Monday, January 31, 2011

Greek Orthodox Church In America Daily Readings For Monday, 31 January

From The Greek Orthodox Arch-Diocese of America:

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Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Monday, January 31, 2011



Readings for today:



St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 12:27-31; 13:1-8

Matthew 10:1, 5-8



Feasts and Saints celebrated today:



Cyrus & John the Unmercenaries

Holy Women Martyrs Theodote, Theoktiste and Eudoxia

Our Righteous Father Arsenius of Parus





Epistle Reading



The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 12:27-31; 13:1-8



Brethren, you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And

God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets,

third teachers, then workers of miracles, then healers, helpers,

administrators, speakers in various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all

prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts

of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But

earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more

excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have

not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have

prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I

have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am

nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be

burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind;

love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love

does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it

does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in the right. Love bears all

things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love

never ends.



(C) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America



Gospel Reading



The reading is from Matthew 10:1, 5-8



At that time, Jesus called to him his twelve disciples and gave them

authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease

and every infirmity. These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, "Go

nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go

rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And preach as you go,

saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the

dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying,

give without pay."



(C) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America





Cyrus & John the Unmercenaries



Reading from the Synaxarion:



These Saints lived during the years of Diocletian. Saint Cyrus was from

Alexandria, and Saint John was from Edessa of Mesopotamia. Because of the

persecution of that time, Cyrus fled to the Gulf of Arabia, where there was a

small community of monks. John, who was a soldier, heard of Cyrus' fame

and came to join him. Henceforth, they passed their life working

every virtue, and healing every illness and disease freely by the grace

of Christ; hence their title of "Unmercenaries." They heard that a

certain woman, named Athanasia, had been apprehended together with her

three daughters, Theodora, Theoctiste, and Eudoxia, and taken to the

tribunal for their confession of the Faith. Fearing lest the tender young

maidens be terrified by the torments and renounce Christ, they went to

strengthen them in their contest in martyrdom; therefore they too were

seized. After Cyrus and John and those sacred women had been greatly

tormented, all were beheaded in the year 292. Their tomb became a renowned

shrine in Egypt, and a place of universal pilgrimage. It was found in

the area of the modern day resort near Alexandria named Abu Kyr.



Apolytikion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

Since Thou hast given us the miracles of Thy holy Martyrs as an

invincible battlement, by their entreaties scatter the counsels of the

heathen, O Christ our God, and strenghten the faith of Orthodox

Christians, since Thou alone art good and the Friend of man.



Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery

Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery



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