[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Wed Mar 5 05:00:13 CST 2008

Scripture Readings and Saints for Wed Mar 5 2008

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Joel 2:12-26  (6th Hour)
12 Now, therefore, says the Lord, Turn to Me with all your heart, With
fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.
13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your
God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great
kindness; And He relents from doing harm.
14 Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind
Him-- A grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God?
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred
assembly;
16 Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from
his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.
17 Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, Weep between the porch
and the altar; Let them say, "Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not
give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over
them. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?' "
18 Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, And pity His people.
19 The Lord will answer and say to His people, "Behold, I will send
you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them; I
will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.
20 But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive
him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the
eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come
up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things.
21 Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the Lord has done
marvelous things!
22 Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures
are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the
vine yield their strength.
23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your
God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will
cause the rain to come down for you-- The former rain, And the latter
rain in the first month.
24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall
overflow with new wine and oil.
25 So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has
eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing
locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty
and be satisfied, And praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has
dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.
Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord
your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.
And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on
all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men
shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.
26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of
the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people
shall never be put to shame.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2

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Joel 3:12-21  (Vespers)
12 "Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of
Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding
nations.
13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the
winepress is full, The vats overflow-- For their wickedness is great."
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of
the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their
brightness.
16 The Lord also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from
Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the Lord will be a
shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.
17 "So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, Dwelling in Zion My
holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, And no aliens shall ever
pass through her again."
18 And it will come to pass in that day That the mountains shall drip
with new wine, The hills shall flow with milk, And all the brooks of
Judah shall be flooded with water; A fountain shall flow from the
house of the Lord And water the Valley of Acacias.
19 "Egypt shall be a desolation, And Edom a desolate wilderness,
Because of violence against the people of Judah, For they have shed
innocent blood in their land.
20 But Judah shall abide forever, And Jerusalem from generation to
generation.
21 For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not
acquitted; For the Lord dwells in Zion."
Scripture Reading 2 of 2

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Martyr Conon of Isauria
The Holy Martyr Conon of Isauria was born in Bethany, a village near
the Asia Minor city of Isauria, whose inhabitants had accepted
Christianity from the Apostle Paul. From his youth, St Conon was
accorded the special protection of the "Archistrategos" ("Leader of
the Heavenly Hosts") Michael, who appeared to him and assisted him in
many difficult circumstances in life.
At the insistence of his parents, Conon was betrothed to a maiden
named Anna. He persuaded her to live with him in virginity after the
wedding. The young couple lived as brother and sister, devoting
themselves entirely to God. St Conon brought also his parents to the
Christian Faith. His father, St Nestor, received a martyr's death for
denouncing idol-worshippers.
After burying both his mother and wife, St Conon continued his service
to God, devoting himself entirely to monastic works, fasting and
prayer. In his declining years the holy ascetic was glorified with the
gift of wonderworking. By virtue of his preaching and miracles many
pagans were converted to Christ. It is said that even the evil spirits
were forced to serve him.
When a persecution against Christians broke out in Isauria, one of the
first to suffer was St Conon. He was subjected to fierce torments for
his refusal to offer sacrifice to idols. When the people of Isauria
learned of the tortures to which the saint was being subjected, they
came forth bearing arms to defend the martyr. Frightened by the
people's wrath, the torturers fled, and the Isaurians found the martyr
wounded and bloodied at the place of torture.
St Conon wished to endure martyrdom for the Lord, but he lived two
more years. St Conon died in the second century and was buried beside
his parents and wife.
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Finding of the relics of St Theodore the Prince of Smolensk,
and Yaroslav, and His Children
On March 5, 1463, the relics of holy Prince Theodore and his sons,
David and Constantine were uncovered at Yaroslavl . The chronicler, an
eyewitness to the event, wrote: "At the city of Yaroslavl in the
monastery of the Holy Savior they unearthed three Great Princes:
Prince Theodore Rostislavich and his sons David and Constantine, and
brought them above the ground. The Great Prince Theodore was a man of
great stature, and they placed his sons David and Constantine beside
him. They were shorter than he was. All three had lain in a single
grave."
The physical appearance of the holy prince so impressed the
eyewitnesses and those present at the uncovering of the relics, that
an account of this event was entered into the Prologue (lives of
saints) in St Theodore's Life, and also into the text of the Manual
for Iconographers.
Sts Theodore, David and Constantine are also commemorated on September
19.
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Finding of the relics of St David of Smolensk and Yaroslav,
and His Brother and Father
On March 5, 1463, the relics of holy Prince Theodore and his sons,
David and Constantine were uncovered at Yaroslavl . The chronicler, an
eyewitness to the event, wrote: "At the city of Yaroslavl in the
monastery of the Holy Savior they unearthed three Great Princes:
Prince Theodore Rostislavich and his sons David and Constantine, and
brought them above the ground. The Great Prince Theodore was a man of
great stature, and they placed his sons David and Constantine beside
him. They were shorter than he was. All three had lain in a single
grave."
The physical appearance of the holy prince so impressed the
eyewitnesses and those present at the uncovering of the relics, that
an account of this event was entered into the Prologue (lives of
saints) in St Theodore's Life, and also into the text of the Manual
for Iconographers.
Sts Theodore, David and Constantine are also commemorated on September
19.
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Finding of the relics of St Constantine and His Brother and
Father of Smolensk, and Yaroslav
On March 5, 1463, the relics of holy Prince Theodore and his sons,
David and Constantine were uncovered at Yaroslavl . The chronicler, an
eyewitness to the event, wrote: "At the city of Yaroslavl in the
monastery of the Holy Savior they unearthed three Great Princes:
Prince Theodore Rostislavich and his sons David and Constantine, and
brought them above the ground. The Great Prince Theodore was a man of
great stature, and they placed his sons David and Constantine beside
him. They were shorter than he was. All three had lain in a single
grave."
The physical appearance of the holy prince so impressed the
eyewitnesses and those present at the uncovering of the relics, that
an account of this event was entered into the Prologue (lives of
saints) in St Theodore's Life, and also into the text of the Manual
for Iconographers.
Sts Theodore, David and Constantine are also commemorated on September
19.
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Monkmartyr Adrian of Poshekhonye, Yaroslavl
Saint Adrian of Poshekonye was born at Rostov the Great at the end of
the sixteenth century, of pious parents named Gregory and Irene. St
Adrian received monastic tonsure at the monastery of St Cornelius of
Komel (May 19).
Among the brethren gathered around St Cornelius were some capable
builders and iconographers, so the monastery churches were constructed
and adorned by the saints themselves. In the final years of St
Cornelius's life, Kazan Tatars invaded the territory around the
monastery, and he led all the brethren to the River Ukhtoma. But the
Tatars did not touch the monastery, being frightened off by the sight
of the many soldiers defending it, and they soon withdrew from the
Vologda district. St Cornelius returned to the monastery with the
brethren and reposed there on May 19, 1537.
Three years after the death of St Cornelius, St Adrian, then a
hierodeacon, greatly desired to go into a wilderness place and found a
monastery in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos. The Lord helped him
fulfill his intention. A certain unknown Eder of striking appearance
came to the Corniliev monastery. St Adrian asked him his name, and the
Elder referred to himself as "the lowly one."
When St Adrian invited him to his own cell and asked him to say
something beneficial for the soul, the Elder said that he would show
St Adrian the spot where he should build the church and monastery of
the Most Holy Theotokos.
St Adrian immediately went to the Superior, Igumen Laurence, and
sought his blessing to live in the wilderness. Recalling St
Cornelius's order that any monks who wished to withdraw into the
wilderness should be released from the monastery, Igumen Laurence did
not hinder St Adrian but gave him his blessing. He also sent with him
his assistant, Eder Leonid. After they prayed at the grave of St
Cornelius, St Adrian and Elder Leonid went on their way, led by the
mysterious black-robed monk. St Adrian carried with him an icon of the
Dormition of the Mother of God, which he also painted.
On September 13, 1540, the eve of the Feast of the Exaltation of the
Cross of the Lord, St Adrian and Elder Leonid arrived in the wild
Poshekonye forest, near the settlements of Belta, Patrabolsha,
Shelshedolsk and Ukhorsk.
They halted at the banks of the River Votkha. There the Elder leading
them suddenly became invisible. The astonished travellers began to
chant the Canon and service of the Feast, with tears of thanks to God.
Indeed this was a portent of the future fame of the monastery, a place
where God would be glorified.
For three years St Adrian and the Elder Leonid survived in the
wilderness solitude, suffering want, overcoming temptations from the
devil and the whisperings of wicked folk, and then they began to
fulfill their intention. Choosing a suitable moment, the ascetics went
to Moscow to ask the blessing of Metropolitan Macarius to establish a
monastery and church in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God on
the Peshekhonye side of the River Votkha.
St Macarius gave his blessing to the ascetics to build the monastery,
and he gave them a written document to that effect. He ordained Adrian
to the priesthood and elevated him to the rank of igumen. In the
document he had given to St Adrian, the hierarch bade "priests,
deacons, monks and laymen to listen to him and obey him in everything,
as befits a pastor and teacher."
At Moscow the Poshekonye ascetics found generous benefactors who gave
the monks abundant offerings to build their church. Returning to their
wilderness spot on May 31, 1543, St Adrian laid the foundations for
the church with a trapeza, in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy
Theotokos.
Having embellished and consecrated the new church, St Adrian began the
construction of the monastery. The strict monastic Rule of St
Cornelius was introduced at the monastery. Having nothing of their
own, a little being sufficient for everyone, the saints devoted a
large portion of their time to prayer, both in church and in their
cells, and no small time was allotted to the reading of Holy
Scripture. This reading was done "not in an elegant voice, nor for
effect, but in a humble and mild voice. One reads, and another speaks
of what is read." They also read in private.
In addition to his duties as igumen, St Adrian also occupied himself
with painting icons. When his holy soul longed for complete silence,
he withdrew into the depths of the forest into the cell and chapel he
had built one verst away from the monastery.
Six years after the founding of the monastery, Elder Leonid reposed.
St Adrian and the brethren buried him with reverence. The number of
the brethren had increased during this time. They built three cells as
dwellings, and a fourth for preparing food and baking bread.
St Adrian began to make plans for the construction of a large stone
church, and he gathered a sum of money for this purpose. One year
after the repose of Elder Leonid, during Great Lent of 1550, on the
eve of the commemoration of the 42 Ammoreian Martyrs (March 6), armed
robbers burst into the monastery and murdered St Adrian after beating
him.
The holy relics of St Martyr Adrian were uncovered on December 17,
1626, solemnly transferred into the monastery church and placed in an
open crypt by the right kliros (choir). Many miracles occurred at the
grave of St Adrian.
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Martyr Onesimus of Isauria
The Holy Martyr Onesimus (Onisius) lived in Palestine. He was beheaded
with the sword for confessing faith in Christ.
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Martyr Conon the Gardener of Pamphylia
The Holy Martyr Conon the Gardener was born in Nazareth of Galilee,
but he lived in the city of Mandona, where he occupied himself with
gardening. He was a God-fearing man, sincere in heart, and without
malice. The saint suffered for his faith in Christ under the emperor
Decius (249-251). When they brought him to trial, he unwaveringly and
firmly confessed his faith. The torturers drove nails into his feet
and dragged him behind a chariot until the sufferer collapsed from
exhaustion. With a prayer, he surrendered his spirit to the Lord.
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Virginmartyr Irais (Rhais) of Antinoe in Egypt
No information on the life of this saint is available at this time.
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Martyr Eulogius of Palestine
The Holy Martyr Eulogius was a native of Palestine. After the death of
his pagan parents he gave away all his inheritance to the poor, and he
himself became a wanderer and went through Palestine, converting
pagans to Christianity. During the time of a persecution he was
arrested, subjected to terrible tortures and beheaded.
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Martyr Eulampius of Palestine
The Holy Martyr Eulampius lived in Palestine. He was beheaded for his
faith in Christ.
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St Mark the Ascetic of Egypt
Saint Mark the Ascetic was born in Athens during the fifth century,
and became a monk in the Nitrian desert (Lower Egypt). From his youth
his fondest pursuit was the reading of Holy Scripture. It is said that
he knew the whole Bible by heart.
Nine of his thirty discourses have come down to us. Three of them are
in Volume I of the English PHILOKALIA. The Byzantines had such a high
regard for his writings that they said, "Sell everything and buy
Mark."
He was noted for his gentleness and purity of soul. He was known as
"the Ascetic" because of his abstinence. He lived for ninety years as
a solitary, then surrendered his soul to God when he was one hundred
and twenty years old.
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St Hesychius the Faster of Bithynia
Saint Hesychius the Faster was born in the eighth century in the
coastal city of Adrineia in Bithynia. Raised since his youth in piety,
he left his parental home and practiced asceticism in a wilderness
spot on Mount Maionis. Despite the threat of demons and wild animals
and robbers living there, the holy ascetic in seeking greater solitude
settled there and built himself a cell, digging himself a garden and
eating from the fruit of his labors. After a certain while disciples
began to throng to him. At a spring of water in a valley not far off
St Hesychius built a church in the name of the holy Apostle Andrew the
First-Called. Even during his lifetime he was granted the gift of
wonderworking.
One time they brought a demon-possessed girl to him. Her parents,
falling down at the feet of the holy ascetic, implored his holy
prayers for her healing. The holy ascetic made prayer for the
unfortunate one, and the devils left her. Turning to the parents of
the healed girl, St Hesychius predicted that a women's holy monastery
would arise at the place their daughter was healed. And actually the
prophecy was fulfilled in the future.
An angel appeared to St Hesychius three days before his end and
predicted to him his approaching demise. He accepted the news with
joy. And before his blessed end, the saint summoned his disciples and
for a long while he instructed them. At midnight the cell of the saint
and the surrounding area suddenly gleamed with a heavenly light, and
St Hesychius fell asleep in the Lord with the words: "Into Thy hands,
O Lord, I commend my spirit."
At the place of his efforts, in accord with the prediction of St
Hesychius, was later on built a women's monastery. The holy relics of
St Hesychius, buried at the church of the holy Apostle Andrew the
First-Called, were later transferred by Theophylactus, Bishop of
Amasea, to the city of Amasea (Asia Minor).
Today's saint should not be confused with St Hesychius the Theologian,
the priest of Jerusalem (March 28), whose writings are in the
PHILOKALIA.
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Icon of the Mother of God "the Teacher"
No information available at this time.
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St John the New Martyr of Bulgaria
The holy New Martyr John was born in Bulgaria in 1775. Since fanatical
Moslems believed that they would be assured of an eternal "paradise"
where they would enjoy beautiful virgins and an abundance of food if
they could force Christians to deny Christ and follow Mohammed, they
spared no effort to convert Christians through flattery or by threats
of death.
When John was still a boy, he fell in with Moslem companions. Through
various ways, he was led to renounce Christ and to follow Islam. He
came to his senses when he was about sixteen, and was stricken with
grief at his denial of Christ. He fled to Mt. Athos to the Great
Lavra. Here he spent his time in repentence under the guidance of an
Elder.
He lived a monastic life of great strictness for three years, yet his
conscience continued to trouble him. With the blessing of his Elder,
he decided to travel to Constantinople to wipe out his apostasy by
confessing Christ in a public way and by shedding his blood.
The young monk dressed himself as a Turk, which a Christian was not
permitted to do. Arriving in Constantinople, he went directly to the
church of Hagia Sophia, which had been turned into a mosque. Right in
front of the Moslems, he made the Sign of the Cross and began to
recite Christian prayers. Then he said in a loud voice that he had
been born a Christian, but had fallen into error and renounced Christ.
Now, he declared, he wished to renounce the false religion of Mohammed
in order to follow Christ once more.
The Turks fell into a frenzied rage when they heard his words. They
seized him and began to torture him in various ways. "Renounce
Christ," they said, "and return to the Moslem faith, or you will be
killed."
St John replied, "Without Christ, there is no salvation."
The furious Hagarenes dragged the saint out to the courtyard to behead
him. In this manner, St John received the crown of martyrdom in 1784
at the age of nineteen.
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