Saturday, October 23, 2010

Greek Orthodox Christianity: Daily Readings For 23 October

From The Greek Orthodox Arch-Diocese of America;

Readings for today:




St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 1:11-19

Matthew 13:54-58



Feasts and Saints celebrated today:



James the Apostle, brother of Our Lord

Our Righteous Father Ignatius, Patriarch of Constantinople





Epistle Reading



The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 1:11-19



BRETHREN, I would have you know that the gospel which was preached by me is

not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught

it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have

heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God

violently and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of

my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the

traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was

born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his

Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did

not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to

those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and

again I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to

Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw

none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother.



(C) 2010 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America



Gospel Reading



The reading is from Matthew 13:54-58



At that time, Jesus came to his own country, and taught the people

in their synagogue so that they were astonished, and said, "Where

did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the

carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers

James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with

us? Where then did this man get all this?" And they took offense at

him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in

his own country and in his own house." And he did not do many mighty

works there, because of their unbelief.



(C) 2010 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America





James the Apostle, brother of Our Lord



Reading from the Synaxarion:



According to some, this Saint was a son of Joseph the Betrothed, born of

the wife that the latter had before he was betrothed to the

Ever-virgin. Hence he was the brother of the Lord, Who was also thought to be

the son of Joseph (Matt. 13: 55). But some say that he was a nephew

of Joseph, and the son of his brother Cleopas, who was also called

Alphaeus and Mary his wife, who was the first cousin of the Theotokos. But

even according to this genealogy, he was still called, according to

the idiom of the Scriptures, the Lord's brother because of their

kinship.



This James is called the Less (Mark 15:4) by the Evangelists to

distinguish him from James, the son of Zebedee, who was called the Great. He

became the first Bishop of Jerusalem, elevated to this episcopal rank by

the Apostles, according to Eusebius (Eccl. Hist., Book II: 23), and

was called Obliah, that is, the Just, because of his great holiness

and righteousness. Having ascended the crest of the Temple on the day

of the Passover at the prompting of all, he bore testimony from

there concerning his belief in Jesus, and he proclaimed with a great

voice that Jesus sits at the right hand of the great power of God and

shall come again upon the clouds of heaven. On hearing this testimony,

many of those present cried, "Hosanna to the Son of David." But the

Scribes and Pharisees cried, "So, even the just one hath been led

astray," and at the command of Ananias the high priest, the Apostle was

cast down headlong from thence, then was stoned, and while he prayed

for his slayers, his head was crushed by the wooden club wielded by a

certain scribe. The first of the Catholic (General) Epistles written to

the Jews in the Diaspora who believed in Christ was written by this

James.



Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone

As the Lord's disciple, O righteous One, you received the Gospel, as

Martyr, you have unwavering courage, as the Lord's brother, you have

forthrightness, as Hierarch, intercession. Intercede with Christ our God, that

our souls may be saved.



Kontakion in the Fourth Tone

O wondrous Iakovos, God the Logos, only-begotten of the Father, who

dwelt among us in latter days, declared you, the first shepherd and

teacher of Jerusalem, and faithful steward of the spiritual mysteries.

Wherefore, we all honor you, O Apostle.



Reading courtesy of Narthex Press

Apolytikion courtesy of Narthex Press

Kontakion courtesy of Narthex Press

No comments:

Post a Comment