Saturday, February 25, 2012

Greek Orthodox Church in America Daily Scripture Readings for Sunday, 26 February 2012

From  goarch.com:

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Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Sunday, February 26, 2012

Fast Day (Dairy, Eggs, and Fish Allowed)

Feasts and Saints celebrated today:

      Forgiveness Sunday 
    Porphyrios, Bishop of Gaza
    Photini the Samaritan Woman & her martyred sisters: Anatole, Phota, Photis, Paraskevi, & Kyriaki
    Holy Martyr Theocletus
    John Claphas the new Martyr


Readings for today:

    Luke 24:1-12
    St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 13:11-14; 14:1-4
    Matthew 6:14-21


Forgiveness Sunday 

Reading from the Synaxarion:

The Holy Fathers have appointed the commemoration of Adam's exile from the Paradise of delight here, on the eve of the holy Forty-day Fast, demonstrating to us not by simple words, but by actual deeds, how beneficial fasting is for man, and how harmful and destructive are insatiety and the transgressing of the divine commandments.  For the first commandment that God gave to man was that of fasting, which the first-fashioned received but did not keep; and not only did they not become gods, as they had imagined, but they lost even that blessed life which they had, and they fell into corruption and death, and transmitted these and innumerable other evils to all of mankind.  The God-bearing Fathers set these things before us today, that by bringing to mind what we have fallen from, and what we have suffered because of the insatiety and disobedience of the first-fashioned, we might be diligent to return again to that ancient bliss and glory by means of fasting and obedience to all
  the divine commands.  Taking occasion from today's Gospel (Matt. 6:14-21) to begin the Fast unencumbered by enmity, we also ask forgiveness this day, first from God, then from one another and all creation.

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
When the women Disciples of the Lord had learned from the Angel the joyful message of the Resurrection and had rejected the ancestral decision, they cried aloud to the Apostles triumphantly: Death has been despoiled, Christ God has risen, granting His great mercy to the world.


Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal of the Second Tone
O Master, Prudence, Guide of Wisdom, Instruction to the foolish and Defender of the poor, strengthen my heart and grant it discernment.  Give me words, Word of the Father, for behold, I shall not keep my lips from crying out to You, "O Merciful One, have mercy on me who has fallen."


Resurrectional Kontakion in the Fourth Tone
Savior and Deliverer is He who raised up from the tomb and from the bonds those born on earth, for He is God; and He destroyed Hades' bars and gates, and on the third day arose, as the Master of all. 


This content is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved:
    Reading (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA 
    Resurrectional Apolytikion (c) Fr. Seraphim Dedes 
    Seasonal Kontakion (c) Narthex Press 
    Resurrectional Kontakion (c) Fr. Seraphim Dedes 


Porphyrios, Bishop of Gaza

Reading from the Synaxarion:

Saint Porphyrios had Thessalonica as his homeland.  He became a monk in Scete of Egypt, where he lived for five years.  He went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, after which he spent five years in much affliction in a cave near the Jordan.  Stricken with a disease of the liver, he departed to Jerusalem, where he was ordained presbyter and appointed Keeper of the Cross at the age of 45.  Three years later he was made Bishop of Gaza.  He suffered much from the rulers and pagans of Gaza; but with the friendship of Saint John Chrysostom, and the patronage of the Empress Eudoxia, he razed the temple of the idol Marnas in Gaza and built a great church to the glory of God.  He reposed in 450.

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 Porphyrios, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.


Kontakion in the Second Tone
Arrayed with a most sacred life, thou wast adorned with the priestly vestment, O all-blessed and godly-minded Porphyrios; and thou art conspicuous for miracles of healing, interceding unceasingly 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 


Photini the Samaritan Woman & her martyred sisters: Anatole, Phota, Photis, Paraskevi, & Kyriaki

Reading from the Synaxarion:

Saint Photini was the Samaritan Woman who encountered Christ our Saviour at Jacob's Well (John 4:1-42).  Afterwards she laboured in the spread of the Gospel in various places, and finally received the crown of martyrdom in Rome with her two sons and five sisters, during the persecutions under the Emperor Nero.

Apolytikion in the Third Tone
All illumined by the Holy Spirit, thou didst drink with great and ardent longing of the waters Christ Saviour gave unto thee; and with the streams of salvation wast thou refreshed, which thou abundantly gavest to those athirst.  O Great Martyr and true peer of Apostles, Photini, entreat Christ God to grant great mercy unto us.


Kontakion in the Third Tone
Photini the glorious, the crown and glory of the Martyrs, hath this day ascended to the shining mansions of Heaven, and she calleth all together to sing her praises, that they might be recompensed with her hallowed graces.  Let us all with faith and longing extol her gladly in hymns of triumph and joy.


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 



Orthros Gospel Reading

The reading is from Luke 24:1-12

On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared.  And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body.  While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered in to the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise."  And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.  Now it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened.

    (c) 2012 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Epistle Reading

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 13:11-14; 14:1-4

Brethren, salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand.  Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions.  One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables.  Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him.  Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?  It is before his own master that he stands or falls.  And he will be upheld, for God is able to make him stand. 

    (c) 2012 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Gospel Reading

The reading is from Matthew 6:14-21

The Lord said, "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

"And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men.  Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.  But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

    (c) 2012 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

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