Friday, May 6, 2011

Greek Orthodox Church Daily Readings For Friday, 29 April

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Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Friday, April 29, 2011



Fast Free



Readings for today:



Acts of the Apostles 3:1-8

John 2:12-22



Feasts and Saints celebrated today:



Renewal Friday: Theotokos of the Lifegiving Font

Jason & Sosipater the Apostles of the 70 & their Companions

Holy Martyr Cercyra

Our Holy Father John of Kaloktenos, Metropolitan of Thebes

Ss. Theocharus and Apostolus of Arte

Basil, Bishop of Montenegro

John of Kaloktenos

Nektarios the New Martyr of Optina





Epistle Reading



The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 3:1-8



IN THOSE DAYS, Peter and John were going up to the temple at the

hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being

carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called

Beautiful to ask alms of those who entered the temple. Seeing Peter and

John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. And Peter

directed his gaze at him, with John, and said, "Look at us." And he fixed

his attention upon them, expecting to receive something from them.

But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I

have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." And he took him

by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and

ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and walked and entered

the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.



(C) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America



Gospel Reading



The reading is from John 2:12-22



At that time, Jesus came to Capernaum with his mother and his

brothers and his disciples; and there they stayed for a few days.



The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and

pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. And making a whip of

cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple;

and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned

their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these

things away; you shall not make my Father's house a house of trade." His

disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume

me." The Jews then said to him, "What sign have you to show us for

doing this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three

days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six

years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?"

But he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised

from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and

they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.



(C) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America





Renewal Friday: Theotokos of the Lifegiving Font



Reading from the Synaxarion:



Outside of Constantinople, towards the district of the Seven Towers,

there was in ancient times a very large and most beautiful church named

in honour of the Theotokos; it had been built about the middle of

the fifth century by the Emperor Leo the Great (also called "Leo of

Thrace," he is commemorated on Jan. 20). Before he became Emperor, he had

encountered there a blind man, who being tormented with thirst asked him to

help him find water. Leo felt compassion for him and went in search

of a source of water but found none. As he became downcast, he

heard a voice telling him there was water nearby. He looked again, and

found none. Then he heard the voice again, this time calling him

"Emperor" and telling him that he would find muddy water in the densely

wooded place nearby; he was to take some water and anoint the blind

man's eyes with it. When he had done this, the blind man received his

sight. After Leo became Emperor as the most holy Theotokos had

prophesied, he raised up a church over the spring, whose waters worked many

healings and cured maladies by the grace of the Theotokos; from this, it

came to be called the "Life-giving Spring." The Church of Christ

celebrates the consecration of this church on this day.



After the fall of the imperial city, this church was razed to the

ground and the materials from it were used for building the mosque of

Sultan Bayezid. Nothing remained of that church's ancient beauty,

except for a small and paltry chapel, almost completely buried in the

ruins. This chapel had twenty-five steps going down into it, and a

transom window on the roof, wherefrom it received a little light. Toward

the western side of the chapel was the aforementioned holy Spring,

fenced about with a railing, and with fish swimming in it. Such was the

condition of the Spring until 1821. Then even that little remnant was

destroyed, occasioned by the uprising of the Greek nation against the

Ottoman Empire; the sacred Spring was buried with it and disappeared

altogether.



But in the days of Sultan Mahmud, when those subject to him were

rejoicing in their freedom to practice their religion, permission was

sought by the Orthodox Christian community to rebuild at least part of

the chapel. Thus the work was begun on July 26, 1833. When the

excavation had been made, and the foundations of the ancient church were

found, there was rebuilt -- by a later writ of permission from the

Sultan -- not merely a chapel of the holy Spring, but another new

church, constructed upon the foundations of the ancient one. The

building of this spacious, beautiful, and most majestic temple began on

September 14, 1833, and the work was completed on December 30, 1834. On

February 2, 1835, the Ecumenical Patriarch Constantine II, serving the

Liturgy together with twelve hierarchs and a great company of clergy, as

well as a boundless multitude of Christians, performed the

consecration of this sacred church and dedicated it to the glory of the Mother

of God. On September 6, 1955, however, it was desecrated and

destroyed again by the Moslem Turks; it has been restored again, but not to

the former magnificence.



Apolytikion in the Third Tone

As a life-giving fount, thou didst conceive the Dew that is

transcendent in essence, O Virgin Maid, and thou hast welled forth for our

sakes the nectar of joy eternal, which doth pour forth from thy fount

with the water that springeth up unto everlasting life in unending and

mighty streams; wherein, taking delight, we all cry out: Rejoice, O

thou Spring of life for all men.



Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

O Lady graced by God, you reward me by letting gush forth, beyond

reason, the ever-flowing waters of your grace from your perpetual Spring.

I entreat you, who bore the Logos, in a manner beyond

comprehension, to refresh me in your grace that I may cry out, "Hail redemptive

waters."



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

Reading (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery

Apolytikion (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery

Kontakion (c) Narthex Press





Jason & Sosipater the Apostles of the 70 & their Companions



Reading from the Synaxarion:



Both of these Saints were disciples of the Apostle Paul, who mentions

them in his Epistle to the Romans, saying: "Jason and Sosipater my

kinsmen greet you" (16:21). Jason was from Tarsus of Cilicia, and became

bishop there. Sosipater was from Patras of Achaia, and became Bishop of

Iconium. When they had shepherded their churches well for a long time,

they departed west that they might profit others also, and arrived

finally at the island of Corfu, where they were the first to preach the

Gospel to its people. They suffered many things for Christ's Name, drew

many souls to salvation, and finished the course of their life there.

In the ancient city of Corfu, a church from the first centuries,

built in their honour and bearing inscriptions that mention the Saints

by name, verifies the historical account concerning them.



Apolytikion in the Third Tone

O Holy Apostles, intercede with the merciful God that He grant unto

our souls forgiveness of offenses.



Kontakion in the Second Tone

Being illuminated with the teachings of Paul, ye became luminaries unto

the whole world, O thrice-blessed ones; for ye ever shine upon the

world with miracles, O Jason, thou fountain of healings, and Sosipater,

thou glory of the Martyrs of Christ. O God-bearing Apostles, ye

protectors of them that be in need, entreat God that our souls be saved.



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

Reading (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery

Apolytikion (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery

Kontakion (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery

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