[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Tue May 6 05:00:19 CDT 2008

Scripture Readings and Saints for Tue May 6 2008

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Acts 4:1-10  (Epistle)
1 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the
temple, and the Sadducees came upon them,
2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in
Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next
day, for it was already evening.
4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number
of the men came to be about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and
scribes,
6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and
as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered
together at Jerusalem.
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power
or by what name have you done this?"
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of
the people and elders of Israel:
9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by
what means he has been made well,
10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that
by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God
raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
Scripture Reading 1 of 4

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1 Corinthians 15:39-57  (Epistle, Departed)
39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of
men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.
40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the
glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is
another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and
another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in
glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in
corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in
weakness, it is raised in power.
44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is
a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45 And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being."
The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward
the spiritual.
47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the
Lord from heaven.
48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and
as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also
bear the image of the heavenly Man.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall
all be changed-
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For
the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must
put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal
has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that
is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
55 O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory?
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Scripture Reading 2 of 4

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John 3:16-21  (Gospel)
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not
believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the
world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds
were evil.
20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to
the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be
clearly seen, that they have been done in God.
Scripture Reading 3 of 4

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John 5:24-30  (Gospel, Departed)
24 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in
Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into
judgment, but has passed from death into life.
25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when
the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear
will live.
26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to
have life in Himself,
27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is
the Son of Man.
28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are
in the graves will hear His voice
29 and come forth-those who have done good, to the resurrection of
life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of
condemnation.
30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is
righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the
Father who sent Me.
Scripture Reading 4 of 4

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Day of Rejoicing
On Tuesday of St Thomas week we remember those Orthodox Christians
from all ages who have died in faith, and in the hope of resurrection.
There are indications of this commemoration in the sermons of the
Fathers of the Church. St John Chrysostom, for example, mentions it in
his homily "On the Cemetery and the Cross."
In pre-Revolutionary Russia bars remained closed and alcoholic
beverages were not sold until this Day of Rejoicing so that the joy
people felt would be because of the Resurrection, and not an
artificial joy brought on by alcohol.
Today the Church remembers its faithful members at Liturgy, and
kollyva is offered in remembrance of those who have fallen asleep.
Priests visit cemeteries to bless the graves of Orthodox Christians,
and to share the paschal joy with the departed. It is also customary
to give alms to the poor on this day.
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Righteous Job the Long-Suffering
The righteous Job (whose name means "persecuted"), God's faithful
servant, was the perfect image of every virtue. The son of Zarah and
Bossorha (Job 42), Job was a fifth-generation descendent of Abraham.
He was a truthful, righteous, patient and pious man who abstained from
every evil thing. Job was very rich and blessed by God in all things,
as was no other son of Ausis (his country, which lay between Idoumea
and Arabia). However, divine condescension permitted him to be tested.
Job lost his children, his wealth, his glory, and every consolation
all at once. His entire body became a terrible wound covered with
boils. Yet he remained steadfast and patient in the face of his
misfortune for seven years, always giving thanks to God.
Later, God restored his former prosperity, and he had twice as much as
before. Job lived for 170 years after his misfortune, completing his
earthly life in 1350 B.C. at the age of 240. Some authorities say that
Job's afflictions lasted only one year, and that afterwards he lived
for 140 years, reaching the age of 210.
Job's explanations are among the most poetic writings in the Old
Testament book which bears his name. It is one of the most edifying
portions of Holy Scripture. Job teaches us that we must endure life's
adversities patiently and with trust in God. As St Anthony the Great
(January 17) says, without temptations, it is impossible for the
faithful to be saved.
The Orthodox Church reads the book of Job, the first of the seven
wisdom books of the Old Testament, during Holy Week, drawing a
parallel between Job and Christ as righteous men who suffered through
no fault of their own. God allowed Satan to afflict Job so that his
faithfulness would be proven. Christ, the only sinless one, suffered
voluntarily for our sins. The Septuagint text of Job 42:17 says that
Job "will rise again with those whom the Lord raises up." This passage
is read on Great and Holy Friday, when the composite Gospel at Vespers
speaks of the tombs being opened at the moment the Savior died on the
Cross, and the bodies of the saints were raised, and they appeared to
many after Christ's Resurrection (Mt.27:52)
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Martyr Barbarus the Soldier in Morea
The Holy Martyrs Barbarus the Soldier, Bacchus, Callimachus and
Dionysius lived during the fourth century and served in the army of
the emperor Julian the Apostate.
St Barbarus was secretly a Christian, and in a war with the Franks he
gained victory in single combat against a mighty enemy soldier. For
this he received great honor in the army and the acclamation of the
emperor, and was given the title of comitus (imperial bodyguard).
After the victory over the Franks, Bacchus wanted to offer sacrifice
to the pagan gods, and he deferred to Barbarus as the victor, allowing
him to have the honor of making the first sacrificial offering.
St Barbarus openly confessed himself a Christian and refused to offer
the sacrifice. He was subjected to much torture for this, by order of
Julian the Apostate. They suspended the saint and tore his body until
his insides were falling out. St Barbarus called out to the Lord for
help, and then an angel of God appeared and healed his wounds, so that
not a trace of them remained.
Seeing this miracle, the military commander Bacchus and two soldiers,
Callimachus and Dionysius, believed in Christ and repudiated the pagan
gods. For this, they were immediately beheaded. They continued to
torture St Barbarus. They tied him to a wheel and lit a fire under it,
and they sprinkled the body of the sufferer with oil. But here also
the power of God preserved the holy martyr unharmed. The fire burned
many of the torturers, however, killing two. After this they continued
to torment the holy Martyr Barbarus for another seven days.
Through miraculous help from on high, the saint remained unharmed.
Seeing in this miracle the manifest power of God, many pagans were
converted to the true God. St Barbarus finally completed his glorious
endeavor by being beheaded by the sword in the year 362. The martyr's
body was buried in the city of Methona in the Peloponnesus by the
pious Bishop Philikios.
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Martyr Bacchus in Morea
The Holy Martyrs Bacchus, Barbarus the Soldier, Callimachus and
Dionysius lived during the fourth century and served in the army of
the emperor Julian the Apostate.
When the military commander Bacchus and two soldiers, Callimachus and
Dionysius, saw St Barbarus healed by an angel, they believed in Christ
and repudiated the pagan gods. For this, they were immediately
beheaded.
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Martyr Dionysius in Morea
The Holy Martyrs Dionysius, Barbarus the Soldier, Bacchus, Callimachus
lived during the fourth century and served in the army of the emperor
Julian the Apostate.
When the military commander Bacchus and two soldiers, Callimachus and
Dionysius, saw St Barbarus healed by an angel, they believed in Christ
and repudiated the pagan gods. For this, they were immediately
beheaded.
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Martyr Barbarus in Thessaly, who was a robber
The Holy Martyr Barbarus, formerly a robber, lived in Greece and for a
long time he committed robberies, extortions and murders. But the
Lord, Who does not desire the death of a sinner, turned him to
repentance. Once, when Barbarus was sitting in a cave and gazing upon
his stolen possessions, the grace of God touched his heart. He thought
about the inevitability of death, and about the dread Last Judgment.
Pondering over the multitude of his wicked deeds, he was distressed in
his heart and he decided to make a beginning of repentance, saying,
"The Lord did not despise the prayer of the robber hanging beside Him.
May He spare me through His ineffable mercy."
Barbarus left all his treasures behind in the cave and he went to the
nearest church. He did not conceal his wicked deeds from the priest,
and he asked to be accepted for repentance. The priest gave him a
place in his own home, and St Barbarus followed him, going about on
his hands and knees like a four-legged animal, since he considered
himself unworthy to be called a man. In the household of the priest he
lived with the cattle, eating with the animals and considering himself
more wicked than any creature. Having received absolution from his
sins from the priest, Barbarus went into the woods and lived there for
twelve years, naked and without clothing, suffering from the cold and
heat. His body became dirty and blackened all over.
Finally, St Barbarus received a sign from on high that his sins were
forgiven, and that he would die a martyr's death. Once, merchants came
to the place where St Barbarus labored. In the deep grass before them
they saw something moving. Thinking that this was an animal, they shot
several arrows from their bows. Coming closer, they were terrified to
see that they had mortally wounded a man. St Barbarus begged them not
to grieve. He told them about himself and he asked that they relate
what had happened to the priest at whose house he had once lived.
After this, St Barbarus yielded up his spirit to God. The priest, who
had accepted the repentance of the former robber, found his body
shining with a heavenly light. The priest buried the body of St
Barbarus at the place where he was killed. Afterwards, a curative
myrrh began to issue forth from the grave of the saint, which healed
various maladies. His relics are located at the monastery of Kellios
in Thessaly, near the city of Larissa.
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Venerable Micah the Disciple of the Venerable Sergius of
Radonezh
St Micah of Radonezh was one of the first disciples of St Sergius of
Radonezh, and lived with him in the same cell, and under his guidance
he attained a high degree of spiritual perfection. For his meekness of
soul and purity of heart, St Micah was permitted to witness the
appearance of the Mother of God to his great teacher. Once, after St
Sergius had completed the morning Rule of prayer, sat down to rest for
awhile, but suddenly he said to his disciple, "Be alert, my child, for
we shall have a wondrous visitation."
Hardly had he uttered these words when a voice was heard, "The
All-Pure One draws near." Suddenly there shone a light brighter than
the sun. St Micah fell down upon the ground in fear, and lay there as
if he were dead. When St Sergius lifted up his disciple, he asked,
"Tell me, Father, what is the reason for this wondrous vision? My soul
has nearly parted from my body from fright." St Sergius then informed
his disciple about the appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos.
St Micah fell asleep in the Lord in the year 1385.
St Micah's relics rest in a crypt at the Trinity-Sergiev Lavra. On
December 10, 1734, over St Micah's tomb, a church was consecrated in
honor of the Appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Holy
Apostles Peter and John the Theologian to St Sergius of Radonezh.
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Translation of the relics of St Sava, 1st Archbishop of
Serbia
No information available at this time.
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Martyr Callimachus in Morea
The Holy Martyrs Callimachus, Barbarus the Soldier, Bacchus, and
Dionysius lived during the fourth century and served in the army of
the emperor Julian the Apostate.
When the military commander Bacchus and two soldiers, Callimachus and
Dionysius, saw St Barbarus healed by an angel, they believed in Christ
and repudiated the pagan gods. For this, they were immediately
beheaded.
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St Seraphim of Lebadeia
No information available at this time.
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