Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Wednesday of the Twenty-Fifth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Second Epistle of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians [§ 275].

2 ¹Brethren, we beseech you with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together before Him, ²in order that ye be not quickly shaken from your reason, nor to be stirred—neither by a spirit, nor by a word, nor by an epistle as if by us—as if the day of Christ hath arrived. ³Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day shall not come unless the apostasy should come first, and the man of the sin be revealed, the son of the perdition, ⁴who opposeth and exalteth himself above all which is called God or an object of worship, so as for him to sit in the temple of God as God, showing himself that he is God. ⁵Do ye not remember that when I was yet with you I was telling you these things? ⁶And now ye know that which restraineth, in order that he be revealed in his own time. ⁷For the mystery of the lawlessness already is energizing itself, only there is the one who restraineth now, until he should come to be taken out of the midst. ⁸And then the lawless one shall be revealed—whom the Lord shall destroy by the breath of His mouth, and shall bring to nought by the manifestation of His coming— ⁹whose coming is according to the energy of Satan in all power and signs and lying wonders, ¹⁰and in all deceit of the unrighteousness in those who are perishing, because they received not the love of the truth, in order for them to be saved. ¹¹And on this account God shall send to them an influence of error for them to believe the lie, ¹²that they all might be judged who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in the unrighteousness.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 78]. At that time:

15 ¹All the tax collectors and the sinners were drawing near to hear Jesus. ²And the Pharisees and the scribes were murmuring, saying, “This One receiveth sinners and eateth with them.” ³And He spoke this parable to them, saying, ⁴“What man among you, having a hundred sheep and having lost one of them, doth not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until he should find it? ⁵“And having found it, he layeth it upon his own shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶“And after he cometh to the house, he calleth together his friends and the neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I found my sheep which hath been lost.’ ⁷“I say to you that thus there shall be more joy in the heavens over one sinner who repenteth than over ninety-nine righteous ones who have no need of repentance. ⁸“Or what woman having ten drachmas, if she should lose one drachma, doth not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and seek diligently until she should find it? ⁹“And having found it, she calleth together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I found the drachma which I lost.’ ¹⁰“Thus, I say to you, joy ariseth in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repenteth.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of our holy father among the saints, Gregory, Bishop of Neocæsarea, the Wonder-worker.

Epistle

The Reading is from the First Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians [§ 151]. Brethren:

12 ⁷To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given to the profit of all: ⁸for to one is given by the Spirit a word of wisdom; and to another a word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; ⁹and to another faith in the same Spirit; and to another free gifts of healings in the same Spirit; ¹⁰and to another operations of works of power; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; and to another kinds of tongues; and to another interpretation of tongues; ¹¹but the one and the same Spirit energizeth all these things, distributing to each separately as He will.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ mid 34]. At that time:

10 ¹After Jesus called to Himself His twelve disciples, He gave to them authority over unclean spirits, so as to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every weakness.... ⁵These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, “Do not begin to go into the way of the nations, and do not begin to enter into a city of the Samaritans. ⁶“But go rather to the sheep, the lost of the house of Israel. ⁷“And as ye go, be preaching, saying, ‘The kingdom of the heavens hath drawn near.’ ⁸“Be healing the sick, cleansing lepers, raising the dead, casting out demons; freely ye received, freely give.”

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

November 30th – Civil Calendar
November 17th – Church Calendar

1. St. Gregory the Wonder-worker, Bishop of Neocaesarea.

Here is a man of God and a mighty wonder-worker, who was called a second Moses! Born of wealthy and eminent pagan parents, Gregory at first studied Hellenic and Egyptian philosophy, but seeing its barrenness and insufficiency, he turned to Christian teachers, particularly Origen of Alexandria, with whom he studied for several years and by whom he was baptized. Pure in soul and body, he desired to consecrate himself utterly to Christ, to which end he withdrew to the desert, where, in painful asceticism, he spent many years. His fame spread abroad everywhere, and Phaedimus, the bishop of Amaseia, wanted to make him Bishop of Caesarea. The discerning Gregory was warned of Phaedimus’ intention, and he hid in the wilderness from those sent to find him, so that they failed in their quest. Finally, Phaedimus consecrated him by unconventional means, and Gregory had to accept the work of a shepherd. The most holy Mother of God appeared to him, together with St. John the Theologian, and at her command, St. John gave him the Creed that is known by Gregory’s name. Who can enumerate the miracles of this second Moses? He commanded evil spirits, commanded mountains and waters, healed every sort of pain and ill, became invisible to his persecutors and had insight into both distant events and men’s thoughts. He finished his earthly course in the year 270, in great old age. When he arrived in Caesarea as bishop, the whole town was composed of pagans, with just seventeen Christians. When he departed this life, the whole town was Christian, with just seventeen pagans. He therefore received a wreath of glory from his Lord in the heavenly kingdom.

2. Our Holy Father Nikhon of Radonezh.

He was a disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh, and followed him as abbot. When the barbarians fell on Russia, he prayed to God to preserve the Russian people from this misfortune. St. Sergius appeared to him, together with St. Peter and St. Alexis, the departed Metropolitan of Moscow, and told him not to be downcast, for the invasion was by God’s permission for the good of the people, but that it would pass and peace would reign once more. He entered into rest on November 17th, 1426.

3. Our Holy Father Gennadios of Vatopedi.

A monk of Vatopedi, he had the obedience of steward. By his agency, a dry well was miraculously filled with oil. This miracle was ascribed to the most holy Mother of God, to whom the monastery is dedicated, and to an icon of hers that stood nearby.

FOR CONSIDERATION

The following examples from the life of St. Gregory show how God guards and preserves the righteous from assaults. While he was still at the school of philosophy in Alexandria, St. Gregory kept his purity of both soul and body, as he kept and preserved it to the end of his life. In this, he was exceptional among the dissolute youngsters of those days, and this called forth envy and hatred among his peers. To bring Gregory down, they found a harlot and sent her to carry out their evil designs. One day, when Gregory was standing in the marketplace with the most famous teachers and philosophers, this harlot came up to him and began to shout demands for payment by Gregory of debts incurred by immoral relations with her. The bystanders, hearing this, were divided into two camps: some being scandalized and others infuriated at the shameless woman, and they chased her away. But she began to shout even more loudly in her demand for money. The innocent Gregory blushed, as would any innocent man in the face of such coarse slander, but showed neither resentment nor hatred, and asked a friend who was with him to give her what she asked so that she would go away at once. His friend did so, and gave the woman the money she demanded. At that moment, God sent an evil spirit upon that woman, and she began to writhe on the ground in convulsions, gnashing her teeth and foaming at the mouth. All the bystanders, seeing this, were filled with fear, but holy Gregory, kindly as a lamb, prayed to God for her, and the woman was healed and got to her feet. Far from being humiliated, Gregory thus received the greater glory.

When a fierce persecution of Christians arose, St. Gregory advised the Christians to hide, and he, together with his deacon, hid on a hill. The imperial soldiers caught sight of them and followed them. Gregory prayed to God for help, and God immediately made them invisible to their persecutors. The soldiers searched the vicinity in vain, then, being unable to find them, returned empty handed.

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.