Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

The Sunday of the First Week of the Great Fast or Sunday of Orthodoxy.

Mode One — Ninth Eothinon

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrews [§ mid 329]. Brethren:

Gk. usage, Heb. 11:24-26, 32-40; Sl. usage, Heb. 11:24-26, 32-12:2.

11 ²⁴By faith Moses, “having become full-grown [Ex. 2:11],” refused to be called the son of pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵having chosen rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin, ²⁶since he deemed the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures in Egypt; for he kept on looking away from the treasures to the recompense.... ³²And what more shall I say? For the time will fail me narrating about Gideon and Barak and also Samson and Jephthae, and about David and Samuel and the prophets, ³³who through faith struggled against kingdoms, wrought righteousness, attained to promises, stopped mouths of lions, ³⁴quenched the power of fire, escaped the edges of the sword, were empowered out of weakness, became strong in battle, turned back encampments of aliens. ³⁵Women received their dead by resurrection. And others were tortured, not accepting release, that they might attain a better resurrection. ³⁶And others received trial of mockings and of scourgings, and, moreover, of bonds and of imprisonment. ³⁷They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted; they died, murdered by the sword. They went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being in need, afflicted, ill-treated— ³⁸of whom the world was not worthy. They were made to wander in deserts, and in mountains, and in caves, and in the holes of the earth. ³⁹And these all, having been approved by testimony through faith, received not for themselves the promise, ⁴⁰God having foreseen some better thing concerning us, that they should not be made perfect without us.

12 ¹Therefore we also, having so great a cloud of witnesses which is set around us, and having laid aside every weight and sin that is easily circumvented, let us by means of patience be running the course which is set before us, ²looking to Jesus, the originator and accomplisher of our faith.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John [§ 5]. At that time:

1 ⁴³Jesus intended to go forth into Galilee; and He findeth Philip, and saith to him, “Follow thou Me.” ⁴⁴Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith to him, “We have found the One of Whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote—Jesus the son of Joseph, Who is from Nazareth.” ⁴⁶And Nathanael said to him, “Out of Nazareth can there be any good thing?” Philip saith to him, “Come and see.” ⁴⁷Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and saith concerning him, “Behold, truly an Israelite in whom is no guile.” ⁴⁸Nathanael saith to Him, “From what place knowest Thou me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” ⁴⁹Nathanael answered, and saith to Him, “Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel.” ⁵⁰Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to thee, ‘I saw thee underneath the fig tree,’ believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these.” ⁵¹And He saith to him, “Verily, verily, I say to thee, henceforth ye shall see the heaven having been opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of our holy fathers among the saints, Sophronios, Archbishop of Jerusalem, and Efthymios, Bishop of Novgorod.

Epistle

For the Hierarchs:

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrews [§ mid 318]. Brethren:

8 ³Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it is necessary for this One to have something also which He might offer. ⁴For if, indeed, He were on earth, He would not even be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law, ⁵who worship a copy and a shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses had been divinely warned when he was about to execute the tabernacle; for, “See,” saith He, “that thou make all things according to the pattern which was shown to thee in the mount [cf. Ex. 25:40].” ⁶But now He hath attained a more excellent liturgy, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which hath been enacted upon better promises.

Gospel

No reading given.

Synaxarion Readings

The Triumph of Orthodoxy Sunday

I rejoice when I see the veneration due the icons, once so shamefully rejected.

On this first Sunday of Great Lent, the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Church of Christ celebrates the restoration of the holy and venerable icons by the Emperor Michael, the holy and blessed Empress Theodora, and the holy Methodius, patriarch of Constantinople.

Through God’s indulgence, Leo the Isaurian, a swineherd and keeper of donkeys, inherited the scepter of the kingdom in the 8^th century. At that time Saint Germanos was at the helm of the Church. Leo sent for him and said, “Since it seems to me that there is no difference between the holy icons and idols, command that they be removed immediately from among us. Although if they are true likenesses of the saints, let them be hung higher on the walls so that we who are wallowing in sins do not defile them by venerating them.” But the patriarch responded thus to the emperor’s abomination, “O king, we have heard of someone who will come and raise his hand against the holy icons. He is called Conon. Could you be this man?” The emperor said, “I was so called as a child.” And since the patriarch refused to obey the emperor, the latter deposed him and installed Anastasios, who sympathized with him. And so at that time began the struggle against the holy icons.

After this Leo, Constantine Copronymos became heir to the kingdom as well as to the savage attacks against the holy icons. And what can be said about the number and kind of deeds that lawless man committed except that he came to a most shameful end. His son Leo, whose mother was a Khazar, inherited the kingdom after him, and he also came to a bad end. Irene and Constantine then ascended the throne. At the direction of the holy Patriarch Tarasius they assembled the Seventh Council, and the holy icons were once more accepted by Christ’s Church. After they relinquished the kingdom, Nicephoros ascended to the throne. After him there were Stavrakios and then Michael Rangabe, who did not persecute the Orthodox.

The beast-like Leo V the Armenian then seized the throne from Michael, and having been misled by an impious hermit, began the second iconoclasm. And once more the Church was bereft of her beauty. Michael Amorius succeeded him, whose son Theophilus then for the second time directed this madness against the icons. For it was this Theophilus who gave many of the holy fathers over to torments and tortures, not seeking the truth about the holy icons but believing whatever he would. “If there be anyone in the city intent on uprising, then he will be caught not long after,” he said. And after reigning for 12 years, he was stricken with an intestinal disorder so that he desired to relinquish his life. His mouth opened so wide that his internal organs were visible.

The empress was so upset at what had happened, that she could barely sleep. And in a dream she beheld the most pure Theotokos holding the pre-eternal Child, surrounded by most luminous angels. They were striking Theophilus her husband and humiliating him. Now when her dream had passed and Theophilus had come to his senses, he cried, “Woe is me in my wretchedness! I am struck for the sake of the holy icons.” And immediately the empress held an icon of the Theotokos above him and entreated her with tears. And Theophilus, so inclined, saw that one of the clergy surrounding him had an engolpion, which he grabbed and kissed. Now as soon as his lips touched the icon, he returned to normal and was relieved of the adversity and affliction and fell asleep, after confessing that it is good to venerate the holy icons. Then the empress, fetching the holy and precious images from her bedchamber, convinced Theophilus to kiss them and venerate them with all his heart. A short while afterwards Theophilus departed this life. Theodora then commanded that all who were in exile and in prison be freed. John Grammatikos was deposed from the patriarchal throne, since he was more a sorcerer and demon worshiper than a patriarch. Then Methodius, a confessor of Christ, ascended the throne, having suffered much through having been closed up in a tomb alive.

While he was there, Ioannikios the Great, who was practicing asceticism on Mount Olympus, received a divine visitation. The great faster Arsaakios came to him and said, “God has sent me to you, that we might go to the righteous Isaiah the recluse in Nicomedia and learn from him what God desires and what is fitting for His Church.” Now when they came to the venerable Isaiah, he said to them, “Thus saith the Lord: Behold, the end is approaching for the enemies of My image. Go to the empress Theodora and to the Patriarch Methodius and tell them: ‘Cease to do what is not holy, and offer sacrifice to Me with the angels by venerating the countenance of My image and of the Cross.’” Hearing this they immediately left for Constantinople and announced what had been said to Patriarch Methodius and all God’s assembled people. The assembly then went to the empress and found her agreeable in all things, since this was the pious and God-loving tradition of the fathers. The empress straightway brought out an icon of the Theotokos for all to see, and venerating it, she said, “Let all be condemned who do not venerate the holy icons, kissing them in love, not in worship as gods, but as images, for the sake of the love of their archetypes.” And they rejoiced with great joy. And in response she entreated them to pray for her husband Theophilus. Seeing her faith, they obeyed reluctantly. For Patriarch Methodius among the saints assembled all the people, priests and bishops and proceeded to God’s Great Church. Among the assembled were Ioannikios the Great from Olympus, Arsaakios, Pancratios, and the disciples of Theodore the Studite, and the confessors Theophanes and Theodore the Branded, Michael the synkellos of the Holy City and many others. And they prayed to God for Theophilus in tears all night long.

Now this took place throughout the first week of the Great Fast, with the Empress Theodora herself, the women, and all the people taking part. Having completed the prayers, the Empress Theodora retired at dawn on Friday, and dreamed that she was at the foot of the Cross, and there were several people passing by noisily, wearing various instruments of torture. As she recognized the Emperor Theophilus among those being led with his hands bound behind his back, she followed the group and its guards. When they reached the brass gates, she saw a supernatural vision, a man sitting in front of the image of Christ and Theophilus brought before him. Reaching to touch his feet, the empress prayed for the emperor. He opened his mouth and said, “Great is thy faith, O woman. Know that because of thy tears and thy faith, as well as the prayers and petitions of My servants and My priests, I grant forgiveness to thy husband Theophilus.” Then He said to the guards, “Loose him and give him to his wife.” And taking him, she departed rejoicing in gladness. And immediately the dream left her.

Now Patriarch Methodius, while the prayers and petitions were being offered for him, had taken a new parchment scroll and written the names of all the heretical emperors, including Theophilus, placing it under the holy altar table. But on Friday he saw a great and terrible angel entering the temple, coming to him and saying, “Thy petition has been heard, O bishop, and the Emperor Theophilus has received forgiveness. Trouble the Godhead about this no longer.” And desiring to ascertain the truth of his vision the patriarch descended from his place, and taking the parchment and unrolling it, he found—O the judgments of God!—that all reference to the name of Theophilus had been erased by God.

Upon hearing this, the empress rejoiced greatly and requested the patriarch to assemble all the people with the holy icons and crosses in Hagia Sophia so that it might be adorned with the holy icons and God’s new miracle could be known by all. And soon when all had gathered in the church holding candles, the empress arrived with her son. And a Litia was served there with the holy icons and the divine and precious wood of the Cross and with the sacred and divine Gospels. And leaving the church calling out, “Lord, have mercy,” they processed the agreed mile. Then they returned to the church, where Divine Liturgy was celebrated.

When the holy and precious icons were returned to their place, the holy men mentioned earlier and the pious Orthodox rulers were glorified, and those impious people who did not accept the honor of the holy icons were anathematized and condemned. And from that time these holy confessors appointed the annual commemoration of this solemnity, so that we might never again fall into a similar ignominy.

O unchanging Image of the Father, through the prayers of Thy holy confessors, have mercy on us. Amen.

Translated from Triodion, siest ‘Tripesnets: Triod’ Postnaya, Moscow, 1904, by Robert Parent.

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

March 24th – Civil Calendar
March 11th – Church Calendar

1. St. Sophronios, Patriarch of Jerusalem.

He was born in Damascus of eminent parents. Having acquired worldly wisdom, he was not content with this, and began also to acquire pure, spiritual wisdom. In the monastery of St. Theodosios he found himself with the monk John Moschus, whom he took as his teacher; then, together with him, set out to visit the monasteries and ascetics of Egypt. Their motto was to glean more spiritual wisdom each day. They wrote down all that they discovered, and later published it in two books entitled ‘The Spiritual Meadow’. They later went to Rome, where Moschus died, leaving Sophronios with the pledge to take him either to Sinai or to the Monastery of St. Theodosios. Sophronios fulfilled the desire of his teacher and took his body to the monastery. After that he was delayed in Jerusalem, which by that time had been freed from the Persians. He witnessed the return of the Precious Cross from Persia, which the Emperor Herakleios carried into the holy city on his back. The old patriarch, Zacharias, who also returned from slavery, did not live long, and when he went to the other world, was followed first by Modestus, who died in 634, and then by blessed Sophronios. He governed the Church with outstanding wisdom and zeal for four years, standing in defence of Orthodoxy against the Monothelite heresy, which he condemned at his council in Jerusalem before it was condemned at the Sixth Ecumenical Council. He wrote the life of St. Mary of Egypt, compiled the rite of the Great Blessing of Water and introduced various new hymns and songs into different services. When the Arabian Caliph Omar captured Jerusalem, Sophronios begged him to spare the Christians, which Omar hypocritically promised. When Omar quickly began to plunder and ill-treat the Christians in Jerusalem, Sophronios, with many lamentations, begged God to take him from among the living upon earth, that he should not see the desecration of the holy places. And God heard his prayer, and took him to Himself in His heavenly courts in 644.

2. The Holy Martyr Pionius.

A priest of Smyrna, he suffered there in the time of Decius’ persecution. They condemned him to be crucified, which was a great joy to him. And as soon as the soldiers assembled the cross and laid it on the ground, Pionius laid himself on it and stretched out his arms, calling to the soldiers to put the nails into his hands. The cross was inserted into the ground upside down, and a fire lit under the martyr’s head. There were many bystanders. Pionius closed his eyes and prayed to God within himself. The flames could not succeed in igniting even his hair, and when the fire had at last gone out and everyone thought that he was dead, Pionius opened his eyes and cried out joyfully: ‘O Lord, receive my spirit!’ and breathed his last. This saint wrote the life of St. Polycarp of Smyrna, together with whom he now makes merry in the kingdom of Christ. He suffered and was glorified in 250.

3. Our Holy Father George the Sinaite.

Abbot of Mount Sinai, he was a great ascetic and a righteous man. On Pascha night an angel of God carried him to Jerusalem for the service, and took him back the same day to Sinai. He entered peacefully into rest in the 6th century.

FOR CONSIDERATION

‘No good thing can be brought to completion by our own efforts, but by the power and will of God. However, God demands effort on our part to conform to His will.’ These are the words of Saints Barsanuphius and John. Few words, but much said in them. We must work at the cultivating and preparing of every good thing, and if some good germinates and grows and bears fruit, that is by God’s power and will. We plough the furrows and God sows, if He will. He can do all things if He wills. And He wills all that conforms to the highest wisdom and wholeness; that is, to His dispensation in the salvation of men. The interpretation of the Lord’s words: ‘Be ye wise as serpents, and harmless as doves’ (Matt. 10:16), writes St. John Chrysostom, is that the Lord gave this commandment to His disciples ‘that they should themselves, as far as they could, co-operate, that it should be seen not only as the work of grace, and that they should not think that wreaths of glory are won for nothing.’ And so both our effort and God’s blessed power are indispensable to our salvation.

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.