Saturday, February 11, 2012

Greek Orthodox Church in America Daily Scripture Readings for Monday, 6 February 2012

From goarch.com:

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Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Monday, February 6, 2012

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Readings for today:

    St. Peter's Second Universal Letter 1:20-21; 2:1-9
    Mark 13:9-13

Feasts and Saints celebrated today:

      Monday of Prodigal Son 
    Photios, Patriarch of Constantinople
    Bucolos, Bishop of Smyrna
    Barsonouphios the Great
    Afterfeast of the Presentation of Our Lord and Savior in the Temple


Epistle Reading

The reading is from St. Peter's Second Universal Letter 1:20-21; 2:1-9

Beloved, first of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.  And many will follow their licentiousness, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled.  And in their greed they will exploit you with false words; from of old their condemnation has not been idle, and their destruction has not been asleep.

For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of nether gloom to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven other persons, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction and made them an example to those who were to be ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the licentiousness of the wicked (for by what that righteous man saw and heard as he lived among them, he was vexed in his righteous soul day after day with their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment.

    (c) 2012 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Gospel Reading

The reading is from Mark 13:9-13

The Lord said to his disciples, "Take heed to yourselves; for they will deliver you up to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say; but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved."

    (c) 2012 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America


Photios, Patriarch of Constantinople

Reading from the Synaxarion:

As for the thrice-blessed Photios, the great and most resplendent Father and teacher of the Church, the Confessor of the Faith and Equal to the Apostles, he lived during the years of the emperors Michael (the son of Theophilus), Basil the Macedonian, and Leo his son.  He was the son of pious parents, Sergius and Irene, who suffered for the Faith under the Iconoclast Emperor Theophilus; he was also a nephew of Saint Tarasius, Patriarch of Constantinople (see Feb. 25).  He was born in Constantinople, where he excelled in the foremost imperial ministries, while ever practicing a virtuous and godly life.  An upright and honorable man of singular learning and erudition, he was raised to the apostolic, ecumenical, and patriarchal throne of Constantinople in the year 857.

The many struggles that this thrice-blessed one undertook for the Orthodox Faith against the Manichaeans, the Iconoclasts, and other heretics, and the attacks and assaults that he endured from Nicholas I, the haughty and ambitious Pope of Rome, and the great persecutions and distresses he suffered, are beyond number.  Contending against the Latin error of the filioque, that is, the doctrine that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son, he demonstrated clearly with his Mystagogy on the Holy Spirit how the filioque destroys the unity and equality of the Trinity.  He has left us many theological writings, panegyric homilies, and epistles, including one to Boris, the Sovereign of Bulgaria, in which he set forth for him the history and teachings of the Seven Ecumenical Councils.  Having tended the Church of Christ in holiness and in an evangelical manner, and with fervent zeal having rooted out all the tares of every alien teaching, he departed to the Lord in the
  Monastery of the Armenians on February 6, 891.

Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
Since thou wast of like ways with the Apostles, and a teacher of the world, O Photius, entreat the Master of all, that peace be granted unto the world and great mercy to our souls.


Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone
Far-reaching beacon of the Church and God, inspired Guide of the Orthodox, you are now crowned with the flowers of song.  You are the divine words of the Spirit's harp, the strong adversary of heresy and to whom we cry, "Hail all-honorable Photios."


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) Narthex Press 


Bucolos, Bishop of Smyrna

Reading from the Synaxarion:

Saint Bucolus was ordained by John the Evangelist; having made many pagans to be sons of the day through holy Baptism, he left Polycarp as his successor to the bishopric of Smyrna, and reposed in peace.

Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, an icon of meekness, and a teacher of temperance; for this cause, thou hast achieved the heights by humility, riches by poverty. O Father and Hierarch Bucolos, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.


Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone
We all acclaim thee as a hierarch of the Church of Christ and a disciple of His ven'rable disciples' choir, but especially of him that was His belov'd one.  O wise Father, pray the Saviour for us lauding thee, that He save us from all need and all adversity; for we cry to thee:  Rejoice, O thrice-blessed Bucolos.


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 


Barsonouphios the Great

Reading from the Synaxarion:

Saint Barsonouphios the Great, who was from Egypt, and his disciple, Saint John the Prophet, struggled in very strict reclusion during the sixth century at the monastery of Abba Seridus at Gaza of Palestine, and were endowed with amazing gifts of prophecy and spiritual discernment.  They are mentioned by Saint Dorotheus of Gaza, their disciple, in his writings.  Many of the counsels they sent to Christians who wrote to them are preserved in the book which bears their names.  Once certain of the Fathers besought Saint Barsonouphios to pray that God stay His wrath and spare the world.  Saint Barsonouphios wrote back that there were "three men perfect before God," whose prayers met at the throne of God and protected the whole world; to them it had been revealed that the wrath of God would not last long.  These three, he said,  were "John of Rome, Elias of Corinth, and another in the diocese of Jerusalem," concealing the name of the last, since it was himself.

Apolytikion in the First Tone
Divine and tuneful harps of the Holy Spirit's myst'ries, sounding forth sweet hymns of discernment which soothe all those in sorrows:  ye moved men to cast off passion's yoke and trample upon Satan's loathsome head.  Wherefore, Godlike Barsonouphios and wise John, deliver us who now cry out:  Glory to Him that hath given you grace.  Glory to Him that hath blessed you.  Glory to Him that hath saved many through your sacred words of counsel.  


Kontakion in the Third Tone
O Great Barsonouphios and John, thou marvellous Prophet, all the hidden secrets of men and God's dispensation brightly shone in the clear mirrors of your most pure hearts; and with beams of grace divine, ye cast out sin's shadows from the souls of men; O Fathers, lights of discernment, entreat the Lord for us 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 


Afterfeast of the Presentation of Our Lord and Savior in the Temple

Apolytikion in the First Tone
Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, O Virgin Theotokos, for from thee hath risen the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, enlightening those in darkness.  Rejoice, thou also, O righteous Elder, as thou receivest in thine arms the Redeemer of our souls, Who also granteth unto us the Resurrection.


This content is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved:
    Apolytikion (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA 

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