Friday, March 4, 2011

Greek Orthodox Daily Readings For Friday, 4 March

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Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Friday, March 4, 2011



Fast Day (Dairy, Eggs, and Fish Allowed)



Readings for today:



Zechariah 8:7-17

Zechariah 8:19-23



Feasts and Saints celebrated today:



Gerasimos the Righteous of Jordan

Paul & his sister Juliana and their Companions

Daniel, Prince of Moscow





Old Testament Reading



The reading is from Zechariah 8:7-17



"Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the

east country and from the west country; and I will bring them to dwell

in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people and I will be

their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness."



Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Let your hands be strong, you who in

these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the

prophets, since the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of

hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. For before those days

there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any

safety from the foe for him who went out or came in; for I set every man

against his fellow. But now I will not deal with the remnant of this

people as in the former days, says the Lord of hosts. For there shall

be a sowing of peace; the vine shall yield its fruit, and the ground

shall give its increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I

will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.

And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house

of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you and you shall be a

blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong."



For thus says the Lord of hosts: "As I purposed to do evil to you,

when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the

Lord of hosts, so again have I purposed in these days to do good to

Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. These are the things that

you shall do: Speak the truth to one another, render in your gates

judgments that are true and make for peace, do not devise evil in your

hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things

I hate, says the Lord."



(C) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America



Old Testament Reading



The reading is from Zechariah 8:19-23



"Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the

fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the

tenth, shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness, and

cheerful feasts; therefore love truth and peace.



"Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the

inhabitants of many cities; the inhabitants of one city shall go to another,

saying, 'Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek

the Lord of hosts; I am going.' Many peoples and strong nations

shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the

favor of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men

from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew,

saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"



(C) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America





Gerasimos the Righteous of Jordan



Reading from the Synaxarion:



Venerable Gerasimos lived during the reign of king Constantine Pogonatos in

670, as Sophronios of Jerusalem, who wrote his life, attests. He had

fear of God since childhood and, after he became a monk, he went to

the deepest parts of the desert of Thebais. He reached such a height

of virtue and was graced with such intimacy with God, because he had

preserved his image and likeness so pure, that he even had authority over

wild beasts. A lion used to attend upon him and among other things

this lion used to graze the donkey which fetched water to the saint.

Once some merchants passed from that place. When they saw the donkey,

they stole it. The lion was sleeping and did not feel a thing. So, in

the evening he returned to the saint without having the donkey with

him, as usual.



When the saint's servant saw the lion alone, he told the elder that

the lion had eaten the donkey. So, the poor lion was condemned to

carry the pitchers on his back and fetch water from the river instead

of the donkey, for as long as the merchants kept it. However, the

same merchants happened to pass from that place again and they had the

donkey with them. As soon as the lion saw the donkey, he recognised it

and rushed at the merchants with a loud roar. The people got scared

and left. Together with the donkey the lion brought to St. Gerasimos'

cell the camels which were tied on it. Knocking with his tail on the

door of the saint's cell, he acted as if to show that he was offering

them to the elder as game.



When the saint saw this thing, he smiled a bit and said to his

disciple: "We wrongly accused the innocent lion that he had eaten the

donkey. So, now we have to liberate him from his labour and allow him to

go and graze at his usual place." Then the lion bowed his head, as

if he had reason, and taking his leave from the saint he went to the

wilderness. Once every week he used to come and bow before the saint. After

the saint had died, the lion came, as his habit was, and asked to

venerate him. However, when he did not find him, he seemed to be sad and

angry. With many signs the saint's disciple helped him feel that the

elder had died. The lion lamented the elder's death with a fine roar

and seemed to be looking for the saint's grave. When the disciple led

him to it, the lion fell on it and with a loud roar he breathed his

last due to his extreme pain which he suffered from his love for the

saint. This is how God glorifies those who glorify Him and makes wild

beasts submit to those who keep His image and likeness pure.



Apolytikion in the First Tone

Thou didst prove to be a citizen of the desert, an angel in the flesh,

and a wonderworker, O Gerasimos, our God-bearing Father. By fasting,

vigil, and prayer thou didst obtain heavenly gifts, and thou healest the

sick and the souls of them that have recourse to thee with faith.

Glory to Him that hath given thee strength. Glory to Him that hath

crowned thee. Glory to Him that worketh healings for all through thee.



Kontakion in the Fourth Tone

As a star resplendent with the light of virtues, thou didst make the

wilderness of Jordan radiantly shine with beams of sacred celestial light, O

righteous Father, God-bearing Gerasimus.



Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA

Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA

Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA



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