Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Wednesday of the Thirty-Sixth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Philippians [§ 237].

1 ¹²Brethren, I wish you to know that the things concerning me have come rather to the advancement of the Gospel, ¹³so that my bonds in Christ have become manifest in all the Prætorium, and to all the rest; ¹⁴and the majority of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my bonds, more abundantly dare to speak the word without fear. ¹⁵Some on the one hand proclaim Christ even because of envy and strife, but some on the other hand also because of good will: ¹⁶The former announce Christ out of factiousness, not purely, supposing to bring affliction to my bonds; ¹⁷but the latter out of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the Gospel. ¹⁸What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is announced. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will be rejoicing. ¹⁹For I know that this shall turn out to my salvation through your entreaty, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, ²⁰according to mine earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing shall I be ashamed, but in all boldness, as always, also now Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 21]. At that time:

5 ³³The Pharisees came to Jesus and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John fast often and make entreaties, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Thine eat and drink?” ³⁴And He said to them, “Ye are not able to make the sons of the bridechamber fast while the bridegroom is with them, are ye? ³⁵“But days will come, whenever the bridegroom shall have been taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.” ³⁶And He was also telling them a parable: “No one putteth a patch of a new garment on an old garment; otherwise both the new garment teareth and the patch that is from the new doth not agree with the old. ³⁷“And no one putteth new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the wineskins, and it will be poured out, and the wineskins will be destroyed. ³⁸“But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. ³⁹“And no one, having drunk old wine, straightway doth wish new; for he saith, ‘The old is better.’”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of our holy and venerable Father Ephraim the Syrian.

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Galatians [§ 213]. Brethren:

5 ²²The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, ²³meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴But they who are of the Christ crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts. ²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also be walking by the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

6 ¹Brethren, even if a man should be overtaken in some transgression, ye, the spiritual ones, be restoring such a one in the spirit of meekness, looking out for thyself, lest thou also be tempted. ²Keep on bearing one another’s burdens, and thus fill up the law of the Christ.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 24]. At that time:

6 ¹⁷Jesus stood upon a level place. And there was a crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all of Judæa and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases— ¹⁸even those who were troubled by unclean spirits; and they were cured. ¹⁹And all the crowd was seeking to touch Him, for power was coming forth from Him and healing all. ²⁰And He lifted up His eyes to His disciples, and began to say:
   “Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
   ²¹“Blessed are ye who hunger now, for ye shall be filled.
Blessed are ye who weep now, for ye shall laugh.
   ²²“Blessed are ye whenever men hate you, and whenever they separate you, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man.
   ²³“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in the heavens.”

for Sl. usage, see [Mt. 11:27-30].

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

February 10th – Civil Calendar
January 28th – Church Calendar

1. Our Holy Father Ephraim the Syrian.

Born in Syria of poor parents in the reign of the Emperor Constantine the Great, his early youth was spent somewhat tempestuously, but he suddenly underwent a spiritual crisis and began to burn with love for the Lord Jesus. He was a disciple of St. Jacob of Nisibis (Jan. 13th). By the great grace of God, wisdom flowed from his tongue like a stream of honey and from his eyes tears flowed unceasingly; so much so, that his eyelashes fell out. Loving work like a bee, Ephraim was constantly either writing books or teaching the monks in the monastery or the people in the city of Edessa, or was giving himself to prayer and contemplation. His books are numerous; his prayers are beautiful. The best-known of the latter is the prayer in the Great Fast: ‘O Lord and Master of my life...’ When they wished to take him by force and make him bishop, he feigned madness and began to run through the city of Edessa, trailing his garments along behind him. Seeing him mad, they left him in peace. He was a contemporary and friend of St. Basil the Great. St. Ephraim was especially the apostle of repentance. Even today his writings soften many hearts, strengthen them against sin and turn them back to Christ. He entered into rest at a great age in 373.

2. Our Holy Father Isaac the Syrian.

Born in Nineveh, he began at an early age to live the ascetic life in the monastery of Mar-Matthew near Nineveh. When he became known for his holy life and miracles, he was chosen as bishop of Nineveh and forced to accept this state. But after only five months he left his episcopate and fled secretly to the desert monastery of Rabban-Shapur. He was the author of many works, of which about a hundred homilies on the spiritual life and asceticism, written mainly from his own experience, have come down to us. He was without equal as a writer and guide in the spiritual life. He entered into rest at a great age at the end of the seventh century.

3. Our Holy Father Palladios.

He was a Syrian hermit, a great ascetic and wonder-worker. One morning the corpse of a rich man whom brigands had killed and robbed was found lying outside his cell. Palladios was tried for this crime, and in order to clear up the difficulty, prayed to God and by his prayers raised up the dead man. He entered into rest during the fourth century.

4. Our Holy Father Ephraim of the Kiev Caves.

St. Ephraim instituted the Feast of the Translation of the Relics of St. Nicholas to Bari on May 9th. He departed this life in 1096.

FOR CONSIDERATION

The saints’ freedom from envy is a wonderful phenomenon. The saints not only did not allow envy to conquer their hearts, but exerted themselves greatly to ensure that their friends be exalted and they themselves debased. When St. Hilarion of Palestine once visited St. Anthony in Egypt, St. Anthony exclaimed: ‘Welcome, O morning star!’ To this, St. Hilarion replied: ‘And greetings to thee, thou pillar of light that supports the universe.’ When St. Makarios was praised as a monk, the saint replied: ‘Forgive me, my brethren! I am not a monk, but I have seen those who are.’ When some people told St. Sisoës that he was the equal of St. Anthony in perfection, he replied: ‘Were I to have but one single thought such as Anthony’s, I would be all of flame.’

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.