Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Friday of the Third Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans [§ 101]. Brethren:

9 ⁶It is not as though the word of God hath failed. For they are not all Israel those who are of Israel; ⁷nor because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children, but, “In Isaac shall a seed be called to thee [Gen. 21:12]”; ⁸that is, the children of the flesh, these are not children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for a seed. ⁹For this word is of promise: “According to this time will I come, and there shall be a son to Sarah [cf. Gen. 18:10, 14].” ¹⁰And not only this, but when Rebecca also conceived by one, our father Isaac ¹¹(for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might abide, not of works, but of the One Who calleth), ¹²it was said to her, “The greater shall serve the lesser [Gen. 25:23].” ¹³Even as it hath been written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated [Mal. 1:2, 3].”

¹⁴What then shall we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it not be! ¹⁵For He saith to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomsoever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomsoever I will have compassion [Ex. 33:19].” ¹⁶So then it is not of the one who willeth, nor of the one who runneth, but of God Who showeth mercy. ¹⁷For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, “For this very thing I raised thee up, that I might show My power in thee, and so that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth [Ex. 9:16].” ¹⁸So then to whom He will, He hath mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth. ¹⁹Thou wilt say then to me, “Why doth He yet find fault? For who hath withstood His express will?”

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 38]. The Lord said to His disciples:

10 ³²“Everyone who shall confess in Me before men, I also will confess in him before My Father Who is in the heavens. ³³“But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father Who is in the heavens. ³⁴“Never think that I came to cast peace on the earth; I came not to cast peace, but a sword. ³⁵“For I came to divide in two a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ³⁶“and a man’s enemies shall be those of his own household.”

11 ¹And it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, He passed over from that place to teach and preach in their cities.

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of our venerable Father David of Thessalonica, and the appearance of the Tikhvin Icon of the Theotokos, and of our venerable Father David of Thessalonica.

Epistle

For the Theotokos:

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrews [§ 320]. Brethren:

9 ¹The first tabernacle also used to have both ordinances of worship and the sanctuary of this world. ²For a tabernacle was furnished: the first in which were both the lampstand and the table, and the laying forth of the loaves, which is called Holy; ³and after the second veil, a tabernacle which is called Holy of Holies, ⁴which hath a golden censer, and the ark of the covenant which hath been covered all around from every side with gold, in which was the golden jar having the manna, and the rod of Aaron that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; ⁵and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat, concerning which now is not the time to speak severally. ⁶Now after these things were thus furnished, the priests, on the one hand, enter into the first tabernacle, performing worship services; ⁷on the other hand, into the second, the high priest entereth alone once for all every year, not without blood, which he offereth on behalf of himself and the faults of ignorance of the people.

For the venerable Father:

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Galatians [§ 213]. Brethren:

5 ²²The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, ²³meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴But they who are of the Christ crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts. ²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also be walking by the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

6 ¹Brethren, even if a man should be overtaken in some transgression, ye, the spiritual ones, be restoring such a one in the spirit of meekness, looking out for thyself, lest thou also be tempted. ²Keep on bearing one another’s burdens, and thus fill up the law of the Christ.

Gospel

For the Theotokos:

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 54]. At that time:

10 ³⁸ Jesus entered into a certain village. And a certain woman, by name Martha, received Him into her house. ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat down beside the feet of Jesus, and was listening to His word. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted about much serving, and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, is it no concern to Thee that my sister left me to serve alone? Speak to her therefore that she should help me.” ⁴¹And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things. ⁴²“But there is need of one thing, and Mary chose the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”...

11 ²⁷And it came to pass, as He was speaking these things, a certain woman out of the crowd lifted up her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the breasts which Thou didst suck.” ²⁸But He said, “Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.”

For the venerable Father:

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 24]. At that time:

6 ¹⁷Jesus stood upon a level place. And there was a crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all of Judæa and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases— ¹⁸even those who were troubled by unclean spirits; and they were cured. ¹⁹And all the crowd was seeking to touch Him, for power was coming forth from Him and healing all. ²⁰And He lifted up His eyes to His disciples, and began to say:
   “Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
   ²¹“Blessed are ye who hunger now, for ye shall be filled.
Blessed are ye who weep now, for ye shall laugh.
   ²²“Blessed are ye whenever men hate you, and whenever they separate you, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man.
   ²³“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in the heavens.”

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

July 9th – Civil Calendar
June 26th – Church Calendar

1. Our Holy Father David.

Born in Thessalonica, where he at first lived the ascetic life in a shelter he had built in an almond tree, he later continued his asceticism in Thessaly. He purified himself so greatly by fasting, prayer, and vigils that he was made worthy to receive great grace from God. Once he took a live coal in his hand, placed incense on it and censed the emperor with no sort of protection for his hand. The emperor, when he saw this, bowed down to the ground before David, who amazed the people by his countless miracles. He entered peacefully into rest in the blessedness of eternity in 540.

2. Feast of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God.

This icon was in Constantinople in 1383, but seventy years before the fall of that city, it suddenly appeared in the sky near the village of Tikhvin in northern Russia. A church and a monastery were built where it came to rest. Countless miracles were wrought through this wonder-working icon; many of the sick, especially, receiving healing from it.

3. Feast of the Icon of the Mother of God of Lydda or Rome.

Patriarch Gennadios sent this icon to Rome for safety during the iconoclast persecution. It floated there on the water by itself, more swiftly than any ship, and when the iconoclasts had tired of their persecution, floated back to Constantinople in the same way.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Repentance is a ceaseless necessity for Christians until their last breath. St. Mark the Ascetic says: ‘Take thought, and you will see that the mystery of devotion is created in the righteous man of God through repentance.’ Repentance is necessary up to and at one’s final hour. The following incident is recorded: an aged ascetic and known spiritual teacher was dying, and called the priest to give him the Holy Mysteries. Along the way, a robber fell in with the priest and wished to see for himself how a holy man dies. The holy elder made his Communion in peace and conversed peacefully with the priest. Then the robber burst into tears and cried: ‘How blessed are you! But what sort of death shall I merit?’ The robber returned along the road weeping and lamenting for himself, and fell down and died. A certain holy man came and was seen by the people rejoicing and singing over the repentance of the robber who reaped the fruits of repentance.

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.