Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrews [§ 323]. Brethren:

10 ¹The law, having a shadow of the coming good things, not the very image of the things, is never able to perfect those who approach with the same sacrifices, which they offer year by year in perpetuity. ²Otherwise would they not have ceased being offered, on account of those worshipping no longer having any consciousness of sins once they were purified? ³But in these sacrifices there is a remembrance of sins year by year. ⁴For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take away sins. ⁵Wherefore, when He came into the world, He saith, “Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not wish, but Thou didst prepare for Thyself a body for Me [Ps. 39(40):9(6)]; ⁶“in whole burnt offerings also for sin Thou didst not take pleasure [cf. Ps. 39(40):10(6)]. ⁷“Then I said, ‘Behold, I come, in the roll of the book it hath been written concerning Me, to do Thy will, O God [cf. Ps. 39(40):11(7, 8)].’” ⁸Above when He saith, “Sacrifice and offering, and whole burnt offerings also for sin, Thou didst not wish, nor didst Thou take pleasure therein [cf. Ps. 39(40):9, 10(6)],” which are being offered according to the law, ⁹then He said, “Behold, I come to do Thy will, O God [cf. Ps. 39(40):11(7, 8)].” He taketh away the first, in order that He might establish the second: ¹⁰By which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹And indeed every priest standeth day by day ministering and offering often the same sacrifices, which are never able to take away sins. ¹²But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins in perpetuity, “sat down on the right of God [cf. Ps. 109(110):1],” ¹³henceforth waiting until His enemies should be placed as a footstool of His feet. ¹⁴For by one offering He hath perfected in perpetuity those being sanctified. ¹⁵And the Holy Spirit also beareth witness to us; for after having said before, ¹⁶“‘This is the covenant which I will covenant with them after those days,’ saith the Lord, ‘I will give My laws into their hearts, and write them upon their minds [cf. Jer. 38(31):33],’” ¹⁷and “‘Their sins and their lawlessnesses in no wise will I remember any more [cf. Jer. 38(31):34].’” ¹⁸Now where there is remission of these, there is no more offering for sin.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark [§ 51]. The Lord said:

For Gk. usage, see Mk. 11:22-26; for Sl. usage, see Mk. 11:23-26.

11 ²²“Be having faith in God. ²³“For verily I say to you, that whosoever shall say to this mountain, ‘Be thou taken away and be thou cast into the sea,’ and doubt not in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith is coming to pass, it shall be to him whatsoever he shall say. ²⁴“On this account I say to you, all things, whatsoever ye ask for yourselves when ye pray, keep on believing that ye are receiving them, and they shall be to you. ²⁵“And whenever ye stand praying, be forgiving if ye have anything against anyone, in order that your Father Who is in the heavens might also forgive your transgressions. ²⁶“But if ye forgive not, neither will your Father Who is in the heavens forgive your transgressions.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of the Afterfeast of the Nativity, and the Virgin-martyr Anysia at Thessalonica, and the Martyr Zotikos, keeper of orphans.

No readings given.

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

January 12th – Civil Calendar
December 30th – Church Calendar

1. The Holy Martyr Anysia.

Born in Thessalonica of wealthy and eminent parents, she was brought up in the Christian Faith. She was orphaned young, and gave herself over to pondering on God and prayer in her own home. Fired with the love of Christ, she often said: ‘Oh, how false is the life of youth, for you either create scandal or are scandalized. Better is age, but oh, I am seized with sorrow at the length of time that separates us from heaven!’ She sold her goods and gave away the proceeds to the poor, and herself lived from the labor of her own hands. She kept strict fasts, slept very little and always wept in prayer. When sleep overtook her, she said to herself: ‘It is dangerous to sleep while the enemy keeps vigil.’ At that time, the wicked Emperor Maximian issued a decree that any man was free to kill Christians when and where he came across them, without trial or sentence. This holy maiden once went out into the street to go to church. It was the day of a pagan festival of the sun. A soldier saw her fairness of face and went up to her with impure lust, asking her name. She made the sign of the Cross and said to him: ‘I am Christ’s handmaid, and I’m going to church.’ After the impudent soldier came closer and began to speak as one deranged, he forcibly took her to the temple of the idols and attempted to compel her to offer sacrifice, but Anysia pushed him away and spat in his face. The soldier aimed a blow at her with his sword, and ran her through under the rib. This holy maiden suffered in 298 and was buried by Christians, and was crowned with a wreath of glory by God in the heavenly kingdom. A church was built over her grave.

2. The Holy Apostle Timon.

One of the seven deacons (Acts 6:5), and of the Seventy Apostles, he was made bishop of Bostra in Arabia and there preached the Gospel, enduring much ill-treatment at the hands of the pagans. He was thrown into fire, but remained unharmed. He finally died by crucifixion, and entered into the kingdom of Christ.

3. Our Holy Mother Theodora of Caesarea.

After strict asceticism in the monastery of St. Anna, she entered peacefully into rest in 755.

4. Our Holy Father, the Martyr Gideon.

A Greek by birth, of very poor parents, he was forced to embrace Islam as a youth. In remorse, he fled to the Holy Mountain, where, in the monastery of Karakallou, he received the monastic schema. Desiring martyrdom for Christ, he received the blessing of his spiritual father and went to the place where he had been forced into Islam, and there, openly before the Turks, confessed the Christian Faith and denounced Mohammed as a false prophet. The Turks shaved his head, placed him backwards on a donkey and led him through the town. He rejoiced at this ridicule for the sake of Christ. They then chopped off all his fingers and toes with an axe, as they had once done to St. Iakovos the Persian (Nov. 27th), and finally threw him into a place of excrement, where he gave his holy soul to God in the year 1818, in Turnovo in Thrace. His wonder-working relics are preserved in the Church of the Holy Apostles in the village of Turnovo, and a part of them is to be found in his monastery of Karakallou.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Here are two more examples of how our merciful God helps those who, in their trouble, hope in Him with faith. Blessed Theodora of Caesarea was born into a noble house and given to the monastery of St. Anna for education. Theodora was not only educated there: she also lived in asceticism, preparing herself to receive the monastic schema. The Emperor Leo the Isaurian took her from the monastery by force and betrothed her to one of his commanders. Theodora resisted the marriage with all her soul, but was as powerless as a lamb in a wolf’s claws. She lamented and prayed constantly to God in her heart that He would not forsake her. On the very day of the marriage, while the guests were feasting, news arrived from the emperor that the Scythians had invaded the empire, with a summons for the commander to set out at once with the army against them. The commander went, and never returned, being killed in battle. Thus, by God’s help, Theodora was freed, and as a pure maiden, returned to her monastery, where she received the habit, and as a nun, became known for her rare asceticism.

A second example: in the monastery of the ‘Unsleeping Ones,’ there was great want during a year of famine. St. Markellos, the abbot, welcomed some poor men one day and entertained them, then wanted to give them some money for their journey. He asked the monastery’s treasurer how much money they had altogether, and he replied that they had ten silver pieces. The abbot told him to give all ten coins to the poor men, but the treasurer did not give them all ten. He gave them nine and kept one for the monastery’s needs, as the situation was becoming acute. A rich man suddenly visited the monastery, and brought the abbot ninety talents of gold. Then the discerning Markellos summoned the treasurer and said to him: ‘Behold, God had intended to send us a hundred talents through this devout man, but as you disobeyed me and kept back one silver piece, the Provider of all has kept back ten talents.’

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.