Sunday, March 6, 2011

Greek Orthodox Daily Readings For Saturday, 5 March

From goarch.com:

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +




Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Saturday, March 5, 2011



Fast Day (Dairy, Eggs, and Fish Allowed)



Readings for today:



St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 5:22-26; 6:1-2

Matthew 6:1-13



Feasts and Saints celebrated today:



Cheesefare Saturday

Konon the Gardener

Theodore the Recruit

Mark the Ascetic

Righteous Father Mark of Athens

John the Bulgarian

Mark the Faster





Epistle Reading



The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 5:22-26; 6:1-2



Brethren, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no

law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh

with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also

walk by the Spirit. Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one

another, no envy of one another. Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any

trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of

gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's

burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.



(C) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America



Gospel Reading



The reading is from Matthew 6:1-13



The Lord said, "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order

to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your

Father who is in heaven.



"Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the

hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised

by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But

when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right

hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who

sees in secret will reward you.



"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love

to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that

they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received

their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door

and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in

secret will reward you.



"And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for

they think they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like

them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray

then like this:



Our Father who are in heaven,

Hallowed be your name,

Your

kingdom come,

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in

heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our

trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us;

And lead us not

into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For yours is the

kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever.

Amen."



(C) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America





Cheesefare Saturday



Reading from the Synaxarion:



The God-bearing Fathers, after preparing us through the preceding

feasts for the stadium of spiritual struggles, now set before us the men

and women who have passed their lives in a manner pleasing to God, so

that by their example they might make us more eager in the work of

virtue and more courageous against the passions. And as experienced

generals, when they prepare their soldiers for battle, urge their soldiers

on by recalling for them the heroic exploits of excellent men, so

that the soldiers take courage and charge wholeheartedly against the

enemy; even so the God-bearing Fathers do for our sakes now, by

appointing this day as a common memorial and feast of all those Saints who

by many labours overcame the passions and became well-pleasing to

God; so that we too, looking to the life of the righteous, might

imitate them as far as possible in contending courageously against the

passions and accomplishing the virtues, having it always in mind that the

Saints were of the same nature and of like passions with us.



Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

As preachers of true piety who silenced all impiety, Lord, Thou hast

made the whole host of God-bearing Saints shine forth with splendour

on the world. By their prayers and entreaties, keep all them that

extol and sincerely magnify Thee in perfect peace, to chant and to sing

to Thee: Alleluia.



Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA

Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA





Konon the Gardener



Reading from the Synaxarion:



This saint lived during the reign of emperor Decius in 251. He came

from the town of Nazareth. He left his hometown and went to the city

of Mandron, in the province of Pamphylia. There he stayed at a place

called Karmela or Karmena cultivating a garden which he used to water

and plant with various vegetables. From this garden he obtained what

is necessary for life. He had such an upright and simple mind that,

when he met those who wished to arrest him and saw that they greeted

him, he also greeted in return from the bottom of his soul and heart.

When they told him that governor Publius called the saint to go to

him, the saint answered with simplicity: "What does the governor need

me, since I am a Christian? Let him call those who think the way he

does and have the same religion with him." So, the blessed man was

tied and brought to the governor, who tried to move him to sacrifice

to the idols. But the saint sighed from the bottom of his heart,

cursed the tyrant and confirmed his faith in Christ with his confession,

saying that it is not possible to be moved from it even though he might

be tortured cruelly. So, for this reason they nailed his feet and

made the saint run in front of the governor's coach. But the saint

fainted in the street. Having fallen on his knees, he prayed and, thus,

he commended his holy soul to the hands of God.



Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone

Thy Martyr, O Lord, in his courageous contest for Thee received the

prize of the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal

God. For since he possessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants

and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ

God, by his prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.



Kontakion in the Fourth Tone

Through the angelic vision that thou wast granted, thou wast instructed

in the Faith of Christ Jesus and didst receive the power to work

miracles. Wherefore, thou didst utterly quell the demons' presumption, and

didst quench deception's flames in the floods of thy contest. O

righteous Martyr Conon, pray Christ God, the Friend of man to be gracious

unto us all.



Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA

Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA

Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA





Mark the Ascetic



Reading from the Synaxarion:



Saint Mark the Ascetic lived in the fifth century and according to

Nicephorus Callistus was a disciple of Saint John Chrysostom's. Besides his

blameless life of asceticism, Saint Mark was distinguished for his

writings, some of which are preserved in Volume One of the Philokalia. His

writings were held in such great esteem that in old times there was a

saying, "Sell all that thou hast, and buy Mark."



Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA





Righteous Father Mark of Athens



Reading from the Synaxarion:



Of our righteous Fathers commemorated today, Saint Mark of Athens

lived in the fourth century. Born in Athens of pagan parents, he

believed in Christ, was baptized, and forsook the world, living the

eremitical life in extreme privation in the deep wilderness beyond Egypt.

His life is recounted by the monk Serapion, who found Mark in deep

old age and about to depart this lfe, not having seen a man for

ninety-five years. Serapion gave him burial after his blessed repose, even as

Paphnutius had done for Saint Onuphrius (see June 12).



Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA



No comments:

Post a Comment