[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Tue Jan 1 05:00:28 CST 2008

Scripture Readings and Saints for Tue Jan 1 2008

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Composite 1  - Genesis 17:1-2, 4, 5-7, 8, 9-10, 11-12, 14 (Vespers,
1st Reading)
The Lord appeared to Abram and said to him: "I am your God. Be well
pleasing before Me, and be blameless. And I will establish my covenant
between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly. And you shall
be a father of many nations. And your name shall no more be called
Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you a father of
many nations. And I will increase you very exceedingly; and I will
make nations of you, and kings shall come out of you. And I will
establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you, in
their generations, for an everlasting covenant; and I will be a God to
them." And Abraham fell down on his face, and worshipped the Lord.
And God said to Abraham: "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you
and your seed after you in their generations. And this is the covenant
which you shall keep, between Me and you and your seed after you, in
their generations: You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin,
and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you and your
seed after you, in their generations. And the male _child_, who shall
not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day,
that soul shall be cut off from his family, for he has broken My
covenant."
Scripture Reading 1 of 8

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Proverbs 8:22-30  (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
22 The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works
of old.
23 I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning,
before there was ever an earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no
fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought
forth;
26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primal
dust of the world.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on
the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the
fountains of the deep,
29 When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not
transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the
earth,
30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His
delight, Rejoicing always before Him,
Scripture Reading 2 of 8

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Proverbs 10:31-11:12  (Vespers, 3rd Reading)
31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, But the perverse
tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth of
the wicked what is perverse.
1 Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight
is His delight.
2 When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of
the unfaithful will destroy them.
4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers
from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright, But
the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the
unfaithful will be caught by their lust.
7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, And the hope of
the unjust perishes.
8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, And it comes to the wicked
instead.
9 The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, But through
knowledge the righteous will be delivered.
10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; And when
the wicked perish, there is jubilation.
11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, But it is
overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
12 He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, But a man of
understanding holds his peace.
Scripture Reading 3 of 8

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John 10:9-16  (Matins Gospel)
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go
in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have
it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the
sheep.
12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own
the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and
the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about
the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My
own.
15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down
My life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must
bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and
one shepherd.
Scripture Reading 4 of 8

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2 Timothy 4:5-8  (Epistle, Sunday Before)
5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work
of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time
of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept
the faith.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to
me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Scripture Reading 5 of 8

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Colossians 2:8-12  (Epistle, Circumcision)
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit,
according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles
of the world, and not according to Christ.
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality
and power.
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without
hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the
circumcision of Christ,
12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him
through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
Scripture Reading 6 of 8

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Mark 1:1-8  (Gospel, Sunday Before)
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger
before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You."
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the
LORD; Make His paths straight.' "
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of
repentance for the remission of sins.
5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to
him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their
sins.
6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt
around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
7 And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier
than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.
8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the
Holy Spirit.
Scripture Reading 7 of 8

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Luke 2:20-21, 40-52  (Gospel, Circumcision)
20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all
the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the
Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before
He was conceived in the womb.
40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom;
and the grace of God was upon Him.
41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the
Passover.
42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem
according to the custom of the feast.
43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus
lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know
it;
44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day's
journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances.
45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking
Him.
46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and
asking them questions.
47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and
answers.
48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him,
"Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have
sought You anxiously."
49 And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I
must be about My Father's business?"
50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.
51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject
to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God
and men.
Scripture Reading 8 of 8

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The Circumcision of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
On the eighth day after His Nativity, our Lord Jesus Christ was
circumcised in accordance with the Old Testament Law. All male infants
underwent circumcision as a sign of God's Covenant with the holy
Forefather Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 17:10-14, Lev. 12:3).
After this ritual the Divine Infant was given the name Jesus, as the
Archangel Gabriel declared on the day of the Annunciation to the Most
Holy Theotokos (Luke 1:31-33, 2:21). The Fathers of the Church explain
that the Lord, the Creator of the Law, underwent circumcision in order
to give people an example of how faithfully the divine ordinances
ought to be fulfilled. The Lord was circumcised so that later no one
would doubt that He had truly assumed human flesh, and that His
Incarnation was not merely an illusion, as certain heretics
(Docetists) taught.
In the New Testament, the ritual of circumcision gave way to the
Mystery of Baptism, which it prefigured (Col. 2:11-12). Accounts of
the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord continue in the Eastern
Church right up through the fourth century. The Canon of the Feast was
written by St Stephen of the St Sava Monastery (October 28 and July
13).
In addition to circumcision, which the Lord accepted as a sign of
God's Covenant with mankind, He also received the Name Jesus (Savior)
on the eighth day after His Nativity as an indication of His service,
the work of the salvation of the world (Mt.1:21; Mark 9:38-39, 16:17;
Luke 10:17; Acts 3:6, 16; Phil 2:9-10). These two events, the Lord's
Circumcision and Naming, remind Christians that they have entered into
a New Covenant with God and "are circumcised with a circumcision made
without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the
circumcision of Christ" (Col. 2:11). The very name "Christian" is a
sign of mankind's entrance into a New Covenant with God.
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St Basil the Great the Archbishop of Caesarea, in Cappadocia
Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, "belongs
not to the Church of Caesarea alone, nor merely to his own time, nor
was he of benefit only to his own kinsmen, but rather to all lands and
cities worldwide, and to all people he brought and still brings
benefit, and for Christians he always was and will be a most salvific
teacher." Thus spoke St Basil's contemporary, St Amphilochius, Bishop
of Iconium.
St Basil was born in the year 330 at Caesarea, the administrative
center of Cappadocia. He was of illustrious lineage, famed for its
eminence and wealth, and zealous for the Christian Faith. The saint's
grandfather and grandmother on his father's side had to hide in the
forests of Pontus for seven years during the persecution under
Diocletian.
St Basil's mother St Emilia was the daughter of a martyr. On the Greek
calendar, she is commemorated on May 30. St Basil's father was also
named Basil. He was a lawyer and renowned rhetorician, and lived at
Caesarea.
Ten children were born to the elder Basil and Emilia: five sons and
five daughters. Five of them were later numbered among the saints:
Basil the Great; Macrina (July 19) was an exemplar of ascetic life,
and exerted strong influence on the life and character of St Basil the
Great; Gregory, afterwards Bishop of Nyssa (January 10); Peter, Bishop
of Sebaste (January 9); and Theosebia, a deaconess (January 10).
St Basil spent the first years of his life on an estate belonging to
his parents at the River Iris, where he was raised under the
supervision of his mother Emilia and grandmother Macrina. They were
women of great refinement, who remembered an earlier bishop of
Cappadocia, St Gregory the Wonderworker (November 17). Basil received
his initial education under the supervision of his father, and then he
studied under the finest teachers in Caesarea of Cappadocia, and it
was here that he made the acquaintance of St Gregory the Theologian
(January 25 and January 30). Later, Basil transferred to a school at
Constantinople, where he listened to eminent orators and philosophers.
To complete his education St Basil went to Athens, the center of
classical enlightenment.
After a four or five year stay at Athens, Basil had mastered all the
available disciplines. "He studied everything thoroughly, more than
others are wont to study a single subject. He studied each science in
its very totality, as though he would study nothing else."
Philosopher, philologist, orator, jurist, naturalist, possessing
profound knowledge in astronomy, mathematics and medicine, "he was a
ship fully laden with learning, to the extent permitted by human
nature."
At Athens a close friendship developed between Basil the Great and
Gregory the Theologian (Nazianzus), which continued throughout their
life. In fact, they regarded themselves as one soul in two bodies.
Later on, in his eulogy for Basil the Great, St Gregory the Theologian
speaks with delight about this period: "Various hopes guided us, and
indeed inevitably, in learning... Two paths opened up before us: the
one to our sacred temples and the teachers therein; the other towards
preceptors of disciplines beyond."
About the year 357, St Basil returned to Caesarea, where for a while
he devoted himself to rhetoric. But soon, refusing offers from
Caesarea's citizens who wanted to entrust him with the education of
their offspring, St Basil entered upon the path of ascetic life.
After the death of her husband, Basil's mother, her eldest daughter
Macrina, and several female servants withdrew to the family estate at
Iris and there began to lead an ascetic life. Basil was baptized by
Dianios, the Bishop of Caesarea, and was tonsured a Reader (On the
Holy Spirit, 29). He first read the Holy Scriptures to the people,
then explained them.
Later on, "wishing to acquire a guide to the knowledge of truth", the
saint undertook a journey into Egypt, Syria and Palestine, to meet the
great Christian ascetics dwelling there. On returning to Cappadocia,
he decided to do as they did. He distributed his wealth to the needy,
then settled on the opposite side of the river not far from his mother
Emilia and sister Macrina, gathering around him monks living a
cenobitic life.
By his letters, Basil drew his good friend Gregory the Theologian to
the monastery. Sts Basil and Gregory labored in strict abstinence in
their dwelling place, which had no roof or fireplace, and the food was
very humble. They themselves cleared away the stones, planted and
watered the trees, and carried heavy loads. Their hands were
constantly calloused from the hard work. For clothing Basil had only a
tunic and monastic mantle. He wore a hairshirt, but only at night, so
that it would not be obvious.
In their solitude, Sts Basil and Gregory occupied themselves in an
intense study of Holy Scripture. They were guided by the writings of
the Fathers and commentators of the past, especially the good writings
of Origen. From all these works they compiled an anthology called
Philokalia. Also at this time, at the request of the monks, St Basil
wrote down a collection of rules for virtuous life. By his preaching
and by his example St Basil assisted in the spiritual perfection of
Christians in Cappadocia and Pontus; and many indeed turned to him.
Monasteries were organized for men and for women, in which places
Basil sought to combine the cenobitic (koine bios, or common)
lifestyle with that of the solitary hermit.
During the reign of Constantius (337-361) the heretical teachings of
Arius were spreading, and the Church summoned both its saints into
service. St Basil returned to Caesarea. In the year 362 he was
ordained deacon by Bishop Meletius of Antioch. In 364 he was ordained
to the holy priesthood by Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea. "But seeing,"
as Gregory the Theologian relates, "that everyone exceedingly praised
and honored Basil for his wisdom and reverence, Eusebius, through
human weakness, succumbed to jealousy of him, and began to show
dislike for him." The monks rose up in defense of St Basil. To avoid
causing Church discord, Basil withdrew to his own monastery and
concerned himself with the organization of monasteries.
With the coming to power of the emperor Valens (364-378), who was a
resolute adherent of Arianism, a time of troubles began for Orthodoxy,
the onset of a great struggle. St Basil hastily returned to Caesarea
at the request of Bishop Eusebius. In the words of Gregory the
Theologian, he was for Bishop Eusebius "a good advisor, a righteous
representative, an expounder of the Word of God, a staff for the aged,
a faithful support in internal matters, and an activist in external
matters."
>From this time church governance passed over to Basil, though he was
subordinate to the hierarch. He preached daily, and often twice, in
the morning and in the evening. During this time St Basil composed his
Liturgy. He wrote a work "On the Six Days of Creation" (Hexaemeron)
and another on the Prophet Isaiah in sixteen chapters, yet another on
the Psalms, and also a second compilation of monastic rules. St Basil
wrote also three books "Against Eunomius," an Arian teacher who, with
the help of Aristotelian concepts, had presented the Arian dogma in
philosophic form, converting Christian teaching into a logical scheme
of rational concepts.
St Gregory the Theologian, speaking about the activity of Basil the
Great during this period, points to "the caring for the destitute and
the taking in of strangers, the supervision of virgins, written and
unwritten monastic rules for monks, the arrangement of prayers
[Liturgy], the felicitous arrangement of altars and other things."
Upon the death of Eusebius, the Bishop of Caesarea, St Basil was
chosen to succed him in the year 370. As Bishop of Caesarea, St Basil
the Great was the newest of fifty bishops in eleven provinces. St
Athanasius the Great (May 2), with joy and with thanks to God welcomed
the appointment to Cappadocia of such a bishop as Basil, famed for his
reverence, deep knowledge of Holy Scripture, great learning, and his
efforts for the welfare of Church peace and unity.
Under Valens, the external government belonged to the Arians, who held
various opinions regarding the divinity of the Son of God, and were
divided into several factions. These dogmatic disputes were concerned
with questions about the Holy Spirit. In his books Against Eunomios,
St Basil the Great taught the divinity of the Holy Spirit and His
equality with the Father and the Son. Subsequently, in order to
provide a full explanation of Orthodox teaching on this question, St
Basil wrote his book On the Holy Spirit at the request of St
Amphilochius, the Bishop of Iconium.
St Basil's difficulties were made worse by various circumstances:
Cappadocia was divided in two under the rearrangement of provincial
districts. Then at Antioch a schism occurred, occasioned by the
consecration of a second bishop. There was the negative and haughty
attitude of Western bishops to the attempts to draw them into the
struggle with the Arians. And there was also the departure of
Eustathius of Sebaste over to the Arian side. Basil had been connected
to him by ties of close friendship. Amidst the constant perils St
Basil gave encouragement to the Orthodox, confirmed them in the Faith,
summoning them to bravery and endurance. The holy bishop wrote
numerous letters to the churches, to bishops, to clergy and to
individuals. Overcoming the heretics "by the weapon of his mouth, and
by the arrows of his letters," as an untiring champion of Orthodoxy,
St Basil challenged the hostility and intrigues of the Arian heretics
all his life. He has been compared to a bee, stinging the Church's
enemies, yet nourishing his flock with the sweet honey of his
teaching.
The emperor Valens, mercilessly sending into exile any bishop who
displeased him, and having implanted Arianism into other Asia Minor
provinces, suddenly appeared in Cappadocia for this same purpose. He
sent the prefect Modestus to St Basil. He began to threaten the saint
with the confiscation of his property, banishment, beatings, and even
death.
St Basil said, "If you take away my possessions, you will not enrich
yourself, nor will you make me a pauper. You have no need of my old
worn-out clothing, nor of my few books, of which the entirety of my
wealth is comprised. Exile means nothing to me, since I am bound to no
particular place. This place in which I now dwell is not mine, and any
place you send me shall be mine. Better to say: every place is God's.
Where would I be neither a stranger and sojourner (Ps. 38/39:13)? Who
can torture me? I am so weak, that the very first blow would render me
insensible. Death would be a kindness to me, for it will bring me all
the sooner to God, for Whom I live and labor, and to Whom I hasten."
The official was stunned by his answer. "No one has ever spoken so
audaciously to me," he said.
"Perhaps," the saint remarked, " that is because you've never spoken
to a bishop before. In all else we are meek, the most humble of all.
But when it concerns God, and people rise up against Him, then we,
counting everything else as naught, look to Him alone. Then fire,
sword, wild beasts and iron rods that rend the body, serve to fill us
with joy, rather than fear."
Reporting to Valens that St Basil was not to be intimidated, Modestus
said, "Emperor, we stand defeated by a leader of the Church." Basil
the Great again showed firmness before the emperor and his retinue and
made such a strong impression on Valens that the emperor dared not
give in to the Arians demanding Basil's exile. "On the day of
Theophany, amidst an innumerable multitude of the people, Valens
entered the church and mixed in with the throng, in order to give the
appearance of being in unity with the Church. When the singing of
Psalms began in the church, it was like thunder to his hearing. The
emperor beheld a sea of people, and in the altar and all around was
splendor; in front of all was Basil, who acknowledged neither by
gesture nor by glance, that anything else was going on in church."
Everything was focused only on God and the altar-table, and the clergy
serving there in awe and reverence.
St Basil celebrated the church services almost every day. He was
particularly concerned about the strict fulfilling of the Canons of
the Church, and took care that only worthy individuals should enter
into the clergy. He incessantly made the rounds of his own church,
lest anywhere there be an infraction of Church discipline, and setting
aright any unseemliness. At Caesarea, St Basil built two monasteries,
a men's and a women's, with a church in honor of the Forty Martyrs
(March 9) whose relics were buried there. Following the example of
monks, the saint's clergy, even deacons and priests, lived in
remarkable poverty, to toil and lead chaste and virtuous lives. For
his clergy St Basil obtained an exemption from taxation. He used all
his personal wealth and the income from his church for the benefit of
the destitute; in every center of his diocese he built a poor-house;
and at Caesarea, a home for wanderers and the homeless.
Sickly since youth, the toil of teaching, his life of abstinence, and
the concerns and sorrows of pastoral service took their toll on him.
St Basil died on January 1, 379 at age 49. Shortly before his death,
the saint blessed St Gregory the Theologian to accept the See of
Constantinople.
Upon the repose of St Basil, the Church immediately began to celebrate
his memory. St Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium (November 23), in his
eulogy to St Basil the Great, said: "It is neither without a reason
nor by chance that holy Basil has taken leave from the body and had
repose from the world unto God on the day of the Circumcision of
Jesus, celebrated between the day of the Nativity and the day of the
Baptism of Christ. Therefore, this most blessed one, preaching and
praising the Nativity and Baptism of Christ, extolling spiritual
circumcision, himself forsaking the flesh, now ascends to Christ on
the sacred day of remembrance of the Circumcision of Christ.
Therefore, let it also be established on this present day annually to
honor the memory of Basil the Great festively and with solemnity."
St Basil is also called "the revealer of heavenly mysteries"
(Ouranophantor), a "renowned and bright star," and "the glory and
beauty of the Church." His honorable head is in the Great Lavra on
Mount Athos.
In some countries it is customary to sing special carols today in
honor of St Basil. He is believed to visit the homes of the faithful,
and a place is set for him at the table. People visit the homes of
friends and relatives, and the mistress of the house gives a small
gift to the children. A special bread (Vasilopita) is blessed and
distributed after the Liturgy. A silver coin is baked into the bread,
and whoever receives the slice with the coin is said to receive the
blessing of St Basil for the coming year.
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Martyr Basil of Ancyra
Saint Basil lived in the time of Julian the Apostate (331-363), and
confessed his faith in Christ before the governor Saturninus. He was
tortured in Ancyra, then sent to Constantinople, where he was
suspended from a tree, stretched on a rack, beaten, then stabbed with
red-hot needles. He was also thrown into a fiery furnace, but was not
harmed. He was sent to Caesarea and was torn to pieces by lions in the
arena.
This saint, a layman, should not be confused with the other St Basil
of Ancyra, who was a priest (March 22).
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St Emilia, the Mother of St Basil the Great
St Basil the Great's mother St Emilia was the daughter of a martyr. On
the Greek calendar, she is commemorated on May 30. St Basil's father
was also named Basil. He was a lawyer and renowned rhetorician, and
lived at Caesarea.
Ten children were born to the elder Basil and Emilia: five sons and
five daughters. Five of them were later numbered among the saints:
Basil the Great; Macrina (July 19) was an exemplar of ascetic life,
and exerted strong influence on the life and character of St Basil;
Gregory, afterwards Bishop of Nyssa (January 10); Peter, Bishop of
Sebaste (January 9); and Theosebia, a deaconess (January 10).
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