Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

The Sunday of the Second Week of the Great Fast, in which we Commemorate St. Gregory Palamas.

Mode Plagal Two — Sixth Eothinon

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrews [§ 304].

1 ¹⁰“Thou, O Lord, in the beginning founded the earth, and the heavens are the works of Thy hands [Ps. 101(102):25]. ¹¹“They shall perish, but Thou remainest; and they shall all become old as an outer garment [Ps. 101(102):26], ¹²“and as a covering Thou shalt roll them up, and they shall be changed. But Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail [Ps. 101(102):26, 27].” ¹³But to which of the angels hath He said at any time, “Sit Thou on My right, until I should place Thine enemies as a footstool of Thy feet [Ps. 109(110):1]”? ¹⁴They are all ministering spirits being sent forth to minister for the sake of those who are about to inherit salvation, are they not?

2 ¹On this account, it is necessary for us to give heed more abundantly to the things which were heard, lest ever we should slip away. ²For if the word spoken by angels was confirmed, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, ³how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation, which received a beginning to be spoken of by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard?

COMMEMORATION OF SAINT GREGORY PALAMAS

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrews [§ mid 318]. Brethren:

8 ³Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it is necessary for this One to have something also which He might offer. ⁴For if, indeed, He were on earth, He would not even be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law, ⁵who worship a copy and a shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses had been divinely warned when he was about to execute the tabernacle; for, “See,” saith He, “that thou make all things according to the pattern which was shown to thee in the mount [cf. Ex. 25:40].” ⁶But now He hath attained a more excellent liturgy, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which hath been enacted upon better promises.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark [§ 7]. At that time:

2 ¹Jesus entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was heard that “He is in the house.” ²And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no longer room, not even at the door. And He was speaking the word to them. ³And they come to Him, bearing a paralytic who was borne by four. ⁴And not being able to come near to Him on account of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. And after they dug it out, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. ⁵And Jesus, having seen their faith, saith to the paralytic, “Child, thy sins have been forgiven thee.” ⁶But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ⁷“Why doth this One thus speak blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins except One, God?” ⁸And straightway, Jesus, having fully known in His spirit that they were reasoning thus within themselves, said to them, “Why are ye reasoning these things in your hearts? ⁹“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Thy sins have been forgiven thee,’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up thy bed and be walking’? ¹⁰“But in order that ye may know that the Son of Man hath authority to forgive sins on the earth”—He saith to the paralytic, ¹¹“I say to thee, ‘Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way to thy house.’” ¹²And straightway he arose; and having taken up the bed, he went forth before all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw it thus.”

Commemoration of Saint Gregory Palamas

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John [§ 36]. The Lord said to the Jews who had come to Him:

10 ⁹“I am the door; by Me if anyone should enter, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out and find pasture. ¹⁰“The thief cometh not, except that he might steal, and slay, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. ¹¹“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep. ¹²“But the hireling, who indeed is not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep and fleeth; and the wolf seizeth them and scattereth the sheep. ¹³“Now the hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling and careth not about the sheep. ¹⁴“I am the good shepherd; and I know those that are Mine, and am known of those that are Mine. ¹⁵“Even as the Father knoweth Me, I also know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶“And I have other sheep which are not of this fold; them also it is needful for Me to bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of Hieromartyr Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna.

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Ephesians [§ mid 224]. Brethren:

4 ⁷To each of us was given grace according to the measure of the gift of the Christ. ⁸Wherefore, He saith, “Having ascended on high, He led captivity captive” and “gave gifts to men [cf. Ps. 67(68):19(18)].” ⁹Now that He ascended, what is it except that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰The One Who descended is the same also Who ascended above all of the heavens, in order that He might fill all things. ¹¹And He gave some to be apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers, ¹²for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of ministering, to the building up of the body of the Christ, ¹³until we all might come to the unity of the faith, and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John [§ mid 42]. The Lord said to His disciples:

12 ²⁴“Verily, verily, I say to you, unless the grain of the wheat that falleth into the earth should die, it abideth alone; but if it should die, it beareth much fruit. ²⁵“The one who loveth his life shall lose it; and the one who hateth his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal. ²⁶“If anyone serve Me, let him keep on following Me; and where I am, there My servant shall be also. And if anyone serve Me, the Father shall honor him. ²⁷“Now My soul hath been troubled; and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’; but on this account I came to this hour. ²⁸“Father, glorify Thy name.” Then a voice came out of the heaven: “I both glorified it and will glorify it again.” ²⁹The crowd then that stood by and heard it was saying that thunder had occurred; others were saying, “An angel hath spoken to Him.” ³⁰Jesus answered and said, “This voice hath not occurred for My sake, but for your sakes. ³¹“Now is a judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out. ³²“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all to Myself.” ³³But He was saying this, signifying by what manner of death He was about to die. ³⁴The crowd answered Him, “We heard out of the law that the Christ abideth forever; and how sayest Thou, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” ³⁵Then Jesus said to them, “Yet a little while is the light with you. Be walking while ye have the light, that darkness might not overtake you; and indeed the one who walketh in the darkness knoweth not where he goeth. ³⁶“While ye have the light, keep on believing in the light, that ye might become sons of light.” Jesus spoke these things, and departed, and was hidden from them.

Synaxarion Readings

Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas

Now is the truly great preacher of the radiant light led by the Source of Light to the never-setting Light.

This son of the divine and never-setting Light was a true man of God indeed, and a wondrous servant and minister of the divine mysteries, having been born in the imperial city (Constantinople) of most radiant and glorious parents. Through his virtue and instruction he desired to adorn not only the outer man according to the senses, but also much more the unseen inner being. When he was yet quite young, his father died. His mother, brothers, and sisters raised him and instructed him in morals, catechism, and sacred Scripture, and sent him to teachers of worldly wisdom, from whom he learned well. Cleverly combining his learning with a natural zeal, he soon became skilled in verbal arts. At the age of twenty, regarding all earthly things as inferior and passing dreams, he sought recourse to God the Author and Giver of all wisdom, to consecrate his entire self to God through a perfect life. Hence he disclosed his great love for God, his pious intentions and burning desire to his mother, and he found that for a long time she too had been desirous of this and rejoiced at his decision. And straightway gathering her children, his mother said with joy, “Behold, I and the children God has given me!” And she disclosed to them the intent of the great Gregory, asking if it seemed to them to be good. And he with words of instruction soon convinced them all in earnestness to follow him in his love and withdrawal from life. Distributing then his earthly possessions to the poor according to the teachings of the Gospel, and cheerfully abandoning human love, earthly honor, and the approbation of men, he followed after Christ.

Placing his mother and sisters in a convent, he and his brothers went to the sacred Mount Athos, where he convinced his brothers to stay in different monasteries, so that they would have no time to be together, thereby perfecting their life in God. He himself became obedient to a wondrous man named Nikodemos, who had consecrated his life of silence to God alone. Learning from him through actions every precept and every virtue, through a mystical revelation there he received the protection of the all pure Theotokos, an invincible help in all things. After Nikodemos’ parting from this life to God, having lived for several years in the Great Lavra most zealously with perfection of thought and a love of silence, Gregory left the lavra and embraced the wilderness.

Increasing ever in love and always desiring to be with God, he dedicated himself to a life of the utmost severity, strengthening his reasoning with earnest attention, raising his thoughts to God, practicing prayer at all times, meditating on divine things, and leading an excellent life. With the help of God he overcame the attacks of demons, and cleansing his soul with fountains of tears at all night vigils, he became a chosen vessel of the gifts of the Spirit of God, and often had divine visions.

Because of the commencement of attacks of the Ishmaelites on Thessalonica, he retreated to the summit skete and was constrained to speak with several of the citizenry. Having led a diligent life, for he was no longer young, and having cleansed his body and soul entirely, at God’s command, he received the great anointing to the priesthood, and like an angel, he became transcendent in the celebration of the sacred mysteries, so that all who observed him were moved. He was truly great and was recognized as a bearer of the Spirit by those who lived godly lives, revealing himself to those who witnessed the following outward signs: He had authority over demons and was able to release those possessed from their wiles and deceit. He could change barren trees into fruitful ones. He foresaw things to come and was blessed with other gifts and fruits of the Divine Spirit. For when it lies within our power to act upon the virtues, then we are not able to fall into temptation. Without the virtues there can be no perfection or appearance of faith in God, but frequent falls into various temptations. So he was shown to be perfect to all.

What more can be said? First the licentious wiles of the evil contender and then the lies and slanders of the new God-fighters were directed at him. In all, twenty-three years he endured much anger and affliction. For the Italian beast, Barlaam of Calabria, philosophized in a worldly manner, and through the vanity of his philosophy (for he thought to know everything) he mounted a fierce attack against Christ’s Church, against our Faith, and against those who openly professed it. For the grace of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is one, and this grace is the light of the age to come, inasmuch as the righteous shine like the sun, as Christ Himself demonstrated beforehand in splendor on the mountain. And simply put, Barlaam erroneously taught that all the power and action of the Godhead in three hypostases and all differences there might be in the divine nature were created. But those who piously believed that the divine light was uncreated, and all His power and action as not something new but that which is naturally in God, through his rhetoric and widespread letters, he called bitheists and polytheists, as the Jews, Sabellius, and Arius call us. For the sake of these the divine Gregory, as a defender of piety and most glorious intercessor, fought before everyone and was reviled. He was sent by the Church to Constantinople, and he went. And when the most divine Emperor Andronikos, fourth after the Paleologos, sought to defend the Faith, a sacred council was assembled. And when Barlaam appeared with his previously mentioned impious teachings and his accusations against piety, the great Gregory, filled with the Spirit of God and clothed with invincible power from on high, stopped his mouth from speaking against God and disgraced him utterly. With words of spiritual fire and documents he burned up Barlaam’s heresies like brushwood to ashes. Wherefore unable to endure the shame, the enemy of piety ran back to Italy, whence he came. Immediately after this the council exposed his great harm, and with arguments to the contrary refuted and dispersed his compositions.

But those who had partaken of these ideas did not cease their struggle against God’s Church. For this cause, through the great urging of the sacred council, the emperor himself, and most importantly the command of God, Gregory was persuaded to ascend the bishop’s throne and was appointed the pastor of the sacred Church in Thessalonica. Wherefore he bravely and steadfastly accomplished great deeds in behalf of the Orthodox Faith. But many evil heirs of Akindinos and Barlaam appeared, fierce beasts born of ferociousness, as well as their teachings and compositions, not once, not twice, not three times, but many times, and not during the reign of one emperor or patriarch but during three successive reigns and an equal number of patriarchates and many councils, which through divinely inspired words and writings, countered them in many ways and eventually overcame them completely. Yet some persisted, having no regard for the High Court, shamelessly attacking the saints who triumphed over them. Such were in short Gregory’s victories over the impious.

Then God, in an ineffable manner, sent the great teacher to the East. He was sent as the elder from Thessalonica to Constantinople to make peace between two quarreling emperors. But he was seized by the Muslim Hagarenes and for an entire year was made to travel in suffering from place to place, from city to city, fearlessly preaching the Gospel of Christ. And he strengthened and convinced the Christians in their faith, entreating them to remain steadfast, confirming with divine wisdom those who were wavering in the Faith or could not understand or asked questions about the previous events, and freely granting healing to those who asked it. But to those who did not believe, to wretched apostates, to those who had followed them, and to those who cast aspersions on our teachings about the incarnate providence of our Lord and God or the veneration of the precious Cross and the holy icons he spoke many times without hesitation. He spoke also of Mohammed and answered many other questions which they put to him. Some wondered in themselves, others were angered and put forth their hands and would have made him a martyr if it were not for God’s providence and the promise of money to be gained from his ransom. So he was spared.

Then the great saint was freed by the Serbian lovers of Christ, and this bloodless martyr returned once more in joy to his flock. In addition to the other many and great gifts and preeminent qualities which he had, he was truly crucified to the world, bearing in his body the marks of the Lord Jesus, according to the words of Saint Paul. Let us describe him. These were his characteristics: along with his excellence, he was meek and humble. (We do not speak here of God and divine matters, for he was quite a defender of these.) He did not remember evil and was good-natured, desiring to return good for evil. He never quarreled. He was always patient and magnanimous in the face of adversity. He was above vanity and sensuality. He was always temperate and not extravagant in all personal necessities, and despite his abstinence, he did not become ill. He endured quietly and silently, always graciously, to the limits of what was done to him, so that all would see him as reasonable, attentive and keen witted. And consequently he never allowed his eyes to be void of tears but sympathized with a flow of tears.

And so like a martyr from the beginning to the end he struggled against demons and the passions, driving heretics far from Christ’s Church, defining the Orthodox Faith through his words and writings, and by them as with a seal sealing all divinely inspired writing, for his life and word became a seal of the life and words of the saints. He tended his flock for thirteen years more in the godly manner of the apostles, and having adorned them with his moral teachings, he guided them to the heavenly sheepfold. And having served all the Orthodox, both those who lived during his time and those yet to be born, he was translated to the higher life, having lived sixty-three years in all. And he commended his spirit into the hands of God, leaving his body to his flock as a special portion and a precious treasure, enlightened and glorified at the end.

For every day Christ benefits with wonders those who come near in faith and grants healing of many diseases, many of whom tell of their cures. Through his prayers, O God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Translated from Triodion, siest ‘Tripesnets: Triod’ Postnaya, Moscow, 1904, by Robert Parent.

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

March 8th – Civil Calendar: Non-Leap Year
March 7th – Civil Calendar: Leap Year
February 23rd – Church Calendar

1. The Hieromartyr Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna.

This great, apostolic man was born a pagan. St. John the Theologian brought him to the Christian Faith and baptized him. Polycarp was left an orphan in early childhood and a noble widow, Kallista, after a vision in a dream, took him in, rearing and educating him as her own son. Polycarp was God-fearing and compassionate from his early years. He made great efforts to emulate the life of St. Boukolos, the then Bishop of Smyrna, and of the Holy Apostles John and Paul, whom he had met and heard. St. Boukolos ordained him priest, and at the time of his death, proclaimed him his heir in Smyrna. The apostolic bishops, who had gathered for Boukolos’ funeral, consecrated Polycarp bishop. From the very beginning he was endued with the power of wonder-working. He cast out the evil spirit from a servant of a prince and put out a great conflagration in Smyrna by his prayers. Seeing these things, many pagans regarded him as one of the gods. He brought rain in a drought, healed sickness, had the gifts of insight and prophecy, and so forth. He suffered in the time of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Three days before his death, he prophesied: ‘In three days I shall be consumed by fire for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ!’ When, on the third day, the soldiers arrested him and took him for trial, he cried out: ‘May this be the will of the Lord my God!’ When the judge urged him to deny Christ and recognize the Roman gods, Polycarp said: ‘I cannot exchange the better for the worse.’ The Jews especially hated Polycarp and endeavored to have him burned. When they placed him, bound, on the pyre, he prayed long to God. He was very old and grey, and he shone like an angel of God. All the people saw how the flames licked around him but did not touch him. Frightened by such a phenomenon, the pagan judge ordered the executioner to stab him with a lance through the flames. When this was done, a vast flow of blood gushed out and extinguished the whole fire, and his body remained whole and unburned. At the Jews’ persuasion, the judge ordered that Polycarp’s dead body be burned according to the Greek custom, and so they dishonorably burned dead him whom they had failed to burn alive. St. Polycarp suffered in the year 167, on Holy Saturday.

2. Our Holy Father Damian.

A monk of the monastery of Esphigmenou on the Holy Mountain, he was a contemporary and friend of the great Kosmas of Zographou. He lived in asceticism on the mountain of Samareia, between Esphigmenou and Hilandar, and entered peacefully into rest in 1280. A wonderful, fresh aroma arose from his grave for forty days after his death.

FOR CONSIDERATION

St. Polycarp writes the following to the Philippians of a priest, Valentine, who had fallen into the sin of avarice and had embezzled some of the church’s funds: ‘I am greatly distressed about Valentine, who was at one time a priest with us, that he has so forgotten the gifts of his calling. And therefore I pray you, keep yourselves from love of money and be pure and righteous. Restrain yourselves from every vice. He who cannot restrain himself cannot teach others restraint. He who gives himself to avarice defiles himself in idolatry and is counted as a pagan. Who is not aware of God’s judgement? And do we not know that “the saints will judge the world” (1 Cor. 6:2), as Paul teaches? I have noticed nothing like this among you, neither have I heard of it—in you, among whom blessed Paul labored and of whom he speaks with praise at the beginning of his Epistle (to the Philippians). He praised you among all the churches, when we did not yet know Him (i.e. Polycarp and the inhabitants of Smyrna). And therefore I am very greatly distressed, my brethren, about Valentine and his wife. May God grant them true repentance. But be ye wise in this, and “count them not as enemies” (II Thess. 3:15), but endeavor to correct them as suffering and prodigal members, that your whole body may be healthy. Treating them thus, you will yourselves be further built up.’ Thus the saints dealt with sinners: cautiously and beneficently. Cautiously, that others might be preserved from like sin; beneficently, that the sinner might be corrected and saved.

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.