Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Thursday of the Eighth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the First Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians [§ 147]. Brethren:

10 ²⁸If anyone should tell you, “This is a sacrifice to idols,” cease eating, on account of that one who informed, and for the sake of conscience; for “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof [Ps. 23(24):1].” ²⁹Conscience I say, but not that of thyself, but that of the other. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience? ³⁰But if I partake by grace, why am I being spoken evil of for what I give thanks? ³¹Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, be doing all things to the glory of God. ³²Keep on becoming those who give no occasion of stumbling both to Jews and Greeks, and to the Church of God, ³³even as I also please all in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but that of the many, in order that they might be saved.

11 ¹Keep on becoming imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.

²Now I praise you, brethren, that ye have remembered me in all things; and even as I delivered to you, ye are holding fast the traditions. ³But I wish you to know that the head of every man is the Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. ⁴Every man praying or prophesying, having anything on his head, putteth to shame his head. ⁵But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered putteth to shame her own head, for it is one and the same with her who hath been shaved. ⁶For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn; but if it be shameful for a woman to be shorn or to be shaven, let her be covering herself. ⁷For a man indeed is not obliged for his head to be covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. ⁸For man is not of woman, but woman of man.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 69]. The Lord said to His disciples:

16 ²⁴“If anyone is willing to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and keep on following Me. ²⁵“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life on account of Me shall find it. ²⁶“For what is a man profited, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his soul? Or what shall a man give as an exchange for his soul? ²⁷“For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall render to each according to his manner of doing. ²⁸“Verily I say to you, there are some of those standing here who in no wise shall taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of the holy Martyr Emilian of Silistria in Bulgaria.

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans [§ 99]. Brethren:

8 ²⁸We know that to those who love God all things work together for good, to those who are called according to purpose. ²⁹For whom He foreknew, He also foreordained to be conformable to the image of His Son, in order for Him to be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰But whom He foreordained, these also He called; and whom He called, these also He justified; and whom He justified, these also He glorified. ³¹What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He Who indeed spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also graciously give us all things? ³³Who shall bring an accusation against the elect of God? God is the One Who justifieth. ³⁴Who is the one who condemneth? Christ is the One Who died, but much more is He the One also Who was raised, Who also is at the right of God, Who also intercedeth for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall affliction, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶Even as it hath been written: “For on account of Thee, we are being put to death the whole day; we were counted as sheep of slaughter [Ps. 43(44):23(22)].” ³⁷But in all these things we more than conquer through the One Who loved us. ³⁸For I have been persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things coming, ³⁹nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gospel

No reading given.

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

July 31st – Civil Calendar
July 18th – Church Calendar

1. The Holy Martyr Emilian.

In the time of Julian the Apostate, in the town of Dorostolon (Silistra) in Thrace, there lived the young Emilian, a servant of the governor. When the Emperor Julian began to persecute the Christians with fire and the sword throughout the Roman Empire, the imperial delegate arrived in Dorostolon to kill the Christians. But he did not find a single one there. Delighted by this, he gave a great feast for the citizens of Dorostolon and ordered the offering of sacrifices to the idols, and merrymaking day and night throughout the town. That night, holy Emilian went round the temples, squares and streets of the town, and with a hammer, smashed all the idols. On the following day, the whole town was in an uproar; everyone was searching for the destroyer of their gods. A villager, who was seen passing near the temples that morning, was arrested and Emilian, seeing that an innocent man would suffer, said within himself: ‘If I conceal my action, what sort of use has it been? Shall I not stand before God as the slayer of an innocent man?’ He therefore presented himself before the imperial legate and confessed the whole matter. The legate, in a rage, questioned Emilian, asking him on whose instructions he had done such a thing. Christ’s martyr replied: ‘God and my soul commanded me to destroy those dead pillars that you call gods.’ Then the judge ordered that he be flogged, and after flogging and other tortures, be burned. Thus St. Emilian finished his earthly course and moved to the heavenly life, on July 18th, 362.

2. Our Holy Father Pambo.

An Egyptian ascetic on the Nitrian mountain, he was a contemporary of St. Anthony the Great and himself great in monastic asceticism. He had two characteristics by which he was especially known: by long training, he sealed his lips, so that no unnecessary word passed them, and he never ate any bread other than that which he gained by his own labor, plaiting rushes. He was like an angel of God, and in old age, his face shone as did the face of Moses in ancient times, so that the monks could not look on it. He did not give a quick answer even to a simple question, without prior prayer and pondering in his heart. At one time, Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, was visiting the Nitrian monks. The monks begged Pambo to ‘give a word’ to the patriarch. The silent Pambo replied: ‘If my silence is of no help to him, neither will my words be.’ St. Pambo was once travelling around Egypt with some monks. When they came to a group of people who remained seated as the monks passed them, St. Pambo said to them: ‘Get up and greet the monks, and ask their blessing, for they converse unceasingly with God and their lips are holy.’ This wonderful saint had clear discernment into the destiny of the living and the dead. He entered into rest in the Lord in the year 374.

3. Our Holy Fathers Paisius and Isaias.

Brothers, sons of wealthy parents, they were both monks. One devoted himself to asceticism in the desert and the other to works of mercy among men. St. Pambo saw them both in Paradise. Through this, a dispute among the monks as to which is better: asceticism or works of mercy, was settled. Both the one and the other, when performed in the name of Christ, lead to Paradise.

4. Our Holy Father John the Long-suffering.

An anchorite in the Caves of St. Anthony in Kiev, he was tormented for thirty years by a spirit of carnality, against which he struggled incessantly until he overcame it with the help of God and by touching the relics of St. Moses the Hungarian (see July 26th). Conquering this foul passion, St. John was bathed inwardly with heavenly light, by which he was enabled to see as clearly at night as in the daytime.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Which is the more pleasing to God: asceticism in the desert or works of mercy? Men of prayer in the desert think that a man among men, even if he does good works, can only with difficulty keep his heart pure and his mind fixed on God. Those who do good works among men say that a man who withdraws to the desert is too occupied with his own salvation, and does not devote himself to the salvation of others. Two Egyptians, two brothers born, Paisius and Isaias, inherited great possessions from their parents, sold them all and each took his half of the money. One of them immediately gave his share to the poor, and becoming a monk, he withdrew to the asceticism of the desert so that, by endurance, fasting and prayer and the purifying of his mind from all evil thoughts, he might save his soul. The other brother also became a monk, but did not go into the desert. He built a small monastery near the town, and also a hospital for the sick, a refectory for those in want and a resthouse for the weary. In this way, he gave himself utterly to the service of others.

When both brothers died, a dispute arose among the monks in Egypt as to which fulfilled the law of Christ. Being unable to reach agreement, they went to St. Pambo and asked him about this. St. Pambo replied: ‘They are both perfect before God; the receiver of guests is like hospitable Abraham and the hermit is like Elias the prophet, who were both equally pleasing to God.’ But they were not all satisfied with this answer. Then St. Pambo prayed to God to reveal the truth to him. After several days of prayer, St. Pambo said to the monks: ‘As God is my witness, I say to you, I have seen both brothers, Paisius and Isaias, together in Paradise.’ And thus the dispute was settled and they were all content.

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.