Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Thursday of the Fifth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans [§ 118]. Brethren:

15 ¹⁷I have my boasting in Christ Jesus as to the things pertaining to God. ¹⁸For I will not dare to speak of anything which Christ hath not worked out through me for the obedience of the nations, by word and deed, ¹⁹in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God, so as for me to have set forth fully the Gospel of the Christ from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum. ²⁰And so I am thus exerting myself eagerly to announce the Gospel where Christ was not named, lest I should build upon another’s foundation. ²¹But as it hath been written: “To whom it was not announced concerning Him, they shall see; and those who have not heard shall comprehend [Is. 52:15].”

²²Wherefore also I was hindered many times from coming to you. ²³But now having no more place in these regions, and having an earnest desire to come to you for many years, ²⁴whensoever I go into Spain, I will come to you. For I hope to see you while passing through, and to be sent forth to that place by you, if first in part I should take my fill of you. ²⁵But now I am going to Jerusalem, ministering to the saints. ²⁶For they of Macedonia and Achaia were well pleased to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. ²⁷For they were well pleased; and they are their debtors. For if the nations participated in their spiritual things, they are indebted also in the fleshly things to minister to them. ²⁸This then having finished, and having sealed this fruit to them, I will go forth by way of you into Spain. ²⁹And I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of the Christ.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 49]. At that time:

12 ⁴⁶While Jesus yet talked to the crowds, behold, His Mother and His brethren were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. ⁴⁷And one said to Him, “Behold Thy Mother and Thy brethren are standing outside, seeking to speak to Thee.” ⁴⁸But He answered and said to the one who spoke to him, “Who is My mother? And who are My brethren?” ⁴⁹And stretching forth His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold, My mother and My brethren. ⁵⁰“For whosoever shall do the will of My Father Who is in the heavens, the same is My brother and sister and mother.”

13 ¹And in the course of that day, Jesus, having gone out of the house, was sitting by the sea. ²And great crowds were gathered together before Him, so that He stepped into the ship and sat; and the whole crowd was standing on the seashore. ³And He spoke many things to them in parables.

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of the Martyr Agrippina of Rome, and the meeting of the wonderworking Vladimir Icon of the Theotokos.

Epistle

For the Icon:

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.

Gospel

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.”

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

July 6th – Civil Calendar
June 23rd – Church Calendar

1. Commemoration of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God.

When the Tartar king, Ahmet, lay siege to Moscow, Prince Ivan Vasillievitch came with troops to defend the city. Although this prince’s forces were smaller in number and weaker than the Tartar army, they yet emerged victorious, for an indescribable terror fell on the Tartars and they ran off in confusion in all directions. All attributed this unexpected success to the icon of the most holy Mother of God, for the whole people had begged her aid for deliverance from the Tartars. This day, June 23rd, is set aside in the land of Russia for the commemoration of this miracle. [The Vladimir Icon is also commemorated on May 21st, and chiefly on August 26th.]

2. The Holy Martyr Agrippina.

St. Agrippina was born and brought up in Rome. She trained herself from childhood to live by the Gospel, expelling the stench of the passions from her heart with the sweet-smelling perfume of purity and chastity. She was betrothed to Christ the Lord, and suffered as a bride of Christ in the reign of the Emperor Valerian. She endured beating with staves until her bones were crushed. An angel of the Lord appeared to her to strengthen her, until she surrendered her soul to God under fresh tortures. Her friends, Vassa, Paula and Agathonica, took her relics to the island of Sicily and buried them there. A church was later built there in her name, where countless miracles were wrought over her relics. She entered into eternal rest and was crowned with glory in the year 275.

3. The Holy Martyrs Efstochios and Gaios, and those with them.

Efstochios (Eustochius) was a pagan priest in the time of the Emperor Maximian, but seeing the heroism of the Christian martyrs, he cast off his paganism and was baptized by Evdoxios, Bishop of Antioch. Gradually Efstochios brought his kinsfolk to the Christian Faith, and his kinsman Gaios was baptized together with his three children: Probos, Loillas and Urban. All these, and some others with them, were brought before the judge, tortured and beheaded in Lystra for the sake of their faith in Christ the Lord, and thus their souls entered into His immortal kingdom.

4. The Tale of Theophilus’ Repentance.

Consumed with envy towards his bishop, this man gave his soul to the devil and set down in writing his rejection of Christ and of His holy Mother. He then repented of his deed and wept bitterly, imploring the Mother of God for forgiveness. After forty days of fasting and tearful prayer, he received back the paper on which he had written his denial, and which he had given to the devil. He went to the church and openly confessed his sin to the bishop and the people. When the bishop had spoken the words of forgiveness and given him Communion, Theophilus’ face shone like the sun. Here is an example of how the merciful Lord not only forgives the sins of all those who repent, but also makes them into saints.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Christian patience is a meek patience, but a patience that harbors an impotent malice is scarcely distinguishable from vengeance. All our great saints possessed every virtue in the Gospel, but how great and noble were they in their meek patience! It behooves us to exercise ourselves in that virtue, since it is the one that we possess the least. When the desert fathers had gathered at one time to hear instruction from John Kolovos, several envious monks began to heckle him, saying: ‘Your vessel is full of poison.’ The meek John replied at once: ‘You say that, only seeing the outside; but what would you say if you could see the inside?’ When St. Cyprian of Carthage was taken out to be beheaded, he directed that the executioner be given twenty-five gold pieces after his death.

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.