[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Mon Mar 10 05:00:16 CDT 2008

Scripture Readings and Saints for Mon Mar 10 2008

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Isaiah 1:1-20  (6th Hour)
1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah
and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings
of Judah.
2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: I
have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against
Me;
3 The ox knows its owner And the donkey its masters crib; But Israel
does not know, My people do not consider.
4 Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of
evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord,
They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned
away backward.
5 Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The
whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in
it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been
closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment.
7 Your country is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire;
Strangers devour your land in your presence; And it is desolate, as
overthrown by strangers.
8 So the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, As a hut
in a garden of cucumbers, As a besieged city.
9 Unless the Lord of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We
would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah.
10 Hear the word of the Lord, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law
of our God, You people of Gomorrah:
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me? Says the
Lord. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed
cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats.
12 When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your
hand, To trample My courts?
13 Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies I cannot
endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a
trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even
though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of
blood.
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 1 of 3

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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 2 of 3

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Proverbs 1:1-20  (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of
understanding,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity;
4 To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and
discretion
5 A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of
understanding will attain wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and
their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools
despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, hear the instruction of your father,
9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about
your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.
11 If they say, Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us
lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go
down to the Pit;
13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our
houses with spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse
15 My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their
path;
16 For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for
their own lives.
19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away
the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open
squares.
Scripture Reading 3 of 3

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------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Beginning of Great Lent
In the Orthodox Church, the last Sunday before Great Lent - the day on
which, at Vespers, Lent is liturgically announced and inaugurated - is
called Forgiveness Sunday. On the morning of that Sunday, at the
Divine Liturgy, we hear the words of Christ:
"If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you, but if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will
your Father forgive your trespasses" (Mark 6:14-15).
Then after Vespers - after hearing the announcement of Lent in the
Great Prokeimenon": Turn not away Thy face from Thy child, for I am
afflicted! Hear me speedily! Draw near unto my soul and deliver it!",
after making our entrance into Lenten worship, with its special
melodies, with the prayer of St Ephraim the Syrian, with its
prostrations - we ask forgiveness from each other, we perform the rite
of forgiveness and reconciliation. And as we approach each other with
words of reconciliation, the choir intones the Paschal hymns, filling
the church with the anticipation of Paschal joy.
What is the meaning of this rite? Why is it that the Church wants us
to begin the Lenten season with forgiveness and reconciliation? These
questions are in order because for too many people Lent means
primarily, and almost exclusively, a change of diet, the compliance
with ecclesiastical regulations concerning fasting. They understand
fasting as an end in itself, as a "good deed" required by God and
carrying in itself its merit and its reward. But the Church spares no
effort in revealing to us that fasting is but a means, one among many,
towards a higher goal: the spiritual renewal of man, his return to
God, true repentance and, therefore, true reconciliation. The Church
spares no effort in warning us against a hypocritical and pharisaic
fasting, against the reduction of religion to mere external
obligations. As a Lenten hymn says:
"In vain do you rejoice in not eating, O soul! For you abstain from
food, But from passions you are not purified. If you persevere in sin,
you will perform a useless fast!"
Now, forgiveness stands at the very center of Christian faith and of
Christian life because Christianity itself is, above all, the religion
of forgiveness. God forgives us, and His forgiveness is in Christ, His
Son, whom He sends to us so that by sharing in His humanity we may
share in His love and be truly reconciled with God. Indeed,
Christianity has no other content but love. And it is primarily the
renewal of that love, a growth in it, that we seek in Great Lent, in
fasting and prayer, in the entire spirit and the entire effort of that
season. Thus, truly forgiveness is both the beginning of, and the
proper condition for, the Lenten season.
One may ask, however: Why should I perform this rite when I have no
"enemies?" Why should I ask forgiveness from people who have done
nothing to me, and whom I hardly know? To ask these questions is to
misunderstand the Orthodox teaching concerning forgiveness. It is true
that open enmity, personal hatred, real animosity may be absent from
our life, though if we experience them, it may be easier for us to
repent, for these feelings openly contradict Divine commandments. But
the Church reveals to us that there are much subtler ways of offending
Divine Love. These are indifference, selfishness, lack of interest in
other people, of any real concern for them - in short, that wall which
we usually erect around ourselves, thinking that by being "polite" and
"friendly" we fulfill God's commandments. The rite of forgiveness is
so important precisely because it makes us realize - be it only for
one minute - that our entire relationship to other men is wrong, makes
us experience that encounter of one child of God with another, of one
person created by God with another, makes us feel that mutual
"recognition" which is so terribly lacking in our cold and dehumanized
world.
On that unique evening, listening to the joyful Paschal hymns we are
called to make a spiritual discovery: to taste of another mode of life
and relationship with people, of life whose essence is love. We can
discover that always and everywhere Christ, the Divine Love Himself,
stands in the midst of us, transforming our mutual alienation into
brotherhood. As I advance towards the other, as the other comes to me
- we begin to realize that it is Christ who brings us together by His
love for both of us.
And because we make this discovery - and because this discovery is
that of the Kingdom of God itself: the Kingdom of Peace and Love, of
reconciliation with God and, in Him, with all that exists - we hear
the hymns of that Feast, which once a year "opens to us the doors of
Paradise." We know why we shall fast and pray, what we shall seek
during the long Lenten pilgrimage.
Forgiveness Sunday: the day on which we acquire the power to make our
fasting - true fasting; our effort - true effort; our reconciliation
with God - true reconciliation.
- Father Alexander Schmemann
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Martyr Quadratus and those with him at Corinth
The Holy Martyr Quadratus (Codratus) and those with him: During a
persecution against Christians (in the third century) a certain pious
woman named Rufina fled from Corinth to a mountain, to escape from her
pursuers. There she gave birth to a son Quadratus, and died soon
afterward. By the Providence of God the infant remained alive and was
nourished in miraculous manner: a cloud appeared over him, dropping a
sweet dew into his mouth.
The childhood and youth of St Quadratus were spent in the wilderness.
When he was a young man, he chanced upon Christians, who enlightened
him with the light of the true Faith. Quadratus studied grammar, and
later learned the physician's art and attained great success in it.
But most of all, Quadratus loved the wilderness solitude and he spent
the greater part of his time in the hills, in prayer and meditation
upon God. Many years passed, and his friends and followers frequently
came to the saint to hear his instruction. Among them were Cyprian,
Dionysius, Anectus, Paul, Crescens and many others.
By order of the impious emperor Decius (249-251), the military prefect
Jason arrived at Corinth to torture and slay Christians. Since
Quadratus was the eldest, he spoke for the rest. The saint bravely
defended his faith in Christ the Savior, then they began the torture.
St Quadratus, despite inhuman suffering, encouraged the others, urging
them not to be afraid and to stand firmly for the Faith.
Unable to persuade any of them to deny Christ, Jason ordered the
martyrs to be thrown to wild beasts to be torn apart. But the beasts
did not touch them. They tied the saints to chariots by their feet and
dragged them through the city, and many of the crowd threw stones at
them. Finally, they condemned the martyrs to beheading by the sword.
At the place of execution the martyrs requested for a certain time to
pray, and then one after the other they bent their necks beneath the
sword.
The remaining disciples of St Quadratus also suffered for Christ:
Dionysius (another one) was stabbed in the night; Victorinus, Victor
and Nicephorus were crushed in a large stone press; Claudius's hands
and feet were cut off; Diodorus was thrown into a fire prepared for
him; Serapion was decapitated; Papias and Leonidas were drowned in the
sea. Imitating the men, many holy women also went voluntarily to
suffer for Christ.
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Martyr Cyprian and those with him at Corinth
Sts Cyprian, Dionysius, Anectus, Paul, Crescens and many others were
disciples of St Quadratus.
After many tortures, the holy martyrs were beheaded in the year 258.
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Martyr Dionysius and those with him at Corinth
Sts Dionysius, Cyprian, Anectus, Paul, Crescens and many others were
disciples of St Quadratus and suffered with him.
After many tortures, the holy martyrs were beheaded in the year 258.
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Martyr Anectus and those with him at Corinth
Sts Anectus, Cyprian, Dionysius, Paul, Crescens and many others were
disciples of St Quadratus.
After many tortures, the holy martyrs were beheaded in the year 258.
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Martyr Paul and those with him at Corinth
Sts Paul, Cyprian, Dionysius, Anectus, Crescens and many others were
disciples of St Quadratus.
After many tortures, the holy martyrs were beheaded in the year 258.
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Martyr Crescens and those with him at Corinth
Saint Crescens was one of those who visited to St Quadratus in order
to hear his teaching.
By order of the impious emperor Decius (249-251), the military prefect
Jason arrived at Corinth to torture and slay Christians. Since
Quadratus was the eldest, he spoke for the rest. The saint bravely
defended his faith in Christ the Savior, then the torture began. St
Quadratus, despite inhuman suffering, encouraged the others to stand
firmly for the Faith, and not to be afraid.
Unable to persuade any of them to deny Christ, Jason ordered the
martyrs to be thrown to the wild animals to be torn apart. The beasts
did not touch them, however. They tied the saints to chariots by their
feet and dragged them through the city, and many in the crowd threw
stones at them. Finally, they condemned the martyrs to beheading. At
the place of execution the martyrs requested time to pray, and then
one after the other they bent their necks beneath the sword.
After many tortures, the holy martyrs were beheaded in the year 258.
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Martyr Dionysius (another) and those with him at Corinth
Saint Dionysius (another one) was a disciple of St Quadratus, and was
stabbed during the night.
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Martyr Victorinus and those with him at Corinth
Saint Victorinus was one of those martyred with St Quadratus in the
year 258.
Sts Victorinus, Victor and Nicephorus were crushed in a large stone
press.
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Martyr Victor and those with him at Corinth
Sts Victor, Nicephorus and Victorinus were disciples of St Quadratus,
and were crushed in a large stone press.
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Martyr Nicephorus and those with him at Corinth
Sts Nicephorus, Victorinus and Victor were disciples of St Quadratus,
and were crushed in a large stone press.
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Martyr Claudius and those with him at Corinth
Saint Claudius was a disciple of St Quadratus. His hands and feet were
cut off.
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Martyr Diodorus and those with him at Corinth
Saint Diodorus was a disciple of St Quadratus. He was thrown into a
fire, receiving the crown of martyrdom in 258.
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Martyr Serapion and those with him at Corinth
St Serapion was a disciple of St Quadratus, and was decapitated around
258.
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Martyr Papias and those with him at Corinth
Sts Papias and Leonidas were disciples of St Quadratus. They were
drowned in the sea.
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Martyr Leonidas and those with him at Corinth
Saint Leonidas was a disciple of St Quadratus. He was drowned in the
sea.
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Martyr Chariessa and those with her at Corinth
Saint Chariessa was one of those martyred with St Quadratus in 258.
Many holy women, including StChariessa, went voluntarily to suffer for
Christ.
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Martyr Nunechia and those with her at Corinth
Saint Nunechia was one of those martyred with St Quadratus in the year
258.
Many holy women, including St Nunechia, went voluntarily to suffer for
Christ.
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Martyr Basilissa and those with her at Corinth
Saint Basilissa was one of those martyred with St Quadratus in the
year 258.
Many holy women, including St Basilissa, went voluntarily to suffer
for Christ.
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Martyr Nike and those with her at Corinth
Saint Nike was one of those martyred with St Quadratus in the year
258.
Many holy women, including St Nike, went voluntarily to suffer for
Christ.
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Martyr Galla and those with her at Corinth
Saint Galla was a disciple of St Quadratus. She was one of many holy
women who voluntarily suffered for Christ.
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Martyr Galina and those with her at Corinth
Saint Galina was one of those who suffered with the holy martyr
Quadratus (Codratus) in 258.
Many holy women, including St Galina, went voluntarily to suffer for
Christ.
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Martyr Theodora and those with her at Corinth
Saint Theodora was one of those martyred with St Quadratus in the year
258.
Many holy women, including St Theodora, went voluntarily to suffer for
Christ.
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Martyr Quadratus and the rest of Nicomedia
The Holy Martyrs Quadratus of Nicomedia, Saturinus, Rufinus and others
suffered during the persecutions of the emperor Decius (249-251) and
his successor Valerian (253-259).
St Quadratus was descended from an illustrious family. Possessing
considerable wealth, the saint did not spare his means in helping
fellow Christians, languishing in prison for the faith.
When the envoy of the impious Decius, the proconsul Perennius, arrived
in Nicomedia, St Quadratus voluntarily appeared before him, in order
to strengthen the courage of the imprisoned brethren by his
self-sacrificing decision. At first Perennius attempted to lure
Quadratus from Christ, promising him rewards and honors. Then, seeing
the futility of his attempts, he cast the saint into prison and gave
orders to lay him down on a bed of nails and to lay a large stone on
him.
Setting out for Nicea, the proconsul commanded that all the imprisoned
Christians be brought after him. In that number was St Quadratus. Upon
arriving in the city, St Quadratus implored that they be led to the
pagan temple. As soon as they untied his hands and feet, he began to
overturn and destroy the idols. By order of the proconsul, they gave
Quadratus over to torture. Enduring terrible torments, the saint held
firm in spirit and by his act encouraged the other martyrs, whose
wounds were seared with burning candles.
During the suffering of the martyrs, suddenly there shone a brilliant
cloud, but the pagans found themselves in total darkness. In the
ensuing silence was heard the singing of angels glorifying God. Many
of those present confessed themselves Christians. Perennius ascribed
the miracle to sorcery, and gave orders to take them to prison.
>From Nicea the martyrs walked behind the proconsul to Apamea, then to
Caesarea, Apollonia and the Hellespont, where they tortured them in
all sorts of ways, hoping to make them deny Christ.
They tied St Quadratus into a sack filled with poisonous serpents, and
threw it into a deep pit. On the following morning, everyone was
astonished to see the martyr whole and unharmed. When they began to
beat him mercilessly, two noblemen, Saturinus and Rufinus, were moved
with pity for the martyr. This was observed, and Saturinus and Rufinus
were beheaded.
Perennius subjected the martyr to even more fierce and refined
tortures, but was not able to break his spirit. The saint lost his
strength and was hardly able to move. For the last time the proconsul
urged the martyr to abjure Christ. Marshalling his strength, the saint
firmly replied, "Since childhood I have acknowledged Christ as the one
and only God, and I know no other."
The proconsul gave orders to light the fire, make the iron grate
red-hot and throw the martyr on it. Having blessed himself with the
Sign of the Cross, St Quadratus laid himself down upon the red-hot
couch as upon a soft bed, emerging unharmed from the flames. In
frustration, the proconsul gave orders to behead St Quadratus.
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Martyr Saturninus and the rest, of Nicomedia
The Holy Martyrs Saturinus, Quadratus of Nicomedia, Rufinus and others
suffered at Nicomedia during the persecutions of the emperor Decius
(249-251) and his successor Valerian (253-259).
Two noblemen, Saturinus and Rufinus witnessed the torture of St
Quadratus, and were moved with pity for the martyr. This was noticed,
and Saturinus and Rufinus were beheaded.
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Martyr Rufinus and the rest of Nicomedia
The Holy Martyrs Rufinus, Quadratus of Nicomedia, Saturinus and others
suffered during the persecutions of the emperor Decius (249-251) and
his successor Valerian (253-259).
Two noblemen, Saturinus and Rufinus witnessed the torture of St
Quadratus, and were moved with pity for the martyr. This was noticed,
and Saturinus and Rufinus were beheaded.
As St Quadratus was being tortured, two noblemen, Saturinus and
Rufinus, felt pity for the martyr. This was noticed, and Saturinus and
Rufinus were beheaded.
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Martyr Anastasia the Patrician of Alexandria
Saint Anastasia the Patrician of Alexandria lived in Constantinople
and was descended from an aristocratic family. She was an image of
virtue, and she enjoyed the great esteem of the emperor Justinian
(527-565). Widowed at a young age, Anastasia decided to leave the
world and save her soul far from the bustle of the capital. She
secretly left Constantinople and went to Alexandria. She founded a
small monastery not far from the city, and devoted herself entirely to
God.
Several years later, the emperor Justinian was widowed and decided to
search for Anastasia and marry her. As soon as she learned of this, St
Anastasia journeyed to a remote skete to ask Abba Daniel (March 18)
for help.
In order to safeguard Anastasia, the Elder dressed her in a man's
monastic garb and called her the eunuch Anastasius. Having settled her
in one of the very remote caves, the Elder gave her a Rule of prayer
and ordered her never to leave the cave and to receive no one. Only
one monk knew of this place. His obedience was to bring a small
portion of bread and a pitcher of water to the cave once a week,
leaving it at the entrance. The nun Anastasia dwelt in seclusion for
twenty-eight years. Everyone believed that it was the eunuch
Anastasius who lived in the cave.
The Lord revealed to her the day of her death. Having learned of her
approaching death, she wrote several words for Abba Daniel on a
potsherd and placed it at the entrance to the cave. The Elder came
quickly and brought everything necessary for her burial. He found the
holy ascetic still alive, and he confessed and communed her with the
Holy Mysteries. At Abba Daniel's request, St Anastasia blessed him and
the monk accompanying him. With the words: "Lord, into Thy hands I
commend my spirit," the saint died in peace (ca. 567-568).
When the grave was prepared, the Elder gave his disciple his outer
garment and ordered him to dress the deceased "brother" in it. As he
was putting on the rassa, the monk noticed that she was a woman, but
he did not dare to say anything. However, when they returned to the
monastery after they buried the nun, the disciple asked Abba Daniel
whether he knew the "brother" was a woman, and the Elder related to
the young monk the life of St Anastasia. Later, the abba's narrative
was written down and received wide acclaim.
The relics of St Anastasia were transferred to Constantinople in the
year 1200, and put not far from the church of Hagia Sophia.
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St John of Khakhuli the Oqropiri, also called Chrysostom
In the second half of the 10th century King Davit Kuropalates founded
Khakhuli Monastery in the historical region of Tao, at the gorge of
the Khakhuli River, where it joins the Tortumi River.
Once famed for its holiness and academic activity, today Khakhuli
Monastery is a Turkish possession and has become a tourist site.
Nevertheless, the Georgian nation continues to be illumined by its
grace and the radiance of the Georgian faithful who labored there.
A contemporary of King Bagrat III (9751014), St. John of Khakhuli was
a highly educated theologian, translator, and calligrapher. He has
been called Chrysostom since he, like the beloved archbishop of
Constantinople, delivered his sermons with extraordinary eloquence.
Some sources claim that St. John was first consecrated bishop of
Bolnisi and later transferred to the Khakhuli diocese. It is generally
agreed, however, that he left Khakhuli around the year 1019 and
traveled to Mt. Athos with Arsen of Ninotsminda and John Grdzelisdze.
One Georgian manuscript, however, suggests that St. John was not a
bishop at that time, and this has baffled Church historians to this
day. In this manuscript it is written: Pray for the blessed monk John
Grdzelisdze and his spiritual son John Chrysostom, who labored to
write this holy book.
While laboring on Mt. Athos, St. John faithfully assisted St. Ekvtime
of the Holy Mountain, and these spiritual brothers became close
friends.
The countless good works he performed from the bishops throne, the
title Chrysostom, and the many important writings accredited to him
attest to the piety, wisdom, and patriotism of St. John of Khakhuli.
It is written in _The Life of Giorgi of the Holy Mountain_ that St.
John reposed on Mt. Athos.
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St Michael the New Martyr
No information available at this time.
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