Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Greek Orthodox Church in America Daily Scripture Readings for Monday, 13 February 2012

From goarch.com:

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Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Monday, February 13, 2012

Readings for today:

    St. John's First Universal Letter 2:18-29; 3:1-8
    Mark 11:1-11

Feasts and Saints celebrated today:

      Meatfare Monday 
    Martinianos the Righteous
    Aquilla & Priscilla the Apostles
    Eulogios, Patriarch of Alexandria
    Symeon the Myrrhbearer of Serbia


Epistle Reading

The reading is from St. John's First Universal Letter 2:18-29; 3:1-8

Brethren, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that it is the last hour.  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that it might be plain that they all are not of us.  But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all know that I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and know that no lie is of the truth.  Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?  This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.  No one who denies the Son has the Father.  He who confesses the Son has the Father also.  Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you.  If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father.  And this is what he has promised us, eternal life.

I write this to you about those who would deceive you; but the anointing which you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you; as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in him.

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.  If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that every one who does right is born of him.

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.  The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Every one who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.  You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.  No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him.  Little children, let no one deceive you.  He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous.  He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning.  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 

    (c) 2012 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Gospel Reading

The reading is from Mark 11:1-11

At that time, as Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, and said to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat; untie it and bring it.  If any one says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.'"  And they went away, and found a colt tied at the door out in the open street; and they untied it.  And those who stood there said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?"  And they told them what Jesus had said; and they let them go.  And they brought the colt to Jesus, and threw their garments on it; and he sat upon it.  And many spread their garments on the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields.  And those who went before and those who followed cried out, "Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Blessed
  is the kingdom of our father David that is coming!  Hosanna in the highest!"  And he entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple; and when he had looked round at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

    (c) 2012 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America


Martinianos the Righteous

Reading from the Synaxarion:

Saint Martinianos, who was from Caesarea of Palestine, flourished about the beginning of the fifth century.  He struggled in the wilderness from his youth.  After he had passed twenty-five years in asceticism, the devil brought a temptation upon him through a harlot, who when she heard the Saint praised for his virtue, determined to try his virtue, or rather, to undo it.  Coming to his cell by night as it rained, and saying she had lost her way, she begged with pitiful cries to be admitted in for the night, lest she fall prey to wild beasts.  Moved with compassion, and not wishing to be guilty of her death should anything befall her, he allowed her to enter.  When she began to seduce him, and the fire of desire began to burn in his heart, he kindled a fire and stepped into it, burning his body, but saving his soul from the fire of Gehenna.  And she, brought to her senses by this, repented, and, following his counsel, went to Bethlehem to a certain virgin named Paula, with who
m she lived in fasting and prayer; before her death, she was deemed worthy of the gift of wonder-working.  Saint Martinianos, when he recovered from the burning, resolved to go to some more solitary place, and took a ship to a certain island, where he struggled in solitude for a number of years.  Then a young maiden who had suffered a shipwreck came ashore on his island.  Not wishing to fall into temptation again, he departed, and passed his remaining time as a wanderer, coming to the end of his life in Athens.

Apolytikion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone
Thou didst quench the flame of temptation with the streams of thy tears, O blessed Martinianos; and having checked the waves of the sea and the attacks of wild beasts, thou didst cry out:  Most glorious art Thou, O Almighty One, Who hast saved me from fire and tempest. 


Kontakion in the Second Tone
As is meet, let us praise with hymns the ever-venerable Martinianos as a tried ascetic that struggled for piety, as an honorable athlete by deliberate choice, and a resolute citizen and inhabitant of the desert; for he hath trodden upon the serpent.


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 


Aquilla & Priscilla the Apostles

Apolytikion in the Third Tone
O Holy Apostles, intercede with the merciful God that He grant unto our souls forgiveness of offenses.


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


Symeon the Myrrhbearer of Serbia

Reading from the Synaxarion:

Saint Symeon (in the world, the ruler Stephen Nemanja), after capably governing Serbia in piety, wisdom, and justice for many years during the second half of the twelfth century, renounced all rule and earthly glory to become a monk, to struggle in fasting and prayer.  Thereafter he went to the Holy Mountain Athos where, together with his son Saint Sabbas (see Jan. 14), he founded the Monastery of Hilandar.  After his death, a fragrant and healing myrrh came forth from his holy relics.  When Stephen Nemanja put on the monastic habit with the name of Symeon, his wife Anna followed his example, receiving the monastic name of Anastasia; she is commemorated as a Saint on June 21.

Apolytikion in the Third Tone
Illumined by divine grace, even after death thou dost make manifest the radiance of thy life; for thou pourest forth fragrant myrrh for them that have recourse to the shrine of the relics.  Thou didst also guide thy people to the light of the knowledge of God.  O our Father Symeon, entreat Christ God that we be granted great mercy.


Kontakion in the Plagal of the Second Tone
Living the angelic life on this earth, thou didst abandon the world and worldly dominion and didst follow Christ by fasting, O Symeon.  In an apostolic manner, thou didst guide unto Christ them that loved thee and didst cry:  Love ye the Lord even as He hath loved you.


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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