Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Saturday of the Seventh Week or Saturday Before Pentecost or Saturday of Souls

Epistle

The Reading is from the Acts of the Apostles [§ 51A]. In those days:

28 ¹After Paul and those with him were brought through safely, then they found out that the island was called Melita. ²And the barbarians were showing no common philanthropy to us; for they kindled a fire and took in all of us, because of the rain that came on and because of the cold. ³And after Paul gathered a great number of dry sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. ⁴And when the barbarians saw the beast hang itself from his hand, they were saying to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath come through safely from out of the sea, justice doth not suffer to live.” ⁵He indeed then shook off the beast into the fire and suffered no harm. ⁶But they were expecting that he was about to become inflamed or to suddenly fall down dead. But when for a long time they expected and saw nothing out of place happen to him, they changed their minds and were declaring him to be a god. ⁷Now in the parts surrounding that place there were lands belonging to the chief of the island, by name Publius, who received us and lodged us for three days in a kindly manner. ⁸And it came to pass that the father of Publius, being constrained by fevers and dysentery, was lying down, to whom Paul, after he entered and prayed, laid his hands on him and healed him. ⁹Then after this took place, the rest who had infirmities in the island were coming and being cured. ¹⁰They also honored us with many honors; and when we put out to sea, they themselves laid on us the things for our need.

¹¹And after three months we put out to sea in a ship which had wintered in the island, an Alexandrian with an ensign, the Twin Brothers. ¹²And having landed at Syracuse, we tarried there three days. ¹³From that place, having gone around, we arrived at Rhegium. And after one day a south wind came on; and on the second day we came to Puteoli, ¹⁴where, having found brethren, we were besought to tarry with them seven days. And thus we came to Rome. ¹⁵And from that place, the brethren, having heard the things concerning us, came out to meet us as far as Appius Forum and Three Taverns, whom Paul, having seen, gave thanks to God and took courage. ¹⁶And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the military commander; but Paul was permitted to lodge by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

¹⁷And it came to pass after three days that Paul called together those who were chiefs of the Jews; and having come together, he began to say to them, “Men, brethren, though I did nothing contrary to the people or to the customs of the fathers, yet was I delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, ¹⁸“who, after they examined me, were willing to release me, because there was not even one cause of death in me. ¹⁹“But when the Jews contradicted it, I was compelled to appeal to Cæsar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. ²⁰“For this cause therefore I invited you, to see you and to speak to you; for on account of the hope of Israel I have around me this chain.” ²¹And they said to him, “We neither received letters from Judæa concerning thee, nor did any of the brethren that came report or speak anything evil concerning thee. ²²“But we deem it fitting to hear from thee what thou thinkest; for indeed concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.” ²³And after they themselves appointed him a day, more were coming to him in the lodging, to whom he set forth and testified the kingdom of God, trying to persuade them concerning the things of Jesus, from both the law of Moses and the prophets, from morning until evening. ²⁴And some on the one hand were persuaded by the things which were spoken, but some on the other hand kept on disbelieving. ²⁵And when they were dissonant toward one another, they dismissed themselves, after Paul spoke one word, “Well spoke the Holy Spirit by Esaias the prophet to our fathers, ²⁶“saying, ‘Go to this people and say, “Hearing ye shall hear, and in no wise shall understand; and seeing ye shall see, and in no wise shall perceive [Is. 6:9]; ²⁷“‘“for the heart of this people was made fat; and with their ears they heard heavily; and their eyes they closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and be converted; and I shall heal them [cf. Is. 6:10].”’ ²⁸“Be it known therefore to you that this salvation of God was sent forth to the nations, and they will hear.” ²⁹And after he said these things, the Jews departed having much discussion among themselves.

³⁰And Paul stayed two whole years in his own hired house, and kept on receiving all those who came in to him, ³¹proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all freedom of speech, without hindrance.

For the Commemoration of the Departed

The Reading is from the First Epistle of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians [§ 270].

4 ¹³Brethren, we do not wish you to be ignorant concerning those who have fallen asleep, that ye may not be grieving, even as the rest who have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and is risen, so also those who fell asleep through Jesus will God bring with Him. ¹⁵For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we the living, the ones remaining over until the coming of the Lord, in no wise shall precede those who fell asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout of command, with a voice of an archangel, and with a trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. ¹⁷Then we the living, the ones remaining over, shall be carried off together with them in clouds to a meeting of the Lord in the air, and so shall we always be with the Lord.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John [§ 67]. At that time:

21 ¹⁴Jesus was made manifest to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

¹⁵When therefore they ate breakfast, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these?” He saith to Him, “Yes, Lord, Thou knowest that I have affection for Thee.” He saith to him, “Be feeding My little lambs.” ¹⁶He saith to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me?” He saith to Him, “Yes, Lord, Thou knowest that I have affection for Thee.” He saith to him, “Be shepherding My sheep.” ¹⁷He saith to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonas, hast thou affection for Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Hast thou affection for Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I have affection for Thee.” He saith to him, “Be feeding My sheep. ¹⁸“Verily, verily, I say to thee, when thou wast younger, thou used to gird thyself and walk about where thou wouldest; but whenever thou growest old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and bring thee where thou wouldest not.” ¹⁹But this He said signifying by what kind of death he shall glorify God. And having said this, He saith to him, “Follow thou Me.” ²⁰And Peter, having turned about, seeth the disciple, whom Jesus loved, following—who also leaned back on His breast at the supper—and said, “Lord, who is the one who is delivering Thee up?” ²¹After Peter saw him, he saith to Jesus, “But Lord, this man—what?” ²²Jesus saith to him, “If I wish him to tarry while I am coming, what is that to thee? Do thou be following Me.” ²³Then this saying went out among the brethren that “that disciple dieth not”; and yet Jesus did not say that “he dieth not,” but, “If I wish him to tarry while I am coming, what is that to thee?”

²⁴This is the disciple who beareth testimony concerning these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. ²⁵And there are also many other things, which if as much as Jesus did may be written one by one, I suppose even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

For the Commemoration of the Departed

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John [§ 16]. The Lord said to the Jews who had come to Him:

5 ²⁴“Verily, verily, I say to you, that the one who heareth My word and believeth the One Who sent Me hath everlasting life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed over out of death into life. ²⁵“Verily, verily, I say to you, that an hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they who hear shall live. ²⁶“For even as the Father hath life in Himself, so He also gave to the Son to have life in Himself, ²⁷“and He also gave to Him authority to execute judgment. That He is Son of Man, ²⁸“cease marvelling at this; for an hour is coming in which all those in the graves shall hear His voice, ²⁹“and shall go forth—they who did good things to a resurrection of life, but they who practised bad things to a resurrection of condemnation. ³⁰“I am not able to do anything of Myself. Even as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the One Who sent Me, the Father.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of our venerable Father Bessarion the Wonder-worker of Egypt, and our venerable Father Hilarion the New, Abbot of the Dalmaton Monastery, and the holy five Virgin-martyrs, Martha, Mary, Kyria, Vareria (Valeria), and Markia of Palestine (commemorated on Sl. calendar on the 7^th of June).

No readings given.

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

June 19th – Civil Calendar
June 6th – Church Calendar

1. Our Holy Father Bessarion.

Born and educated in Egypt, he devoted himself to the spiritual life at an early age, and ‘never soiled the spiritual garment in which he was clothed at his Baptism’. He visited St. Gerasimos by the Jordan and learned from St. Isidore of Pelusium. He conquered his flesh in strict fasting and vigils, but as far as possible, hid his asceticism from men. He once spent forty days in prayer, neither eating nor sleeping, and had one single garment that he wore summer and winter. He had a great gift of wonder-working. He had no fixed abode, but lived in the mountains and forests, healing the sick and performing many other miracles to help men and glorify God. He entered peacefully into rest in 466. (In the Greek Prologue, this saint is commemorated on February 20th.)

2. Our Holy Father Hilarion the New.

Abbot of the Dalmatian monastery in Constantinople, he was a disciple of Gregory of Decapolis and an imitator of the life of Hilarion the Great, whose name he took. Strong in prayer, enduring and courageous in suffering, he suffered much for the sake of the holy icons in the days of the iconoclast emperors, Leo the Armenian and others. Then the Emperor Leo was killed by his personal bodyguard in the very church and at the very spot where he had first scoffed at the holy icons and from which he had removed the first icon, and holy Hilarion was let out of prison—but only for a while. He was again tortured and held in prison right up to the time of the Orthodox Empress Theodora. He was gifted with insight and discernment, and saw angels of God taking the soul of St. Theodore the Studite to heaven. Being pleasing to God, he entered into rest in the kingdom of heaven in 845, at the age of seventy.

3. Our Holy Mothers, the Martyrs Archelais, Thecla and Susanna.

As pure and virginal nuns, they lived the ascetic life in an unknown monastery near Rome. When a persecution of Christians arose under the wicked Emperor Diocletian, they fled to Campania and settled near the town of Nola. Their holy life could not be concealed, and people from nearby began to come to them for counsel, instruction and help in various trials and sicknesses, and they were finally seized by the pagans and taken for trial. They publicly and freely confessed their faith in Christ. When the judge, Leontius, questioned holy Archelais about the Christian Faith, she replied: ‘It is by the power of Christ that I overcome the power of the devil and teach the people understanding and knowledge of the one, true God. By the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, it is given that, through me His servant, the sick find healing.’ All three maidens were whipped, flogged with heavy staves, left to languish in prison and finally beheaded. When they were led out to the scaffold, angels appeared to them, which were seen by some of the executioners and inspired such fear in them that they dared not lift up their swords against the holy maidens. They, however, urged the executioners to finish their task. And thus, as lambs, were they beheaded in the year 293, and went to the kingdom of Christ to rest in eternity and delight in beholding the face of God.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Rejoicing in iniquity is a filthy garment in which our souls at times take pleasure in clothing themselves. At the hour in which you rejoice at your brother’s falling into sin, you also have fallen, to the joy of the devil, who has caught two fish with one hook. Brotherhood in the flesh is a great bond, but brotherhood in the spirit is greater. If you mourn at the sins of your brother in the flesh, how can you not mourn at the sins of your brother in the spirit? If you conceal the sin of your brother in the flesh, why do you proclaim to the housetops the sin of your brother in the spirit? Who are your brethren in the spirit? All Christians; all who communicate together with you from the one Cup, receiving the one life. Oh, how great was the brotherly love of the saints! How far removed from them was rejoicing in iniquity! The following is told of St. Bessarion: Once all the monks were gathered at prayer in the church. The abbot went up to one of the brethren, who had committed some sin, and told him to leave the church. The monk went outside, and Bessarion followed him, saying: ‘I also am so great a sinner.’

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.