Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrews [§ 323]. Brethren:

10 ¹The law, having a shadow of the coming good things, not the very image of the things, is never able to perfect those who approach with the same sacrifices, which they offer year by year in perpetuity. ²Otherwise would they not have ceased being offered, on account of those worshipping no longer having any consciousness of sins once they were purified? ³But in these sacrifices there is a remembrance of sins year by year. ⁴For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take away sins. ⁵Wherefore, when He came into the world, He saith, “Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not wish, but Thou didst prepare for Thyself a body for Me [Ps. 39(40):9(6)]; ⁶“in whole burnt offerings also for sin Thou didst not take pleasure [cf. Ps. 39(40):10(6)]. ⁷“Then I said, ‘Behold, I come, in the roll of the book it hath been written concerning Me, to do Thy will, O God [cf. Ps. 39(40):11(7, 8)].’” ⁸Above when He saith, “Sacrifice and offering, and whole burnt offerings also for sin, Thou didst not wish, nor didst Thou take pleasure therein [cf. Ps. 39(40):9, 10(6)],” which are being offered according to the law, ⁹then He said, “Behold, I come to do Thy will, O God [cf. Ps. 39(40):11(7, 8)].” He taketh away the first, in order that He might establish the second: ¹⁰By which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹And indeed every priest standeth day by day ministering and offering often the same sacrifices, which are never able to take away sins. ¹²But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins in perpetuity, “sat down on the right of God [cf. Ps. 109(110):1],” ¹³henceforth waiting until His enemies should be placed as a footstool of His feet. ¹⁴For by one offering He hath perfected in perpetuity those being sanctified. ¹⁵And the Holy Spirit also beareth witness to us; for after having said before, ¹⁶“‘This is the covenant which I will covenant with them after those days,’ saith the Lord, ‘I will give My laws into their hearts, and write them upon their minds [cf. Jer. 38(31):33],’” ¹⁷and “‘Their sins and their lawlessnesses in no wise will I remember any more [cf. Jer. 38(31):34].’” ¹⁸Now where there is remission of these, there is no more offering for sin.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark [§ 44]. The Lord said:

10 ¹¹“Whosoever shall divorce his wife and marry another committeth adultery against her; ¹²“and if a woman shall divorce her husband and be married to another, she committeth adultery.”

¹³And they were bringing to Him little children, in order that He should touch them; but the disciples were rebuking those who brought them. ¹⁴But after Jesus saw it, He was displeased, and said to them, “Let alone the little children to come to Me, and cease hindering them; for of such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁵“Verily I say to you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, in no wise shall he enter into it.” ¹⁶And having taken them in His arms, He was fervently blessing them, laying His hands upon them.

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of the holy Martyr Sebastian at Rome and his companions. The commemoration of our holy father among the saints, Modestos, Archbishop of Jerusalem (commemorated on Gk. calendar on the 16^th of December).

Epistle

No reading given.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 11]. The Lord said to His disciples:

5 ¹⁴“Ye are the light of the world. A city situated on the top of a mountain cannot be hid. ¹⁵“Nor do they light a lamp and put it under the bushel, but upon the lampstand, and it giveth light to all those in the house. ¹⁶“Thus, let your light shine before men, that they might see your good works, and might glorify your Father Who is in the heavens.

¹⁷“Do not begin to think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets; I came not to abolish, but to fulfill. ¹⁸“For verily I say to you, until the heaven and the earth shall have passed away, one iota or one tittle in no wise shall pass away from the law, until all shall have taken place. ¹⁹“Whosoever then shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of the heavens; but whosoever shall do and teach them, this one shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens.”

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

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

1. The Holy Martyr Sebastian and those with him.

This glorious martyr of Christ was born in Italy and brought up in the city of Milan. He was destined in his youth to be a soldier, and as an educated, handsome and courageous man, commended himself to the Emperor Diocletian, who made him captain of the imperial guard. He secretly confessed the Christian Faith, and prayed to the living God. An honorable, upright and merciful man, Sebastian was greatly loved by his soldiers. Whenever possible, he saved Christians from torture and death, and when this was not possible, gave them courage to die for Christ the living God without turning back. Two brothers, Marcus and Marcellinus, who were in prison for Christ and already on the verge of denying Him and worshipping idols, were confirmed in their faith and strengthened in their martyrdom by Sebastian. As he spoke with them, exhorting them not to fear death for Christ, his face was illumined like that of an angel of God. Sebastian supported his words by marvels: he healed Zoë the wife of Nicostratus the jailer, who had been dumb for six years, and brought Nicostratus and his whole household to Baptism; he healed the two sick sons of Claudius the commander, and brought him and his whole household also to Baptism; he healed Tranquillianus, the father of Marcus and Marcellinus, of gout and pains in his legs which had troubled him for eleven years, and brought him to Baptism together with his whole household; he healed the Roman Eparch, Chromatius, of the same infirmity and brought him and his son Tiburtius to Baptism. Of these, Zoë was the first to suffer, being seized while at prayer beside the tomb of the Apostle Peter. After torture, she was thrown into the Tiber River. Then Tiburtius was seized, and the judge placed live coals before him, challenging him to choose life or death: to cast incense on the coals and cense the idols, or to stand himself barefoot on the coals. St. Tibertius made the sign of the Cross and stood barefoot on the coals, and remained unharmed. He was then beheaded with the sword. Nicostratus was killed with a stake, Tranquillianus was drowned and Marcus and Marcellinus were run through by spears. Then Sebastian was taken before the Emperor Diocletian. The emperor rebuked him for his betrayal, but he said: ‘I always pray to my Christ for your health, and for the peace of the Roman Empire.’ The emperor ordered that he be stripped and shot at with arrows. The soldiers then shot at him, until the martyr’s whole body was so covered with arrows that it was invisible beneath them. When they thought that he was dead, he showed himself alive and healed of all his wounds. Then the pagans beat him to death with staves. He suffered gloriously for Christ his Lord and entered into the heavenly kingdom in 287, when Gaius was Bishop of Rome.

2. St. Florus, Bishop of Amisos.

He lived in the time of the Emperors Justin II (565-574) and Maurice (582-602), being the son of a nobleman. He forsook the bustle and vanity of the world and withdrew to a monastery, to live in asceticism for the salvation of his soul. He was then chosen as bishop of the town of Amisos in Cappadocia. As an ascetic and a hierarch, he was pleasing to God and entered peacefully into His kingdom.

3. St. Modestos, Patriarch of Jerusalem.

He was only five months old when his parents died, but by God’s providence, he was brought up in a Christian spirit. When he was grown up, he was sold as a slave to a pagan in Egypt, but he succeeded in bringing his owner to the Christian Faith, and he freed him. He withdrew to Mount Sinai, where he lived in asceticism. He was then chosen as Patriarch of Jerusalem, and governed Christ’s flock like a true shepherd, entering peacefully into rest in 634.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Man is presented with a choice in this life: the kingdom of this world or the kingdom of heaven. God puts no pressure on this choice, but each man chooses freely. When the brothers Marcus and Marcellinus were condemned to death, the pagan judge left them for a month to ponder on whether they would deny Christ and His kingdom, or be put to death. Their kinsmen came to the prison with one sort of advice, and Sebastian with another. Their kinsmen wept and implored them to do what the judge wanted and spare their youth. Their tearful father showed them his grey hairs and his infirmity; their mother besought them by the milk of the breasts by which she nourished them; their children wept around them. They all in concert urged them to reject the heavenly kingdom for the sake of the earthly, but holy Sebastian counseled the opposite, saying: ‘O courageous soldiers of Christ, do you mean to lose the eternal wreath for the sake of the flattery of your kinsmen? Do you mean to lower the banner of victory for the sake of women’s tears? This life is transient, and so unworthy and faithless that it cannot save even those who love it. What is this life worth, even if we live a hundred years? When the last day dawns, will not all our past years and all earthly delights seem as though they had never been? It is indeed folly to fear the loss of this fleeting life, when one will receive that eternal life in which delight, riches and rejoicing begin, the life that has no end. Remember the Lord’s words: “A man’s foes shall be they of his own household’’ (Matt. 10:36). They are no friends of yours, who are trying to turn you from God.’ With these and many other words, Sebastian prevailed, and the holy martyrs sought the kingdom of heaven rather than the earthly, and joyfully went to their death for Christ.

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.