Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Wednesday of the Seventh Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the First Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians [§ 137]. Brethren:

7 ¹²If any brother hath an unbelieving wife, and she consenteth to dwell with him, let him not leave her. ¹³And a woman who hath an unbelieving husband, and he consenteth to dwell with her, let her not leave him. ¹⁴For the unbelieving husband hath been sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife hath been sanctified in the husband; for otherwise then your children are unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵But if the unbelieving separate himself, let him separate himself. The brother or sister hath not been placed under bondage in such cases. But God hath called us in peace. ¹⁶For how knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? Or how knowest thou, O husband, whether thou shalt save thy wife? ¹⁷Only as God distributed to each, as the Lord hath called each, so let him be walking. And thus I prescribe in all the churches. ¹⁸Was anyone called who hath been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. ¹⁹Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God. ²⁰Each one in the calling in which he was called, in this let him abide. ²¹Wast thou called being a slave? Let it not be a care to thee; but if thou art able to become free, use it rather. ²²For he who is called in the Lord, being a slave, is the Lord’s freedman; and likewise also he who is called, being free, is a slave of Christ. ²³Ye were bought with a price; cease making yourselves slaves of men. ²⁴Wherein each was called, brethren, in this let him abide with God.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 60]. At that time:

14 ³⁵After the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought to Him all those who were ill. ³⁶And they besought Him that they might only touch the fringe of His garment; and as many as touched were made to recover.

15 ¹Then the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, ²“Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands whenever they eat bread.” ³And He answered and said to them, “Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God on account of your tradition? ⁴“For God commanded, saying, ‘Be honoring thy father and thy mother [Ex. 20:12]’; and, ‘the one who speaketh evil of father or mother, let him come to an end by death [cf. Ex. 21:16].’ ⁵“But ye say, ‘Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, “Whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me is a votive gift”—then in no wise shall he be bound to honor his father or his mother’; ⁶“and thus ye invalidate the commandment of God on account of your tradition. ⁷“Hypocrites! Well did Esaias prophesy concerning you, saying, ⁸“‘This people draweth nigh to Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. ⁹“‘And in vain they reverence Me, teaching as precepts the commandments of men [cf. Is. 29:13].’” ¹⁰And He called the crowd and said to them, “Be ye hearing and understanding: ¹¹“Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which goeth forth out of the mouth, this defileth the man.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of the holy Apostle Aquila of the Seventy.

14, 15. The commemoration of the Martyrs Julitta and her child Kyrikos.

According to Gk. usage, this service is commemorated on the 15^th of July.

According to Sl. usage, the service to these saints has been transferred from the 15^th to the 14^th of July, due to the commemoration of St. Vladimir on the 15^th of July.

Epistle

14. The commemoration of the holy Apostle Aquila of the Seventy.

No reading given.

14, 15. The commemoration of the Martyrs Julitta and her child Kyrikos.

According to Gk. usage, this service is commemorated on the 15^th of July.

According to Sl. usage, the service to these saints has been transferred from the 15^th to the 14^th of July, due to the commemoration of St. Vladimir on the 15^th of July.

The Reading is from the First Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians [§ mid 154]. Brethren:

13 ¹¹When I was an infant, as an infant I used to talk, as an infant I used to understand, as an infant I used to reason; but when I became a man, I did away with the things of the infant. ¹²For now we see by means of a mirror, darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall fully know even as I also was fully known. ¹³And there now abideth faith, hope, love, these three things; but the greatest of these is love.

14 ¹Keep on pursuing love and emulously desiring spiritual gifts, but much more that ye may prophesy. ²For the one who speaketh in a tongue, speaketh not to men, but to God; for no one heareth, but in spirit he speaketh mysteries. ³But the one who prophesieth to men speaketh for edification, and exhortation, and consolation. ⁴The one who speaketh in a tongue edifieth himself; but the one who prophesieth edifieth a church. ⁵Now I wish for you all to speak in tongues, but much more that ye may prophesy; for greater is the one who prophesieth than the one who speaketh in tongues, unless he be interpreting in order that the Church might receive edification.

Gospel

14. The commemoration of the holy Apostle Aquila of the Seventy.

No reading given.

14, 15. The commemoration of the Martyrs Julitta and her child Kyrikos.

According to Gk. usage, this service is commemorated on the 15^thof July. For Gk. usage, see [Mt. 17:24-18:4], hereunder:

According to Sl. usage, this service has been transferred from the 15^thto the 14^thof July. For Sl. usage, see [Lk. 10:19-21].

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 73]. At that time:

17 ²⁴Those who receive the two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Doth not your Teacher pay the two-drachma tax?” ²⁵He saith, “Yes.” And when he entered into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What thinkest thou, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive a custom duty or a poll-tax? From their sons or from the strangers?” ²⁶Peter saith to Him, “From the strangers.” Jesus saith to him, “Then indeed are the sons free. ²⁷“But lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish which first cometh up; and after thou openest its mouth, thou shalt find a stater; that take and give it to them for Me and thee.”

18 ¹In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greater in the kingdom of the heavens?” ²And Jesus called to Himself a little child, and set him in their midst, ³and said, “Verily I say to you, unless ye be turned about and become as the little children, in no wise shall ye enter into the kingdom of the heavens. ⁴“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, this one is the greater in the kingdom of the heavens.”

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

July 27th – Civil Calendar
July 14th – Church Calendar

1. The Holy Apostle Aquila.

One of the Seventy, he was a Jew living in Italy with his wife Priscilla. When the Emperor Claudius decreed the exile of all Jews from Rome and Italy, Aquila moved to Corinth, where the Apostle Paul first made his acquaintance, staying eighteen months in his house and baptising him and his wife. Burning with zeal for the Christian Faith, Aquila and Priscilla accompanied Paul to Ephesus and helped him in his apostolic work. From Ephesus, Paul wrote his first Epistle to the Corinthians, in which he says at the end: ‘Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house’ (16:19). After the death of Claudius, Jews were permitted to return to Italy, and Aquila and Priscilla went back to Rome. Writing the Epistle to the Romans from Corinth after this, the apostle sends greetings to his old friends and fellow-workers: ‘Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus, who have for my life laid down their own necks, unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house’ (16:3-5). We later see Aquila again in Ephesus, where he is working with St. Timothy. In chains in Rome, Paul wrote to Timothy in Ephesus: ‘Greet Priscilla and Aquila’ (II Tim. 4:19). As a bishop, Aquila baptized many and consecrated them to the Faith, destroyed idols, built churches, made priests and spread among the people the glory of the incarnate Son of God. He was finally murdered by wicked pagans, and went to the kingdom of Christ.

2. Our Holy Father Hellius.

An Egyptian monk of the fourth century, he devoted himself from early youth to monastic asceticism in the desert. He made monks and lay-folk marvel by his life and great miracles, and although he fled from human praise, he could not hide himself. He had fierce struggles with diabolical delusion, most especially during a long fast. The devil set before him sometimes honey and sometimes delicious apples, but he would not be enticed. He had insight into the hearts of men, revealing their passions and thoughts, and this not to make a parade of his inner knowledge but to set them on the right path.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Christians must arm themselves against the immorality of this world. They must be armed against every assault and temptation, so that all that is evil may rebound from them. Armour is not made in a day or two, but is carefully and laboriously forged by a lengthy process. What are all our virtues worth if we succumb at the first temptation? Speaking of this, St. Gregory of Nyssa cites as an example a monkey in Alexandria, saying: ‘In Alexandria, an expert taught a monkey to perform a very nimble parody of a dancer on the stage. Visitors to the theater praised the monkey which, dressed as a dancer, danced to the tempo of the music. But, while the audience was occupied in watching this new spectacle, some comic decided to show everyone that the monkey was nothing but a monkey. While all were applauding the trained animal, the comic threw onto the stage the sort of sweets that a monkey especially loves. As soon as the monkey set eyes on them, it forgot the dance, the applause and its fine clothes and hurried with outstretched paw for the sweets. When its skirts hindered it, it began to tear at them with its nails, frenziedly ridding itself of them. And, in place of the praise and wonder, the audience was convulsed with laughter.’ The monkey was revealed under the torn mask of the ‘dancer’.

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.