Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Wednesday of the Fifteenth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Galatians [§ 207].

3 ¹⁵Brethren, I am speaking in accordance with human example: all the same, no one setteth aside or maketh additions to a man’s will which hath been ratified. ¹⁶Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his Seed. He saith not, “And to seeds,” as upon many; but as of One, “And to thy Seed [Gen. 13:15],” Who is Christ. ¹⁷And I say this: A covenant which hath been ratified before by God to Christ, the law, which hath come into being after four hundred and thirty years, doth not invalidate, so as to abolish the promise. ¹⁸For if the inheritance is by means of the law, it is no longer by means of a promise; but God hath graciously granted it to Abraham through a promise. ¹⁹Why then the law? It was added on account of transgressions, until the Seed should come to whom promise hath been made, having been disposed through angels in a Mediator’s hand. ²⁰Now the Mediator is not of one, but God is one. ²¹Then is the law against the promises of God? May it not be! For if a law was given which was able to give life, verily righteousness would have been by means of the law. ²²But the Scripture closed up all things under sin, in order that the promise by means of faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark [§ 23]. At that time:

6 ⁷Jesus calleth to Himself His twelve disciples, and began to send them forth two by two; and He was giving them authority over the spirits, the unclean ones. ⁸And He commanded them that they may take nothing for the journey, except a staff only—no leathern pouch, no bread, no money in their belt; ⁹but be shod with sandals, and not to put on two tunics. ¹⁰And He was saying to them, “Wheresoever ye enter into a house, be lodging there until ye go forth from that place. ¹¹“And as many as will not receive you, nor hear you, when ye go out from that place, shake off the dust which is under your feet, for a testimony to them. Verily I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.” ¹²And they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. ¹³And they were casting out many demons, and anointing with oil many sick, and curing them.

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of the Leave-taking of the Dormition, and the holy Martyr Louppos (transferred to the 22^nd of August on account of the Leave-taking of the Feast of the Dormition), and Hieromartyr Irenæos, Bishop of Lyons.

No readings given.

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

September 5th – Civil Calendar
August 23rd – Church Calendar

1. The Holy Martyr Loupos.

This holy man was a servant of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica. When St. Demetrius was killed by being pierced with spears by order of the Emperor Maximian, Loupos dipped the hem of his garment and his ring in the martyr’s blood. Loupos worked many miracles in Thessalonica with this garment and ring, healing people of every pain and infirmity. The Emperor Maximian, who was still staying in Thessalonica, discovered this, and commanded that Loupos be tortured and killed. But the soldiers who drew their weapons on Loupos turned one on the other and wounded one another. After harsh torture, he was beheaded and entered into the heavenly kingdom.

2. The Hieromartyr Pothinus, Bishop of Lyons.

He was sent by St. Polycarp from Asia Minor to preach in Gaul. He became the first Bishop of Lyons and brought many pagans to Christianity. At the time of a persecution of Christians in the year 177, Pothinus was taken for trial; carried there, as he was ninety years old. ‘Who is the Christian God?’ the proconsul asked him. ‘You will find out, if you are worthy,’ old Pothinus answered him. The pagans assaulted him with sticks and stones, and belabored him without mercy. Thrown into prison, St. Pothinus died of the beating and entered into the heavenly kingdom.

3. The Hieromartyr Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons.

He was in his youth a pupil of St. Polycarp, the disciple of the apostles, who sent him to preach in Gaul. After St. Pothinus’ death by martyrdom, Irenaeus was made bishop. In his numerous writings, Irenaeus both expounded the Orthodox Faith and defended it against heretics. He suffered for Christ in the time of the Emperor Severus, in 202, along with nineteen thousand Christians.

FOR CONSIDERATION

The mysterious power of the Cross, however inexplicable, is true and indisputable. St. John Chrysostom speaks of the custom that obtained in his time, of placing the sign of the Cross ‘on the imperial diadem and the soldiers’ accoutrements, and of making it on parts of the body: the head, the breast and the heart, both at the table of sacrifice and on lying down in bed.’ ‘If,’ he says, ‘we are striving to drive out demons, we use the Cross, and it is also of aid in healing sickness.’ St. Benedict made the sign of the Cross over a glass containing poison, and the glass shattered as if struck by a stone. St. Julian made the sign of the Cross over a cup of poison brought to him, and drank the poison, suffering no bodily harm from it. The holy martyr Vasilissa of Nikomedia protected herself with the sign of the Cross and stood in the midst of the flames, remaining completely untouched. The holy martyrs Audon and Senis crossed themselves when ravening wild animals were let loose on them, and the beasts became docile and meek as lambs. The sign of the Cross has been the most powerful weapon against great temptations from demons, from the early ascetics down to the present day. The most ferocious of the devil’s devisings are dispersed into nothing, like smoke, when a man signs himself with the Cross. Thus it was the good will of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself that the erstwhile sign of wickedness and shame, the cross, should, after His crucifixion on the wood of the Cross, be the vehicle of all-conquering power and might.

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.