Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Monday of the Twenty-Fourth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the First Epistle of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians [§ 267]. Brethren:

2 ²⁰Ye are our glory and joy.

3 ¹Wherefore, when we could no longer bear up, we were well pleased to have been left behind in Athens alone; ²and we sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow worker in the Gospel of the Christ, to establish you and comfort you concerning your faith, ³that no one be moved by these afflictions; for ye yourselves know that for this we are appointed. ⁴For indeed, when we were with you, we used to tell you beforehand that “we are about to be afflicted,” even as it also came to pass, and ye know. ⁵For this cause, when we could no longer bear up, I also sent in order to know your faith, lest perchance the one who tempteth did tempt you, and our labor should be in vain. ⁶But now after Timothy came to us from you, he also announced the good tidings to us of your faith and love, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, longing to see us, even as we also to see you; ⁷on this account, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and necessity by reason of your faith. ⁸For now we live, if ye be standing fast in the Lord.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 52]. The Lord said to His disciples:

10 ²²“All things were delivered to Me by My Father. And no one doth fully know Who the Son is, except the Father, and Who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son is willing to reveal Him.” ²³And He turned around to the disciples, and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see what ye see. ²⁴“For I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see what ye see, but saw not, and to hear what ye hear, but heard not.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of the holy Martyr Nestor of Thessalonica.

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Ephesians [§ 233].

6 ¹⁰Brethren, keep on being empowered in the Lord and in the strength of His might. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God, for you to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; ¹²because for us the wrestling is not against blood and flesh, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the cosmic rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of evil on account of the heavenly things. ¹³For this cause take up the full armor of God, in order that ye might be able to withstand in the evil day, and having counteracted all things, to stand. ¹⁴Stand therefore, having girt your loins with truth, and having put on for yourselves the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵and having shod your feet in readiness of the Gospel of peace; ¹⁶on the whole, take up the shield of faith, with which ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 106]. The Lord said to His disciples, “Be taking heed of men:

21 ¹²“For they shall lay their hands upon you and persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors on account of My name; ¹³“but it shall prove to be a testimony for you. ¹⁴“Therefore settle it for yourselves in your hearts not to premeditate to make a defense; ¹⁵“for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all those who oppose you shall not be able to contradict nor withstand. ¹⁶“And ye shall be delivered up also by parents, and kinfolk, and friends, and brethren; and they shall put some of you to death. ¹⁷“And ye shall be hated by all for My name’s sake. ¹⁸“But a hair of your head in no wise shall perish. ¹⁹“In your patience win your souls.”

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

November 9th – Civil Calendar
October 27th – Church Calendar

1. The Holy Martyr Nestor.

At the time of the martyrdom of St. Demetrius the Myrrh-gusher, there was in Thessalonica a young man, Nestor, who had learned the Christian Faith from St. Demetrius himself. At that time, the Emperor Maximian, an opponent of Christ, ordered various games and amusements for the people. The emperor’s favorite was a Vandal called Lyaeus, a man of Goliath-like size and strength. As the imperial gladiator, Lyaeus challenged men every day to a duel and slew them, and this blood-letting of his delighted the blood-lust of the idolatrous emperor. He built a special arena, like a terrace on pillars, for Lyaeus’ duels. Underneath this terrace were planted spears with sharp cutting-edges pointing upwards. When Lyaeus had overcome someone in the duel, he would push him from the terrace above onto the whole forest of prepared spears. The pagans stood around with their emperor, and were delighted when some poor wretch writhed in torment on the spears until he died. Among Lyaeus’ innocent victims were a large number of Christians, for, when there was a day when no one came forward voluntarily to duel with Lyaeus, then, by the emperor’s orders, Christians were compelled to fight with him. Seeing this horrifying enjoyment of the pagan world, Nestor’s heart swelled with pain and he resolved to go himself to the arena of the gigantic Lyaeus. He first went to the prison where St. Demetrius was kept, and asked his blessing to do this. St. Demetrius blessed him, signed him with the sign of the Cross on forehead and breast, and said to him: ‘You will overcome him, but you will suffer for Christ.’ The young Nestor then went to Lyaeus’ arena. The emperor was there with a large crowd, and they all bewailed the probable death of the young Nestor, trying to dissuade him from fighting Lyaeus, but Nestor crossed himself and said: ‘O God of Demetrius, help me!’ With God’s help, Nestor overcame Lyaeus, felled him and threw him down onto the sharp spears, where the heavy giant soon found death. Then the whole people shouted: ‘Great is the God of Demetrius!’ But the emperor had lost face before the people, and mourning his favorite, became filled with wrath against Nestor and Demetrius, and the wicked emperor ordered that Nestor be beheaded with the sword and Demetrius run through with spears. Thus this glorious Christian hero, Nestor, left behind his young, earthly life in 306, and entered into the kingdom of his Lord.

2. Our Holy Father Nestor the Chronicler.

He arrived at the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev at the age of seventeen, while St. Theodosius was still abbot. He wrote the first history of the Russian people, into which he interwove the history of Russian asceticism. He was distinguished by a rare humility and meekness. In his glorious literary works, he often refers to himself as unworthy, vulgar, ignorant and filled with every sin. But God, Who knows the heart of man, glorified this wonderful man who was so pleasing to Him. When Nestor entered into rest, on October 27th, 1114, his relics performed many miracles.

3. St. Andrew (Andrei), Prince of Smolensk.

From love of Christ, he set aside worldly glory and honor, hid himself in a monastery and there, disguised and unknown, served as verger for thirty years. He entered peacefully into rest in the Lord in 1390, and his wonder-working relics were found in 1540.

Author’s note: In the Greek Great Synaxarion, St. Procula Claudia is also commemorated on this day. She was that wife of Pilate who suffered in a dream at the time of the Lord’s condemnation. Because of this, she tried to turn her husband from the shedding of innocent blood, but in vain (Matt. 27:19). She later became a disciple of Christ, and was baptized. She suffered greatly for the name of Christ, but finally entered into rest peacefully.

FOR CONSIDERATION

A miracle of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica: That the saints of God live clothed in great glory and power in heaven is known to Orthodox Christians, not by some reasoning of their own, but by the help and revelation of the saints. They appear sometimes in order to be seen and heard by men, sometimes either to be seen or heard and sometimes, unseen and unheard, they have influenced our thoughts, our circumstances and our actions. Among many of St. Demetrius’ miracles, this one is noted: In the Church of St. Demetrius in Thessalonica, a young man called Onesiphoros was given the job of verger. His main task was to keep an account of the candles and lamps. This young man began to steal candles and take them home, then sell them again. St. Demetrius appeared to him and said: ‘Brother Onesiphoros, your action is displeasing to me, for you are stealing candles, and are by this bringing trouble on others and especially on yourself. Stop this, and repent.’ Onesiphoros was terrified and ashamed, and for a time stopped stealing candles. But this was later forgotten, and he again began to steal. One morning, an eminent man took some large candles to the saint’s tomb, lit them, prayed a moment and then went out. Onesiphoros came up to the candles and put out his hand to take them. At that moment, a voice like thunder was heard: ‘Are you doing that again?’ As though struck by a thunderbolt, Onesiphoros fell to the ground unconscious. When some people came into the church, they lifted him up and he came to himself little by little, and related all that had happened to him, and they were all amazed and glorified God.

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.