[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Tue Mar 18 05:00:16 CDT 2008

Scripture Readings and Saints for Tue Mar 18 2008

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Isaiah 5:7-16  (6th Hour)
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.
8 Woe to those who join house to house; They add field to field, Till
there is no place Where they may dwell alone in the midst of the land!
9 In my hearing the Lord of hosts said, Truly, many houses shall be
desolate, Great and beautiful ones, without inhabitant.
10 For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, And a homer of seed
shall yield one ephah.
11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning, That they may follow
intoxicating drink; Who continue until night, till wine inflames them!
12 The harp and the strings, The tambourine and flute, And wine are in
their feasts; But they do not regard the work of the Lord, Nor
consider the operation of His hands.
13 Therefore my people have gone into captivity, Because they have no
knowledge; Their honorable men are famished, And their multitude dried
up with thirst.
14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged itself And opened its mouth beyond
measure; Their glory and their multitude and their pomp, And he who is
jubilant, shall descend into it.
15 People shall be brought down, Each man shall be humbled, And the
eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.
16 But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, And God who is
holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.
Scripture Reading 1 of 3

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Genesis 4:8-15  (Vespers, 1st Reading)
8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother;a and it came to pass, when
they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and
killed him.
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? He said, I
do not know. Am I my brothers keeper?
10 And He said, What have you done? The voice of your brothers blood
cries out to Me from the ground.
11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to
receive your brothers blood from your hand.
12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to
you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.
13 And Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can
bear!
14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground;
I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond
on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill
me.
15 And the Lord said to him, Therefore,a whoever kills Cain, vengeance
shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest
anyone finding him should kill him.
Scripture Reading 2 of 3

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Proverbs 5:1-15  (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom; Lend your ear to my
understanding,
2 That you may preserve discretion, And your lips may keep knowledge.
3 For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is
smoother than oil;
4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged
sword.
5 Her feet go down to death,
6 Lest you ponder her path of life Her ways are unstable; You do not
know them.
7 Therefore hear me now, my children, And do not depart from the words
of my mouth.
8 Remove your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her
house,
9 Lest you give your honor to others, And your years to the cruel one;
10 Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, And your labors go to the
house of a foreigner;
11 And you mourn at last, When your flesh and your body are consumed,
12 And say: How I have hated instruction, And my heart despised
correction!
13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined my ear to
those who instructed me!
14 I was on the verge of total ruin, In the midst of the assembly and
congregation.
15 Drink water from your own cistern, And running water from your own
well.
Scripture Reading 3 of 3

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Repose of St Nicholas of Zhicha
Saint Nicholas of Zhicha, "the Serbian Chrysostom," was born in Lelich
in western Serbia on January 4, 1881 (December 23, 1880 O.S.). His
parents were Dragomir and Katherine Velimirovich, who lived on a farm
where they raised a large family. His pious mother was a major
influence on his spiritual development, teaching him by word and
especially by example. As a small child, Nicholas often walked three
miles to the Chelije Monastery with his mother to attend services
there.
Sickly as a child, Nicholas was not physically strong as an adult. He
failed his physical requirements when he applied to the military
academy, but his excellent academic qualifications allowed him to
enter the St Sava Seminary in Belgrade, even before he finished
preparatory school.
After graduating from the seminary in 1905, he earned doctoral degrees
from the University of Berne in 1908, and from King's College, Oxford
in 1909. When he returned home, he fell ill with dysentery. Vowing to
serve God for the rest of his life if he recovered, he was tonsured at
the Rakovica Monastery on December 20, 1909 and was also ordained to
the holy priesthood.
In 1910 he went to study in Russia to prepare himself for a teaching
position at the seminary in Belgrade. At the Theological Academy in St
Petersburg, the Provost asked him why he had come. He replied, "I
wanted to be a shepherd. As a child, I tended my father's sheep. Now
that I am a man, I wish to tend the rational flock of my heavenly
Father. I believe that is the way that has been shown to me." The
Provost smiled, pleased by this response, then showed the young man to
his quarters.
After completing his studies, he returned to Belgrade and taught
philosophy, logic, history, and foreign languages at the seminary. He
spoke seven languages, and this ability proved very useful to him
throughout his life.
St Nicholas was renowned for his sermons, which never lasted more than
twenty minutes, and focused on just three main points. He taught
people the theology of the Church in a language they could understand,
and inspired them to repentance.
At the start of World War I, Archimandrite Nicholas was sent to
England on a diplomatic mission to seek help in the struggle of the
Serbs against Austria. His doctorate from Oxford gained him an
invitation to speak at Westminster Abbey. He remained in England for
three short months, but St Nicholas left a lasting impression on those
who heard him. His writings "The Lord's Commandments," and
"Meditations on the Lord's Prayer" impressed many in the Church of
England.
Archimandrite Nicholas left England and went to America, where he
proved to be a good ambassador for his nation and his Church.
The future saint returned to Serbia in 1919, where he was consecrated
as Bishop of Zhicha, and was later transferred to Ochrid. The new
hierarch assisted those who were suffering from the ravages of war by
establishing orphanages and helping the poor.
Bishop Nicholas took over as leader of Bogomljcki Pokret, a popular
movement for spiritual revival which encouraged people to pray and
read the Bible. Under the bishop's direction, it also contributed to a
renewal of monasticisml. Monasteries were restored and reopened, and
this in turn revitalized the spiritual life of the Serbian people.
In 1921, Bishop Nicholas was invited to visit America again and spent
two years as a missionary bishop. He gave more than a hundred talks in
less than six months, raising funds for his orphanages. Over the next
twenty years, he lectured in various churches and universities.
When Germany invaded Yugoslavia on April 6, 1941, Bishop Nicholas, a
fearless critic of the Nazis, was arrested and confined in Ljubostir
Vojlovici Monastery. In 1944, he and Patriarch Gavrilo were sent to
the death camp at Dachau. There he witnessed many atrocities and was
tortured himself. When American troops liberated the prisoners in May
1945, the patriarch returned to Yugoslavia, but Bishop Nicholas went
to England.
The Communist leader Tito was just coming to power in Yugoslavia,
where he persecuted the Church and crushed those who opposed him.
Therefore, Bishop Nicholas believed he could serve the Serbian people
more effectively by remaining abroad. He went to America in 1946,
following a hectic schedule in spite of his health problems which were
exacerbated by his time in Dachau. He taught for three years at St
Sava's Seminary in Libertyville, IL before he settled at St Tikhon's
Monastery in South Canaan, PA in 1951.
He taught at St Tikhon's and also served as the seminary's Dean and
Rector. He was also a guest lecturer at St Vladimir's Seminary in NY,
and at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY.
On Saturday March 17, 1956 Bishop Nicholas served his last Liturgy.
After the service he went to the trapeza and gave a short talk. As he
was leaving, he bowed low and said, "Forgive me, brothers." This was
something unusual which he had not done before.
On March 18, 1956 St Nicholas fell asleep in the Lord Whom he had
served throughout his life. He was found in his room kneeling in an
attitude of prayer. Though he was buried at St Sava's Monastery in
Libertyville, IL, he had always expressed a desire to be buried in his
homeland. In April of 1991 his relics were transferred to the Chetinje
Monastery in Lelich. There he was buried next to his friend and
disciple Fr Justin Popovich (+ 1979).
English readers are familiar with St Nicholas's PROLOGUE FROM OCHRID,
THE LIFE OF ST SAVA, A TREASURY OF SERBIAN SPIRITUALITY, and other
writings which are of great benefit for the whole Church. He thought
of his writings as silent sermons addressed to people who would never
hear him preach. In his life and writings, the grace of the Holy
Spirit shone forth for all to see, but in his humility he considered
himself the least of men.
Though he was a native of Serbia, St Nicholas has a universal
significance for Orthodox Christians in all countries. He was like a
candle set upon a candlestick giving light to all (MT 5:15). A
spiritual guide and teacher with a magnetic personality, he attracted
many people to himself. He also loved them, seeing the image of God in
each person he met. He had a special love for children, who hastened
to receive his blessing whenever they saw him in the street.
He was a man of compunctionate prayer, and possessesed the gift of
tears which purify the soul (St John Climacus, LADDER, Step 7). He was
a true pastor to his flock protecting them from spiritual wolves, and
guiding them on the path to salvation. He has left behind many
soul-profiting writings which proclaim the truth of Christ to modern
man. In them he exhorts people to love God, and to live a life of
virtue and holiness. May we also be found worthy of the Kingdom of
Heaven through the prayers of St Nicholas, and by the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory forever. Amen.
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Martyr Trophimus of Nicomedia
The Holy Martyrs Trophimus and Eucarpion were soldiers at Nicomedia
during the persecution against Christians under the emperor Diocletian
(284-305). They distinguished themselves by their great ferocity in
carrying out all of the emperor's decrees.
Once, when these soldiers had caught up with some Christians, they
suddenly saw a large fiery cloud which had come down from the sky,
thickening in form as it drew close to them. From out of the cloud
came forth a Voice: "Why are you so zealous in threatening My
servants? Don't be deluded! No one can suppress those believing in Me
through their own strength. It is better to join them and discover the
Heavenly Kingdom yourselves."
The soldiers fell to the ground in fright, not daring to lift up their
eyes, and only said to one another, "Truly this is the great God, Who
has manifested Himself to us. We would do well to become His
servants." The Lord then spoke saying, "Rise up, repent, for your sins
are forgiven." As they got up, they beheld within the cloud the image
of a Radiant Man and a great multitude standing about Him.
The astonished soldiers cried out with one voice, "Receive us, for our
sins are inexpressibly wicked. There is no other God but You, the
Creator and true God, and we are not yet numbered among Your
servants." But just as they spoke this, the cloud receded and rose up
into the sky.
Spiritually reborn after this miracle, the soldiers released all the
jailed Christians from the prisons. For this Sts Trophimus and
Eucarpion were handed over to terrible torments: they suspended the
saints and tore their bodies with iron hooks. They gave thanks unto
God, certain that the Lord would forgive them their former sins. When
a fire had been lit, the holy martyrs went willingly into the fire and
there gave up their souls to God.
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Martyr Eucarpion of Nicomedia
The Holy Martyrs Eucarpion and Trophimus were soldiers at Nicomedia
during the persecution against Christians under the emperor Diocletian
(284-305). They distinguished themselves by their great ferocity in
carrying out all of the emperor's decrees.
Once, when these soldiers had caught up with some Christians, they
suddenly saw a large fiery cloud which had come down from the sky,
thickening in form as it drew close to them. From out of the cloud
came forth a Voice: "Why are you so zealous in threatening My
servants? Don't be deluded! No one can suppress those believing in Me
through their own strength. It is better to join them and discover the
Heavenly Kingdom yourselves."
The soldiers fell to the ground in fright, not daring to lift up their
eyes, and only said to one another, "Truly this is the great God, Who
has manifested Himself to us. We would do well to become His
servants." The Lord then spoke saying, "Rise up, repent, for your sins
are forgiven." As they got up, they beheld within the cloud the image
of a Radiant Man and a great multitude standing about Him.
The astonished soldiers cried out with one voice, "Receive us, for our
sins are inexpressibly wicked. There is no other God but You, the
Creator and true God, and we are not yet numbered among Your
servants." But just as they spoke this, the cloud receded and rose up
into the sky.
Spiritually reborn after this miracle, the soldiers released all the
jailed Christians from the prisons. For this Sts Trophimus and
Eucarpion were handed over to terrible torments: they suspended the
saints and tore their bodies with iron hooks. They gave thanks unto
God, certain that the Lord would forgive them their former sins. When
a fire had been lit, the holy martyrs went willingly into the fire and
there gave up their souls to God.
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Venerable Aninas of the Euphrates
Saint Aninas was born at Chalcedon into a Christian family. After the
death of his parents, he withdrew at age fifteen into a monastery,
where he received monastic tonsure. In search of complete solitude, he
went off into the heart of the desert where the River Euphrates
separates Syria from Persia. There he came upon an Elder named Maium
and settled there with him. Both ascetics led a very strict life.
During the forty days of the Great Fast they ate nothing, taking
delight and joy instead in spiritual nourishment.
Every day St Aninas carried drinking water from afar. Once, he
returned with full water pitchers earlier than usual, since an angel
had filled the vessels with water. The Elder Maium realized that his
disciple had attained to high level of spiritual accomplishment, and
he in turn asled St Aninas to become his guide, but he refused out of
humility. Later, the Elder went to a monastery, and St Aninas remained
alone in the wilderness.
By constant struggles the saint conquered the passions within himself,
and he was granted gifts of healing and clairvoyance. Even the wild
beasts became docile and served him. Wherever the saint went, two
lions followed after him, one of which he had healed of a wound on its
paw.
Accounts of the saint spread throughout all the surrounding area, and
the sick and those afflicted by evil spirits began to come to him,
seeking healing. Several disciples also gathered around the saint.
Once, in his seventeenth year as an ascetic, several men had come to
the saint and asked for something to quench their thirst. Relying on
the power of God, the saint sent one of his disciples to a dried-up
well. The well miraculously filled up to its very top, and this water
remained for many days. When the water ended, the saint did not dare
to ask for a miracle for himself, and so he began to carry water from
the Euphrates at night.
Bishop Patrick of Neocaesarea repeatedly visited the monk and ordained
him presbyter, although the humble ascetic was resolved not to accept
the priestly office. When he learned that the saint himself carried
water from a distance, Bishop Patrick twice gave him donkeys, but each
time St Aninas gave them away to the poor and continued to carry the
water himself. Then the bishop ordered that a large well be dug, which
they filled from time to time, bringing donkeys from the city.
St Aninas discerned the desire of a certain stylite monk, who
struggled far from him, to come down off his pillar and make a
complaint in court against a robber who had hurt him with a stone. St
Aninas wrote a letter to the stylite, advising him not to carry out
his intent. The letter was brought to the stylite by a trusty lion,
and it brought him to his senses.
A certain pious woman, who had fallen ill, went to St Aninas to ask
for his prayers. Along the way a robber chanced upon her. Since the
woman had no money, he decided to assault her and force her into sin.
The woman called on the saint's help and cried out, "St Aninas, help
me!" Terror suddenly overcame the robber, and he let go of the woman.
The woman went to St Aninas and told him everything, and she also
received healing. The robber also came to the monk in repentance, was
baptized, and then tonsured as a monk. A spear which he had thrust
into the ground when he attacked the woman, grew into a mighty oak.
At the age of 110 the saint predicted the time of his death, and he
directed his successor as igumen to assemble the brethren.
Before his death, St Aninas conversed with the holy Prophets Moses,
Aaron and Or [or Hur: Ex. 24:14]. He fell asleep in the Lord saying, "
O Lord, receive my soul."
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St Cyril the Archbishop of Jerusalem
Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem, was born in Jerusalem in the
year 315 and was raised in strict Christian piety. Upon reaching the
age of maturity, he became a monk, and in the year 346 he became a
presbyter. In the year 350, upon the death of Archbishop Maximus, he
succeeded him on the episcopal throne of Jerusalem.
As Patriarch of Jerusalem, St Cyril zealously fought against the
heresies of Arius and Macedonius. In so doing, he aroused the
animosity of the Arian bishops, who sought to have him deposed and
banished from Jerusalem.
There was a miraculous portent in 351 at Jerusalem: at the third hour
of the day on the Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Cross appeared in the
heavens, shining with a radiant light. It stretched from Golgotha
above the Mount of Olives. St Cyril reported this portent to the Arian
emperor Constantius (351-363), hoping to convert him to Orthodoxy.
The heretic Acacius, deposed by the Council of Sardica, was formerly
the Metropolitan of Caesarea, and he collaborated with the emperor to
have St Cyril removed. An intense famine struck Jerusalem, and St
Cyril expended all his wealth in charity. But since the famine did not
abate, the saint pawned church utensils, and used the money to buy
wheat for the starving. The saint's enemies spread a scandalous rumor
that they had seen a woman in the city dancing around in clerical
garb. Taking advantage of this rumor, the heretics forcibly expelled
the saint.
The saint found shelter with Bishop Silvanus in Tarsus. After this, a
local Council at Seleucia, at which there were about 150 bishops, and
among them St Cyril. The heretical Metropolitan Acacius did not want
to allow him to take a seat, but the Council would not consent to
this. Acacius stormed out of the Council, and before the emperor and
the Arian patriarch Eudoxius, he denounced both the Council and St
Cyril. The emperor had the saint imprisoned.
When the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363) ascended the throne he
repealed all the anti-Orthodox decrees of Constantius, seemingly out
of piety. St Cyril returned to his own flock. But after a certain
while, when Julian had become secure upon the throne, he openly
apostasized and renounced Christ. He permitted the Jews to start
rebuilding the Temple of Jerusalem that had been destroyed by the
Romans, and he even provided them part of the funds for the building
from the state treasury.
St Cyril predicted that the words of the Savior about the destruction
of the Temple down to its very stones (Luke. 21:6) would undoubtedly
transpire, and the blasphemous intent of Julian would come to naught.
Soon there was such a powerful earthquake, that even the solidly set
foundation of the ancient Temple ofSolomon shifted in its place, and
what had been rebuilt fell down and shattered into dust. When the Jews
resumed construction, a fire came down from the heavens and destroyed
the tools of the workmen. Great terror seized everyone. On the
following night, the Sign of the Cross appeared on the clothing of the
Jews, which they could not remove by any means.
After this heavenly confirmation of St Cyril's prediction, they
banished him again, and the bishop's throne was occupied by St
Cyriacus. But St Cyriacus soon suffered a martyr's death (October 28).
After the emperor Julian perished in 363, St Cyril returned to his
See, but during the reign of the emperor Valens (364-378) he was
exiled for a third time. It was only under the holy emperor St
Theodosius the Great (379-395) that he finally returned to his
archpastoral activity. In 381 St Cyril participated in the Second
Ecumenical Council, which condemned the heresy of Macedonius and
affirmed the Nicea-Constantinople Symbol of Faith (Creed).
St Cyril's works include twenty-three Instructions (Eighteen are
Catechetical, intended for those preparing for Baptism, and five are
for the newly-baptized) and two discourses on Gospel themes: "On the
Paralytic," and "Concerning the Transformation of Water into Wine at
Cana."
At the heart of the Catechetical Instructions is a detailed
explanation of the Symbol of Faith. The saint suggests that a
Christian should inscribe the Symbol of Faith upon "the tablets of the
heart."
"The articles of the Faith," St Cyril teaches, "were not written
through human cleverness, but they contain everything that is most
important in all the Scriptures, in a single teaching of faith. Just
as the mustard seed contains all its plethora of branches within its
small kernel, so also does the Faith in its several declarations
combine all the pious teachings of the Old and the New Testaments."
St Cyril, a great ascetic and a champion of Orthodoxy, died in the
year 386.
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St Cyril of Astrakhan
No information available at this time.
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