Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Greek Orthodox Church Daily Readings For Wednesday, 18 May

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Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Wednesday, May 18, 2011



Fast Day (Wine and Oil Allowed)



Readings for today:



Acts of the Apostles 14:6-18

John 7:14-30



Feasts and Saints celebrated today:



4th Wednesday after Pascha - Mid-Pentecost

Holy Martyrs: Peter, Dionysius, Andrew, Paul, Christina, Heraclius, Paulinus and Benedimus

Julian the Martyr

Euphrasia the Martyr of Nicea





Epistle Reading



The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 14:6-18



IN THOSE DAYS, the apostles fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of

Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country; and there they preached the

gospel. Now at Lystra there was a man sitting, who could not use his

feet; he was a cripple from birth, who had never walked. He listened to

Paul speaking; and Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he

had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, "Stand upright

on your feet." And he sprang up and walked. And when the crowds

saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in

Lycaonian, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!"

Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, because he was the chief speaker,

they called Hermes. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front

of the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to

offer sacrifice with the people. But when the apostles Barnabas and

Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out among the

multitude, crying, "Men, why are you doing this? We also are men, of

like nature with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn

from these vain things to a living God who made the heaven and the

earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he

allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways; yet he did not leave

himself without witness, for he did good and gave you from heaven rains

and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and

gladness." With these words they scarcely restrained the people from

offering sacrifice to them.



(c) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America



Gospel Reading



The reading is from John 7:14-30



About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.

The Jews marveled at it saying, "How is it that this man has

learning, when he has never studied?" So Jesus answered them, "My teaching

is not mine, but his who sent me; if any man's will is to do his

will, he shall know whether the teacher is from God or whether I am

speaking on my own authority. He who speaks on his own authority seeks his


own glory; but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true,

and in him there is not falsehood. Did not Moses give you the law?

Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?" The

people answered, "You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?" Jesus

answered them, "I did one deed, and you all marvel at it. Moses gave you

circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you

circumcise a man upon the sabbath. If on the sabbath a man receives

circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me

because on the sabbath I made a man's whole body well? Do not judge by

appearances, but judge with right judgment."



Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, "Is not this the man

whom they seek to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, and they say

nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is

the Christ? Yet we know where this man comes from; and when the

Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from." So Jesus

proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I

come from? But I have not come of my own accord; he who sent me is

true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he

sent me." So they sought to arrest him; but no one laid hands on him,

because his hour had not yet come.



(c) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America





4th Wednesday after Pascha - Mid-Pentecost



Reading from the Synaxarion:



After the Saviour had miraculously healed the paralytic, the Jews,

especially the Pharisees and Scribes, were moved with envy and persecuted

Him, and sought to slay Him, using the excuse that He did not keep the

Sabbath, since He worked miracles on that day. Jesus then departed to

Galilee. About the middle of the Feast of Tabernacles, He went up again to

the Temple and taught. The Jews, marvelling at the wisdom of His

words, said, "How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" But

Christ first reproached their unbelief and lawlessness, then proved to

them by the Law that they sought to slay Him unjustly, supposedly as a

despiser of the Law, since He had healed the paralytic on the Sabbath.

Therefore, since the things spoken by Christ in the middle of the Feast of

Tabernacles are related to the Sunday of the Paralytic that is just passed,

and since we have already reached the midpoint of the fifty days

between Pascha and Pentecost, the Church has appointed this present feast

as a bond between the two great feasts, thereby uniting, as it were,

the two into one, and partaking of the grace of them both. Therefore

today's feast is called Mid-Pentecost, and the Gospel Reading, "At

Mid-feast"--though it refers to the Feast of Tabernacles--is used.



It should be noted that there were three great Jewish feasts: the

Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Passover was celebrated

on the 15th of Nisan, the first month of the Jewish calendar, which

coincides roughly with our March. This feast commemorated that day on which

the Hebrews were commanded to eat the lamb in the evening and anoint

the doors of their houses with its blood. Then, having escaped

bondage and death at the hands of the Egyptians, they passed through the

Red Sea to come to the Promised Land. It is also called "the Feast of

Unleavened Bread," because they ate unleavened bread for seven days.

Pentecost was celebrated fifty days after the Passover, first of all,


because the Hebrew tribes had reached Mount Sinai after leaving Egypt,

and there received the Law from God; secondly, it was celebrated to

commemorate their entry into the Promised Land, where also they ate bread,

after having been fed with manna forty years in the desert. Therefore,

on this day they offered to God a sacrifice of bread prepared with

new wheat. Finally, they also celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles

from the 15th to the 22nd of "the seventh month," which corresponds

roughly to our September. During this time, they live in booths made of

branches in commemoration of the forty years they spent in the desert,

living in tabernacles, that is, tents (Ex. 12:10-20; Lev. 23).



Apolytikion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

At Mid-feast give Thou my thirsty soul to drink of the waters of

piety; for Thou, O Saviour, didst cry out to all: Whosoever is thirsty,

let him come to Me and drink. Wherefore, O Well-spring of life,

Christ our God, glory be to Thee.



Kontakion in the Fourth Tone

O sovereign Master and Creator of all things, O Christ our God,

Thou didst cry unto those present at the Judaic Mid-feast and address

them thus: Come and draw the water of immortality freely. Wherefore,

we fall down before Thee and faithfully cry out: Grant Thy

compassions unto us, O Lord, for Thou are truly the Wellspring of life for

all.



This content is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved:

Reading (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA

Apolytikion (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA

Kontakion (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA





Holy Martyrs: Peter, Dionysius, Andrew, Paul, Christina, Heraclius, Paulinus and Benedimus



Reading from the Synaxarion:



These Saints all contested in martyrdom during the reign of Decius

(249-251)- Peter was from Lampsacus in the Hellespont. For refusing to offer

sacrifice to the idol of Aphrodite, his whole body was crushed and broken

with chains and pieces of wood on a torture-wheel; having endured this

torment courageously, he gave up his soul.



Paul and Andrew were soldiers from Mesopotamia brought to Athens with

their governor, there they were put in charge of two captive

Christians, Dionysios and Christina. The soldiers, seeing the beauty of the

virgin Christina, attempted to move her to commit sin with them, but she

refused and, by her admonitions, brought them to faith in Christ. They

and Dionysios were stoned to death, and Christina was beheaded.



Heraclius, Paulinus, and Benedimus were Athenians, and preachers of the

Gospel who turned many of the heathen from their error to the light of

Christ. Brought before the governor, they confessed their Faith, and

after many torments were beheaded.

Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone


Thy Martyrs, O Lord, in their courageous contest for Thee received as

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

God. For since they possessed Thy strength, they cast down the

tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O

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



Kontakion in the Fourth Tone

Ye were born of earth, and came from divers cities, but became the

citizens of that blest city in the heights, being united in one great

choir, O stalwart Martyrs who championed the Trinity.



This content is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved:

Reading (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA

Apolytikion (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA

Kontakion (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA

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