Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Tuesday of the Thirty-Fifth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the First General Epistle of Saint John [§ 72]. Brethren:

For Gk. usage, see 1 Jn. 3:9-22; for Sl. usage, see 1 Jn. 3:10-20, beginning in the middle of verse 10, “My beloved: Everyone who doeth not righteousness....”

3 ⁹Everyone who hath been born of God doeth no sin, because His seed abideth in him; and he is not able to sin, because he hath been born of God. ¹⁰In this are manifest the children of God and the children of the devil. Everyone who doeth not righteousness is not of God, and neither is the one who loveth not his brother. ¹¹Because this is the message which ye heard from the beginning, that we be loving one another, ¹²not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And on account of what did he slay him? Because his works were evil, but those of his brother righteous. ¹³Cease marvelling, my brethren, if the world hate you. ¹⁴We know that we have passed over out of death into life, because we love the brethren. The one not loving his brother abideth in death. ¹⁵Everyone who hateth his brother is a manslayer, and ye know that every manslayer hath not eternal life abiding in him. ¹⁶In this we have come to know love, because He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷But whosoever may have the world’s means of livelihood, and may observe his brother having need, and shutteth up from him his compassion from the inward parts, how doth the love of God abide in him? ¹⁸My little children, let us not be loving in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. ¹⁹And in this we know that we are of the truth, and shall persuade our hearts before Him, ²⁰that if our heart be condemning us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things. ²¹Beloved, if our heart be not condemning us, we have boldness toward God. ²²And whatsoever we may ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing before Him.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark [§ 64]. At that time:

14 ¹⁰Judas the Iscariote, one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests, in order that he might deliver Him up to them. ¹¹And after they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money; and he was seeking how he might opportunely deliver Him up.

¹²And on the first day of the unleavened bread, when they used to slay the passover, His disciples said to Him, “Where dost Thou wish that we go and prepare, that Thou mightest eat the passover?” ¹³And He sendeth forth two of His disciples, and saith to them, “Go ye into the city, and a man shall meet you bearing an earthenware vessel of water; follow him. ¹⁴“And wheresoever he should enter, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher saith, “Where is the lodging-place, where I shall eat the passover with My disciples?”’ ¹⁵“And he will show you a large upper room, which hath been furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.” ¹⁶And His disciples went away, and came into the city, and found it even as He said to them; and they made ready the passover. ¹⁷And evening having come to pass, He cometh with the twelve. ¹⁸And as they reclined at table and ate, Jesus said, “Verily I say to you, that one of you who is eating with Me shall deliver Me up.” ¹⁹And they began to be grieved, and to say to Him, one by one, “It is not I, is it?” And another, “It is not I, is it?” ²⁰But He answered and said to them, “It is one of the twelve, who dippeth with Me in the dish. ²¹“The Son of Man indeed goeth even as it hath been written concerning Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is delivered up! Good were it for that man if he had not been born.” ²²And as they ate, Jesus took bread, blessed it, and broke it, and gave to them, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” ²³And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them; and they all drank of it. ²⁴And He said to them, “This is My blood, that of the new covenant, which is being poured out for many. ²⁵“Verily I say to you that in no wise will I drink any more of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

²⁶And having sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ²⁷And Jesus saith to them, “Ye all shall be made to stumble because of Me during this night, for it hath been written: ‘I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered abroad [cf. Zach. 13:7].’ ²⁸“But after I have risen, I will go before you into Galilee.” ²⁹But Peter said to Him, “Though all shall be made to stumble, yet not I.” ³⁰And Jesus saith to him, “Verily I say to thee that today, during the night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny Me thrice.” ³¹But he kept on speaking more vehemently, “If it should be necessary for me to die with Thee, in no wise will I deny Thee.” And in like manner also, they all were speaking.

³²And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He saith to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” ³³And He taketh along with Him Peter and Iakovos and John, and began to be amazed and sorely troubled. ³⁴And He saith to them, “My soul is very sad unto death. Tarry here and be watching.” ³⁵And having gone forth a little, He fell upon His face on the ground, and was praying that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. ³⁶And He was saying, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to Thee. Take away this cup from Me; but not what I will, but what Thou wilt.” ³⁷And He cometh and findeth them sleeping, and saith to Peter, “Simon, sleepest thou? Wast thou not able to watch one hour? ³⁸“Be watching and praying that ye enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ³⁹And again He went away and prayed, saying the same utterance. ⁴⁰And having returned, He found them again sleeping; for their eyes were weighed down, and they knew not what they should answer Him. ⁴¹And He cometh the third time, and saith to them, “Sleep on for what time remaineth and be taking your rest! It is enough, the hour hath come; behold, the Son of Man is being delivered up into the hands of the sinners. ⁴²“Rouse yourselves, let us be going; behold the one delivering Me up hath drawn near.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of our holy and venerable Father Ephraim the Syrian.

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Galatians [§ 213]. Brethren:

5 ²²The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, ²³meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴But they who are of the Christ crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts. ²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also be walking by the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

6 ¹Brethren, even if a man should be overtaken in some transgression, ye, the spiritual ones, be restoring such a one in the spirit of meekness, looking out for thyself, lest thou also be tempted. ²Keep on bearing one another’s burdens, and thus fill up the law of the Christ.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 24]. At that time:

6 ¹⁷Jesus stood upon a level place. And there was a crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all of Judæa and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases— ¹⁸even those who were troubled by unclean spirits; and they were cured. ¹⁹And all the crowd was seeking to touch Him, for power was coming forth from Him and healing all. ²⁰And He lifted up His eyes to His disciples, and began to say:
   “Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
   ²¹“Blessed are ye who hunger now, for ye shall be filled.
Blessed are ye who weep now, for ye shall laugh.
   ²²“Blessed are ye whenever men hate you, and whenever they separate you, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man.
   ²³“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in the heavens.”

for Sl. usage, see [Mt. 11:27-30].

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

February 10th – Civil Calendar
January 28th – Church Calendar

1. Our Holy Father Ephraim the Syrian.

Born in Syria of poor parents in the reign of the Emperor Constantine the Great, his early youth was spent somewhat tempestuously, but he suddenly underwent a spiritual crisis and began to burn with love for the Lord Jesus. He was a disciple of St. Jacob of Nisibis (Jan. 13th). By the great grace of God, wisdom flowed from his tongue like a stream of honey and from his eyes tears flowed unceasingly; so much so, that his eyelashes fell out. Loving work like a bee, Ephraim was constantly either writing books or teaching the monks in the monastery or the people in the city of Edessa, or was giving himself to prayer and contemplation. His books are numerous; his prayers are beautiful. The best-known of the latter is the prayer in the Great Fast: ‘O Lord and Master of my life...’ When they wished to take him by force and make him bishop, he feigned madness and began to run through the city of Edessa, trailing his garments along behind him. Seeing him mad, they left him in peace. He was a contemporary and friend of St. Basil the Great. St. Ephraim was especially the apostle of repentance. Even today his writings soften many hearts, strengthen them against sin and turn them back to Christ. He entered into rest at a great age in 373.

2. Our Holy Father Isaac the Syrian.

Born in Nineveh, he began at an early age to live the ascetic life in the monastery of Mar-Matthew near Nineveh. When he became known for his holy life and miracles, he was chosen as bishop of Nineveh and forced to accept this state. But after only five months he left his episcopate and fled secretly to the desert monastery of Rabban-Shapur. He was the author of many works, of which about a hundred homilies on the spiritual life and asceticism, written mainly from his own experience, have come down to us. He was without equal as a writer and guide in the spiritual life. He entered into rest at a great age at the end of the seventh century.

3. Our Holy Father Palladios.

He was a Syrian hermit, a great ascetic and wonder-worker. One morning the corpse of a rich man whom brigands had killed and robbed was found lying outside his cell. Palladios was tried for this crime, and in order to clear up the difficulty, prayed to God and by his prayers raised up the dead man. He entered into rest during the fourth century.

4. Our Holy Father Ephraim of the Kiev Caves.

St. Ephraim instituted the Feast of the Translation of the Relics of St. Nicholas to Bari on May 9th. He departed this life in 1096.

FOR CONSIDERATION

The saints’ freedom from envy is a wonderful phenomenon. The saints not only did not allow envy to conquer their hearts, but exerted themselves greatly to ensure that their friends be exalted and they themselves debased. When St. Hilarion of Palestine once visited St. Anthony in Egypt, St. Anthony exclaimed: ‘Welcome, O morning star!’ To this, St. Hilarion replied: ‘And greetings to thee, thou pillar of light that supports the universe.’ When St. Makarios was praised as a monk, the saint replied: ‘Forgive me, my brethren! I am not a monk, but I have seen those who are.’ When some people told St. Sisoës that he was the equal of St. Anthony in perfection, he replied: ‘Were I to have but one single thought such as Anthony’s, I would be all of flame.’

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.