Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Monday of the Sixth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Acts of the Apostles [§ 39]. In those days:

For Gk. usage, see Acts 17:1-9; for Sl. usage, Acts 17:1-15.

17 ¹After Paul and Silas traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ²And according to what was customary to Paul, he went in to them, and for three sabbaths was discoursing with them from the Scriptures, ³laying open and setting forth that it was needful for the Christ to have suffered, and to have risen from the dead, and that “this Jesus Whom I proclaim to you is the Christ.” ⁴And some of them were persuaded and were allotted to Paul and Silas—both of the Greeks who were reverent, a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. ⁵But those Jews who were not persuaded became jealous, and took to themselves certain evil men of the market-loungers, and formed a crowd, and made an uproar in the city; and having taken a stand against the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. ⁶But not having found them, they were dragging Jason and certain brethren before the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have upset the inhabited world are present here also, ⁷“whom Jason hath received. And these all practise contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying there is another king—Jesus.” ⁸And they agitated the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. ⁹And after they took bail from Jason and the rest, they dismissed them. ¹⁰And the brethren straightway by night sent off to Verea both Paul and Silas, who, having arrived, went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹Now these, who received the word with all readiness and who daily examined the Scriptures if these things were so, were more noble than those in Thessalonica. ¹²Many indeed therefore from among them believed, and of the Greek women, those of noble rank, and of the men, not a few. ¹³But when the Jews of Thessalonica came to know that in Verea also the word of God was proclaimed by Paul, they came there also stirring up the crowds. ¹⁴And then straightway the brethren sent forth Paul to go as far as the sea; but both Silas and Timothy were staying behind there. ¹⁵And those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and having received a command for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as quickly as possible, they went forth.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John [§ 40]. At that time:

11 ⁴⁷The chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together for a session of the sanhedrin, and were saying, “What are we doing? For this Man is doing many signs. ⁴⁸“If we should let Him thus alone, all will believe in Him; and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and the nation.” ⁴⁹But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest of that year, said to them, “Ye know nothing at all, ⁵⁰“nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” ⁵¹But he said this not of himself; but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation; ⁵²and not for the nation only, but that He also should gather together into one the children of God who have been scattered abroad. ⁵³Then from that day they took counsel together among themselves, in order that they might put Him to death. ⁵⁴Jesus therefore was no longer walking openly among the Jews, but went away from that place into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there He stayed with His disciples.

Sl. usage adds Jn. 11:55-57.

⁵⁵And the passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the passover, in order that they might purify themselves. ⁵⁶Then were they seeking Jesus and were speaking with one another, as they stood in the temple, “What think ye, that He will come to the feast?” ⁵⁷Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone should know where He is, he should make it known, in order that they might lay hold of Him.

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of Hieromartyr Eftychios (or Eftychous), Bishop of Melitene, and our holy father among the saints, Niketas, Bishop of Chalcedon.

No readings given.

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

June 10th – Civil Calendar
May 28th – Church Calendar

1. St. Niketas the Confessor, Bishop of Chalcedon.

He renounced the world in his youth and withdrew to follow the path of monastic asceticism. He shone like the sun with virtue and came to the attention of the ecclesiastical authorities, being raised to the episcopal throne of Chalcedon. He was, as a hierarch, particularly compassionate to the poor and cared for many orphans, widows and beggars. When the wicked Emperor Leo the Armenian made his stand against the icons, St. Niketas came courageously to their defence, denouncing the emperor and expounding their meaning. He was finally driven into exile for his confession of the Faith, and after much hardship and suffering, went to the Lord to receive a wreath of glory in the kingdom of God.

2. The Holy Martyr Heliconis.

She was born in Thessalonica and educated in Christian piety. She went to Corinth in the time of Gordian and Philip, where she outspokenly denounced all who sacrificed to idols. When the governor, Perinos, urged her to offer sacrifice to Aesculapius, Christ’s martyr said to him: ‘Hear me, and know that I am a servant of Christ; as for Aesculapius, I do not know who he is. Do what you will.’ She was brought to trial for these words and terribly tortured. She was thrown into the flames, but a great gush of blood poured from her body and extinguished it, and she remained alive. She was thrown to the lions, but they would not touch her and instead fawned round her. Thrust into a temple for at least the semblance of offering sacrifice to idols, she smashed the idols, thereby arousing still greater hatred in her tormentors. Lying in prison covered all over with wounds, she saw the Lord Himself with the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. He healed her wounds, comforting and encouraging her. Later, she was led out to the scaffold to be beheaded with the sword. Before her beheading, Heliconis raised her arms high and prayed that God accept her and bring her into the company of His flock in the heavenly fold. When she had finished her prayer, a voice was heard from heaven: ‘Come, make haste; a crown and a throne are prepared for thee.’ She was finally beheaded and received a wreath of glory from the Lord, for Whose love she was sacrificed like an innocent and pure lamb.

3. St. Ignatius (Ignaty), Bishop of Rostov.

This hierarch guided the flock of Christ for twenty-six years with great love and compassion. When he died and his body was placed in the church, some of those present saw him leave his coffin and rise up in the air above the church. He blessed the people and the city from on high, and then returned to his coffin. Many other miracles were wrought at his grave. He went to the Lord on May 28th, 1288.

FOR CONSIDERATION

From The Paradise of the Fathers: The brethren said, “If a man attaineth unto purity of heart what is the sign thereof? And when will he know himself if the heart is coming to purity?” The elder said, “When he seeth that all men are fair, and when no man appeareth to him to be unclean or polluted; whosoever is thus indeed standeth with purity. And if this be not the case, how can he fulfill the word of the apostle which saith, ‘When a man standeth wholly with purity, he will think that every man is better than he in heart and in truth,’ unless it be that he attaineth to the state of him of whom it is said, ‘He whose eyes are pure seeth not wickedness.’”

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.