[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Thu Jan 3 05:00:16 CST 2008

Scripture Readings and Saints for Thu Jan 3 2008

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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James 4:7-5:9  (Epistle)
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands,
you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning
and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you
up.
11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a
brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the
law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a
judge.
12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are
you to judge another?
13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and
such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your
life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then
vanishes away.
15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do
this or that."
16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him
it is sin.
1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming
upon you!
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.
3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a
witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped
up treasure in the last days.
4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you
kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached
the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have
fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist
you.
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See
how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting
patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the
Lord is at hand.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned.
Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
Scripture Reading 1 of 4

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1 Peter 1:1-2,10-12; 2:6-10  (Epistle, Friday)
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion
in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in
sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched
carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who
was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings
of Christ and the glories that would follow.
12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they
were ministering the things which now have been reported to you
through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit
sent from heaven-things which angels desire to look into.
6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in
Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him
will by no means be put to shame."
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are
disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the
chief cornerstone,"
8 and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble,
being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who
called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had
not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Scripture Reading 2 of 4

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Mark 12:38-44  (Gospel)
38 Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who
desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces,
39 the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts,
40 who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.
These will receive greater condemnation.
41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put
money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much.
42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a
quadrans.
43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly,
I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who
have given to the treasury;
44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her
poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.
Scripture Reading 3 of 4

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Mark 13:1-8  (Gospel, Friday)
1 Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him,
"Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"
2 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great
buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be
thrown down."
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter,
James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,
4 Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when
all these things will be fulfilled?
5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: "Take heed that no one
deceives you.
6 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive
many.
7 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled;
for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.
8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be
famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.
Scripture Reading 4 of 4

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------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Forefeast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ
The second day of the Forefeast of Theophany falls on January 3.
Today's hymns invite us to go in spirit to the Jordan River where the
Creator comes to be baptized. He is the Light which shines in the
darkness (John 1:5), and today He begins to overcome that darkness.
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Prophet Malachi
The Holy Prophet Malachi lived 400 years before the Birth of Christ,
at the time of the return of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity.
Malachi was the last of the Old Testament prophets, therefore the holy
Fathers call him "the seal of the prophets."
Manifesting himself an image of spiritual goodness and piety, he
astounded the nation and was called Malachi, i.e., an angel. His
prophetic book is included in the Canon of the Old Testament. In it he
upbraids the Jews, foretelling the coming of Jesus Christ and His
Forerunner, and also the Last Judgment (Mal 3:1-5; 4:1-6).
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Martyr Gordius at Caesarea, in Cappadocia
The Martyr Gordius was born at the end of the third century in the
city of Caesarea of Cappadocia into a Christian family. When he came
of age, he entered military service. Because of his valor and military
skill, he was made a centurion. During the persecution of Christians
at the beginning of the fourth century, he left the world and settled
in the Sinai desert to prepare himself for the good deed of confessing
the Name of Christ the Savior.
In the year 320, Gordius openly appeared before the prefect of a city
where pagan games were being held, and identified himself as a
Christian. He was arrested, suffered terrible torments, then was
beheaded.
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Venerable Genevieve of Paris
Saint Genevieve was born of wealthy parents in Gaul (modern France) in
the village of Nanterre, near Paris, around 422. Her father's name was
Severus, and her mother was called Gerontia. According to the custom
of the time, she often tended her father's flocks on Mt. Valerien.
When she was about seven years old, St Germanus of Auxerre (July 31)
noticed her as he was passing through Nanterre. The bishop kissed her
on the head and told her parents that she would become great in the
sight of God, and would lead many to salvation. After Genevieve told
him that she wished to dedicate herself to Christ, he gave her a brass
medal with the image of the Cross upon it. She promised to wear it
around her neck, and to avoid wearing any other ornaments around her
neck or on her fingers.
When it was reported that Attila the Hun was approaching Paris,
Genevieve and the other nuns prayed and fasted, entreating God to
spare the city. Suddenly, the barbarians turned away from Paris and
went off in another direction.
Years later, when she was fifteen, Genevieve was taken to Paris to
enter the monastic life. Through fasting, vigil and prayer, she
progressed in monasticism, and received from God the gifts of
clairvoyance and of working miracles. Gradually, the people of Paris
and the surrounding area regarded Genevieve as a holy vessel (2 Tim.
2:21).
St Genevieve considered the Saturday night Vigil service to be very
important, since it symbolizes how our whole life should be. "We must
keep vigil in prayer and fasting so that the Lord will find us ready
when He comes," she said. She was on her way to church with her nuns
one stormy Saturday night when the wind blew out her lantern. The nuns
could not find their way without a light, since it was dark and
stormy, and the road was rough and muddy. St Genevieve made the Sign
of the Cross over the lantern, and the candle within was lit with a
bright flame. In this manner they were able to make their way to the
church for the service.
There is a tradition that the church which St Genevieve suggested that
King Clovis build in honor of Sts Peter and Paul became her own
resting place when she fell asleep in the Lord around 512 at the age
of eighty-nine. Her holy relics were later transferred to the church
of St Etienne du Mont in Paris. Most of her relics, and those of other
saints, were destroyed during the French Revolution.
In the Middle Ages, St Genevieve was regarded as the patron saint of
wine makers.
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St Euthymius (Takaishvili)
Saint Ekvtime (Euthymius) Taqaishvili, called the Man of God, was born
January 3, 1863, in the village of Likhauri, in the Ozurgeti district
of Guria, to the noble family of Svimeon Taqaishvili and Gituli
Nakashidze. He was orphaned at a young age and raised by his uncle.
>From early childhood St. Ekvtime demonstrated a great passion for
learning. Having completed his studies at the village grammar school,
he enrolled at Kutaisi Classical High School. In 1883 he graduated
with a silver medal and moved to St. Petersburg to continue his
studies in the department of history-philology at St. Petersburg
University. In 1887, having successfully completed his studies and
earned a degree in history, St. Ekvtime returned to Georgia and began
working in the field of academia. His profound faith and love for God
and his motherland determined his every step in this demanding and
admirable profession.
In 1895 Ekvtime married Nino Poltoratskaya, daughter of the famous
Tbilisi attorney Ivan Poltoratsky, who was himself a brother in-law
and close friend of St. Ilia Chavchavadze the Righteous. From the very
beginning of his career St. Ekvtime began to collect
historical-archaeological and ethnographical materials from all over
Georgia. His sphere of scholarly interests was broad, including
historiography, archaeology, ethnography, epigraphy, numismatics,
philology, folklore, linguistics, and art history. Above all, St.
Ekvtime strove to learn more about Georgian history and culture by
applying the theories and methodologies of these various disciplines
to his work.
In 1889 St. Ekvtime established the Exarchate Museum of Georgia, in
which were preserved ancient manuscripts, sacred objects, theological
books, and copies of many important frescoes that had been removed
from ancient churches. This museum played a major role in
rediscovering the history of the Georgian Church.
In 1907 St. Ekvtime founded the Society for Georgian History and
Ethnography. Of the many expeditions organized by this society, the
journey through Muslim (southwestern) Georgia was one of the most
meaningful. Having witnessed firsthand the aftermath of the forced
isolation and Islamization of this region, St. Ekvtime and his fellow
pilgrims acquired a greater love for the Faith of their forefathers
and became more firmly established in their national identity. Though
they no longer spoke the Georgian language, the residents of this
region received the venerable Ekvtime with great respect, having
sensed from his greeting and kindness that he had come fromtheir
far-off motherland.
There was not a single patriotic, social or cultural movement in
Georgia during the first quarter of the 20th century in which St.
Ekvtime did not actively take part. Among his other important
achievements, he was one of the nine professors who founded Tbilisi
University in 1918. St. Ekvtime also vigorously advocated the
restoration of the autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
On March 11, 1921, the Georgian government went into exile in France.
The government archives and the nations spiritual and cultural
treasures were also flown to France for protection from the Bolshevik
danger. St. Ekvtime was personally entrusted to keep the treasures
safe, and he and his wife accompanied them on their flight to France.
St. Ekvtime bore the hardships of an emigrants life and the horrors of
World War II with heroism, while boldly resisting the onslaught of
European and American scholars and collectors and the claims of other
Georgian emigrants to their family relics.
In 1931 St. Ekvtimes wife, Nino, his faithful friend and companion,
died of starvation. The elderly widower himself often drew near to the
brink of death from hunger, cold, and stress, but he never faltered in
his duty before God and his motherlandhe faithfully protected his
nations treasures.
The perils were great for St. Ekvtime and the treasures he protected:
British and American museums sought to purchase the Georgian national
artifacts; a certain Salome Dadiani, the widow of Count Okholevsky,
declared herself the sole heir of the Georgian national treasure;
during World War II the Nazis searched St. Ekvtimes apartment; even
the French government claimed ownership of the Georgian treasures.
Finally, the Soviet victory over fascist Germany created conditions
favorable for the return of the national treasures to Georgia.
According to an agreement between Stalin and De Gaulle, the treasures
and their faithful protector were loaded onto an American warplane and
flown back to their motherland on April 11, 1945. When he finally
stepped off the plane and set foot on Georgian soil, St. Ekvtime bowed
deeply and kissed the earth where he stood. Georgia greeted its
long-lost son with great honor. The people overwhelmed St. Ekvtime
with attention and care, restored his university professorship, and
recognized him as an active member of the Academy of Sciences. They
healed the wounds that had been inflicted on his heart.
Exhausted by the separation from his motherland and the woes of
emigration, St. Ekvtime rejoined society with the last of his
strength. But mankinds enemy became envious of the victory of good
over evil and rose up against St. Ekvtimes unshakable spirit. In 1951
the Chekists arrested his stepdaughter, Lydia Poltoratskaya. St.
Ekvtime, who by that time was seriously ill, was now left without his
caregiver. In 1952, without any reasonable explanation, St. Ekvtime
was forbidden to lecture at the university he himself had helped to
found, and he was secretly placed under house arrest. The people who
had reverently greeted him upon his return now trembled in fear of his
persecution and imminent death. Many tried to visit and support St.
Ekvtime, but they were forbidden. On February 21, 1953, St. Ekvtime
died of a heart attack, and three days later a group of approximately
forty mourners accompanied the virtuous prince to his eternal resting
place.
On February 10, 1963, the centennial of St. Ekvtimes birth, his body
was reburied at the Didube Pantheon in Tbilisi. When his grave was
uncovered, it was revealed that not only his body, but even his
clothing and footwear had remained incorrupt. St. Ekvtimes relics were
moved once again, to the Pantheon at the Church of St. Davit of Gareji
on Mtatsminda, where they remain today.
The body of Nino Poltoratskaya-Taqaishvili was brought from Leville
(France) and buried next to St. Ekvtime on February 22, 1987.
The Holy Synod of the Georgian Apostolic Orthodox Church canonized St.
Ekvtime on October 17, 2002, and joyously proclaimed him a Man of God.
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