Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Monday of the Sixteenth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Galatians [§ 211].

4 ²⁸Brethren, after the manner of Isaac, we are children of promise. ²⁹But as then he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. ³⁰But what saith the Scripture? “Cast out the maidservant and her son; for in no wise shall the son of the maidservant inherit with the son of the free woman [cf. Gen. 21:10].” ³¹So then, brethren, we are not children of a maidservant, but of the free woman.

5 ¹Keep on standing fast therefore in the freedom with which Christ set us free, and cease being held fast again with a yoke of slavery. ²Behold, I Paul say to you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. ³And I testify again to every man being circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. ⁴Ye are deprived of all effect from the Christ, ye who are trying to be justified in the law; ye fell from grace. ⁵For we by the Spirit out of faith eagerly await the hope of righteousness. ⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision hath any strength, nor uncircumcision, but faith energizing itself through love. ⁷Ye were running well; who cut in on you that ye should not be persuaded to the truth? ⁸The persuasion is not from the One Who calleth you. ⁹A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. ¹⁰I have confidence in regard to you in the Lord, that ye will not be otherwise minded; but the one who troubleth you shall bear the judgment, whosoever he may be.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark [§ 27]. At that time:

6 ⁵⁴After Jesus came out of the ship, straightway those of the country of Gennesaret recognized Him, ⁵⁵and ran around that whole country round about, and began to carry about on the beds those who were ill to where they were hearing, “He is there.” ⁵⁶And wheresoever He entered, into villages or cities or fields, in the marketplaces they kept on laying those who were sick, and beseeching Him that they might touch if just the fringe of His garment; and as many as would touch Him were made well.

7 ¹And the Pharisees and some of the scribes, who came from Jerusalem, gathered together to Him. ²And after they saw some of His disciples eating loaves with defiled hands, that is, unwashed hands, they found fault. ³For the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands, up to the elbow, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. ⁴And on coming from the marketplace, unless they perform ablutions for themselves, they eat not. And there are many other things which they received and hold: dippings of cups and pitchers and copper vessels and couches. ⁵Then the Pharisees and the scribes questioned Him, “Why do Thy disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” ⁶And He answered and said to them, “Well did Esaias prophesy concerning you, the hypocrites, as it hath been written: ‘This people honoreth Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me [Is. 29:13]. ⁷“‘And in vain they revere Me, teaching as precepts the commandments of men [Is. 29:13].’ ⁸“For having left the commandment of God, ye keep on holding the tradition of men—dippings of pitchers and cups, and many other such like things ye do.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of our venerable Father Moses the Ethiopian of Scete, and the venerable Fathers of the Kiev Caves, whose incorrupt relics rest in the Far Cave, and the venerable God-bearing wonder-worker, Abbot Job of Pochaev.

Epistle

For the venerable Fathers:

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Galatians [§ 213]. Brethren:

5 ²²The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, ²³meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴But they who are of the Christ crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts. ²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also be walking by the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

6 ¹Brethren, even if a man should be overtaken in some transgression, ye, the spiritual ones, be restoring such a one in the spirit of meekness, looking out for thyself, lest thou also be tempted. ²Keep on bearing one another’s burdens, and thus fill up the law of the Christ.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 24]. At that time:

6 ¹⁷Jesus stood upon a level place. And there was a crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all of Judæa and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases— ¹⁸even those who were troubled by unclean spirits; and they were cured. ¹⁹And all the crowd was seeking to touch Him, for power was coming forth from Him and healing all. ²⁰And He lifted up His eyes to His disciples, and began to say:
   “Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
   ²¹“Blessed are ye who hunger now, for ye shall be filled.
Blessed are ye who weep now, for ye shall laugh.
   ²²“Blessed are ye whenever men hate you, and whenever they separate you, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man.
   ²³“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in the heavens.”

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

September 10th – Civil Calendar
August 28th – Church Calendar

1. Our Holy Father Moses the Black.

An Ethiopian, he was at first a robber and the leader of a robber band, but he then became a penitent and a great ascetic. As a slave, Moses escaped from his owner and became a robber. Because of his great physical strength and recklessness, the robbers chose him as their leader. Suddenly his conscience was filled with remorse and repentance for the crimes he had committed. He left the band, went to a monastery and gave himself entirely to obedience to his spiritual father and to the rule of the monastery. He made great use of the teaching of Saints Makarios, Arsenius and Isidore. Later, he withdrew to solitude in a cell, where he gave himself utterly to physical labor, prayer, vigils—and pondering on God. Tormented by the demon of lust, he confessed to his spiritual father, Isidore, and received from him the advice to fast as much as possible, and never to eat his fill. When this proved to be of no help, he, at the elder’s advice, began to keep night-vigils and to pray standing; he then got into the way of carrying water from a distant well for the older monks. After six years of terrible striving, St. Isidore finally healed him miraculously of the lustful thoughts, imaginings and dreams visited on him by the demon. He was ordained priest in old age. He founded a monastery of his own, and had seventy-five disciples, himself living to the age of seventy-five. He foresaw his own death, and one day told his disciples to flee, as barbarians were coming to attack the monastery. When his disciples urged him to flee as well, he told them that he must perish in the attack, for he had himself at one time done violence, according to the words: ‘All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword’ (Matt. 26:52). So he stayed, with six of his brethren. The barbarians came and ran them through. One of the brethren, hiding nearby, saw seven shining wreaths descend upon the seven martyrs.

2. Our Holy Father Sava of Pskov and Krypetsk.

A Serb by birth, he lived first in asceticism in the monastery of the holy Mother of God in Pskov, and was abbot of that monastery. But he was praised, so he fled from the glory of men and withdrew to an island in the lake of Krypetsk, where he founded a new community dedicated to St. John the Theologian. However, he was not able there, either, to hide from praise and eminence. Prince Yaroslav of Pskov visited him with his wife. Sava would not allow the woman to enter the monastery, but blessed her and prayed for her outside it, healing her of an infirmity. This godly saint entered into rest in 1495, and his relics had wonder-working power. Of those he received at Krypetsk, Abbot Dositheus is the best-known.

FOR CONSIDERATION

True Christians flee the praise of men. They not only flee it; they have a real fear of it. St. Sava of Pskov left his abbacy, the monastery and the good brethren in it, and went to a barren region, only to escape the praise of men. For the praise of men steals our hearts. A devout prince, hearing of the ascetic feats of St. Moses the Black, set off to the desert with his retinue to see him. Moses was informed that the prince was coming to his monastery. He ran out quickly, to escape and hide somewhere, but unexpectedly came on the noble visitors. ‘Where is Abba Moses’ cell?’ asked the prince’s servant, not suspecting that this was Moses himself. Moses opened his mouth and said: ‘What can he do for you? He is a foolish man, given to lying, and of unclean life.’ The visitors were amazed at these words, and went on their way. When they arrived at Moses’ cell, they asked for the elder and were told that he was not there. The visitors then related what a monk had told them on the way about Moses. The monks were greatly saddened, then asked: ‘What was he like, this old man who spoke such scurrilous words about the holy man?’ When they said that he was very dark-skinned, tall and poorly-clad, the monks exclaimed aloud: ‘That was Abba Moses!’ This incident was of great spiritual help to the prince, and he went home rejoicing.

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.