Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Monday of the Thirty-Sixth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Philippians [§ 235]. Brethren:

1 ¹Paul and Timothy, slaves of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: ²Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, ⁴always in every entreaty of mine making the entreaty with joy for you all, ⁵for your communion in the Gospel from the first day until now, ⁶being persuaded of this very thing, that the One Who began a good work in you will bring it to perfection until the day of Jesus Christ; ⁷even as it is right for me to think this on behalf of you all, because I have you in my heart, in both my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel, ye all are my fellow partakers of the grace.

Gospel

Sl. usage begins, Lk. 4:37-44, as follows:

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 16]. At that time, Jesus entered into Simon’s house:

4 ³⁷And a resounding report kept on going forth into every place of the country round about.

³⁸...And the mother-in-law of Simon was constrained by a great fever, and they besought Him for her. ^39-44[See herein below.]

Gk. usage begins, Lk. 4:38-44, as follows:

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke. At that time:

4 ³⁸Jesus entered into the house of Simon. And the mother-in-law of Simon was constrained by a great fever, and they besought Him for her.

³⁹And He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and began to minister to them. ⁴⁰Now at the setting of the sun, all, as many as had those who were sick with various diseases, brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on each one of them, and cured them. ⁴¹And demons also came out from many, crying out and saying, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of God.” And He, rebuking them, suffered them not to talk, for they knew Him to be the Christ. ⁴²And it having become day, He came out and went forth into a desolate place; and the crowds were seeking after Him. And they came up to Him and tried to hold Him back, so that He should not go from them. ⁴³But He said to them, “There is need for Me to preach the good tidings of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; because for this have I been sent forth.” ⁴⁴And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of our righteous Father Xenophon and his wife, Mary, and their two sons, Arcadios and John, of Constantinople.

No readings given.

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

February 8th – Civil Calendar
January 26th – Church Calendar

1. Our Holy Father Xenophon and our Mother Maria, and their sons John and Arkadios.

They were rich and respected citizens of Constantinople. Xenophon and Maria lived godly lives, and made every effort to give their sons a Christian upbringing. When the boys were grown, their parents sent them to Beirut to study, but a storm capsized their ship. By God’s providence, both John and Arkadios were somehow saved and thrown onto the shore by the waves; in two separate places, however, so that each thought the other had perished. Out of grief for each other, they became monks in two different monasteries. After two years of mourning, their parents traveled to Jerusalem to venerate the holy places. There, helped by the insight of a holy man, the brothers were first united with each other and then with their parents. Out of gratitude to God, Xenophon and Maria gave away all their goods to the poor and both embraced the monastic state. This touching story of these four holy souls demonstrates clearly how the Lord guides most wonderfully the destinies of those who believe in Him; how He looses on them trials and sorrows, that they may later, yet more greatly strengthened in their faith, experience the greater joy. They lived and died in the fifth century.

2. Our Holy Father Simeon the Ancient.

A friend and companion of St. Palladios, he lived in asceticism in a cave from his early youth right up to his death. He founded two monasteries and entered into rest in the Lord in the year 390. He was named ‘the Ancient’ by St. Simeon the Stylite, who lived somewhat later.

3. St. David, King of Georgia (1089-1130).

He restored and strengthened Georgia as a country. He was a great zealot for the Christian Faith. He built many new churches throughout Georgia, and restored ancient ones. He is regarded as the regenerator of Orthodoxy in Georgia.

FOR CONSIDERATION

The greatest blessing any country can have is that of good and holy men living within it. Compared with this blessing, all other blessings are as nothing. Devout Christian kings regarded holy people in their lands as the greatest blessing from God. The holy Emperor Constantine the Great said: ‘We bless the Lord Jesus Christ that there exists in my day three glorious saints: the blessed Abba Anthony, Abba Elenius and Abba Efchius.’ Before the Battle of Kulikovo, a battle significant for Russia, the devout Prince Dimitri of the Don went off with his chief advisors and commanders to the forest of Radonezh to seek St. Sergius and beg his prayers. And although the prince prepared his armies for the war of liberation from the Tartars, he placed greater confidence in the prayers of one holy man than in a vast army and many weapons.

Daily Scripture Readings taken from The Orthodox New Testament, translated and published by Holy Apostles Convent, Buena Vista, Colorado, copyright © 2000, used with permission, all rights reserved.

Daily Prologue Readings taken from The Prologue of Ochrid, by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic, translated by Mother Maria, published by Lazarica Press, Birmingham, England, copyright © 1985, all rights reserved. Edited by Dormition Skete.