Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Friday of the Fifth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Acts of the Apostles [§ 36]. In those days:

15 ⁵There rose up certain of those from the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

⁶And the apostles and the presbyters were gathered together to see about this matter. ⁷And after much discussion took place, Peter rose up and said to them, “Men, brethren, ye know that from former days God Himself chose among us for the nations to hear by my mouth the word of the Gospel, and to believe. ⁸“And God, the Knower of hearts, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as also to us; ⁹“and He made no distinction between both us and them, having purified their hearts by faith. ¹⁰“Now then why tempt ye God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? ¹¹“But through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we believe we are to be saved in like manner as they.” ¹²And all the multitude became silent, and were listening to Barnabas and Paul relating how many signs and wonders God wrought among the nations through them. ¹³And after they became silent, Iakovos answered, saying, “Men, brethren, hear me. ¹⁴“Symeon related how God first visited to take from the nations a people for His name. ¹⁵“And to this agree the words of the prophets, even as it hath been written: ¹⁶“‘“After these things I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David which is fallen, and I will build again the things which have been dug down, and I will set it up [cf. Amos 9:11], ¹⁷“‘“so that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, even all the nations upon whom My name hath been called upon them,” saith the Lord Who doeth all these things [cf. Amos 9:12].’ ¹⁸“Known to God are all His works from eternity. ¹⁹“Wherefore I judge that we are not to trouble those who from the nations are turning to God, ²⁰“but that we write to them to abstain from the pollutions of the idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood. ²¹“For Moses from generations of old hath in every city those proclaiming him, since he is read every sabbath day.” ²²Then it seemed good to the apostles and to the presbyters, with the whole Church, to send chosen men from among them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas surnamed Barsavas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, ²³having written by their hand thus: “The apostles and the presbyters and the brethren to those brethren who are of the nations in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. ²⁴“Whereas we have heard that certain from among us who went out troubled you with words, upsetting your souls, saying, ‘Be circumcised and keep the law’—to whom we gave no such command— ²⁵“it seemed good to us, having come to be of one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶“men who have handed over their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷“We have sent forth therefore Judas and Silas, who shall themselves also relate verbally the same things. ²⁸“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no further burden than these necessary things: ²⁹“that ye abstain from sacrifices to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication; from which, if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare-well.”

³⁰So when they were dismissed, they went to Antioch; and after they gathered together the multitude, they delivered the epistle. ³¹And having read it, they rejoiced for the consolation. ³²Both Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, by much discourse exhorted the brethren and confirmed them. ³³And after they continued for a time, they were sent forth in peace from the brethren to the apostles. ³⁴But it seemed good to Silas to abide there.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John [§ 37]. The Lord said to those Jews who had come to Him:

10 ¹⁷“On this account My Father loveth Me, because I lay down My soul, that I might take it again. ¹⁸“No one taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again. This commandment I received from My Father.” ¹⁹A division therefore again arose among the Jews on account of these words. ²⁰And many of them were saying, “He hath a demon and is mad; why hear ye Him?” ²¹Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who is possessed by a demon. A demon is not able to open the eyes of the blind, is he?”

²²And it came to be the feast of the dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. ²³And Jesus was walking about in the temple in Solomon’s porch. ²⁴Then the Jews came round about Him and were saying to Him, “Until when dost Thou lift up our soul? If Thou art the Christ, tell us openly.” ²⁵Jesus answered them, “I told you, and ye believe not. The works which I do in the name of My Father, these bear witness concerning Me. ²⁶“But ye believe not; for ye are not of My sheep, even as I said to you. ²⁷“The sheep, those that are Mine, hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸“And I give them eternal life.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of the translation of the relics of our father among the saints, Athanasios the Great, Patriarch of Alexandria, and the holy and right-believing King Boris, Equal-to-the-apostles, Enlightener of the Bulgarians, who was given the name Michael in holy Baptism.

Epistle

For the Hierarch:

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrews [§ 334]. Brethren:

13 ⁷Be remembering those who lead you, who spoke to you the word of God, whose faith keep on imitating, observing attentively the end of their conduct: ⁸Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and to the ages. ⁹Cease being carried about by various and strange teachings. For it is good for the heart to be confirmed by grace, not by foods, in which those walking therein were not profited. ¹⁰We have an altar from which those serving the tabernacle have no authority to eat; ¹¹for the bodies of those animals, “whose blood is being brought into the holies for sins” by the high priest, “are being burned outside of the encampment [cf. Lev. 16:27].” ¹²Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people by His own blood, suffered outside of the gate. ¹³Let us be going forth therefore to Him outside of the encampment, bearing His reproach; ¹⁴for we have no abiding city here, but we seek the coming one. ¹⁵Through Him, then, let us be offering up a “sacrifice of praise [Lev. 7:2(12)]” continually to God, that is, “the fruit of the lips [cf. Hos. 14:3(2); Is. 57:19],” giving thanks to His name. ¹⁶But cease being forgetful of doing good and of contributing; for God is well pleased with such sacrifices.

for Sl. usage, see [Heb. 7:26-8:2].

For the King and Equal-to-the-apostles:

The Reading is from the Acts of the Apostles [§ 49]. In those days:

26 ¹Agrippa said to Paul, “It is permitted thee to speak for thyself.” Then Paul, stretching forth his hand, began to defend himself:

For Gk. usage, skip to Acts 26:12-20; for Sl. usage, read Acts 26:2-5, 12-20.

²“Concerning all the things of which I am being accused by the Jews, king Agrippa, I deem myself happy, because I am about to defend myself before thee today, ³“especially because thou art one acquainted with all of the customs and also the subjects of dispute among the Jews. Wherefore I entreat thee to hear me with forbearance. ⁴“So then, my way of life from my youth which was from the beginning among mine own nation in Jerusalem, all the Jews know, ⁵“who knew me before, from the beginning—if they would be willing to testify—that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee.... ¹²“And during these things,...

Gk. and Sl. usages continue the Reading from here, Acts 26:12-20.

¹²“As I went to Damascus with authority and a commission from the chief priests, ¹³“at midday, in the way, I saw, O king, a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and those traveling with me. ¹⁴“And after all of us fell down to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goads.’ ¹⁵“And I said, ‘Who art Thou, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus Whom thou persecutest. ¹⁶“‘But rise up and stand on thy feet; for I appeared to thee for this purpose, to appoint thee a servant and a witness both of what thou didst see and of what I shall appear to thee in visions, ¹⁷“‘taking thee out for Myself from the people and the nations, to whom now I send thee forth, ¹⁸“‘to open their eyes, in order to turn them about from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, in order to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith that is in Me.’ ¹⁹“Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I did not become disobedient to the heavenly vision; ²⁰“but I was bringing tidings to those in Damascus first and in Jerusalem, and in all the land of Judæa, and to the nations, to repent and turn to God, practising works worthy of repentance.”

Gospel

For the Hierarch:

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.”

For the King:

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John [§ mid 35]. The Lord said to those Jews who had come to Him:

10 ¹“Verily, verily, I say to you, the one who entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but goeth up from another place, that one is a thief and a robber. ²“But the one who entereth by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. ³“To this one the doorkeeper openeth, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out. ⁴“And whenever he should put forth his own sheep, he goeth before them; and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. ⁵“But a stranger in no wise will they follow, but will flee from him, because they know not the voice of strangers.” ⁶This parable Jesus spoke to them; but they understood not what it was which He spoke to them. ⁷Then said Jesus to them again, “Verily, verily, I say to you that I am the door of the sheep. ⁸“All, as many as came before Me, are thieves and robbers; but the sheep heard them not. 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.”

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

May 15th – Civil Calendar
May 2nd – Church Calendar

1. The Holy Martyrs Esperos, Zoë, Kyriakos and Theodulos.

In the time of the Emperor Hadrian (117-138), a pagan called Catallus bought Esperos, his wife Zoë and their sons Kyriakos and Theodulos as slaves. Being convinced Christians, they refused to eat anything that had been sacrificed to idols, but threw all that had been thus offered to the dogs, and themselves went hungry. Catallus, discovering this, became very angry and began to torture his slaves cruelly. He first tortured the children, but they remained unfaltering in the Faith and sought yet harsher tortures. At last all four of them were cast into a burning furnace where, after prayers of thanksgiving, they gave their spirits into the Lord’s hands. Their bodies remained whole and untouched by the fire.

2. St. Athanasius the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria.

On this day are commemorated the translation of his relics and their miracles. The life and work of this great saint are written on January 18th.

3. The Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb.

They were sons of the great Prince Vladimir, Baptizer of the Russian people. Until his Baptism, Vladimir had many wives, and children by them. Boris and Gleb were brothers of one mother. Before his death in 1015, Vladimir divided the kingdom among all his sons. But Svyatopolk, his eldest son and Prince of Kiev, desired to take the parts that were set aside for Boris and Gleb, so he sent men to kill Boris in one place and Gleb in another. Both brothers were deeply devout and pleasing to God in all things, and they met death with prayer and the lifting up of their hearts to Him. Their bodies remained incorrupt and fragrant, and were buried in the town of Vishgorod, where to this day blessed strength flows forth from them to heal men of diverse ills and sufferings.

4. St. Michael (Boris), King of Bulgaria.

Born and brought up as a pagan, Boris was baptized under the guidance of his uncle, Boyan, and his own sister. At his Baptism, he received the name Michael (Mikhail). Patriarch Photius sent him priests, who little by little baptized the whole Bulgarian people. Many of the nobles opposed this new Faith, but it was victorious, and the Cross glittered on many churches built by the devout King Michael. The Faith among the Bulgarians, as among the Serbs, was especially strengthened by the Five Followers of Ochrid, disciples of Saints Kyril and Methodius, who preached the knowledge of Christ to the people in the vernacular Slavonic language.

Michael became a monk in old age, and withdrew to a monastery. But when his son Vladimir began to ruin his father’s work and exterminate the Christians, Michael again put on his military uniform, took his sword, threw Vladimir down from the throne and replaced him with his younger son Simeon. He then put on his monastic schema again and withdrew to tranquillity, where, in asceticism and prayer, he finished his earthly course peacefully, ‘in good faith and a true confession of our Lord Jesus Christ, great and honored,’ and went to the heavenly world on May 2nd, 906.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Blessed Maximus the Fool for Christ walked naked in winter through the streets of Moscow. To the advice of some to put on some clothes and protect himself from the cold, he replied: ‘The winter is hard, but Paradise is sweet!’ He also said: ‘God crowns endurance with salvation.’ If Christ the Lord did not regret giving Himself to torture and death for our sakes, why should we regret giving ourselves for our own sakes? He bequeathed us a prescription, a diet, for our spiritual health, and this He named His easy yoke. The yoke with which we load ourselves is much heavier, for that yoke topples us into still greater and greater spiritual sickness. The earth demands of us many great sacrifices, promising us no reward after death. The earth demands that we sacrifice God to her, and our soul and conscience, our mind and human and divine dignity, and shows us a dark and stinking grave as the end of everything and the payment for everything. Christ seeks that we sacrifice only the earth and our animal nature, and sin and vice and everything that is worthless, and He then promises us resurrection and immortal life in Paradise. Yes, the winter is hard, but Paradise is sweet!

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.