[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Sun May 11 05:00:17 CDT 2008

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sun May 11 2008

----------------------------------------------------
------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------

Mark 16:9-20  (3rd Matins Gospel)
9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared
first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.
10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and
wept.
11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her,
they did not believe.
12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they
walked and went into the country.
13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe
them either.
14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He
rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not
believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel
to every creature.
16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not
believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will
cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it
will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they
will recover.
19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into
heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with
them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
Scripture Reading 1 of 3

-----------------------------

Acts 6:1-7  (Epistle)
1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying,
there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because
their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.
2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said,
"It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve
tables.
3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good
reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint
over this business;
4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry
of the word.
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen,
a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus,
Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,
6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they
laid hands on them.
7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples
multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were
obedient to the faith.
Scripture Reading 2 of 3

-----------------------------

Mark 15:43-16:8  (Gospel)
43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself
waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to
Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
44 Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the
centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.
45 So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to
Joseph.
46 Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the
linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock,
and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.
47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He
was laid.
1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of
James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.
2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came
to the tomb when the sun had risen.
3 And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from
the door of the tomb for us?"
4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled
away-for it was very large.
5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white
robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
6 But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth,
who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where
they laid Him.
7 But go, tell His disciples-and Peter-that He is going before you
into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.
8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled
and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were
afraid.
Scripture Reading 3 of 3

----------------------------------------------------
------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------

Sunday of the Holy Myrrhbearing Women with the Noble Joseph
Today we commemorate the Holy Myrrh-bearing women Sts Mary Magdalene
(July 22), Mary the wife of Clopas, Joanna (June 27), Salome, mother
of the sons of Zebedee (August 3), Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus
(June 4). Also St Joseph of Arimathea (July 31), and Nicodemus.
The holy right-believing Queen Tamara of Georgia is commemorated twice
during the year: on May 1, the day of her repose, and also on the
Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women.
Synaxis of all Saints of Thessalonica.
St Seraphim Bishop of Phanar (December 4, 1610)
New Martyr Elias Ardunis (January 31, 1686)
New Martyr Demetrius of the Peolponnesos (April 13, 1803)
_________________________________________________________________
Hieromartyr Mocius the Presbyter of Amphipolis in Macedonia
Saint Mocius was a presbyter in Macedonia in the city of Amphipolis.
During a persecution against Christians under the emperor Diocletian
(284-305), St Mocius exhorted the pagans who had assembled for the
pagan festival of Dionysus (Bacchus), to abandon iniquity and the vile
customs which accompanied this celebration. He urged them to repent
and be converted to the Lord Jesus Christ, and be cleansed through
holy Baptism.
The saint was brought to trial before the governor of Laodicea. When
threatened with torture, he replied, "My death for Christ is a great
accomplishment for me." St Mocius was subjected to torture, which he
bore with marvelous endurance, and did not cease to denounce the
idol-worshippers.
Taken to the pagan temple of Dionysus, the saint shattered the idols
when he called upon Jesus Christ. After this he was put into a red-hot
oven, where he remained unharmed, but the flames coming out of the
oven scorched the governor.
Again the commander subjected St Mocius to fierce torture, which he
endured with the help of God. He was given to wild beasts to be eaten,
but they did not touch him. The lions lay down at his feet. The
people, seeing such miracles, urged that the saint be set free. The
governor ordered the saint to be sent to the city of Perinth, and from
there to Byzantium, where St Mocius was executed.
Before his death he gave thanks to the Lord for giving him the
strength to persevere to the very end. His last words were, "Lord,
receive my spirit in peace." Then he was beheaded. St Mocius died
about the year 295. Later, the emperor Constantine built a church in
honor of the hieromartyr Mocius and transferred his holy
passion-bearing relics into it.
_________________________________________________________________
Equal of the Apostles and Teacher of the Slavs, Cyril
Saints Cyril and Methodius, Equals of the Apostles, and Enlighteners
of the Slavs came from an illustrious and pious family living in the
Greek city of Thessalonica. St Methodius was the oldest of seven
brothers, St Constantine [Cyril was his monastic name] was the
youngest. At first St Methodius was in the military and was governor
in one of the Slavic principalities dependent on the Byzantine Empire,
probably Bulgaria, which made it possible for him to learn the Slavic
language. After living there for about ten years, St Methodius later
received monastic tonsure at one of the monasteries on Mount Olympus
(Asia Minor).
St Constantine distinguished himself by his great aptitude, and he
studied with the emperor Michael under the finest teachers in
Constantinople, including St Photius, the future Patriarch of
Constantinople (February 6).
St Constantine studied all the sciences of his time, and also knew
several languages. He also studied the works of St Gregory the
Theologian. Because of his keen mind and penetrating intellect, St
Constantine was called "Philosopher" (wise). Upon the completion of
his education, St Constantine was ordained to the holy priesthood and
was appointed curator of the patriarchal library at the church of
Hagia Sophia. He soon left the capital and went secretly to a
monastery.
Discovered there, he returned to Constantinople, where he was
appointed as instructor in philosophy. The young Constantine's wisdom
and faith were so great that he won a debate with Ananias, the leader
of the heretical iconclasts . After this victory Constantine was sent
by the emperor to discuss the Holy Trinity with the Saracens, and
again he gained the victory. When he returned, St Constantine went to
his brother St Methodius on Olympus, spending his time in unceasing
prayer and reading the works of the holy Fathers.
The emperor soon summoned both of the holy brothers from the monastery
and sent them to preach the Gospel to the Khazars. Along the way they
stayed in the city of Korsun, making preparations for their missionary
activity. There the holy brothers miraculously discovered the relics
of the hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome (November 25).
There in Korsun St Constantine found a Gospel and Psalter written in
Russian letters [i.e. Slavonic], and a man speaking the Slavic tongue,
and he learned from this man how to read and speak this language.
After this, the holy brothers went to the Khazars, where they won a
debate with Jews and Moslems by preaching the Gospel. On the way home,
the brothers again visited Korsun and, taking up the relics of St
Clement, they returned to Constantinople. St Constantine remained in
the capital, but St Methodius was made igumen of the small
Polychronion monastery near Mount Olympus, where he lived a life of
asceticism as before.
Soon messengers came to the emperor from the Moravian prince
Rostislav, who was under pressure from German bishops, with a request
to send teachers to Moravia who would be able to preach in the Slavic
tongue. The emperor summoned St Constantine and said to him, "You must
go there, but it would be better if no one knows about this."
St Constantine prepared for the new task with fasting and prayer. With
the help of his brother St Methodius and the disciples Gorazd,
Clement, Sava, Naum and Angelyar, he devised a Slavonic alphabet and
translated the books which were necessary for the celebration of the
divine services: the Gospel, Epistles, Psalter, and collected
services, into the Slavic tongue. This occurred in the year 863.
After completing the translation, the holy brothers went to Moravia,
where they were received with great honor, and they began to teach the
services in the Slavic language. This aroused the malice of the German
bishops, who celebrated divine services in the Moravian churches in
Latin. They rose up against the holy brothers, convinced that divine
services must be done in one of three languages: Hebrew, Greek or
Latin.
St Constantine said, "You only recognize three languages in which God
may be glorified. But David sang, 'Praise the Lord, all nations,
praise the Lord all peoples (Ps 116/117:1).' And the Gospel of St
Matthew (28:18) says, 'Go and teach all nations....'" The German
bishops were humiliated, but they became bitter and complained to
Rome.
The holy brothers were summoned to Rome for a decision on this matter.
Taking with them the relics of St Clement, Sts Constantine and
Methodius set off to Rome. Knowing that the holy brothers were
bringing these relics with them, Pope Adrian met them along the way
with his clergy. The holy brothers were greeted with honor, the Pope
gave permission to have divine services in the Slavonic language, and
he ordered the books translated by the brothers to be placed in the
Latin churches, and to serve the Liturgy in the Slavonic language.
At Rome St Constantine fell ill, and the Lord revealed to him his
approaching death. He was tonsured into the monastic schema with the
name of Cyril. On February 14, 869, fifty days after receiving the
schema, St Cyril died at the age of forty-two.
St Cyril commanded his brother St Methodius to continue with their
task of enlightening the Slavic peoples with the light of the true
Faith. St Methodius entreated the Pope to send the body of his brother
for burial in their native land, but the Pope ordered the relics of St
Cyril to be placed in the church of St Clement, where miracles began
to occur from them.
After the death of St Cyril, the Pope sent St Methodius to Pannonia,
after consecrating him as Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia, on the
ancient throne of St Andronicus (July 30). In Pannonia St Methodius
and his disciples continued to distribute services books written in
the Slavonic language. This again aroused the wrath of the German
bishops. They arrested and tried St Methodius, who was sent in chains
to Swabia, where he endured many sufferings for two and a half years.
After being set free by order of Pope John VIII of Rome, and restored
to his archdiocese, St Methodius continued to preach the Gospel among
the Slavs. He baptized the Czech prince Borivoi and his wife Ludmilla
(September 16), and also one of the Polish princes. The German bishops
began to persecute the saint for a third time, because he did not
accept the erroneous teaching about the procession of the Holy Spirit
from both the Father and the Son. St Methodius was summoned to Rome,
but he justified himself before the Pope, and preserved the Orthodox
teaching in its purity, and was sent again to the capital of Moravia,
Velehrad.
Here in the remaining years of his life St Methodius, assisted by two
of his former pupils, translated the entire Old Testament into
Slavonic, except for the Book of Maccabbees, and even the Nomocanon
(Rule of the holy Fathers) and Paterikon (book of the holy Fathers).
Sensing the nearness of death, St Methodius designated one of his
students, Gorazd, as a worthy successor to himself. The holy bishop
predicted the day of his death and died on April 6, 885 when he was
about sixty years old. The saint's burial service was chanted in three
languages, Slavonic, Greek, and Latin. He was buried in the cathedral
church of Velehrad.
_________________________________________________________________
Equal of the Apostles and Teacher of the Slavs, Methodius
Saint Methodius, Equal of the Apostles, and Enlightener of the Slavs,
came from an illustrious and pious family living in the Greek city of
Thessalonica. St Methodius was the oldest of seven brothers, St
Constantine [Cyril was his monastic name] was the youngest. At first
St Methodius was in the military and was governor in one of the Slavic
principalities dependent on the Byzantine Empire, probably Bulgaria,
which made it possible for him to learn the Slavic language. After
living there for about ten years, St Methodius later received monastic
tonsure at one of the monasteries on Mount Olympus (Asia Minor).
St Constantine eventually joined his brother St Methodius on Olympus,
spending his time in unceasing prayer and reading the works of the
holy Fathers.
The emperor soon summoned both of the holy brothers from the monastery
and sent them to preach the Gospel to the Khazars. Along the way they
stayed in the city of Korsun, making preparations for their missionary
activity. There the holy brothers miraculously discovered the relics
of the hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome (November 25).
There in Korsun St Constantine found a Gospel and Psalter written in
Russian letters [i.e. Slavonic], and a man speaking the Slavic tongue,
and he learned from this man how to read and speak this language.
After this, the holy brothers went to the Khazars, where they won a
debate with Jews and Moslems by preaching the Gospel. On the way home,
the brothers again visited Korsun, then returned to Constantinople
with the relics of St Clement.
St Constantine remained in the capital, but St Methodius was made
igumen of the small Polychronion monastery near Mount Olympus, where
he lived a life of asceticism as before.
Soon messengers came to the emperor from the Moravian prince
Rostislav, who was under pressure from German bishops, requesting him
to send teachers to Moravia who could preach in the Slavic tongue. The
emperor summoned St Constantine and said to him, "You must go there,
but it would be better if no one knows about this."
St Constantine prepared for the new task with fasting and prayer. With
the help of his brother St Methodius and the disciples Gorazd,
Clement, Sava, Naum and Angelyar, he devised a Slavonic alphabet and
translated the books which were necessary for the celebration of the
divine services: the Gospel, Epistles, Psalter, and collected
services, into the Slavic tongue. This occurred in the year 863.
After completing the translation, the holy brothers went to Moravia,
where they were received with great honor, and they began to teach the
services in the Slavic language. This aroused the malice of the German
bishops, who celebrated divine services in the Moravian churches in
Latin. They rose up against the holy brothers, convinced that divine
services must be done in one of three languages: Hebrew, Greek or
Latin.
St Constantine said, "You only recognize three languages in which God
may be glorified. But David sang, 'Praise the Lord, all nations,
praise the Lord all peoples (Ps 116/117:1).' And the Gospel of St
Matthew (28:18) says, 'Go and teach all nations....'" The German
bishops were humiliated, but they became bitter and complained to
Rome.
The holy brothers were summoned to Rome for a decision on this matter.
Taking with them the relics of St Clement, Sts Constantine and
Methodius set off to Rome. Knowing that the holy brothers were
bringing these relics with them, Pope Adrian met them along the way
with his clergy. The holy brothers were greeted with honor, the Pope
gave permission to have divine services in the Slavonic language, and
he ordered the books translated by the brothers to be placed in the
Latin churches, and to serve the Liturgy in the Slavonic language.
At Rome St Constantine fell ill, and the Lord revealed to him his
approaching death. He was tonsured into the monastic schema with the
name of Cyril. On February 14, 869, fifty days after receiving the
schema, St Cyril died at the age of forty-two.
St Cyril commanded his brother St Methodius to continue with their
task of enlightening the Slavic peoples with the light of the true
Faith. St Methodius entreated the Pope to send the body of his brother
for burial in their native land, but the Pope ordered the relics of St
Cyril to be placed in the church of St Clement, where miracles began
to occur from them.
After the death of St Cyril, the Pope sent St Methodius to Pannonia,
after consecrating him as Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia, on the
ancient throne of St Andronicus (July 30). In Pannonia St Methodius
and his disciples continued to distribute services books written in
the Slavonic language. This again aroused the wrath of the German
bishops. They arrested and tried St Methodius, who was sent in chains
to Swabia, where he endured many sufferings for two and a half years.
After being set free by order of Pope John VIII of Rome, and restored
to his archdiocese, St Methodius continued to preach the Gospel among
the Slavs. He baptized the Czech prince Borivoi and his wife Ludmilla
(September 16), and also one of the Polish princes. The German bishops
began to persecute the saint for a third time, because he did not
accept the erroneous teaching about the procession of the Holy Spirit
from both the Father and the Son. St Methodius was summoned to Rome,
but he justified himself before the Pope, and preserved the Orthodox
teaching in its purity, and was sent again to the capital of Moravia,
Velehrad.
Here in the remaining years of his life St Methodius, assisted by two
of his former pupils, translated the entire Old Testament into
Slavonic, except for the Book of Maccabbees, and even the Nomocanon
(Rule of the holy Fathers) and Paterikon (book of the holy Fathers).
Sensing the nearness of death, St Methodius designated one of his
students, Gorazd, as a worthy successor to himself. The holy bishop
predicted the day of his death and died on April 6, 885 when he was
about sixty years old. The saint's burial service was chanted in three
languages, Slavonic, Greek, and Latin. He was buried in the cathedral
church of Velehrad.
_________________________________________________________________
Venerable Sophronius the Recluse of the Kiev Far Caves
The Relics of Saint Sophronius were buried in the Far Caves of the
Kiev Caves monastery. In the Canon to the monks of the Far Caves the
saint's solitary ascetical struggles are mentioned. He was deemed
worthy to hear angels singing. The memory of St Sophronius is also
celebrated on March 11.
_________________________________________________________________
St Joseph the Metropolitan of Astrakhan
The Hieromartyr Joseph, First Metropolitan of Astrakhan, was born at
Astrakhan in 1579. After becoming a monk, St Joseph was made
Archimandrite of the Astrakhan Trinity monastery at the age of
fifty-two.
In 1656 he was at Moscow, after which he was chosen to be Metropolitan
of Astrakhan. On May 11,1672, during an uprising of the townspeople,
St Joseph suffered martyrdom at Astrakhan. This sad event was recorded
in detail by two eyewitnesses, priests of the Astrakhan cathedral,
Cyril and Peter.
The priests took the body of the martyr, dressed it in bishop's
vestments, and placed it in a prepared grave. On the following day,
after serving a Panikhida, the saint's body was taken to a chapel, and
it remained unburied for nine days. The relics of the holy hierarch
were placed into the grave, and were soon glorified by miracles.
St Joseph was glorified at the Council of the Russian Orthodox Church
in April 1918.
_________________________________________________________________
St Nicodemus the Archbishop of Serbia
Saint Nicodemus, Archbishop of Serbia, was Igumen of the Hilandar
monastery on Mount Athos, and was consecrated bishop in the year 1316.
In 1319 he translated the TYPIKON of St Sava the Sanctified of
Jerusalem into the Slavonic language, and ordered it to be used in
Serbia.
St Nicodemus died in the year 1325.
_________________________________________________________________
St Rostislav the Prince of Great Moravia
No information on the life of this saint is available at this time.
_________________________________________________________________
Commemoration of the Founding of Constantinople
In 324 the holy Emperor Constantine (May 21) decided that the imperial
capital had to be closer to the Eastern provinces, and yet have direct
communication with the West. The city of Byzantium fulfilled these
requirements, and on November 8, 324 the site of the new capital was
consecrated.
Tradition tells us that the Emperor was tracing the boundaries of the
city with a spear, when his courtiers became astonished by the
magnitude of the new dimensions of the capital. "Lord," they asked,
"how long will you keep going?"
Constantine replied, "I shall keep going until the one who walks ahead
of me stops."
Then they understood that the emperor was being guided by some divine
power. There is an iconographic sketch by Rallis Kopsides showing an
angel of the Lord going before St Constantine as he traces the new
boundaries of the city.
Construction of the main buildings was begun in 325, and pagan
monuments from Rome, Athens, and other cities were used to beautify
the new capital. The need for the new city is partially explained by
the changing requirements of government, the Germanic invasion of the
West, and commercial benefits, but the new city was also to be a
Christian capital. For this, a new foundation was required.
In 330, the work had progressed to the point where it was possible for
Constantine to dedicate the new capital. The dedication took place on
May 11, followed by forty days of joyous celebration. Christian
Constantinople was placed under the protection of the Most Holy
Theotokos, and overshadowed pagan Byzantium. St Constantine was the
first Emperor to submit voluntarily to Christ, and Constantinople
became the symbol of a Christian Empire which lasted for a thousand
years.
_________________________________________________________________
New Martyr Dioscorus
No information available at this time.
_________________________________________________________________
New Martyr Argyrus
No information available at this time.
_________________________________________________________________
Blessed Christopher, called Christesia
Blessed Christesias family was from Egrisi in western Georgia. From
his youth Christesia longed for the divine services and the solitary
life, but he was forced by his master to marry, and by this marriage
he begot a son. Later, when both his wife and son had died, his master
insisted that he marry again, but the pious Christesia would not heed
his masters order.
Instead he related the order to his spiritual father, who advised him
to depart from the world and journey to the Davit-Gareji Wilderness.
Deeply inspired by his spiritual fathers counsel, Christesia abandoned
his possessions and his life in the world and withdrew to the
Monastery of St. John the Baptist in the Davit-Gareji Wilderness.
The holy father spent many years in humble service to the Lord. He was
assigned to gather firewood and bring water for the monastery, and he
performed these tasks obediently and in perfect meekness. Every day he
walked over four miles to fill a pitcher with water and then carried
it to a small hut nearby. He hung the pitcher at the entrance to make
it visible from a distance, and travelers who passed by would come to
quench their thirst.
He also kept a small vegetable garden to feed the passers-by. Every
Saturday he prepared kolio (a dish of wheat and honey traditionally
offered to commemorate the departed) and divided it in three parts:
one part commemorated the family and loved ones of those who had
donated the wheat and honey; the second, the deceased fathers of the
monastery; and the last, all departed Orthodox Christians.
It always disturbed St. Christesia to see his brothers and sisters at
odds with one another, so when he heard that two people were
quarreling, he would go and reconcile them. My children! he would say,
If you do not heed my words, I will leave in sorrow, and the devil,
who is always resistant to peace, will rejoice and send more
tribulations upon you. I came to you hungry, and I will depart hungry!
His words warmed the hearts of those whom he counseled and helped them
to be reconciled with one another.
One hot evening after Vespers, St. Christesia set off on foot for a
certain village. He left during twilight, and when night fell the sky
was without a moon and extraordinarily dark. Before long it became
difficult to walk any farther, so St. Christesia stopped to pray, and
a bright light appeared before him to light the way. The divine light
guided him all through the night, until he reached the village of
Sartichala.
St. Christesias cell was poor and cramped. He slept on a bed of wooden
planks that he covered in sheepskin, and instead of a pillow he rested
his head on a stone. The pious ascetic wore a sheepskin coat and
sandals made of bark. Whatever he received he gave to the poor. Having
placed complete trust in God, he would not permit himself to worry
about the morrow, nor did he bother to store up food or supplies for
the harsh winter months.
Father Christesia was already advanced in age when he was tonsured a
monk and given the new name Christopher. He reposed peacefully in
1771, at the age of eighty.
_________________________________________________________________