[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

[Daily Orthodox Readings and Saints]

Scripture Readings and Saints for Mon Mar 17 2008

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Isaiah 4:2-5:7  (6th Hour)
2 In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious;
And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those
of Israel who have escaped.
3 And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in
Jerusalem will be called holyeveryone who is recorded among the living
in Jerusalem.
4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion,
and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of
judgment and by the spirit of burning,
5 then the Lord will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion,
and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of
a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a
covering.
6 And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the
heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.
1 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding
His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill.
2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the
choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a
winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it
brought forth wild grapes.
3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please,
between Me and My vineyard.
4 What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done
in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it
bring forth wild grapes?
5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I
will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its
wall, and it shall be trampled down.
6 I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, But there shall
come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds That they
rain no rain on it.
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, And
the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but
behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.
Scripture Reading 1 of 3


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Genesis 3:21-4:7  (Vespers, 1st Reading)
21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and
clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become like one of Us,
to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also
of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever
23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till
the ground from which he was taken.
24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the
garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard
the way to the tree of life.
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and
said, I have acquired a man from the Lord.
2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a
keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an
offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord.
4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.
And the Lord respected Abel and his offering,
5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very
angry, and his countenance fell.
6 So the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why has your
countenance fallen?
7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well,
sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule
over it.
Scripture Reading 2 of 3


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Proverbs 3:34-4:22  (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
34 Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of
fools.
1 Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention
to know understanding;
2 For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law.
3 When I was my fathers son,
4 He also taught me, and said to me: Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.
5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the
words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she
will keep you.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your
getting, get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when
you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory
she will deliver to you.
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And the years of your life
will be many.
11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right
paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run,
you will not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is
your life.
14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of
evil.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; And their sleep
is taken away unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of
violence.
18 But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever
brighter unto the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes
them stumble.
20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of
your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their
flesh.
Scripture Reading 3 of 3



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St Patrick the Bishop of Armagh and Enlightener of Ireland
Saint Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland was born around 385, the son
of Calpurnius, a Roman decurion (an official responsible for
collecting taxes). He lived in the village of Bannavem Taberniae,
which may have been located at the mouth of the Severn River in Wales.
The district was raided by pirates when Patrick was sixteen, and he
was one of those taken captive. He was brought to Ireland and sold as
a slave, and was put to work as a herder of swine on a mountain
identified with Slemish in Co. Antrim. During his period of slavery,
Patrick acquired a proficiency in the Irish language which was very
useful to him in his later mission.
He prayed during his solitude on the mountain, and lived this way for
six years. He had two visions. The first told him he would return to
his home. The second told him his ship was ready. Setting off on foot,
Patrick walked two hundred miles to the coast. There he succeeded in
boarding a ship, and returned to his parents in Britain.
Some time later, he went to Gaul and studied for the priesthood at
Auxerre under St Germanus (July 31). Eventually, he was consecrated as
a bishop, and was entrusted with the mission to Ireland, succeeding St
Palladius (July 7). St Palladius did not achieve much success in
Ireland. After about a year he went to Scotland, where he died in 432.
Patrick had a dream in which an angel came to him bearing many
letters. Selecting one inscribed "The Voice of the Irish," he heard
the Irish entreating him to come back to them.
Although St Patrick achieved remarkable results in spreading the
Gospel, he was not the first or only missionary in Ireland. He arrived
around 432 (though this date is disputed), about a year after St
Palladius began his mission to Ireland. There were also other
missionaries who were active on the southeast coast, but it was St
Patrick who had the greatest influence and success in preaching the
Gospel of Christ. Therefore, he is known as "The Enlightener of
Ireland."
His autobiographical Confession tells of the many trials and
disappointments he endured. Patrick had once confided to a friend that
he was troubled by a certain sin he had committed before he was
fifteen years old. The friend assured him of God's mercy, and even
supported Patrick's nomination as bishop. Later, he turned against him
and revealed what Patrick had told him in an attempt to prevent his
consecration. Many years later, Patrick still grieved for his dear
friend who had publicly shamed him.
St Patrick founded many churches and monasteries across Ireland, but
the conversion of the Irish people was no easy task. There was much
hostility, and he was assaulted several times. He faced danger, and
insults, and he was reproached for being a foreigner and a former
slave. There was also a very real possibility that the pagans would
try to kill him. Despite many obstacles, he remained faithful to his
calling, and he baptized many people into Christ.
The saint's Epistle to Coroticus is also an authentic work. In it he
denounces the attack of Coroticus' men on one of his congregations.
The Breastplate (Lorica) is also attributed to St Patrick. In his
writings, we can see St Patrick's awareness that he had been called by
God, as well as his determination and modesty in undertaking his
missionary work. He refers to himself as "a sinner," "the most
ignorant and of least account," and as someone who was "despised by
many." He ascribes his success to God, rather than to his own talents:
"I owe it to God's grace that through me so many people should be born
again to Him."
By the time he established his episcopal See in Armargh in 444, St
Patrick had other bishops to assist him, many native priests and
deacons, and he encouraged the growth of monasticism.
St Patrick is often depicted holding a shamrock, or with snakes
fleeing from him. He used the shamrock to illustrate the doctrine of
the Holy Trinity. Its three leaves growing out of a single stem helped
him to explain the concept of one God in three Persons. Many people
now regard the story of St Patrick driving all the snakes out of
Ireland as having no historical basis.
St Patrick died on March 17, 461 (some say 492). There are various
accounts of his last days, but they are mostly legendary. Muirchu says
that no one knows the place where St Patrick is buried. St Columba of
Iona (June 9) says that the Holy Spirit revealed to him that Patrick
was buried at Saul, the site of his first church. A granite slab was
placed at his traditional grave site in Downpatrick in 1899.
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Venerable Alexis the Man of God
St Alexis was born at Rome into the family of the pious and
poverty-loving Euphemianus and Aglais. The couple was childless for a
long time and constantly prayed the Lord to grant them a child. And
the Lord consoled the couple with the birth of their son Alexis.
At six years of age the child began to read and successfully studied
the mundane sciences, but it was with particular diligence that he
read Holy Scripture. When he was a young man, he began to imitate his
parents: he fasted strictly, distributed alms and beneath his fine
clothing he secretly wore a hair shirt. Early on there burned within
him the desire to leave the world and serve God. His parents, however,
had arranged for Alexis to marry a beautiful and virtuous bride.
On his wedding night, Alexis gave her his ring and his belt (which
were very valuable) and said, "Keep these things, Beloved, and may the
Lord be with us until His grace provides us with something better."
Secretly leaving his home, he boarded a ship sailing for Mesopotamia.
Arriving in the city of Edessa, where the Icon of the Lord
"Not-made-by-Hands" (August 16) was preserved, Alexis sold everything
that he had, distributed the money to the poor and began to live near
the church of the Most Holy Theotokos under a portico. The saint used
a portion of the alms he received to buy bread and water, and he
distributed the rest to the aged and infirm. Each Sunday he received
the Holy Mysteries.
The parents sought the missing Alexis everywhere, but without success.
The servants sent by Euphemianus also arrived in Edessa, but they did
not recognize the beggar sitting at the portico as their master. His
body was withered by fasting, his comeliness vanished, his stature
diminished. The saint recognized them and gave thanks to the Lord that
he received alms from his own servants.
The inconsolable mother of St Alexis confined herself in her room,
incessantly praying for her son. His wife also grieved with her
in-laws.
St Alexis dwelt in Edessa for seventeen years. Once, the Mother of God
spoke to the sacristan of the church where the saint lived: "Lead into
My church that Man of God, worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. His prayer
rises up to God like fragrant incense, and the Holy Spirit rests upon
him." The sacristan began to search for such a man, but was not able
to find him for a long time. Then he prayed to the Most Holy
Theotokos, beseeching Her to clear up his confusion. Again a voice
from the icon proclaimed that the Man of God was the beggar who sat in
the church portico.
The sacristan found St Alexis and brought him into the church. Many
recognized him and began to praise him. The saint secretly boarded a
ship bound for Cilicia, intending to visit the church of St Paul in
Tarsus. But God ordained otherwise. A storm took the ship far to the
West and it reached the coast of Italy. The saint journeyed to Rome
and decided to live in his own house. Unrecognized, he humbly asked
his father's permission to settle in some corner of his courtyard.
Euphemianus settled Alexis in a specially constructed cell and gave
orders to feed him from his table.
Living at his parental home, the saint continued to fast and he spent
day and night at prayer. He humbly endured insults and jeering from
the servants of his father. The cell of Alexis was opposite his wife's
windows, and the ascetic suffered grievously when he heard her
weeping. Only his immeasurable love for God helped the saint endure
this torment. St Alexis dwelt at the house of his parents for
seventeen years and the Lord revealed to him the day of his death.
Then the saint, taking paper and ink, wrote certain things that only
his wife and parents would know. He also asked them to forgive him for
the pain he had caused them.
On the day of St Alexis' death in 411, Archbishop Innocent (402-417)
was serving Liturgy in the presence of the emperor Honorius (395-423).
During the services a Voice was heard from the altar: "Come unto Me,
all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"
(Mt.11:28). All those present fell to the ground in terror.
The Voice continued: "On Friday morning the Man of God comes forth
from the body; have him pray for the city, that you may remain
untroubled." They began to search throughout Rome, but they did not
find the saint. Thursday evening the Pope was serving Vigil in the
Church of St Peter. He asked the Lord to show them where to find the
Man of God.
After Liturgy the Voice was heard again in the temple: "Seek the Man
of God in the house of Euphemianus." All hastened there, but the saint
was already dead. His face shone like the face of an angel, and his
hand clasped the paper, and they were unable to take it. They placed
the saint's body on a cot, covered with costly coverings. The Pope and
the Emperor bent their knees and turned to the saint, as to one yet
alive, asking him to open his hand. And the saint heard their prayer.
When the letter was read, the righteous one's wife and parents
tearfully venerated his holy relics.
The body of the saint was placed in the center of the city. The
emperor and the Pope carried the body of the saint into the church,
where it remained for a whole week, and then was placed in a marble
crypt. A fragrant myrrh began to flow from the holy relics, bestowing
healing upon the sick.
The venerable relics of St Alexis, the Man of God, were buried in the
church of St Boniface. The relics were uncovered in the year 1216.
The Life of St Alexis, the Man of God, was always very popular in
Russia.
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Martyr Marinus
Saint Marinus, inspired by ardent love for Christ the Savior,
destroyed a temple of the idolaters during one of the pagan festivals,
trampling the sacrifices underfoot and confessed himself a Christian.
After cruel tortures, the saint was beheaded.
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Venerable Macarius the Abbot and Wonderworker of Kalyazin
Saint Macarius of Kalyazin (in the world Matthew) was born in 1400 in
the village of Gribkovo (Kozhino), near the city of Kashin, into the
family of the boyar Basil Kozha. From youth he yearned for
monasticism, but he married at the insistence of his parents.
After a year his parents died, and after three more years his wife
Elena also reposed. Having nothing to bind him to his former life,
Matthew became a monk at the Nikolaev Klobukov monastery. Desiring
solitude, he left the city monastery with the abbot's blessing, and he
found a suitable place between two lakes, eighteen versts from Kashin.
Here the monk raised a cross and founded a solitary wilderness
monastery.
The boyar Ivan Kolyaga, to whom the nearby lands belonged, began to
fear that a monastery would grow up there, and that monks would begin
to cultivate the wastelands. The Enemy of our salvation planted such
spite and enmity in the boyar, that he decided to kill the saint.
Suddenly, he was stricken with a grievous illness. Fear of death
awakened repentance in the boyar. Ivan Kolyaga was carried to the
saint and told him of his evil intent, asking forgiveness.
"God forgive you", the humble ascetic replied. Wishing to expiate his
sin and to help the saint, the boyar gave his lands to the growing
monastery. The monks built a temple dedicated to the Most Holy
Trinity. Word of the boyar Kolyaga's conversion brought many people to
the monk, seeking salvation. St Macarius tonsured Kolyaga and named
the monastery Kalyazin for him. aS
It became necessary to choose an igumen. St Macarius was then
fifty-three years of age, but he considered himself unworthy of this
dignity and he asked each of the older men coming to him to become the
monastery's priest and igumen. Yielding to the common will, the saint
was made igumen by Bishop Moses of Tver.* The new igumen prepared for
his first service at the altar of God with long solitary prayer, and
then communed all the brethren with the Holy Mysteries.
In the rank of igumen, St Macarius labored to guide the brethren. The
monastery had two chalices, a diskos and two plates fashioned by St
Macarius on a lathe. He guided not only the monks, but also laypeople
coming to the monastery, dealing with both the educated and the
simple.
Despite his noble origin and his position of igumen, the saint wore
ragged, frayed and patched clothing. In his conduct and his way of
life St Macarius was so simple that the haughty heretic Vassian,
sneeringly called him the "peasant of Kalyazin." The saint preferred
to hear himself mocked rather than praised. He went to solitary
places, delighted to be alone with nature. Wild animals, sensing his
holiness, walked with him like sheep, they submitted to him, and
sometimes took food from him.
The spiritual stature of St Macarius was close to the spiritual
stature of St Paphnutius of Borov (May 1, 1477). Not by chance did St
Paphnutius' disciple, St Joseph of Volokolamsk (September 9, 1515),
visit St Macarius in 1478 and write down his impressions of him: "When
I arrived at this place," said St Macarius, "seven Elders came with me
from the monastery of Klobukov. They were so excellent in virtues,
fasting and monastic life, that all the brethren came to them to
receive instruction and benefit. They enlightened all and taught them
for their benefit. They affirmed the virtuous life, and censured those
inclined to misconduct, and neither did they seek to do their own
will."
Though the humble igumen was silent about his own efforts, they were
not hidden from St Joseph. Perceiving the holiness of the igumen, he
accounted him blessed and spoke about the life of the monastery: "Such
piety and decorum were in that monastery, where everything was done in
harmony with the patristic and communal traditions, that even the
great Elder Metrophanes Byvaltsev was amazed. He had just come from
Mount Athos, where he spent nine years, and said to the brethren: "My
efforts and my journey to the Holy Mountain were in vain, because one
can find salvation in the Kalyazin monastery. Life here is similar to
life in the cenobitic monasteries of the Holy Mountain."
>From the moment St Macarius settled in the wilderness, his did not
abandon his strict Rule because of old age. Even during his lifetime
the saint repeatedly healed the paralyzed and the demon-possessed.
The saint reposed on March 17, 1483. At the time of his death they
found heavy chains on him, about which no one knew. The incorrupt
relics of St Macarius were uncovered on May 26, 1521 when ditches were
dug for a new church. A Council of 1547 established his local festal
celebration.
* The successor of Bishop Moses was St Macarius' brother, Bishop
Gennadius (Kozhin) (1460-1477). The nephew of St Macarius, St Paisius
of Uglich (January 8 and June 6) was also famed for his sanctity. The
Kalyazin monastery had a collection of the sermons of St Gregory the
Theologian, which St Macarius had copied in his own hand.
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Hieromartyr Gabriel the Lesser
Saint Gabriel the Lesser was a major figure in the eighteenth-century
Georgian Church. Few details of his life are known, but it is evident
that the education he received was quite good for the period. Striving
toward the monastic life but still living in the world, Gabriel tried
in every way to close himself off from the vanity of the world. He
kept a small sewing shop in Tbilisi and distributed most of his
profits to the poor.
One day St. Gabriel abandoned his business and set off for the
Davit-Gareji Wilderness, where he was tonsured a monk.
St. Gabriel occupied much of his time with writing, and his works left
a significant mark on the spiritual literature of Georgia. He compiled
several collections of patristic writings, and he also wrote original
works of a theological nature. His original writings include _An
Explanation of the Hierarchical Liturgy_, which describes in detail
the meaning of every part of the service, _Spiritual Stories of the
Pious, The Life and Labors of Venerable Schemamonk Onisphore, A Short
Story of Porphyry_, and writings on the Nomocanon of the Sixth
Ecumenical Council.
Among the brothers at his monastery, St. Gabriel was distinguished by
a remarkable capacity for love and a fervent desire to help others: he
helped all, cared for all, and encouraged all. During the Great Fast
in 1802, a certain archdeacon came from Tbilisi to
Davit-GarejiMonastery, desiring to draw closer to the ascetic way of
life. After some time, however, he became anxious to see his family
and decided to return home. St. Gabriel accompanied him on his way,
but the two men were suddenly assailed by Dagestanis, and the holy
father was killed. The brothers carried his relics back to the
monastery and buried them there with great honor.
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