[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Sat Jan 5 05:00:39 CST 2008

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sat Jan 5 2008

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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1 Timothy 3:14-4:5  (Epistle, Saturday Before)
14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly;
15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to
conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the
living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was
manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in
glory.
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart
from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of
demons,
2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with
a hot iron,
3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God
created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know
the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if
it is received with thanksgiving;
5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Scripture Reading 1 of 24

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1 Thessalonians 5:14-23  (Epistle)
14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the
fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.
15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue
what is good both for yourselves and for all.
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus for you.
19 Do not quench the Spirit.
20 Do not despise prophecies.
21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may
your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Scripture Reading 2 of 24

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Matthew 3:1-11  (Gospel, Saturday Before)
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of
Judea,
2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The
voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make His paths straight.' "
4 Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt
around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went
out to him
6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his
baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee
from the wrath to come?
8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
9 and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our
father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to
Abraham from these stones.
10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore
every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into
the fire.
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is
coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to
carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Scripture Reading 3 of 24

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Luke 18:2-8  (Gospel)
2 saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God
nor regard man.
3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying,
'Get justice for me from my adversary.'
4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself,
'Though I do not fear God nor regard man,
5 'yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her
continual coming she weary me.' "
6 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.
7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to
Him, though He bears long with them?
8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the
Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?
Scripture Reading 4 of 24

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Genesis 1:1-13  (Vespers, 1st Reading)
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face
of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the
waters.
3 Then God said, Let there be light; and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light
from the darkness.
5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the
evening and the morning were the first day.
6 Then God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters,
and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under
the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it
was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning
were the second day.
9 Then God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together
into one place, and let the dry land appear; and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of
the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that
yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its
kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth; and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed
according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is
in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.
Scripture Reading 5 of 24

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Exodus 14:15-18, 21-23, 27-29  (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
15 And the Lord said to Moses, Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children
of Israel to go forward.
16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and
divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through
the midst of the sea.
17 And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they
shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his
army, his chariots, and his horsemen.
18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have
gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused
the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the
sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.
22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry
ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on
their left.
23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the
sea, all Pharaohs horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning
appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were
fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of
the sea.
28 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen,
and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so
much as one of them remained.
29 But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of
the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on
their left.
Scripture Reading 6 of 24

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Exodus 15:22-16:1  (Vespers, 3rd Reading)
22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into
the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and
found no water.
23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of
Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called
Marah.
24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, What shall we
drink?
25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When
he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made
a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them,
26 and said, If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and
do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep
all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have
brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and
seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.
1 And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the
children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between
Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they
departed from the land of Egypt.
Scripture Reading 7 of 24

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Joshua 3:7-8, 15-17  (Vespers, 4th Reading)
7 And the Lord said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in
the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses,
so I will be with you.
8 You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant,
saying, 'When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan,
you shall stand in the Jordan.' "
15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of
the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the
Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest),
16 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose
in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So
the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea,
failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite
Jericho.
17 Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood
firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed
over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over
the Jordan.
Scripture Reading 8 of 24

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[31][LINK] January 5, 2008 [32][LINK]
Scripture Reading 9 of 24
[33][LINK] [34][LINK]
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[37]Today's commemorated feasts and saints... _EVE OF THE THEOPHANY.
Saturday Before the Theophany._ Hieromartyr Theopemptus, Bishop of
Nicomedia, and Martyr Theonas (303). Ven. Syncletica of Alexandria
(ca. 350). Prophet Micah (9th c. B.C.). Virgin Apollinaris of Egypt
(ca. 470). Ven. Phosterius the Hermit (6th c.). Ven. Menas of Sinai
(6th c.), Ven. Gregory of Crete (ca 820), Ven Romanos, Martyr (1694).
4[2] Kings 2:6-14  (Vespers, 5th Reading)
6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent
me on to the Jordan." But he said, "As the Lord lives, and as your
soul lives, I will not leave you!" So the two of them went on.
7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them
at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.
8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and
it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over
on dry ground.
9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to
Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?"
Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me."
10 So he said, You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see
me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it
shall not be so."
11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a
chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of
them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the
chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he
took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.
13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and
went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and
struck the water, and said, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" And
when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that;
and Elisha crossed over.
Scripture Reading 9 of 24
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[1]Back to Home page
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Readings | [5]Calendar| [6]Site Map| [7]What's New
[8]Back to home page
[INLINE]
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[10]About Orthodox Christianity
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[29]A prayer before reading the Holy Scriptures | [30]'How to Read the
Bible' by Bishop Kallistos of Diokleia
The Scripture Readings for
[31][LINK] January 5, 2008 [32][LINK]
Scripture Reading 10 of 24
[33][LINK] [34][LINK]
[35][LINK] [36]Printer Friendly Format
[37]Today's commemorated feasts and saints... _EVE OF THE THEOPHANY.
Saturday Before the Theophany._ Hieromartyr Theopemptus, Bishop of
Nicomedia, and Martyr Theonas (303). Ven. Syncletica of Alexandria
(ca. 350). Prophet Micah (9th c. B.C.). Virgin Apollinaris of Egypt
(ca. 470). Ven. Phosterius the Hermit (6th c.). Ven. Menas of Sinai
(6th c.), Ven. Gregory of Crete (ca 820), Ven Romanos, Martyr (1694).
4[2] Kings 5:9-14  (Vespers, 6th Reading)
9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the
door of Elisha's house.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the
Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you
shall be clean."
11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, "Indeed, I said
to myself, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the
name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal
the leprosy.'
12 Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better
than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?"
So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, "My father,
if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have
done it? How much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be
clean'?"
14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to
the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the
flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
Scripture Reading 10 of 24
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[40]Scripture Readings | [41]Feasts and Saints
[42]A prayer before reading the Holy Scriptures | [43]'How to Read the
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[44]The Orthodox Church in America
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-----------------------------

Isaiah 1:16-20  (Vespers, 7th Reading)
16 Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your
doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,
17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the
fatherless, Plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, Says the Lord, Though your
sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are
red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the
land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Scripture Reading 11 of 24

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Genesis 32:1-10  (Vespers, 8th Reading)
1 So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
2 When Jacob saw them, he said, This is Gods camp. And he called the
name of that place Mahanaim.
3 Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the
land of Seir, the country of Edom.
4 And he commanded them, saying, Speak thus to my lord Esau, Thus your
servant Jacob says: I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until
now.
5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I
have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.
6 Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to your
brother Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men
are with him.
7 So Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the
people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into
two companies.
8 And he said, If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then
the other company which is left will escape.
9 Then Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham and God of my father
Isaac, the Lord who said to me, Return to your country and to your
family, and I will deal well with you:
10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the
truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this
Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies.
Scripture Reading 12 of 24

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Exodus 2:5-10  (Vespers, 9th Reading)
5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And
her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among
the reeds, she sent her maid to get it.
6 And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby
wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the
Hebrews children.
7 Then his sister said to Pharaohs daughter, Shall I go and call a
nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for
you?
8 And Pharaohs daughter said to her, Go. So the maiden went and called
the childs mother.
9 Then Pharaohs daughter said to her, Take this child away and nurse
him for me, and I will give you your wages. So the woman took the
child and nursed him.
10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaohs daughter, and
he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, Because I
drew him out of the water.
Scripture Reading 13 of 24

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Judges 6:36-40  (Vespers, 10th Reading)
36 So Gideon said to God, "If You will save Israel by my hand as You
have said--
37 look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there
is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I
shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said."
38 And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the
fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of
water.
39 Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me, but let me speak
just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece;
let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there
be dew."
40 And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there
was dew on all the ground.
Scripture Reading 14 of 24

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The Scripture Readings for
[31][LINK] January 5, 2008 [32][LINK]
Scripture Reading 15 of 24
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[37]Today's commemorated feasts and saints... _EVE OF THE THEOPHANY.
Saturday Before the Theophany._ Hieromartyr Theopemptus, Bishop of
Nicomedia, and Martyr Theonas (303). Ven. Syncletica of Alexandria
(ca. 350). Prophet Micah (9th c. B.C.). Virgin Apollinaris of Egypt
(ca. 470). Ven. Phosterius the Hermit (6th c.). Ven. Menas of Sinai
(6th c.), Ven. Gregory of Crete (ca 820), Ven Romanos, Martyr (1694).
3[1] Kings 18:30-39  (Vespers, 11th Reading)
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all the
people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that
was broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the
tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come,
saying, "Israel shall be your name."
32 Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and
he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of
seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it
on the wood, and said, "Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on
the burnt sacrifice and on the wood."
34 Then he said, "Do it a second time," and they did it a second time;
and he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it a third time.
35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the
trench with water.
36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening
sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "Lord God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God
in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things
at Your word.
37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are
the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You
again."
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice,
and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water
that was in the trench.
39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they
said, "The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!"
Scripture Reading 15 of 24
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40. http://oca.org/?SID=25
41. http://oca.org/FSIndex.asp?SID=4
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----------------------------------------------------
------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------

Eve of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
The fourth day of the Forefeast of Theophany falls on January 5. If
January 5th falls on a weekday, the following order is observed:
Vespers on the evening of the 4th, then Matins. The First Hour is not
read after Matins.
On the 5th we read the Royal Hours, followed by Vespers and the
Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.
If the Eve of Theophany falls on Saturday:
The Royal Hours are read on Friday, but there is no Liturgy. Vespers
on the evening of the 4th, followed by Matins. The Liturgy of St. John
Chrysostom is celebrated on Saturday morning.
If the Eve of Theophany falls on a Sunday:
The Royal Hours are read on Friday, but there is no Liturgy. Vigil is
served on Saturday evening, and the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is
celebrated on Sunday.
There are thirteen readings at Vespers on the Eve of Theophany, and
the entrace is made with the Gospel. There is fasting today, whatever
day of the week it may be.
_________________________________________________________________
Hieromartyr Theopemptus the Bishop of Nicomedia
The Holy Martyrs Theopemptus and Theonas suffered in Nicomedia in the
year 303. St Theopemptus was bishop in Nicomedia in the time of
Diocletian. Speaking out against idolatry, he defended the faith in
Christ. Because of this, he became one of the first victims of the
Diocletian persecution.
The saint refused to obey the emperor's order to worship an idol of
Apollo. St Theopemptus was thrown into a red-hot furnace, but by the
power of God he remained alive. The emperor came to the furnace by
night with a detachment of soldiers, and there he saw the saint alive
and praying to God. Ascribing the miracle to magic, Diocletian thought
to exhaust St Theopemptus by depriving him of food and drink for
twenty-two days, but the martyr was preserved by the will of God.
The emperor brought the famous sorcerer Theonas to overcome Bishop
Theopemptus' supposed magical power. Theonas prepared a poison for St
Theopemptus, put it into a little cake, and offered it to him to eat.
The poison did no harm at all to St Theopemptus. Then Theonas tried an
even stronger poison on the martyr. Seeing that St Theopemptus
remained unharmed, he came to believe in Christ. They threw him into
prison together with the holy bishop, who taught and baptized him,
giving him the name Synesios (which means "full of understanding").
At dawn Diocletian summoned St Theopemptus, and again tried to turn
him to pagan impiety. Seeing that the bishop remained firm in his
faith, he subjected him to many grievous tortures, after which the
saint was beheaded. The holy martyr Theonas refused to offer sacrifice
to idols, so he was buried alive in a deep ditch. This occurred at
Nicomedia in the year 303.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Theonas
The Holy Martyrs Theopemptus and Theonas suffered in Nicomedia in the
year 303. St Theopemptus was bishop in Nicomedia in the time of
Diocletian (284-305). Speaking out against idolatry, he defended the
faith in Christ. Because of this, he became one of the first victims
of the Diocletian persecution.
The saint refused to obey the emperor's order to worship an idol of
Apollo. St Theopemptus was thrown into a red-hot furnace, but by the
power of God he remained alive. The emperor came to the furnace by
night with a detachment of soldiers, and there he saw the saint alive
and praying to God. Ascribing the miracle to magic, Diocletian thought
to exhaust St Theopemptus by depriving him of food and drink for
twenty-two days, but the martyr was preserved by the will of God.
The emperor brought the famous sorcerer Theonas to overcome Bishop
Theopemptus' supposed magical power. Theonas prepared a poison for St
Theopemptus, put it into a little cake, and offered it to him to eat.
The poison did no harm at all to St Theopemptus. Then Theonas tried an
even stronger poison on the martyr. Seeing that St Theopemptus
remained unharmed, he came to believe in Christ. They threw him into
prison together with the holy bishop, who taught and baptized him,
giving him the name Synesios (which means "full of understanding").
At dawn Diocletian summoned St Theopemptus, and again tried to turn
him to pagan impiety. Seeing that the bishop remained firm in his
faith, he subjected him to many grievous tortures, after which the
saint was beheaded. The holy martyr Theonas refused to offer sacrifice
to idols, so he was buried alive in a deep ditch. This occurred at
Nicomedia in the year 303.
_________________________________________________________________
Venerable Syncletica of Alexandria
Saint Syncletica was a native of Alexandria, the daughter of rich
parents. She was very beautiful, but from a young age she thought only
about things pleasing to God. Loving the purity of virginity, she
refused to marry anyone, and spent all her time in fasting and prayer.
After the death of her parents, she distributed her inheritance to the
poor. She left the city together with her younger sister, and lived in
a crypt for the rest of her life.
News of her ascetic deeds quickly spread throughout the vicinity, and
many devout women and girls came to live under her guidance. During
the course of her ascetic life the saint zealously instructed the
sisters by word and by deed.
In her eightieth year she was struck by an intense and grievous
illness. The nun bore her ordeal with true Christian endurance, and
the time of her death was revealed to her in a vision. After giving
final instructions to her nuns, she surrendered her soul to God around
the year 350.
_________________________________________________________________
Prophet Micah
The Holy Prophet Micah was a companion of the holy prophet Elias. He
prophesied the ruin of King Ahab in a war with the Assyrians, for
which he was cast into prison. Set free after the downfall of Ahab (3
Kings 22: 8-22), the holy prophet Micah died as a martyr in the ninth
century B.C.
_________________________________________________________________
Virginmartyr Appolinaria of Egypt
Saint Apollinaria was a daughter of Anthemias, a former proconsul of
the Byzantine Empire during the minority of Theodosius the Younger
(408-450). Disdaining marriage, she requested her parents' permission
to make a pilgrimage to the holy places of the East. Arriving in
Alexandria from Jerusalem, she slipped away from her servants and
changed into monastic garb. She hid in a marsh, where she practised
asceticism for several years in strict fasting and prayer.
An angel appeared to her in a dream and told her to go to the
monastery of Sketis, which was under the spiritual direction of St
Macarius of Egypt (January 19), and to call herself Dorotheus. St
Macarius accepted her as one of the brethren, and she quickly
distinguished herself by her ascetical life.
St Apollinaria's parents had another daughter who was possessed by
demons. They sent her to Sketis to St Macarius, who brought the
afflicted girl to Dorotheus (Apollinaria). By her prayers, the maiden
received healing. After she returned home, the maiden was attacked by
a violent demon, who made her appear pregnant. The demon spoke through
the girl's lips, saying that Dorotheus had forced himself on her. Her
outraged parents sent soldiers to the monastery to find the one who
had defiled their daughter.
St Apollinaria took the blame and accompanied the envoys to the home
of her parents. There she revealed her secret to her parents, healed
her sister, and returned to Sketis. She died shortly thereafter in the
year 470. Only after the death of Dorotheus was it revealed that "he"
was actually a woman. The saint was buried in a cave in the monastery
church of St Macarius of Egypt.
_________________________________________________________________
Venerable Phosterius the Hermit
Saint Phosterius the Hermit led an ascetical life on a lofty mountain,
where he was fed by an angel. He brought many back to the Church from
the heresy of Iconoclasm by his miracles and saintly life.
_________________________________________________________________
Venerable Menas of Sinai
Saint Menas lived in asceticism for more than fifty years in the
monastery of Sinai, where he died peacefully in the second half of the
sixth century. Myrrh flowed from his holy relics. St John Climacus
speaks of this wonderful man in THE LADDER OF DIVINE ASCENT (Step
4:34).
_________________________________________________________________
Venerable Gregory of Crete
Saint Gregory of Akrita was born on the island of Crete in the year
760, and was raised by pious parents. At this time the iconoclast
heretics persecuted the Orthodox. The youth Gregory, wanting to
preserve his Orthodox Faith, went to Seleukia and led a life of piety.
At the age of twenty, St Gregory went to Jerusalem and lived there for
twelve years, enduring fierce persecution from the Jews. From there St
Gregory journeyed to Rome, where he entered a monastery. He became
acquainted with St Michael, Bishop of Synnada (May 23), who took him
along and settled in a monastery on the Cape of Akrita (Sea of
Marmora). The saint accomplished great ascetic deeds and died there
around the year 820.
_________________________________________________________________
Venerable Romanus the Martyr
New Martyr Romanus of Karpenisi was born in Karpenisi in central
Greece. He was a monk on Mt. Athos for a time, and suffered for Christ
at Constantinople, beheaded by the Turks in the year 1694. His relics
were taken by ship to England.
_________________________________________________________________