Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Monday of the Thirty-Second Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the General Epistle of Saint Iakovos [§ 53].

2 ¹⁴Brethren, what is the profit if one declare oneself to have faith but have not works? Is faith able to save him? ¹⁵Now if a brother or a sister be naked and wanting of daily food, ¹⁶and any of you should say to them, “Go in peace, warm yourselves and feed yourselves,” but ye give them not the necessities of the body, what is the profit? ¹⁷Even so faith, if it be not having works, is in itself dead. ¹⁸But someone will say, “Thou hast faith, and I have works”; show me thy faith without thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith. ¹⁹Thou believest that God is one. Thou doest well. The demons also believe, and shudder. ²⁰But dost thou wish to know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? ²¹Was not Abraham our father justified by works, after he offered Isaac his son upon the altar? ²²Thou seest that faith was working with his works, and by works faith was made perfect. ²³And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness [cf. Gen. 15:6]”; and he was called a “friend of God [cf. Ex. 33:11; Is. 41:8].” ²⁴Ye see then that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. ²⁵But in like manner also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, after she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? ²⁶For even as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark [§ 54]. At that time:

12 ¹³ The chief priests and the scribes sent out to Jesus certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, in order that they might catch Him in a word. ¹⁴And having come, they say to Him, “Teacher, we know that Thou art true, and there is a care to Thee for no one; for Thou lookest not on the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth. Tell us then, is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Cæsar, or not? ¹⁵“Shall we give, or shall we not give?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are ye trying to put Me to the test? Bring Me a denarius that I might see it.” ¹⁶And they brought it. And He saith to them, “Whose is this image and the inscription?” And they said to Him, “Cæsar’s.” ¹⁷And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render the things of Cæsar to Cæsar, and the things of God to God.” And they marvelled at Him.

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of the Afterfeast of the Nativity, and the Virgin-martyr Anysia at Thessalonica, and the Martyr Zotikos, keeper of orphans.

No readings given.

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

January 12th – Civil Calendar
December 30th – Church Calendar

1. The Holy Martyr Anysia.

Born in Thessalonica of wealthy and eminent parents, she was brought up in the Christian Faith. She was orphaned young, and gave herself over to pondering on God and prayer in her own home. Fired with the love of Christ, she often said: ‘Oh, how false is the life of youth, for you either create scandal or are scandalized. Better is age, but oh, I am seized with sorrow at the length of time that separates us from heaven!’ She sold her goods and gave away the proceeds to the poor, and herself lived from the labor of her own hands. She kept strict fasts, slept very little and always wept in prayer. When sleep overtook her, she said to herself: ‘It is dangerous to sleep while the enemy keeps vigil.’ At that time, the wicked Emperor Maximian issued a decree that any man was free to kill Christians when and where he came across them, without trial or sentence. This holy maiden once went out into the street to go to church. It was the day of a pagan festival of the sun. A soldier saw her fairness of face and went up to her with impure lust, asking her name. She made the sign of the Cross and said to him: ‘I am Christ’s handmaid, and I’m going to church.’ After the impudent soldier came closer and began to speak as one deranged, he forcibly took her to the temple of the idols and attempted to compel her to offer sacrifice, but Anysia pushed him away and spat in his face. The soldier aimed a blow at her with his sword, and ran her through under the rib. This holy maiden suffered in 298 and was buried by Christians, and was crowned with a wreath of glory by God in the heavenly kingdom. A church was built over her grave.

2. The Holy Apostle Timon.

One of the seven deacons (Acts 6:5), and of the Seventy Apostles, he was made bishop of Bostra in Arabia and there preached the Gospel, enduring much ill-treatment at the hands of the pagans. He was thrown into fire, but remained unharmed. He finally died by crucifixion, and entered into the kingdom of Christ.

3. Our Holy Mother Theodora of Caesarea.

After strict asceticism in the monastery of St. Anna, she entered peacefully into rest in 755.

4. Our Holy Father, the Martyr Gideon.

A Greek by birth, of very poor parents, he was forced to embrace Islam as a youth. In remorse, he fled to the Holy Mountain, where, in the monastery of Karakallou, he received the monastic schema. Desiring martyrdom for Christ, he received the blessing of his spiritual father and went to the place where he had been forced into Islam, and there, openly before the Turks, confessed the Christian Faith and denounced Mohammed as a false prophet. The Turks shaved his head, placed him backwards on a donkey and led him through the town. He rejoiced at this ridicule for the sake of Christ. They then chopped off all his fingers and toes with an axe, as they had once done to St. Iakovos the Persian (Nov. 27th), and finally threw him into a place of excrement, where he gave his holy soul to God in the year 1818, in Turnovo in Thrace. His wonder-working relics are preserved in the Church of the Holy Apostles in the village of Turnovo, and a part of them is to be found in his monastery of Karakallou.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Here are two more examples of how our merciful God helps those who, in their trouble, hope in Him with faith. Blessed Theodora of Caesarea was born into a noble house and given to the monastery of St. Anna for education. Theodora was not only educated there: she also lived in asceticism, preparing herself to receive the monastic schema. The Emperor Leo the Isaurian took her from the monastery by force and betrothed her to one of his commanders. Theodora resisted the marriage with all her soul, but was as powerless as a lamb in a wolf’s claws. She lamented and prayed constantly to God in her heart that He would not forsake her. On the very day of the marriage, while the guests were feasting, news arrived from the emperor that the Scythians had invaded the empire, with a summons for the commander to set out at once with the army against them. The commander went, and never returned, being killed in battle. Thus, by God’s help, Theodora was freed, and as a pure maiden, returned to her monastery, where she received the habit, and as a nun, became known for her rare asceticism.

A second example: in the monastery of the ‘Unsleeping Ones,’ there was great want during a year of famine. St. Markellos, the abbot, welcomed some poor men one day and entertained them, then wanted to give them some money for their journey. He asked the monastery’s treasurer how much money they had altogether, and he replied that they had ten silver pieces. The abbot told him to give all ten coins to the poor men, but the treasurer did not give them all ten. He gave them nine and kept one for the monastery’s needs, as the situation was becoming acute. A rich man suddenly visited the monastery, and brought the abbot ninety talents of gold. Then the discerning Markellos summoned the treasurer and said to him: ‘Behold, God had intended to send us a hundred talents through this devout man, but as you disobeyed me and kept back one silver piece, the Provider of all has kept back ten talents.’

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.