Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Monday of the Ninth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the First Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians [§ 150]. Brethren:

11 ³¹If we were discerning ourselves, we should not be judged; ³²but when we are judged, we are being chastised by the Lord, in order that we should not be condemned with the world. ³³So that, my brethren, when ye come together in order to eat, be waiting for one another. ³⁴And if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, in order that ye not be coming together for judgment. And the rest, whensoever I should come, I will set in order.

12 ¹Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not wish you to be ignorant. ²Ye know that when ye were heathens ye were led away to the dumb idols, as often as ye were led. ³Wherefore, I make known to you that no one speaking in the Spirit of God saith, “Anathema Jesus,” and no one is able to say, “Lord Jesus,” except in the Holy Spirit. ⁴Now there are distributions of gifts of grace, but the same Spirit. ⁵And there are distributions of ministrations, and the same Lord. ⁶And there are distributions of operations, but it is the same God Who energizeth all things in all.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 74]. At that time:

18 ¹The disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greater in the kingdom of the heavens?” ²And Jesus called to Himself a little child, and set him in their midst, ³and said, “Verily I say to you, unless ye be turned about and become as the little children, in no wise shall ye enter into the kingdom of the heavens. ⁴“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, this one is the greater in the kingdom of the heavens. ⁵“And whosoever shall receive one such little child in My name, receiveth Me. ⁶“But whosoever shall cause one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be to his advantage that a millstone turned by an ass were hung upon his neck, and he were drowned in the deep of the sea. ⁷“Woe to the world because of the stumbling blocks! For it must be that the stumbling blocks come, yet woe to that man by whom the stumbling block cometh! ⁸“And if thy hand or thy foot cause thee to stumble, cut them off, and cast them from thee. It is better for thee to enter into life lame or maimed, than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the fire, the everlasting one. ⁹“And if thine eye cause thee to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to enter into life one-eyed, than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of the fire. ¹⁰“Be taking heed that ye do not ever despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in the heavens their angels continually behold the face of My Father Who is in the heavens. ¹¹“For the Son of Man came to save that which hath been lost.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of the holy Myrrh-bearer and Equal-to-the-apostles Mary Magdalene, and Hieromartyr Phokas of Sinope (commemorated on some Gk. calendars on either the 21^st or 23^rd of July), and the Virgin-martyr Markella of Chios.

Epistle

For the Equal-to-the-apostles:

The Reading is from the First Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians [§ 141]. Brethren:

9 ²Ye are the seal of mine apostleship in the Lord. ³My defense to those who examine me is this: ⁴We do not have authority to eat and to drink, do we? ⁵We do not have authority to lead about a wife who is a sister in the Lord, as also the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Kephas, do we? ⁶Or do only I and Barnabas have no authority not to be working? ⁷Who at any time serveth as a soldier at his own pay? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of its fruit? Or who shepherdeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? ⁸I am not saying these things after the manner of man, am I? Or saith not the law these things also? ⁹For in the law of Moses it hath been written: “Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth the corn [Deut. 25:4].” It is not the care of the oxen that matters with God, is it? ¹⁰Or saith He it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes it was written, that the one who ploweth ought to plow in hope, and the one who thresheth in hope ought to partake of his hope. ¹¹If we did sow to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap of your carnal things? ¹²If others partake of this authority over you, should not rather we? Nevertheless we did not use this authority; but we bear up against all things, lest we should give any hindrance to the Gospel of Christ.

Gospel

For the Equal-to-the-apostles:

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 34]. At that time:

8 ¹Jesus was traveling through, city by city and village by village, preaching and proclaiming the good tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, ²and certain women who had been cured of diseases and scourges and evil spirits and infirmities—Mary who is called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, ³and Joanna the wife of Chuza, a steward of Herod, and Susanna, and many other women who were ministering to Him from their possessions.

for Sl. usage, see [Jn. 20:11-18].

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

August 4th – Civil Calendar
July 22nd – Church Calendar

1. St. Mary Magdalene.

One of the myrrh-bearing women, and equal to the apostles, she was born in Magdala by the Lake of Gennesaret, of the tribe of Issachar. She was tormented by seven evil spirits, of which she was freed and healed by the Lord Jesus. Now she was tormented by these spirits not because she was a sinful woman, but rather, because she was a very virtuous woman, and the devil thought that she was going to be the one to bear our Savior. Isn’t it ironic that she came to be close to our Virgin Mary, the Theotokos? She was a faithful follower and servant of the Lord during His earthly life, and also stood beneath the Cross on Golgotha and lamented bitterly with the most holy Mother of God. After the Lord’s death, she visited His tomb three times; and when He rose again, she saw Him twice, once alone and the other time with the other myrrh-bearing women. She travelled to Rome, went before Tiberias Caesar and presented him with a red egg, greeting him with the words: ‘Christ is risen!’ At the same time, she denounced Pilate to Caesar for his unjust condemnation of the Lord Jesus. Caesar listened to her, and moved Pilate from Jerusalem to Gaul, where this unjust judge died under imperial displeasure after a terrible illness. After that, she returned from Rome to Ephesus, to St. John the Theologian, whom she helped in his task of preaching the Gospel. With great love for the risen Lord and with great zeal, she proclaimed the holy Gospel as a true apostle of Christ. She died peacefully in Ephesus and was buried, according to tradition, in the same cave in which the seven young men (see August 4th) had been in a charmed sleep for a hundred years. They came to life, and then died. St. Magdalene’s relics were then taken to Constantinople. Near the Garden of Gethsemane, there is a beautiful Russian church dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene.

2. The Hieromartyr Phokas.

Today we commemorate the translation of his relics from Pontus to Constantinople in about 404. The chief commemoration of this saint is on September 22nd, where an account of his life and sufferings is set down. Today, a particular miracle by this saint is also commemorated. A man, Pontinus, was taken by Arabs, who fettered him, tied his hands behind his back and left him to die. Lying on his face on the ground and being incapable of movement, Pontinus cried out: ‘Holy Martyr Phokas, have mercy on me and save me!’ Thus saying, he fell asleep, and saw Phokas in a dream, coming to him, taking him by the hand and saying: ‘The Lord Jesus Christ forgives thee!’ When the man awoke, he found himself free from all his bonds. He got up and went home, and took St. Phokas as his family patron.

3. Our Holy Father Cornelius of Pereyaslavl.

Made a monk at the age of fifteen by an elder called Paul, he later withdrew to the desert in quest of silence. He spent thirty years in silence, never speaking a word to anyone, so that many thought that he was dumb. He was so emaciated from fasting that he looked like a skeleton. He received the Great Habit just before his death, and entered into rest on July 22nd, 1693.

4. The Holy Martyr Markella.

This saint is greatly venerated on the island of Chios. In her church, miracles are performed throughout the years. Markella was a young girl who was left motherless very young. Her pagan and bestial father desired to live with his daughter as though she were his wife. Markella fled from her father, but he, infuriated like a wild beast, found her and cut her to pieces. Near her church there are several rocks which on her feast day become saturated with blood. The people take these rocks to the church, pray to St. Markella and then touch the sick with them, and they are healed.

FOR CONSIDERATION

‘Blessed are they that weep,’ said the Lord. Blessed are they who weep, seeking the kingdom of God. Blessed are they who weep, suffering for the Christian Faith. Blessed are they who weep, repenting of their sins. There is no true repentance without tears. With what shall we be able to wash away our sin, save by tears or by blood (the blood of martyrdom)? The monks of Nitria begged great Makarios to come to them, so that they would not all have to go to him. Makarios went in obedience. The monks sat round him and asked him for a word of instruction. Makarios burst into tears, and through his tears, said: ‘My brethren, may your eyes flow with tears before you go to that place where our tears would scald our bodies.’ Then all the brethren began to weep.

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.