Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Friday of the Seventh Week - Apodosis of Ascension

Epistle

The Reading is from the Acts of the Apostles [§ 50A]. In those days:

27 ¹When it was decided that we should sail off to Italy, they were delivering up both Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion, by name Julius, of Augustus’ cohort. ²And having boarded an Adramyttium ship about to sail toward Asian places, we put out to sea. Aristarchos, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us. ³And the next day we landed in Sidon. And Julius treated Paul humanely, and permitted him to go to his friends to obtain care. ⁴And after we put out to sea from that place, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. ⁵And after we sailed across the high sea over against Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came down to Myra of Lycia. ⁶And there the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy, and put us on board therein. ⁷And when we sailed slowly for many days, and scarcely came over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us to go further, we sailed under the lee of Crete over against Salmone. ⁸And hardly coasting along it, we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, which was near a city of Lasæa. ⁹And after considerable time intervened, and the voyage was already precarious, because the fast had gone by, Paul began advising them, ¹⁰saying, “Men, I perceive that the voyage is about to be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and of the ship, but also of our lives.” ¹¹But the centurion was being persuaded by the steersman and the shipowner, rather than by the things which were spoken of by Paul. ¹²And because the harbor was inconvenient for wintering in, the majority gave counsel to set sail from that place also, if by any means they might be able to winter there after they arrived at Phœnice, a port of Crete, which looks toward the southwest and toward the northwest. ¹³And after a south wind blew gently, thinking that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and were coasting along close by Crete. ¹⁴But not long after, a typhonic wind, called Euroclydon, fell against her. ¹⁵And after the ship was caught, and was not able to look the wind in the eye, we gave way, and were being borne along. ¹⁶And running under a certain small island which is called Clauda, we were hardly able to become masters of the skiff, ¹⁷which they hoisted up after they had used helps and undergirded the ship; and fearing lest they should be cast upon the Syrtis, they lowered the gear and were thus being borne along. ¹⁸And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, on the next day they began making a jettison of the cargo. ¹⁹And on the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. ²⁰And when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest was being laid upon us, finally all hope of our being saved began to be taken away. ²¹And since there was much abstinence from food, Paul then stood in their midst and said, “It was needful, indeed, O men, to have hearkened to me, and not to have set sail from Crete and reaped this injury and loss. ²²“And now I advise you to be of good cheer; for not even one life among you shall be lost, except in respect of the ship. ²³“For there stood by me this night an angel of God, Whose I am and Whom I worship, ²⁴“saying, ‘Cease being afraid, Paul; it is needful for thee to stand before Caesar; and behold, God hath granted to thee all those sailing with thee.’ ²⁵“Wherefore, be of good cheer, men, for I believe God that it shall be thus according to the way it hath been spoken to me. ²⁶“But it is needful for us to be cast ashore upon a certain island.” ²⁷Now when it came to be the fourteenth night, as we were tossed about in the Adria, toward the middle of the night the sailors began to surmise some land to be drawing near them. ²⁸And they took soundings, and found it to be twenty fathoms. And after they went a little further, they took soundings again, and found it to be fifteen fathoms. ²⁹And fearing lest they should suffer shipwreck in rough places, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and kept on praying for day to come. ³⁰Now as the sailors who sought to flee out of the ship lowered the skiff into the sea with the pretext that they were about to cast out anchors from the prow, ³¹Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, ye cannot be saved.” ³²Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the skiff, and let her fall off. ³³And until day was about to come, Paul kept on beseeching all to partake of food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that ye wait with expectation and continue without food, having taken nothing. ³⁴“Wherefore I beseech you to take food, for this is for your preservation; for not one hair from your head shall fall.” ³⁵And after he said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God before all; and having broken it he began to eat. ³⁶And after they all became of good cheer, they also took food for themselves. ³⁷And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six souls in the ship. ³⁸And after they were satiated with food, they lightened the ship and cast out the wheat into the sea. ³⁹And when it became day, they tried to recognize the land, but could not; but they began to perceive a certain bay having a beach, into which they purposed, if they could, to drive the ship on shore. ⁴⁰And having slipped the anchors, they were leaving them in the sea, at the same time having loosed the yokes of the rudders; and having hoisted the foresail to the blowing wind, they began making toward the seashore. ⁴¹And having fallen into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground. And on the one hand the prow became fixed and remained unmovable, but on the other hand the stern was being broken by the violence of the waves. ⁴²And the counsel of the soldiers was that they should kill the prisoners, lest any should swim out and escape. ⁴³But the centurion was willing to save Paul, and hindered them of their purpose, and commanded those who were able to swim to cast themselves off first, and to go out on the land, ⁴⁴and the rest, some on the one hand on planks, and some on the other hand on some of the things from the ship. And so it came to pass that all came through safely to the land.

28 ¹And having come through safely, then they found out that the island was called Melita.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John [§ 57]. At that time Jesus lifted up His eyes to the heaven and said:

17 ¹⁸“Even as Thou didst send Me forth into the world, I also sent them forth into the world. ¹⁹“And on behalf of them I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. ²⁰“And I do not make request for these only, but also for those who shall believe on Me through their word; ²¹“in order that all may be one, even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us, that the world might believe that Thou didst send Me forth. ²²“And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given them, in order that they may be one, even as We are one: ²³“I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected into one, and that the world may know that Thou didst send Me forth, and didst love them even as Thou didst love Me. ²⁴“Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold the glory, that which is Mine, which Thou gavest Me; for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵“O righteous Father, indeed the world did not know Thee, but I knew Thee, and these knew that Thou didst send Me forth. ²⁶“And I made known to them Thy name, and will make it known, in order that the love with which Thou didst love Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of Hieromartyr Dorotheos, Bishop of Tyre.

No readings given.

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

June 18th – Civil Calendar
June 5th – Church Calendar

1. The Hieromartyr Dorotheos, Bishop of Tyre.

He was Bishop of Tyre from the time of Diocletian right up to the time of Julian the Apostate, under whom he was tortured and suffered for the Orthodox Faith. He lived on earth to the age of 107, and being pleasing to God, entered into eternal life in 361. He was a great scholar and wrote many learned books both in Greek and Latin.

2. Our Holy Father Theodore the Hermit, the Wonder-worker.

He purified his heart by long asceticism in the Jordan wilderness and received from God the gift of wonder-working. When he was at one time travelling by ship from Constantinople, his ship went off course and there was no drinking water left in her. When all the travellers were close to death from thirst, Theodore raised his arms to heaven, prayed to God and made the sign of the Cross over the sea. He then told the sailors to draw water from the sea and drink it; and when they did so, they found the water fresh. They all began to pay homage to Theodore, but he begged them to thank, not him, but the Lord God, Who had performed that wonder out of His love for mankind. He died peacefully in 583.

3. Our Holy Father Anoub.

One of the great Egyptian monks, he suffered greatly for the true Faith. When, at the time of his death, three old hermits visited him, he, gifted with discernment, revealed to them all the secrets of their hearts. He died peacefully some time in the second half of the 5th century.

4. Blessed Igor, Prince of Chernigov and Kiev.

Persecuted by his kinsfolk, he left the world and became a monk. The citizens of Kiev, disgusted with the Olgovitch dynasty, determined to exterminate it. They hurried to the monastery, seized the young and innocent schema-monk and killed him. For this evil-doing, much misfortune fell on the inhabitants of Kiev, but candles were several times seen to light of themselves on the grave of this blessed monk, and a fiery column appeared over the church where he was buried. This was in 1147.

5. Our Holy Father Peter of Koriša.

He was born in the village of Koriša, in sight of the monastery of St. Mark near Prizren (others suggest a village near Peć). As a young man, he ploughed with a one-eyed ox. He was unusually meek and mild of temper. With his sister Helena, he early began ascetic practices and lived long in strict asceticism. He showed himself the victor in difficult struggles with diabolical temptations. Many monks gathered round him, and he was guide to them all. Fleeing the praise of men, he hid for a time by the Black River, where St. Janik of Devič later lived in asceticism. He entered into rest in old age in his cave at Koriša. The night of his death, the light of many candles was seen in his cave, and an angelic choir was heard. King Dugan built a church over his wonder-working relics, which became a dependency of Hilandar. In more recent times, St. Peter’s relics were taken to the Black River, where they are preserved to this day.

6. Blessed Constantine, Metropolitan of Kiev.

In the days of the blessed Prince Igor, when there was great unrest and intrigue among the princes of Russia, there was also disorder in the Church and frequent changes of hierarch. Thus, after the death of Metropolitan Michael of Kiev, Prince Izyaslav took a learned monk, Klim, as metropolitan, not seeking the blessing of the Patriarch of Constantinople as had been the custom from the earliest times. The patriarch sent this Metropolitan Constantine to investigate the matter, and Constantine deposed Klim and exiled all the priests whom he had ordained. This led to a division among the people, some upholding Klim and some Constantine. Then, at the request of the princes, the patriarch sent a third, Theodore, and both Klim and Constantine were removed. When Constantine died, in 1159, his will was opened. In it he had written that he was not to be buried, but cast out for the dogs to eat, for he saw himself as guilty of having sown discord in the Church. Not daring to go against his wishes, but with great fear notwithstanding, they took his body and threw it outside, where it lay for three days. During these three days, there was terrible thunder over Kiev; lightning flashed, thunderbolts dropped and there were earth tremors. Eight people were killed by lightning, and three fiery columns were seen above Constantine’s body. Seeing all this, the Prince of Kiev ordered that his body be taken and buried in the church in which Igor’s tomb was situated, and the natural world immediately became calm. Thus God justified His humble servant.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Never break the fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. This fast is ordained by the Church, and is well-attested. If, at any time in your life, you break this fast, pray for forgiveness and do not sin again. Devout people do not regard themselves as dispensed from this fast either when travelling or in sickness. St. Pachomios once met some people who were carrying a corpse, and saw two angels in the funeral procession. He asked God to reveal to him the mystery of the presence of the two angels at the burial of this man. What special good had he done that two angels should escort him to the grave? Then, by the providence of God, the two angels came across to Pachomios and explained to him: ‘One of us is the angel of Wednesday, and the other the angel of Friday. As this man fasted every Wednesday and Friday right up to his death, we are giving his corpse a solemn escort. As he kept the fast up to his death, so we are here to glorify him.’

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.