Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Wednesday of the Second Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans [§ 87]. Brethren:

4 ¹³The promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴For if the heirs be of the law, faith is made void, and the promise made of no effect, ¹⁵for the law worketh out wrath; for where there is no law, neither is there transgression. ¹⁶On this account it is of faith, in order that it be according to grace, to the end that the promise be made sure to all the seed, not to that of the law only, but to that also of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all ¹⁷(even as it hath been written: “I have made thee a father of many nations [Gen. 17:5]”) before Him Whom he believed—God, Who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things not existing as existing; ¹⁸who against hope believed upon hope, in order for him to become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, “So shall thy seed be [Gen. 15:5].” ¹⁹And not becoming weak in faith, he considered not his own body, already dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb. ²⁰And in regard to the promise of God he was not made to doubt by unbelief, but was empowered in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹and was fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able also to do. ²²And wherefore it was reckoned to him for righteousness. ²³Now it was not written on account of him only, that it was reckoned to him, ²⁴but on account of us also, to whom it is about to be reckoned, to those who believe on Him Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵Who was delivered up for our offenses, and was raised for our justification.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 23]. The Lord said:

7 ²¹“Not everyone who saith to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one who doeth the will of My Father in the heavens. ²²“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, we prophesied in Thy name, and cast out demons in Thy name, and did many works of power in Thy name, did we not?’ ²³“And then will I profess to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, ye who work lawlessness.’”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of Hieromartyr Dorotheos, Bishop of Tyre.

No readings given.

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

June 18th – Civil Calendar
June 5th – Church Calendar

1. The Hieromartyr Dorotheos, Bishop of Tyre.

He was Bishop of Tyre from the time of Diocletian right up to the time of Julian the Apostate, under whom he was tortured and suffered for the Orthodox Faith. He lived on earth to the age of 107, and being pleasing to God, entered into eternal life in 361. He was a great scholar and wrote many learned books both in Greek and Latin.

2. Our Holy Father Theodore the Hermit, the Wonder-worker.

He purified his heart by long asceticism in the Jordan wilderness and received from God the gift of wonder-working. When he was at one time travelling by ship from Constantinople, his ship went off course and there was no drinking water left in her. When all the travellers were close to death from thirst, Theodore raised his arms to heaven, prayed to God and made the sign of the Cross over the sea. He then told the sailors to draw water from the sea and drink it; and when they did so, they found the water fresh. They all began to pay homage to Theodore, but he begged them to thank, not him, but the Lord God, Who had performed that wonder out of His love for mankind. He died peacefully in 583.

3. Our Holy Father Anoub.

One of the great Egyptian monks, he suffered greatly for the true Faith. When, at the time of his death, three old hermits visited him, he, gifted with discernment, revealed to them all the secrets of their hearts. He died peacefully some time in the second half of the 5th century.

4. Blessed Igor, Prince of Chernigov and Kiev.

Persecuted by his kinsfolk, he left the world and became a monk. The citizens of Kiev, disgusted with the Olgovitch dynasty, determined to exterminate it. They hurried to the monastery, seized the young and innocent schema-monk and killed him. For this evil-doing, much misfortune fell on the inhabitants of Kiev, but candles were several times seen to light of themselves on the grave of this blessed monk, and a fiery column appeared over the church where he was buried. This was in 1147.

5. Our Holy Father Peter of Koriša.

He was born in the village of Koriša, in sight of the monastery of St. Mark near Prizren (others suggest a village near Peć). As a young man, he ploughed with a one-eyed ox. He was unusually meek and mild of temper. With his sister Helena, he early began ascetic practices and lived long in strict asceticism. He showed himself the victor in difficult struggles with diabolical temptations. Many monks gathered round him, and he was guide to them all. Fleeing the praise of men, he hid for a time by the Black River, where St. Janik of Devič later lived in asceticism. He entered into rest in old age in his cave at Koriša. The night of his death, the light of many candles was seen in his cave, and an angelic choir was heard. King Dugan built a church over his wonder-working relics, which became a dependency of Hilandar. In more recent times, St. Peter’s relics were taken to the Black River, where they are preserved to this day.

6. Blessed Constantine, Metropolitan of Kiev.

In the days of the blessed Prince Igor, when there was great unrest and intrigue among the princes of Russia, there was also disorder in the Church and frequent changes of hierarch. Thus, after the death of Metropolitan Michael of Kiev, Prince Izyaslav took a learned monk, Klim, as metropolitan, not seeking the blessing of the Patriarch of Constantinople as had been the custom from the earliest times. The patriarch sent this Metropolitan Constantine to investigate the matter, and Constantine deposed Klim and exiled all the priests whom he had ordained. This led to a division among the people, some upholding Klim and some Constantine. Then, at the request of the princes, the patriarch sent a third, Theodore, and both Klim and Constantine were removed. When Constantine died, in 1159, his will was opened. In it he had written that he was not to be buried, but cast out for the dogs to eat, for he saw himself as guilty of having sown discord in the Church. Not daring to go against his wishes, but with great fear notwithstanding, they took his body and threw it outside, where it lay for three days. During these three days, there was terrible thunder over Kiev; lightning flashed, thunderbolts dropped and there were earth tremors. Eight people were killed by lightning, and three fiery columns were seen above Constantine’s body. Seeing all this, the Prince of Kiev ordered that his body be taken and buried in the church in which Igor’s tomb was situated, and the natural world immediately became calm. Thus God justified His humble servant.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Never break the fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. This fast is ordained by the Church, and is well-attested. If, at any time in your life, you break this fast, pray for forgiveness and do not sin again. Devout people do not regard themselves as dispensed from this fast either when travelling or in sickness. St. Pachomios once met some people who were carrying a corpse, and saw two angels in the funeral procession. He asked God to reveal to him the mystery of the presence of the two angels at the burial of this man. What special good had he done that two angels should escort him to the grave? Then, by the providence of God, the two angels came across to Pachomios and explained to him: ‘One of us is the angel of Wednesday, and the other the angel of Friday. As this man fasted every Wednesday and Friday right up to his death, we are giving his corpse a solemn escort. As he kept the fast up to his death, so we are here to glorify him.’

Daily Scripture Readings taken from The Orthodox New Testament, translated and published by Holy Apostles Convent, Buena Vista, Colorado, copyright © 2000, used with permission, all rights reserved.

Daily Prologue Readings taken from The Prologue of Ochrid, by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic, translated by Mother Maria, published by Lazarica Press, Birmingham, England, copyright © 1985, all rights reserved. Edited by Dormition Skete.