Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Thursday of the Nineteenth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Philippians [§ 238]. Brethren:

1 ²⁰In nothing shall I be ashamed, but in all boldness, as always, also now Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²²But if I live on in the flesh, this to me is the fruit of labor; and what I shall choose I know not. ²³For I am being constrained by the two, having the desire to depart and to be with Christ, for that is very much better; ²⁴but to abide in the flesh is more necessary for your sakes. ²⁵And having been persuaded of this, I know that I shall stay and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶in order that the basis for your boasting might abound in Christ Jesus in me, through my presence with you again. ²⁷Only be conducting yourselves worthily of the Gospel of the Christ, that whether I come and see you or am absent, I might hear of the things concerning you, that ye stand in one spirit, with one soul striving together for the faith of the Gospel.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 41]. At that time:

9 ⁷Herod the tetrarch heard of all the things being done by Jesus; and he was thoroughly at a loss, because it was said by some that “John hath been raised from the dead,” ⁸and by some that “Elias did appear,” and by others that “some one of the ancient prophets hath risen.” ⁹And Herod said, “I beheaded John, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he was seeking to see Him.

¹⁰And having returned, the apostles set forth in detail to Him whatsoever they did. And He took them and withdrew privately to a desolate district of a city which is called Bethsaida. ¹¹But the crowds, having known it, followed Him; and having received them, He was talking to them about the kingdom of God; and those having need of cures He was healing.

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of Hieromartyr Lucianos, Presbyter of Greater Antioch.

Epistle

The Reading is from the Second Epistle of Saint Paul to Saint Timothy [§ 291]. Child Timothy:

1 ⁸Do thou not become ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor me His prisoner, but suffer hardship with the Gospel, according to God’s power, ⁹Who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages of time, ¹⁰but now hath been made manifest by the appearance of our Savior Jesus Christ, Who brought death to nought indeed and brought to light life and incorruption through the Gospel, ¹¹to which I was appointed a herald and apostle and teacher of nations. ¹²For which cause I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know Whom I have believed, and have been persuaded that He is able to guard the deposit entrusted to me until that day. ¹³Keep on holding fast an outline of sound words which thou heardest from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴Guard thou the good deposit entrusted to thee through the Holy Spirit indwelling in us.

¹⁵This thou knowest, that all they who are in Asia were turned away from me, of whom are Phygellos and Hermogenes. ¹⁶May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphoros, for many times he refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; ¹⁷but having been in Rome, he sought me out most diligently and found me— ¹⁸may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord in that day—and in how many things he ministered in Ephesus thou knowest better than I need say.

Gospel

No reading given.

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

October 28th – Civil Calendar
October 15th – Church Calendar

1. Our Holy Father, the Martyr Lucian, Priest of Antioch.

Born of noble parents in Syrian Samosata, he received in his youth a very wide education, both secular and spiritual, and was a man eminent both for his learning and for his strict ascetic life. Giving his goods away to the poor, he supported himself by the writing of works of instruction, feeding himself thus by the work of his hands. He did a very great service to the Church in the work which he undertook of the correcting of the Hebrew text of the Scriptures in many places, texts which heretics had taken the opportunity to twist and corrupt according to their wicked teaching. Because of his learning and his great spirituality, he was ordained priest in Antioch. In the time of Maximian’s persecution, when St. Anthimos of Nikomedia and St. Peter of Alexandria were put to torture, St. Lucian was also on the list of those whom the emperor wanted to have killed. Lucian fled the city and hid, but a jealous heretic priest, Pankratios, revealed his whereabouts. The persecution was terrible at that time, and not even tiny children were safe. Two boys, who would not eat food offered to idols, were thrown into a bath of boiling water, where, under torture, they gave their holy souls into God’s hands. A disciple of Lucian’s, Pelagia (see Oct. 8th), to preserve her virginal purity from the dissolute authorities, gave her soul into God’s hands, and her body fell from the roof of her house. Lucian was taken to Nikomedia to appear before the emperor. On the way, he managed to bring forty soldiers to Christ by his counsel, and they all died a martyr’s death. After interrogation and flogging, St. Lucian was thrown into prison, where he was tortured by hunger. ‘He scorned hunger,’ writes St. John Chrysostom of Lucian. ‘Let us also scorn luxury and destroy the lordship of the stomach; that we may, when the time comes for us to meet such torture, be prepared beforehand, by the help of a lesser ascesis, to show ourselves worthy of glory in the hour of battle.’ He received Communion in prison on the Theophany, and on the following day gave his soul into God’s hands, on January 7th, 312.

2. Our Holy Father Efthymios the New.

Born in Ankyra in 824, of righteous parents Epiphanios and Anna, he served in the army, married and had one daughter, Anastasia. He lived for a long time in asceticism in the monasteries of Olympus and then on the Holy Mountain, and also lived for some time as a stylite near Thessalonica, where he founded monasteries for men and women. He entered into rest on an island near the Holy Mountain at the end of the ninth century. His holy and wonder-working relics are preserved in Thessalonica.

FOR CONSIDERATION

The saints of God set great store on receiving Communion before their death. Even the martyrs, although they sacrificed their lives for Christ the Lord and washed all their sins in their own blood, yearned to receive the Holy Mysteries whenever possible. St. Lucian was in prison with several of his disciples and other Christians. When the Eve of the Theophany came, he longed on that great Christian feast to partake of the body and blood of Christ, for he knew that his death was near. Seeing the heartfelt desire of His suffering servant, God the almighty brought it about that some Christians came to the prison with bread and wine. When the Theophany dawned, Lucian called all the Christians in the prison to stand in a circle round him: ‘Surround me, and be the church.’ He had in the prison neither table nor stool, neither stone nor wood on which to celebrate the holy Liturgy. ‘Holy father, where shall we put the bread and wine?’ they asked Lucian, and he lay down in their midst and told them to put the bread and wine on his chest: ‘Place them on my chest: let it be a living throne for the living God.’ And so the Liturgy was celebrated, meetly and prayerfully, on the martyr’s breast, and all received Communion. On the following day, the emperor sent soldiers to take Lucian out for torture. When the soldiers opened the door of the prison, holy Lucian cried out three times: ‘I am a Christian!’ and gave his soul into God`s hands.

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.