Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Tuesday of the Thirty-Fifth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the First General Epistle of Saint John [§ 72]. Brethren:

For Gk. usage, see 1 Jn. 3:9-22; for Sl. usage, see 1 Jn. 3:10-20, beginning in the middle of verse 10, “My beloved: Everyone who doeth not righteousness....”

3 ⁹Everyone who hath been born of God doeth no sin, because His seed abideth in him; and he is not able to sin, because he hath been born of God. ¹⁰In this are manifest the children of God and the children of the devil. Everyone who doeth not righteousness is not of God, and neither is the one who loveth not his brother. ¹¹Because this is the message which ye heard from the beginning, that we be loving one another, ¹²not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And on account of what did he slay him? Because his works were evil, but those of his brother righteous. ¹³Cease marvelling, my brethren, if the world hate you. ¹⁴We know that we have passed over out of death into life, because we love the brethren. The one not loving his brother abideth in death. ¹⁵Everyone who hateth his brother is a manslayer, and ye know that every manslayer hath not eternal life abiding in him. ¹⁶In this we have come to know love, because He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷But whosoever may have the world’s means of livelihood, and may observe his brother having need, and shutteth up from him his compassion from the inward parts, how doth the love of God abide in him? ¹⁸My little children, let us not be loving in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. ¹⁹And in this we know that we are of the truth, and shall persuade our hearts before Him, ²⁰that if our heart be condemning us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things. ²¹Beloved, if our heart be not condemning us, we have boldness toward God. ²²And whatsoever we may ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing before Him.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark [§ 64]. At that time:

14 ¹⁰Judas the Iscariote, one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests, in order that he might deliver Him up to them. ¹¹And after they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money; and he was seeking how he might opportunely deliver Him up.

¹²And on the first day of the unleavened bread, when they used to slay the passover, His disciples said to Him, “Where dost Thou wish that we go and prepare, that Thou mightest eat the passover?” ¹³And He sendeth forth two of His disciples, and saith to them, “Go ye into the city, and a man shall meet you bearing an earthenware vessel of water; follow him. ¹⁴“And wheresoever he should enter, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher saith, “Where is the lodging-place, where I shall eat the passover with My disciples?”’ ¹⁵“And he will show you a large upper room, which hath been furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.” ¹⁶And His disciples went away, and came into the city, and found it even as He said to them; and they made ready the passover. ¹⁷And evening having come to pass, He cometh with the twelve. ¹⁸And as they reclined at table and ate, Jesus said, “Verily I say to you, that one of you who is eating with Me shall deliver Me up.” ¹⁹And they began to be grieved, and to say to Him, one by one, “It is not I, is it?” And another, “It is not I, is it?” ²⁰But He answered and said to them, “It is one of the twelve, who dippeth with Me in the dish. ²¹“The Son of Man indeed goeth even as it hath been written concerning Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is delivered up! Good were it for that man if he had not been born.” ²²And as they ate, Jesus took bread, blessed it, and broke it, and gave to them, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” ²³And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them; and they all drank of it. ²⁴And He said to them, “This is My blood, that of the new covenant, which is being poured out for many. ²⁵“Verily I say to you that in no wise will I drink any more of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

²⁶And having sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ²⁷And Jesus saith to them, “Ye all shall be made to stumble because of Me during this night, for it hath been written: ‘I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered abroad [cf. Zach. 13:7].’ ²⁸“But after I have risen, I will go before you into Galilee.” ²⁹But Peter said to Him, “Though all shall be made to stumble, yet not I.” ³⁰And Jesus saith to him, “Verily I say to thee that today, during the night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny Me thrice.” ³¹But he kept on speaking more vehemently, “If it should be necessary for me to die with Thee, in no wise will I deny Thee.” And in like manner also, they all were speaking.

³²And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He saith to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” ³³And He taketh along with Him Peter and Iakovos and John, and began to be amazed and sorely troubled. ³⁴And He saith to them, “My soul is very sad unto death. Tarry here and be watching.” ³⁵And having gone forth a little, He fell upon His face on the ground, and was praying that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. ³⁶And He was saying, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to Thee. Take away this cup from Me; but not what I will, but what Thou wilt.” ³⁷And He cometh and findeth them sleeping, and saith to Peter, “Simon, sleepest thou? Wast thou not able to watch one hour? ³⁸“Be watching and praying that ye enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ³⁹And again He went away and prayed, saying the same utterance. ⁴⁰And having returned, He found them again sleeping; for their eyes were weighed down, and they knew not what they should answer Him. ⁴¹And He cometh the third time, and saith to them, “Sleep on for what time remaineth and be taking your rest! It is enough, the hour hath come; behold, the Son of Man is being delivered up into the hands of the sinners. ⁴²“Rouse yourselves, let us be going; behold the one delivering Me up hath drawn near.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of the Meeting of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrews [§ 316]. Brethren:

7 ⁷Apart from all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. ⁸And here on the one hand men that die receive tithes, but there on the other hand he receiveth tithes who is being witnessed to that he liveth. ⁹And so to speak, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, hath been tithed through Abraham, ¹⁰for he was yet in the loins of his father when Melchisedek met him. ¹¹If indeed then perfection were through the Levitical priesthood—for the people upon the basis of it had been furnished the law—what need still was there for a different kind of priest to arise according to the order of Melchisedek, and not to be called according to the order of Aaron? ¹²For the priesthood being transposed, of necessity a change of law also taketh place. ¹³For He of Whom these things are spoken hath belonged to a different tribe, of which no one hath given attendance at the altar. ¹⁴For it is clear that our Lord hath sprung out of Juda, as to which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. ¹⁵And it is yet more abundantly manifest since, according to the likeness of Melchisedek, there did arise a different priest, ¹⁶Who hath not become so according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an indissoluble life. ¹⁷For He testifieth, “Thou art a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedek [Ps. 109(110):4].”

Gospel

In the Orthros

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 8]. At that time:

2 ²⁵There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Symeon, and this man was just and pious, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶And it had been divinely revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he should see the Christ of the Lord. ²⁷And he came in the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents were bringing in the little Child Jesus, in order to do for Him according to the custom of the law, ²⁸he also received Him into his arms and blessed God and said, ²⁹“Now lettest Thy slave depart in peace, O Master, according to Thy word; ³⁰“for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, ³¹“which Thou didst prepare before the face of all the peoples, ³²“a light for revelation to the nations and the glory of Thy people Israel.”

In the Liturgy

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 7]. At that time:

2 ²²The parents of the Child Jesus brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord ²³(even as it hath been written in the law of the Lord: “Every male that openeth a womb shall be called holy to the Lord [cf. Ex. 13:2, 12]”), ²⁴and to offer a sacrifice according to that which hath been said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons [cf. Lev. 5:11; 12:8].” ²⁵And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Symeon, and this man was just and pious, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶And it had been divinely revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he should see the Christ of the Lord. ²⁷And he came in the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents were bringing in the little Child Jesus, in order to do for Him according to the custom of the law, ²⁸he also received Him into his arms and blessed God and said, ²⁹“Now lettest Thy slave depart in peace, O Master, according to Thy word; ³⁰“for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, ³¹“which Thou didst prepare before the face of all the peoples, ³²“a light for revelation to the nations and the glory of Thy people Israel.” ³³And Joseph and His Mother were marvelling at the things which were spoken concerning Him. ³⁴And Symeon blessed them, and said to Mariam His Mother, “Behold, this One is set for the fall and rising up of many in Israel, and for a sign which is contradicted— ³⁵“and as to thee a sword shall go through thine own soul also—in order that the reckonings of many hearts might be revealed.” ³⁶And there was Anna, a prophetess, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser. She was advanced in many days, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity. ³⁷And she was a widow about eighty-four years, who departed not from the temple, and worshipped God with fastings and entreaties night and day. ³⁸And she, having stood by, at the same hour, was giving thanks to the Lord and kept on speaking about Him to all those waiting for redemption in Jerusalem.

³⁹And when they performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their city Nazareth.

⁴⁰And the little Child was growing and showing Himself strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

February 15th – Civil Calendar
February 2nd – Church Calendar

1. The Meeting of the Lord.

On the fortieth day after His birth, the most holy Virgin brought her divine Son to the temple in Jerusalem, to consecrate Him to the Lord and to purify herself according to the law (Lev. 12:2-7, Exod. 12:2). And though neither the one nor the other was necessary, nevertheless the Lawgiver would not in any way transgress the law which He had given through His servant and prophet Moses. At that time Zacharias, the father of St. John the Baptist, was serving his turn as high priest in the temple. He stood the Virgin Mary in the place for maidens, not that for married women. On this occasion, there were two very special people present: the elder Simeon, and Anna the daughter of Phanuel. Simeon took his Messiah up in his arms and said: ‘Now lettest Thy slave depart in peace, O Master, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.’ Simeon also spoke the following words of the Christ Child: ‘Behold, this One is set for the fall and rising up of many in Israel.’ Then Anna, who had from her youth served God in the temple in fasting and prayer, and who herself recognized the Messiah, praised the Lord and made known to the inhabitants of Jerusalem the coming of the awaited One. But the Pharisees, present in the temple and seeing and hearing all that passed, and being vexed with Zacharias for having stood the Virgin Mary in the place for virgins, made this known to King Herod. Believing this to be the new King of Whom the star-followers from the East had spoken, Herod quickly sent to have Jesus killed. But in the meantime, the holy travelers had already escaped from the city and set out for Egypt under the direction of an angel of God. This day has been celebrated from the very earliest times, but its solemn celebration dates from 544, in the time of Emperor Justinian.

2. The Holy New-Martyr Jordan.

Born in Trebizond, he was a coppersmith by profession. For his open defense of the Christian Faith and his denunciation of the falsehood of Islam, he suffered at the hands of the Turks at Galata in Constantinople in 1650. A monk, Gabriel, a reader in the great church in Constantinople, suffered in the same way in 1676.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Speaking of the spread of the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, St. John Chrysostom says: ‘As beautiful and prolific fruit-trees, when planted in the earth, quickly attain a great height and ripen and bear fruit; so with this day.’ So also with the day of the Meeting of the Lord. This day was commemorated among Christians from the beginning, but its solemn celebration began in the time of the great Emperor Justinian. At that time, Constantinople and its surroundings were struck by an epidemic, with five thousand or more people dying every day. At the same time there was a terrible earthquake in Antioch. Seeing the powerlessness of men to avert these catastrophes, the emperor and the patriarch together decided to call for fasting and prayer throughout the whole empire. On the day of the Meeting itself, they arranged processions through the towns and villages to implore the Lord to have mercy on His people. And the Lord did have mercy, the epidemic and the earthquake ceasing instantly. This happened in the year 544. As a result, the Meeting came to be celebrated as a great feast of the Lord. Trees sprout at this time and begin the process of bringing forth their abundant fruit.

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.