Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Tuesday of the First Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans [§ 79].

1 ¹Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, who hath been set apart for the Gospel of God, ²which He announced before through His prophets in holy Scriptures, ³concerning His Son Who came to be of the seed of David according to the flesh, ⁴and Who was marked out to be Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection of the dead—Jesus Christ our Lord, ⁵by Whom we received grace and apostleship to an obedience of faith among all the nations in behalf of His name, ⁶among whom are ye also called of Jesus Christ, ⁷to all those who are in Rome, beloved of God, called saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ.... ¹³But I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I proposed to myself to come to you, but was hindered until the present, in order that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the remaining nations. ¹⁴I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and the unintelligent. ¹⁵Thus, as far as I am concerned, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you who are in Rome also. ¹⁶For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of the Christ; for it is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believeth, both to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷For in it God’s righteousness is being revealed from faith to faith, even as it hath been written: “But the just shall live by faith [cf. Hab. 2:4].”

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 10]. At that time:

For Gk. usage, see Mt. 4:23-5:13; for Sl. usage, see Mt. 4:25-5:13.

4 ²³Jesus was going around all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. ²⁴And the report of Him went out into all Syria. And they brought to Him all those who were ill, constrained by various diseases and torments, and possessed by demons, and lunatics, and paralytics; and He cured them. ²⁵And great crowds followed Him from Galilee, and Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judæa, and beyond the Jordan.

5 ¹And seeing the crowds, He went up into the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. ²And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying:
   ³“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.
   ⁴“Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
   ⁵“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
   ⁶“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
   ⁷“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall find mercy.
   ⁸“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
   ⁹“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
   ¹⁰“Blessed are they who have been persecuted on account of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.
   ¹¹“Blessed are ye whenever they reproach you and persecute you, and say every evil word against you falsely on account of Me.
   ¹²“Be rejoicing and be exceedingly glad, for your reward is great in the heavens. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

¹³“Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt should become insipid, with what shall it be salted? For it is no longer good for anything, except to be cast out and to be trampled underfoot by men.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

9. The commemoration of our holy father among the saints, Kyril, Archbishop of Alexandria.

Epistle

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

7 ²⁶Such a High Priest was fitting for us: holy, guileless, undefiled, Who hath been separated from the sinners and hath become higher than the heavens, ²⁷Who hath no need daily, even as the high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, then for those of the people; for this He did once for all after He offered up Himself. ²⁸For the law appointeth men high priests who have weakness; but the word of the oath, which is after the law, appointeth the Son, Who hath been perfected forever.

8 ¹Now in reference to the things being spoken of, the chief point is: We have such a High Priest, Who sat down on the right of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, ²a Liturgist of the holies and of the tabernacle, the true one, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

for Sl. usage, see [Heb. 13:7-16].

or

see [Heb. 13:17-21].

Gospel

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.”

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

June 22nd – Civil Calendar
June 9th – Church Calendar

1. St. Kyril, Archbishop of Alexandria.

He was of noble birth and a close kinsman of Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, after whose death he was chosen as patriarch. He fought three fierce battles in the course of his life: against the Novatianist heretics, against Nestorius and against the Jews of Alexandria. The Novatianists began in Rome, and were so called after their leader, the heretic priest Novatian. They were filled with pride at their virtues, went about dressed in white, banned second marriages and declared that one must not pray for those who had committed grievous sins nor receive back into the Church those who had once fallen away, however deeply they might repent. Kyril overcame them and drove them out of Alexandria, together with their bishop. The battle with the Jews was harder and bloodier. The Jews had been in the ascendant in Alexandria right from the time that Alexander the Great founded the city. Their hatred towards the Christians was vicious and mindless. They killed Christians by treachery, by poison and by crucifixion. After a long and difficult struggle, Kyril succeeded in inducing the emperor to drive the Jews out of Alexandria. His battle, however, against Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, was resolved at the Third Ecumenical Council in Ephesus. Kyril himself presided at this council, and also represented Pope Celestine of Rome at his request, he being prevented by old age from attending the council. Nestorius was condemned, anathematised and exiled by the emperor to the eastern borders of the empire, where he died. After the end of these battles, Kyril lived in peace and guided Christ’s flock with zeal. He went to the Lord in the year 444. It is said that he composed the hymn: ‘Rejoice, Theotokos and Virgin.’

2. St. Kiril of Byelozersk.

Born and educated in Moscow, the son of a great house, he was tonsured in the Simonov monastery, where he lived in an asceticism that was a marvel to the other monks. To conceal his virtues, he feigned madness. He spoke face-to-face with St. Sergius of Radonezh, and learned much of great value from him. He was chosen against his will as abbot of his monastery, but constantly begged the Mother of God to show him how he could continue in his silent asceticism. One night he saw a great light and heard a voice: ‘Kiril, leave here and go to the white lake!’ So, he left the Simonov monastery with one other monk and went to the shore of the lake (Byelozersk means ‘white lake’). There, in the thick of a pine forest, he continued his ascetic life. In time, this hermitage became a large monastery. Kiril received from God the gift of working miracles, and went to the Lord, Whom he had loved enduringly with a great love, at the age of ninety in the year 1429.

FOR CONSIDERATION

We sin if we reckon that we owe it to our kinsfolk to hate those whom they hate. Such a hate infects us like a hereditary disease. Adopting the loves of our kinsmen, we also adopt their hatreds. Even great spiritual giants were sometimes given to this weakness. Patriarch Theophilus could not bear St. John Chrysostom, and remained his bitterest opponent to the end of his days. St. Kyril, his kinsman and heir on the Alexandrian throne, inherited his dislike for St. John and carried it himself for a long time. St. Isidore of Pelusium exhorted him in vain to change his mind about St. Chrysostom and inscribe him in the Diptych of saints, but Kyril was unable to overcome his ill-will. Then the holy Mother of God, for whose honor and glory Kyril had fought so fiercely against Nestorius, appeared to him in a vision, surrounded by angels and accompanied by St. John Chrysostom in great glory, and the holy and most pure one begged St. John to forgive Kyril and embrace him. This vision completely reversed Kyril’s attitude to St. Chrysostom, and he repented with shame that he had so disliked him, doing his utmost for the rest of his life to glorify him as a great saint of 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.