[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Sun May 25 05:00:33 CDT 2008

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sun May 25 2008

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Composite 8  - Isaiah 40, 41, 45, 48, 54 (Vespers, 1st Reading)
Thus saith the Lord: "Comfort, comfort My people," says God. "Speak to
the heart of Jerusalem, you Priests, comfort her, for her humiliation
is increased, her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the
Lord's hand double for her sins. The voice of one crying in the
wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight the paths of
our God.'
"Go up to a high mountain, you who are proclaiming glad tidings to
Zion, lift up your voice with strength, O herald of good tidings to
Jerusalem. Lift it up, fear not! I the Lord God, I have heard the poor
of Israel and will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the
mountains, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the
deserts pools of water, and the thirsty landsprings of water. Let the
heavens rejoice from above, and let the clouds rain down
righteousness; let the earth bring forth, and let it sprout forth
mercy and cause righteousness to shine forth also.
"Declare this with a shout of joy, and let this be known, proclaim it
to the end of the earth. Say, 'The Lord hath redeemed His servant
Jacob!' And if they thirst, he shall lead them through the desert, He
shall bring forth water for them out of the rock. Rejoice, O barren
one who did not bear; break forth _into singing_ and cry loud, you who
have not been in travail! For more are the children of the desolate
one than of her who has a husband."
Scripture Reading 1 of 8

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Composite 9  - Malachi 3, 4 (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
_Thus saith the Lord Almighty:_ "Behold, I send My messenger before
Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before thee, and the Lord whom you
seek, shall come into His temple. But who can endure the day of His
coming? For he is coming like fire of a furnace and like the fuller's
herb; and he shall cleanse, refining and purifying, as it were, silver
and gold. And he comes to you with judgment, and will be a swift
witness against the evil ones and against adulterers, and against
those who swear falsely by My name, against those who withhold the
hireling's wages, against those who oppress widows and beat orphans,
against those who avoid judgment in favor of strangers, and against
those who do not fear him," says the Lord Almighty.
"For I am the Lord your God, and I change not; and you, the sons of
Jacob, have turned aside from the law and have not kept it. Return to
Me, therefore, and I will return to you," says the Lord Almighty. "And
all nations shall call you blessed, and they shall understand that I
am the Lord, who distinguishes between the righteous and between the
transgressors on that day, in which I shall act to spare those who
love me.
"Know, therefore, and remember the Law of Moses, My servant, as I
commanded you at Horeb, the statues and ordinances for all Israel. And
behold, I will send to you Elijah the Tishbite before the great and
glorious day of the Lord comes, who shall turn the heart of a father
to his son, and the heart of a man to his neighbor, lest I come
quickly and smite the earth," _saith the Lord Almighty, God, the One
of Israel._
Scripture Reading 2 of 8

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Composite 3  - Wisdom 4, 5 (Vespers, 3rd Reading)
The righteous man, though he die early, will be at rest. The righteous
man who has died will judge the ungodly who are living. For they will
see the end of the righteous, and will not understand what was said
about him; for the Lord will cast down the ungodly speechless to the
ground and shake them from the foundations; they shall become desolate
to the end; they will be in sorrows, and their memory will perish. For
they will come with fear at the thought of their sins, and their
iniquities shall stand against them to convict them.
Then the righteous man will stand with great boldness before those who
have afflicted him, and those who have made of no account his labors.
Having seen it, they shall be troubled with much fear and they will be
amazed at his most-glorious salvation. They will say within themselves
in repentance, in anguish of spirit they will groan and say: "This was
he whom we had sometimes in derision and a proverb of reproach - we
fools! We accounted his life as madness, and his end to be without
honor. How is he numbered among the sons of God? And why is his lot
among the Saints?
"Therefore, we have erred from the way of truth, and the light of
righteousness did not illumine us, nor did the sun shine on us. We
took our fill of the paths of lawlessness and destruction, and we
walked impassible pathways, but the way of the Lord we have not
known."
Scripture Reading 3 of 8

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John 20:1-10  (7th Matins Gospel)
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb
early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken
away from the tomb.
2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple,
whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out
of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."
3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to
the tomb.
4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and
came to the tomb first.
5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying
there; yet he did not go in.
6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he
saw the linen cloths lying there,
7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with
the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.
8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also;
and he saw and believed.
9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again
from the dead.
10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
Scripture Reading 4 of 8

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Acts 11:19-26, 29-30  (Epistle)
19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over
Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching
the word to no one but the Jews only.
20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they
had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord
Jesus.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed
and turned to the Lord.
22 Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in
Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch.
23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and
encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue
with the Lord.
24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a
great many people were added to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul.
26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was
that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a
great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in
Antioch.
29 Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to
send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea.
30 This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of
Barnabas and Saul.
Scripture Reading 5 of 8

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2 Corinthians 4:6-15   (Epistle, Forerunner)
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who
has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of
the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are
perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that
the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that
the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.
13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is
written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and
therefore speak,
14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up
with Jesus, and will present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread
through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of
God.
Scripture Reading 6 of 8

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John 4:5-42  (Gospel)
5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the
plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His
journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a
drink."
8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a
Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no
dealings with Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and
who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked
Him, and He would have given you living water."
11 The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the
well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?
12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and
drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?
13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will
thirst again,
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never
thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a
fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.
15 The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not
thirst, nor come here to draw."
16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."
17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to
her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,'
18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is
not your husband; in that you spoke truly.
19 The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in
Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.
21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you
will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for
salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will
worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such
to worship Him.
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and
truth.
25 The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is
called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things."
26 Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."
27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He
talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are
You talking with her?"
28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and
said to the men,
29 Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this
be the Christ?
30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."
32 But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know."
33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought
Him anything to eat?"
34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me,
and to finish His work.
35 Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the
harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the
fields, for they are already white for harvest!
36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal
life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
37 For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.'
38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have
labored, and you have entered into their labors.
39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of
the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did."
40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with
them; and He stayed there two days.
41 And many more believed because of His own word.
42 Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what
you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is
indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."
Scripture Reading 7 of 8

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Matthew 11:2-15  (Gospel, Forerunner)
2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent
two of his disciples
3 and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for
another?"
4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which
you hear and see:
5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the
deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel
preached to them.
6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.
7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning
John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken
by the wind?
8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments?
Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and
more than a prophet.
10 For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger
before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'
11 Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not
risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the
kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of
heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.
15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Scripture Reading 8 of 8

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Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
The Holy Martyr Photina (Svetlana) the Samaritan Woman, her sons
Victor (named Photinus) and Joses; and her sisters Anatola, Phota,
Photis, Paraskeva, Kyriake; Nero's daughter Domnina; and the Martyr
Sebastian: The holy Martyr Photina was the Samaritan Woman, with whom
the Savior conversed at Jacob's Well (John. 4:5-42).
During the time of the emperor Nero (54-68), who displayed excessive
cruelty against Christians, St Photina lived in Carthage with her
younger son Joses and fearlessly preached the Gospel there. Her eldest
son Victor fought bravely in the Roman army against barbarians, and
was appointed military commander in the city of Attalia (Asia Minor).
Later, Nero called him to Italy to arrest and punish Christians.
Sebastian, an official in Italy, said to St Victor, "I know that you,
your mother and your brother, are followers of Christ. As a friend I
advise you to submit to the will of the emperor. If you inform on any
Christians, you will receive their wealth. I shall write to your
mother and brother, asking them not to preach Christ in public. Let
them practice their faith in secret."
St Victor replied, "I want to be a preacher of Christianity like my
mother and brother." Sebastian said, "O Victor, we all know what woes
await you, your mother and brother." Then Sebastian suddenly felt a
sharp pain in his eyes. He was dumbfounded, and his face was somber.
For three days he lay there blind, without uttering a word. On the
fourth day he declared, "The God of the Christians is the only true
God." St Victor asked why Sebastian had suddenly changed his mind.
Sebastian replied, "Because Christ is calling me." Soon he was
baptized, and immediately regained his sight. St Sebastian's servants,
after witnessing the miracle, were also baptized.
Reports of this reached Nero, and he commanded that the Christians be
brought to him at Rome. Then the Lord Himself appeared to the
confessors and said, "Fear not, for I am with you. Nero, and all who
serve him, will be vanquished." The Lord said to St Victor, "From this
day forward, your name will be Photinus, because through you, many
will be enlightened and will believe in Me." The Lord then told the
Christians to strengthen and encourage St Sebastian to peresevere
until the end.
All these things, and even future events, were revealed to St Photina.
She left Carthage in the company of several Christians and joined the
confessors in Rome.
At Rome the emperor ordered the saints to be brought before him and he
asked them whether they truly believed in Christ. All the confessors
refused to renounce the Savior. Then the emperor gave orders to smash
the martyrs' finger joints. During the torments, the confessors felt
no pain, and their hands remained unharmed.
Nero ordered that Sts Sebastian, Photinus and Joses be blinded and
locked up in prison, and St Photina and her five sisters Anatola,
Phota, Photis, Paraskeva and Kyriake were sent to the imperial court
under the supervision of Nero's daughter Domnina. St Photina converted
both Domnina and all her servants to Christ. She also converted a
sorcerer, who had brought her poisoned food to kill her.
Three years passed, and Nero sent to the prison for one of his
servants, who had been locked up. The messengers reported to him that
Sts Sebastian, Photinus and Joses, who had been blinded, had
completely recovered, and that people were visiting them to hear their
preaching, and indeed the whole prison had been transformed into a
bright and fragrant place where God was glorified.
Nero then gave orders to crucify the saints, and to beat their naked
bodies with straps. On the fourth day the emperor sent servants to see
whether the martyrs were still alive. But, approaching the place of
the tortures, the servants fell blind. An angel of the Lord freed the
martyrs from their crosses and healed them. The saints took pity on
the blinded servants, and restored their sight by their prayers to the
Lord. Those who were healed came to believe in Christ and were soon
baptized.
In an impotent rage Nero gave orders to flay the skin from St Photina
and to throw the martyr down a well. Sebastian, Photinus and Joses had
their legs cut off, and they were thrown to dogs, and then had their
skin flayed off. The sisters of St Photina also suffered terrible
torments. Nero gave orders to cut off their breasts and then to flay
their skin. An expert in cruelty, the emperor readied the fiercest
execution for St Photis: they tied her by the feet to the tops of two
bent-over trees. When the ropes were cut the trees sprang upright and
tore the martyr apart. The emperor ordered the others beheaded. St
Photina was removed from the well and locked up in prison for twenty
days.
After this Nero had her brought to him and asked if she would now
relent and offer sacrifice to the idols. St Photina spit in the face
of the emperor, and laughing at him, said, "O most impious of the
blind, you profligate and stupid man! Do you think me so deluded that
I would consent to renounce my Lord Christ and instead offer sacrifice
to idols as blind as you?"
Hearing such words, Nero gave orders to again throw the martyr down
the well, where she surrendered her soul to God (ca. 66).
On the Greek Calendar, St Photina is commemorated on February 26.
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Third Finding of the Honorable Head of the Holy Glorious
Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John
The Third Discovery of the Venerable Head of the Holy Prophet,
Forerunner and Baptist John occurred in about the year 850 (see the
account of the First and Second Discoveries on February 24). The head
of St John the Forerunner was found in the city of Emesia during a
time of unrest at Constantinople connected with the exile of St John
Chrysostom (November 13).
It was transferred to Komana during the Saracen raids (about 820-820)
and it was hidden in the ground during a period of iconoclastic
persecution. When the veneration of icons was restored, Patriarch
Ignatius (847-857) saw in a vision the place where the head of St John
the Forerunner was hidden. The patriarch communicated this to the
emperor, who sent a delegation to Komana. There the head was found a
third time arond the year 850.
Afterwards the head was again transferred to Constantinople, and here
on May 25 it was placed in a church at the court. Part of the head is
on Mt. Athos. The Third Discovery of the Head of John the Baptist is
commemorated on May 25.
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Hieromartyr Therapon the Bishop of Cyprus
The Hieromartyr Therapon, Bishop of Cyprus, lived a life of asceticism
in a monastery, and afterwards he served as a bishop on the island of
Cyprus. At the time of the persecution under Diocletian (284-305), St
Therapon bravely confessed the name of Christ and died a martyric
death.
The relics of the hieromartyr were at first located on Cyprus and were
glorified by numerous miracles. Later, in the year 806, they were
transferred to Constantinople. The relics were moved because of a
danger of invasion by the Saracens. As the ship sailed to
Constantinople, myrrh began to flow from the relics, and travellers on
the ship were miraculously saved during a storm by their prayers to St
Therapon.
Upon arrival at Constantinople, the relics of the hieromartyr were
placed in a temple built in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God of
Eleousa or "the Merciful" (November 12).
In the year 806 the relics were again transferred into a temple built
in honor of the Hieromartyr Therapon, myrrh flowed from them, and
miracles took place. Through the prayers of St Therapon, those who are
seriously ill are healed, and the dying restored to life.
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Hieromartyr Urban the Pope of Rome
No information on the life of this saint is available at this time.
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Icon of the Mother of God "the Helper of the sinners" from
Koretsk
No information on the life of this saint is available at this time.
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