[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Thu May 22 05:00:13 CDT 2008

Scripture Readings and Saints for Thu May 22 2008

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Acts 10:34-43  (Epistle)
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God
shows no partiality.
35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is
accepted by Him.
36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace
through Jesus Christ-He is Lord of all-
37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and
began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with
power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by
the devil, for God was with Him.
39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of
the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree.
40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,
41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even
to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it
is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.
43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever
believes in Him will receive remission of sins.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2

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John 8:12-20  (Gospel)
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the
world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the
light of life."
13 The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself;
Your witness is not true."
14 Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself,
My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going;
but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.
15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.
16 And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but
I am with the Father who sent Me.
17 It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is
true.
18 I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me
bears witness of Me.
19 Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You
know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have
known My Father also."
20 These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the
temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2

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Martyr Basiliscus the Bishop of Comana
The Holy Martyr Basiliscus was a nephew of the Great Martyr Theodore
the Recruit (February 17), and he suffered together with his brothers
Eutropius and Kleonikos during the persecution of the emperor Maximian
Galerius (305-311). The holy martyrs Kleonikos and Eutropius (March 3)
were crucified, but the martyr Basiliscus was sent to Comana where he
was detained in prison.
The governor Agrippa arrived in the city of Amasea, and started a
persecution against Christians. St Basiliscus in prison prepared
himself for his impending ordeal. The Lord appeared to him in a dream,
promising the martyr His help, and foretold his martyric death at
Comana. St Basiliscus asked the prison guards to let him go to his
native village to bid his relatives farewell. They let him go, since
they respected him for his holy life and working of miracles. Arriving
home, St Basiliscus saw his family one last time, and urged them to
stand firmly in the Faith.
When Agrippa learned that St Basiliscus had gone to see his relatives,
he went into a rage. He chastized the prison guards, and he sent a
detachment of soldiers after the martyr, headed by a cruel
magistrianum (adjutant of the governor). Meeting St Basiliscus, who
was actually on his way back, the magistrianum placed heavy chains on
him, and shod him with metal sandals with nails driven into the soles,
and set off to Comana.
Arriving at a certain village during the hot afternoon, the travellers
stayed at the house of a woman named Troana. The soldiers went into
the house to relax and refresh themselves with food, and they tied the
martyr Basiliscus to a dry tree. Standing in the heavy chains beneath
the scorching sun, the saint prayed to God. Suddenly a Voice was heard
from above, "Fear not, for I am with you."
The earth shook, and a spring of water came forth from the fissure.
The magistrianum, the soldiers and Troana, rushed out of the house,
frightened by the earthquake. Shaken by the miracle which had taken
place, they set the martyr free. Sick people from the village came to
the holy martyr and received healing through his prayers.
When the saint finally stood before Agrippa, he was commanded to offer
sacrifice to the pagan gods. He replied, "I offer to God a sacrifice
of praise and thanksgiving every hour." They led him into a pagan
temple. In a instant fire came down from Heaven, which burned the
temple, and reduced the idols to dust. Then in a blind rage Agrippa
gave orders to behead St Basiliscus and throw his body into the river.
The death of the martyr occurred in the year 308.
Christians quickly gathered the remains of the holy martyr, and buried
them by night in a ploughed field. Upon this spot a church was built
in honor of St Basiliscus, into which they transferred his relics.
Through the prayers of the holy martyr healings began to occur. The
saint appeared in a dream to St John Chrysostom (November 13) before
his death at Comana and said to him, "Tomorrow we shall be together."
St Eusignius (August 5) was an eyewitness to his sufferings and told
the world about the struggles of St Basiliscus.
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Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the Second Ecumenical
Council
The Second Ecumenical Council was convened in the year 381 and
consolidated the victory of Orthodoxy attained in the year 325 at the
First Ecumenical Council.
During the difficult years which passed after the acceptance of the
Nicene Symbol of Faith (Creed), the Arian heresy developed new
offshoots. Under the guise of struggle against the Sabellian heresy,
which taught about a blending of the Hypostatic Persons of the Father
and the Son [as mere aspects or modalities within the Trinity],
Macedonius began to employ the word "homoiousios" "of similar essence"
[in contrast to the Orthodox teaching of "homoousios", "of the same
essence"] regarding the essence of the Son and that of the Father.
This formula still presented a danger because Macedonius presented
himself as a struggler against the Arians, who used the term "like the
Father." Besides this, the Macedonians, being semi-Arians, depending
on conditions and advantages of the moment, sometimes inclined towards
Orthodoxy, sometimes towards Arianism. They blasphemed the Holy Spirit
by suggesting that He was not "of the same essence" with the Father
and the Son.
A second heretic, Aetius, introduced the concept "anomoion"
("different in essence." He said that the Father has a completely
different essence from that of the Son. His disciple Eunomios taught a
hierarchical subordination of the Son to the Father, and of the Holy
Spirit to the Son. Everyone who came to him was rebaptized into the
"death of Christ," denying Baptism in the Name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, which is commanded us by the Savior
Himself (Mt. 28:19).
A third heresy arose from the teachings of Valentius and Ursacius at
the Arimonian Council. They attempted to deceive the Orthodox bishops,
proclaiming that the Son of God is from God, and is in the likeness of
God the Father, and is not a created being as the Arians taught. The
heretics did not wish to use the term "one in essence" in describing
the relation of the Son to the Father, saying that the word "essence"
is not found within the Holy Scripture. Besides these three main
heresies, there were also many other false teachings. The heretic
Apollinarios said, "The flesh of the Savior did not have a human soul
or reason. The Word of God took the place of the absent soul; and
Divinity remained dead for three days."
For dealing with these crafters of heresy, the holy Emperor Theodosius
the Great (379-395) convened an Ecumenical Council at Constantinople,
at which 150 bishops were present. Upon investigation by the holy
Fathers it was proposed to affirm a Confession of Faith from a Roman
Council, which holy Pope Damasus had sent to Bishop Paulinos of
Antioch. After reading the document aloud, the holy Fathers rejected
the false teaching of Macedonius, and unanimously affirmed the
Apostolic teaching that the Holy Spirit is not a subordinate being,
but is rather the Life-Creating Lord, Who proceeds from the Father,
and is worshipped and glorified with the Father and the Son. In order
to combat other heresies, of the Eunomians, Arians and Semi-Arians,
the holy Fathers affirmed the Nicene Symbol of the Orthodox Faith.
In the Symbol (Creed), accepted by the First Ecumenical Council, the
divine nature of the Holy Spirit was not addressed, since at that
earlier time [in 325] heresies against the Holy Spirit had not become
widespread. Therefore, the holy Fathers of the Second Ecumenical
Council added to the Nicean Symbol its eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh
and twelfth sections. They definitively formulated and affirmed the
Nicene-Constantinople Symbol of Faith, which is used even now by all
the Orthodox Churches.
The Second Ecumenical Council also established the norms for
ecclesiastical courts [Canon VI], and it decided to receive those
repentant heretics who were properly baptized in the name of the Holy
Trinity through Chrismation, but those baptized with a single
immersion were to be received as pagans.
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St John-Vladimir the Prince of Bulgaria, the Greatmartyr and
Miracle-worker
The Holy Martyr John-Vladimir, a Serbian prince, was born in the tenth
century. From his childhood he was raised in piety, and at maturity he
wisely governed his holdings Illyria and Dalmatia, preserving the holy
Faith in purity.
The noble prince was married to Kosara, a daughter of the Bulgarian
Tsar Samuel. Summoned for talks with the Bulgarian Tsar
John-Vladislav, he was treacherously murdered by the Tsar on May 22,
1015, at the entrance to a church. Kosara, the pious spouse of the
holy prince, entered a women's monastery that she built, and where
also she died, not leaving the church until the very end of her life.
The relics of the holy prince are located near Elbosan.
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Monkmartyr Paul of Lavra of Mt Athos
No information on the life of this saint is available at this time.
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Icon of the Mother of God of Cyprus
The Cyprus Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is also commemorated on the
Sunday of Orthodoxy, Pentecost Monday, April 20 and July 9.
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Blessed James of Borovichi the Wonderworker of Novgorod
No information available at this time.
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Righteous Melchizedek, King of Salem
No information available at this time.
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