[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Fri Jan 18 05:00:32 CST 2008

Scripture Readings and Saints for Fri Jan 18 2008

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

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

Hebrews 7:18-25
18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment
because of its weakness and unprofitableness,
19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the
bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
20 And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath
21 (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath
by Him who said to Him: "The LORD has sworn And will not relent, 'You
are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek' "),
22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.
23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death
from continuing.
24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable
priesthood.
25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come
to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for
them.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2

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

Luke 21:37-22:8
37 And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He
went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.
38 Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple
to hear Him.
1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called
Passover.
2 And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill
Him, for they feared the people.
3 Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among
the twelve.
4 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and
captains, how he might betray Him to them.
5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.
6 So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the
absence of the multitude.
7 Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be
killed.
8 And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for
us, that we may eat."
Scripture Reading 2 of 2

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

St Athanasius the Great the Archbishop of Alexandria
Saints Athanasius and Cyril were Archbishops of Alexandria. These wise
teachers of truth and defenders of Christ's Church share a joint Feast
in recognition of their dogmatic writings which affirm the truth of
the Orthodox Faith, correctly interpret the Holy Scripture, and
censure the delusions of the heretics.
St Athanasius took part in the First Ecumenical Council when he was
still a deacon. He surpassed everyone there in his zeal to uphold the
teaching that Christ is consubstantial (homoousios) with the Father,
and not merely a creature, as the Arians proclaimed.
This radiant beacon of Orthodoxy spent most of his life in exile from
his See, because of the plotting of his enemies. He returned to his
flock as he was approaching the end of his life. Like an evening star,
he illumined the Orthodox faithful with his words for a little while,
then reposed in 373. He is also commemorated on May 2 (the transfer of
his holy relics).
_________________________________________________________________
St Cyril the Archbishop of Alexandria
Saints Athanasius and Cyril were Archbishops of Alexandria. These wise
teachers of truth and defenders of Christ's Church share a joint Feast
in recognition of their dogmatic writings which affirm the truth of
the Orthodox Faith, correctly interpret the Holy Scripture, and
censure the delusions of the heretics.
St Cyril was the nephew of Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria, who
educated him from his youth. He succeeded to his uncle's position in
412, but was deposed through the intrigues of the Nestorian heretics.
He later resumed his See, however.
St Cyril presided at the Third Ecumenical Council in 441, which
censured the Nestorian blasphemy against the Most Holy Theotokos. His
wise words demonstrated the error of their false doctrine.
St Cyril departed to the Lord in the year 444, and is also
commemorated on June 9 (the day of his repose).
_________________________________________________________________
Venerable Athanasius the Abbot of Syandemsk, Vologda
Saint Athanasius of Synadem and Vologda was a disciple of St Alexander
of Svir (August 30). After the death of his mentor, he established the
Dormition hermitage in the forests of Karelia, not far from the city
of Olonets, on an island of Lake Synadem.
The slander and pettiness of the local inhabitants compelled St
Athanasius to move back to the Svir monastery, where they chose him as
igumen. Later returning to the Dormition hermitage, St Athanasius died
in about the year 1550 in great old age, and was buried on one of the
promontories of Roschinsk island. Afterwards, a church was built over
his grave, named for Sts Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria. The
incorrupt relics of St Athanasius were placed in this church in 1720.
_________________________________________________________________
Righteous Athanasius of Novolotsk
Righteous Athanasius of Navolotsk went at the end of the sixteenth
century from the Kargopol region to the Olonets land, where he founded
a monastery 78 versts from what later became the city of Petrozavodsk.
The saint died at a Verkholedsk suburb not far from Shenkursk.
_________________________________________________________________
Venerable Marcian of Cyrrhus in Syria
Saint Marcian of Cyrrhus lived in the desert near the city of Cyrrhus.
He built a small hut and settled in it, passing his time in prayer,
singing Psalms and reading spiritual books. He ate very little food,
just enough to keep him alive. Reports of his holy life attracted to
him many zealous ascetics, and St Marcian established a monastery for
them.
God's blessing rested upon the saint, and he possessed the gift of
wonderworking. Once, a serpent crawled into his cell. The saint made
the Sign of the Cross and the serpent perished, burned up by flames.
At night, when the ascetic read, a heavenly light shone for him. The
monk also worked many other miracles on behalf of the brethren. He
died in peace about the year 388.
_________________________________________________________________
Venerable Schemamonk Cyril, the Father of St Sergius of
Radonezh
Saint Cyril and his wife Maria were the parents of St Sergius of
Radonezh (September 25). They belonged to the nobility, but more
importantly, they were devout and faithful Christians who were adorned
with every virtue.
When the child in Maria's womb cried out three times in church during
Liturgy, people were astonished. Although frightened at first, Maria
came to see this event as a sign from God that her child would become
a chosen vessel of divine grace. She and her husband agreed that if
the child was a boy, they would bring him to church and dedicate him
to God. This child, the second of their three sons, was born around
1314. He was named Bartholomew at his baptism.
Because of civil strife, St Cyril moved his family from Rostov to
Radonezh when Bartholomew was still a boy.
Later, when their son expressed a desire to enter the monastic life,
Sts Cyril and Maria asked him to wait and take care of them until they
passed away, because his brothers Stephen and Peter were both married
and had their own family responsibilities. The young Bartholomew
obeyed his parents, and did everything he could to please them. They
later decided to retire to separate monasteries, and departed to the
Lord after a few years. It is believed that Sts Cyril and Maria both
reposed in 1337.
Forty days after burying his parents, Bartholomew settled their
estate, giving his share to his brother Peter. He then went to the
monastery when he was twenty-three years old, and was tonsured on
October 7 with the name Sergius (in honor of the martyr St Sergius who
is commemorated on that day). As everyone knows, St Sergius of
Radonezh became one of Russia's greatest and most revered saints.
St Cyril was glorified by the Orthodox Church of Russia in 1992. He is
also commemorated on September 28, and on July 6 (Synaxis of the
Saints of Radonezh).
Saint Cyril was glorified by the Orthodox Church of Russia in 1992. He
is also commemorated on September 28, and on July 6 (Synaxis of the
Saints of Radonezh).
_________________________________________________________________
Venerable Schema-Nun Maria, the Mother of St Sergius of
Radonezh
Saint Maria and her husband Cyril were the parents of St Sergius of
Radonezh (September 25). They belonged to the nobility, but more
importantly, they were devout and faithful Christians who were adorned
with every virtue.
When the child in her womb cried out three times in church during
Liturgy, people were astonished. Although frightened at first, Maria
came to see this event as a sign from God that her child would become
a chosen vessel of divine grace. She and her husband agreed that if
the child was a boy, they would bring him to church and dedicate him
to God. This child, the second of their three sons, was born around
1314. He was named Bartholomew at his baptism.
Because of civil strife, the family moved from Rostov to Radonezh when
Bartholomew was still a boy.
Later, when their son expressed a desire to enter the monastic life,
Sts Cyril and Maria asked him to wait and take care of them until they
passed away, because his brothers Stephen and Peter were both married
and had their own family responsibilities. The young Bartholomew
obeyed his parents, and did everything he could to please them. They
later decided to retire to separate monasteries, and departed to the
Lord after a few years. It is believed that Sts Cyril and Maria both
reposed in 1337.
Forty days after burying his parents, Bartholomew settled their
estate, giving his share to his brother Peter. He then went to the
monastery when he was twenty-three years old, and was tonsured on
October 7 with the name Sergius (in honor of the martyr St Sergius who
is commemorated on that day). As everyone knows, St Sergius of
Radonezh became one of Russia's greatest and most revered saints.
St Maria was glorified by the Orthodox Church of Russia in 1992. She
is also commemorated on September 28, and on July 6 (Synaxis of the
Saints of Radonezh).
_________________________________________________________________
St Joachim I, Patriarch of Trnovo and Bulgaria
No information available at this time.
_________________________________________________________________
St Maximus, the Archbishop of Serbia
No information available at this time.
_________________________________________________________________
St Maximus the New
Saint Maximus the New was the son of King Stephen of Serbia (December
10). He became a monk at Manasija, but had to flee into a mountainous
region of Romania because of the Moslems. He was consecrated as
Metropolitan of Wallachia. After a life of great spiritual endeavors,
he fell asleep in the Lord on January 18, 1516 in a monastery he had
founded.
_________________________________________________________________
St Ephraim the Lesser
Today little is known about the life of venerable Ephraim the Lesser,
the great 11th-century writer, translator, philosopher, and defender
of the Georgian Church. His work _Reminiscences_ and other sources,
however, provide us with the means to speculate about the major
periods of his life and labors.
In 1027, when King Bagrat IV (10271072) ascended the Georgian throne,
many noblemen of the Tao region in southern Georgia relocated to
Greece. Among them was the honorable Vache, son of Karichi, whom
scholars believe was Ephraims father.
After receiving a Greek education in Constantinople, Ephraim settled
in the Black Mountains near Antioch and began his labors there. His
achievements in Georgian theological and philosophical writing are
immeasurable. The number of his works is almost one hundred, and the
subjects cover nearly every branch of theological inquiry. Ephraim
even developed his own theory of translation, which later formed the
foundation for written composition in the Georgian language. His
theory consists of three essential points:
1. A composition must be translated from the original, that is, from
the language in which it was first written. 2. The translation must
carry the same literal meaning as the original, but accuracy in this
regard must not violate the nature of the language into which the text
is being translated. 3. A section of commentary that examines all
relevant historical, grammatical, and literary issues should be
included with the translated text.
Ephraim translated five of the works of St. Dionysius the Areopagite,
_The Ascetic Rules_ of St. Basil the Great, the writings of St.
Ephraim the Syrian, commentaries on the Epistles and Psalms, and many
other important patristic writings.
Among Ephraim the Lessers original works, his most significant is _An
Explanation of the Reasons for the Conversion of Georgia_, a
compilation of existing essays and his own commentaries on the nations
conversion.
In the second half of the 11th century, the monks of Antioch and the
Black Mountains began to deny the independence of the Georgian Church.
Among other claims, they argued that none of the Apostles had preached
the Christian Faith in Georgia. It became necessary to prove that the
Georgian Church was indeed autocephalous, and members of the nations
elite accordingly called upon Ephraim to settle this issue. Ephraim
studied many patristic writings in the original Greek, gathered the
ancient sources, and succeeded in fully securing the independent
existence of the Georgian Church.
St. Ephraim wrote the following about the Apostles preaching: Know
that from the time the Apostles were preaching, according to the
Prophet David: Their voice was heard through all the earth, and their
words resounded in every village (c.f. Ps. 18:4). In Georgia, Andrew
the First-called preached the Gospel in Avazgia (now Abkhazeti), and
from there he journeyed to Ossetia (now Shida Kartli). Bartholomew
also preached in Georgia, in the Kartli region.
St. Ephraim never left the Black Mountains. In 1091 he was enthroned
as the abbot of Kastana Monastery (The precise location of Kastana is
unknown, but according to modern archaeologists, it was probably in
the Black Mountains. For a full discussion of the subject see:
Wachtang Z. Djobadze, _Materials for the study of Georgian monasteries
in the Western environs of Antioch on the Orontes_ (Louvain: Corpus
Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, 1976), pp. 1013)
Our holy father Ephraim reposed in the Lord around the year 1101. He
is included in a list of the departed compiled by the Council of
Ruisi-Urbnisi in 1103, and the year of his death has been approximated
from the information given in this source.
Ephraim was canonized by the Orthodox Church of Georgia because of his
God-pleasing life and the many commendable works he performed on
behalf of the Church and his nation.
_________________________________________________________________
Venerable Hieromonk Alexei of Teklati
Ssaint Alexi (Shushania) was born September 23, 1852, in the village
of Noqalaqevi, in the Senaki district of Samegrelo, to a pious
Christian couple. His father died in 1868, after giving the
sixteen-year-old future hieromonk his blessing to care for the family.
In the same year that his father died, Alexi journeyed to Jerusalem on
a pilgrimage, and from there to Constantinople to visit his uncle,
Islam Shushania, a successful merchant and a clever and pious man.
During this visit, Alexi became fascinated with the trade industry and
resolved to become a merchant as well. But he would soon discover that
Gods will was different from his own.
One day Alexi borrowed a small icon of St. John the Baptist from his
uncle, confined himself to his room, and there began to experience
great inner warfare. He was moved by a profound love for his mother,
sisters, brothers, and friends, but at the same time he sensed an
invisible force calling him to the spiritual life.
After several agonizing hours, Alexi finally asked himself, How can I
fulfill my fathers will? He entrusted me with the responsibility to
look after the familyhow can I reconcile this with Gods calling?
To his great wonder, an invisible instructor answered him, saying, If
you die now, who will take over your responsibilities? The answer was
clear. God will! Alexi proclaimed. And he heard the voice again.
So die to the world, entrust everything to God, and He will minister
to your family.
The encounter transformed Alexis life. Afterwards he confined himself
to his room for months, reading the Holy Scriptures, and keeping a
strict fast. Witnessing the radical change in Alexis way of life, his
uncle thought it would be best for them to leave Constantinople and
return to Georgia.
It was not long before Alexis loved ones realized he had made a
covenant with God, and that he would enter the monastic life. His
brothers and sisters were distressed upon hearing the news, but his
mother gave thanks to God and blessed her son.
At the age of twenty Alexi moved to Teklati Womens Monastery. He began
to lead a strict ascetic life and went from village to village, caring
for those ill with tuberculosis, cholera, and other serious illnesses,
and burying the corpses of the homeless.
Several years passed, and many became convinced that Alexi was a
fool-for-Christ. He preached the Word of God with intensity, and his
life was an example for many. His preaching inspired his mother,
Elene, his younger sister Salome, and his brother Besarion to join him
in the monastic life. After he was tonsured a monk, Besarion made a
pilgrimage to Jerusalem and remained there for several years.
Because of his exemplary service to the Lord, he was ordained a priest
at Martvili Monastery. Later he was tonsured into the great schema.
Alexi also spent time on Mt. Athos. After returning from the Holy
Mountain, he made a pilgrimage to the Kiev Caves Monastery, then
returned to Georgia to continue his labors.
Around the year 1885 St. Alexi moved to Gelati Monastery, where he
continued to study and produced several original works. In 1886 he was
reassigned to Khobi Monastery and ordained a deacon by Bishop Grigol,
and in 1888 he was ordained a hieromonk. Two years later, in 1890, he
became ill and returned to be with his mother and sisters at Teklati
Monastery.
According to Gods will his health was restored, and in 1891 Alexi
fashioned a cell for himself in the mountainous village of Menji (also
called Archangels Hill), near the place where he was born. He gathered
his disciples and undertook a stricter ascetic life. Fr. Alexis health
was so improved that he was able to celebrate the divine services
again.
The holy father would receive alms, but he distributed most of what
was given to him. He divided the alms in three parts: the first he put
aside for his personal needs, the second, for the church and its
guests, and the third, for the poor and infirm.
St. Alexi kept a life-size cross in his cell, and when he prayed he
supported the cross on his back, since it reminded him of the position
in which St. Simon of Cyrene carried the Holy Cross to Christs
Crucifixion on Golgotha.
In spite of his strict ascetic life, Hieromonk Alexi was remarkably
close to the people in his community and was loved by many for the
spiritual warmth that he radiated.
After many years the strict ascetic life finally took its toll on Fr.
Alexis health. He dismissed his pupils and spent the last years of his
earthly life (from around the year 1915) with his cousins, the
schemanuns Akepsima and Pasto. St. Alexi reposed January 18, 1923,
frail from a long and labor-filled life in the service of the Lord.
For forty days after his death, the schemanuns Akepsima and Pasto
remained in his cell for fear that the Communist governments henchmen
would destroy his humble dwelling. Later they buried Fr. Alexis body
at Teklati, and themselves began to labor at the Archangels Monastery.
With the blessing of Metropolitan Eprem of Batumi-hemokmedi and
Chqondidi, Schemanun Akepsima and Abbess Pasto translated Fr. Alexis
incorrupt relics from Teklati to the Archangels Monastery and buried
them near the east wall of the temple on January 8, 1960.
St. Alexi was canonized on September 18, 1995.
_________________________________________________________________