obtained his freedom from military
service in the following manner.
The holy Emperor Constantine the Great (306-337) heard that St
Agapitus had healed people by his prayers. The emperor sent him a sick
servant, who also received healing. The emperor wanted to reward St
Agapitus, who instead asked only that he be permitted to resign from
military service and return to his monastery. Permission was granted,
and he joyfully returned to the monastery.
Soon after this, the Bishop of Sinaus in Bithynia summoned St Agapitus
and ordained him to the holy priesthood. After the death of the
bishop, St Agapitus was unanimously chosen by the clergy and all the
people to the See of Sinaus. The new hierarch wisely governed his
flock, guiding it in the Orthodox faith and virtuous life. Through his
prayers, numerous miracles occurred. The saint died in peace.
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Martyr Dorotheus of Phrygia
Martyrs Agapitus, Victor, Dorotheus, Theodulus and Agrippa. St
Agapitus was born of Christian parents in Cappadocia during the reign
of the emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (305-311). From his
youth he yearned for the monastic life and so he entered a monastery,
where he struggled in fasting, prayer, and service to all the brethren
of the monastery.
The Lord granted St Agapitus the gift of wonderworking. The emperor,
Licinius (311-324), learned that St Agapitus was endowed with great
physical strength, and he commanded the saint to be conscripted into
military service against his wishes.
During the persecution against the Christians initiated by Licinius,
St Agapitus was was wounded by a spear, but remained alive. After the
death of the emperor Licinius, he obtained his freedom from military
service in the following manner.
The holy Emperor Constantine the Great (306-337) heard that St
Agapitus had healed people by his prayers. The emperor sent him a sick
servant, who also received healing. The emperor wanted to reward St
Agapitus, who instead asked only that he be permitted to resign from
military service and return to his monastery. Permission was granted,
and he joyfully returned to the monastery.
Soon after this, the Bishop of Sinaus in Bithynia summoned St Agapitus
and ordained him to the holy priesthood. After the death of the
bishop, St Agapitus was unanimously chosen by the clergy and all the
people to the See of Sinaus. The new hierarch wisely governed his
flock, guiding it in the Orthodox faith and virtuous life. Through his
prayers, numerous miracles occurred. The saint died in peace.
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Martyr Theodulus of Phrygia
Martyrs Agapitus, Victor, Dorotheus, Theodulus and Agrippa. St
Agapitus was born of Christian parents in Cappadocia during the reign
of the emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (305-311). From his
youth he yearned for the monastic life and so he entered a monastery,
where he struggled in fasting, prayer, and service to all the brethren
of the monastery.
The Lord granted St Agapitus the gift of wonderworking. The emperor,
Licinius (311-324), learned that St Agapitus was endowed with great
physical strength, and he commanded the saint to be conscripted into
military service against his wishes.
During the persecution against the Christians initiated by Licinius,
St Agapitus was was wounded by a spear, but remained alive. After the
death of the emperor Licinius, he obtained his freedom from military
service in the following manner.
The holy Emperor Constantine the Great (306-337) heard that St
Agapitus had healed people by his prayers. The emperor sent him a sick
servant, who also received healing. The emperor wanted to reward St
Agapitus, who instead asked only that he be permitted to resign from
military service and return to his monastery. Permission was granted,
and he joyfully returned to the monastery.
Soon after this, the Bishop of Sinaus in Bithynia summoned St Agapitus
and ordained him to the holy priesthood. After the death of the
bishop, St Agapitus was unanimously chosen by the clergy and all the
people to the See of Sinaus. The new hierarch wisely governed his
flock, guiding it in the Orthodox faith and virtuous life. Through his
prayers, numerous miracles occurred. The saint died in peace.
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Martyr Agrippa of Phrygia
Martyrs Agapitus, Victor, Dorotheus, Theodulus and Agrippa. St
Agapitus was born of Christian parents in Cappadocia during the reign
of the emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (305-311). From his
youth he yearned for the monastic life and so he entered a monastery,
where he struggled in fasting, prayer, and service to all the brethren
of the monastery.
The Lord granted St Agapitus the gift of wonderworking. The emperor,
Licinius (311-324), learned that St Agapitus was endowed with great
physical strength, and he commanded the saint to be conscripted into
military service against his wishes.
During the persecution against the Christians initiated by Licinius,
St Agapitus was was wounded by a spear, but remained alive. After the
death of the emperor Licinius, he obtained his freedom from military
service in the following manner.
The holy Emperor Constantine the Great (306-337) heard that St
Agapitus had healed people by his prayers. The emperor sent him a sick
servant, who also received healing. The emperor wanted to reward St
Agapitus, who instead asked only that he be permitted to resign from
military service and return to his monastery. Permission was granted,
and he joyfully returned to the monastery.
Soon after this, the Bishop of Sinaus in Bithynia summoned St Agapitus
and ordained him to the holy priesthood. After the death of the
bishop, St Agapitus was unanimously chosen by the clergy and all the
people to the See of Sinaus. The new hierarch wisely governed his
flock, guiding it in the Orthodox faith and virtuous life. Through his
prayers, numerous miracles occurred. The saint died in peace.
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St Colman of Lindesfarne
No information available at this time.
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