Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Friday of the Third Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans [§ 101]. Brethren:

9 ⁶It is not as though the word of God hath failed. For they are not all Israel those who are of Israel; ⁷nor because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children, but, “In Isaac shall a seed be called to thee [Gen. 21:12]”; ⁸that is, the children of the flesh, these are not children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for a seed. ⁹For this word is of promise: “According to this time will I come, and there shall be a son to Sarah [cf. Gen. 18:10, 14].” ¹⁰And not only this, but when Rebecca also conceived by one, our father Isaac ¹¹(for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might abide, not of works, but of the One Who calleth), ¹²it was said to her, “The greater shall serve the lesser [Gen. 25:23].” ¹³Even as it hath been written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated [Mal. 1:2, 3].”

¹⁴What then shall we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it not be! ¹⁵For He saith to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomsoever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomsoever I will have compassion [Ex. 33:19].” ¹⁶So then it is not of the one who willeth, nor of the one who runneth, but of God Who showeth mercy. ¹⁷For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, “For this very thing I raised thee up, that I might show My power in thee, and so that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth [Ex. 9:16].” ¹⁸So then to whom He will, He hath mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth. ¹⁹Thou wilt say then to me, “Why doth He yet find fault? For who hath withstood His express will?”

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 38]. The Lord said to His disciples:

10 ³²“Everyone who shall confess in Me before men, I also will confess in him before My Father Who is in the heavens. ³³“But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father Who is in the heavens. ³⁴“Never think that I came to cast peace on the earth; I came not to cast peace, but a sword. ³⁵“For I came to divide in two a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ³⁶“and a man’s enemies shall be those of his own household.”

11 ¹And it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, He passed over from that place to teach and preach in their cities.

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of Hieromartyr Efsevios, Bishop of Samosata.

No readings given.

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

July 5th – Civil Calendar
June 22nd – Church Calendar

1. The Hieromartyr Evsevios (Eusebius), Bishop of Samosata.

He was a major opponent of Arianism. When the patriarchal throne of Antioch became vacant, Meletius was elected patriarch. This Meletius was a shining light in the Church and deserved the great eulogy given by St. John Chrysostom at his death. But the Arians soon drove Meletius from Antioch. When Constantius, Constantine’s evil son, died, he was followed by Julian the Apostate, a man even worse than he, as ruler of the empire. During Julian’s persecution of Christians, St. Evsevios took off his cassock, clad himself in soldier’s garb and travelled around the persecuted churches of Syria, Phoenicia and Palestine, strengthening the Orthodox Faith everywhere and creating the necessary priests, deacons and other clergy and raising some to the episcopate. After the news of Julian’s death, St. Evsevios advised Meletius to summon a council of the Church in Antioch. This took place in 363, and the twenty-seven hierarchs present denounced Arianism once again and proclaimed the Orthodox Faith as it was expressed at the First Ecumenical Council. Besides Meletius and Evsevios, St. Pelagios of Laodicea, a man of great asceticism and chastity, made a great impact at this council, which took place during the reign of the devout Emperor Jovian. But he died soon after, and the evil Valens took the throne, and the persecution of Orthodoxy began afresh. St. Meletius was banished to Armenia, Evsevios to Thrace and Pelagios to Arabia. After Valens, the Emperor Gratian came to the throne and restored freedom to the Church, returning the exiled bishops to their rightful places: Meletius to Antioch, Evsevios to Samosata and Pelagios to Laodicea. Many dioceses were vacant at that time and Evsevios was quick to find canonical pastors for the people. But when he arrived at the city of Doliche with the newly chosen bishop, Marinos, to install him as bishop and denounce the Arian heresy (which was strong in that city), a certain fanatical heretic threw a tile from the roof and gave him a mortal wound. This great zealot for Orthodoxy, this saint and martyr, died and entered into eternal life in the blessedness of Paradise in the year 379.

2. The Holy Martyrs Zeno and Zenas.

St. Zeno was a Roman officer in the Arabian city of Philadelphia, and Zenas was his servant. When a persecution of Christians began during the reign of the Emperor Maximian, St. Zeno stepped boldly before the governor, Maximus, and confessed his faith in the one, living God, counselling Maximus to give up dead idols and accept the one, true Faith. The governor was outraged and threw Zeno into prison. When the faithful Zenas visited his master in the prison, he too was seized and imprisoned. The two were thereupon tortured for Christ and finally thrown into the flames, which the pagans brought to a great heat with oil. Their souls were crowned in the kingdom of Christ while their mortal remains were buried in the Church of St. George at a place called Cyparisson.

3. St. Alban.

An English nobleman, he hid a Christian priest in his house during a persecution, and was instructed by him in the Christian Faith. He then gave his clothing to the priest and himself over to torture. Condemned to death, he converted his executioner to Christianity.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Why does the good Lord permit assaults and trials to fall on the true Faith, while heretics and pagans enjoy a delightful tranquillity? ‘Why?’ asks St. John Chrysostom, and immediately gives the answer: ‘That you should recognize their weakness (that of the heretics and pagans) when they disintegrate of themselves with no external pressure, and that you should triumph in the power of the Faith which suffers misfortunes and yet multiplies through its opponents.’ ‘Whether we quarrel with the pagans or the wretched Jews, it is quite sufficient evidence of divine power that the Faith which has been exposed to innumerable battles still holds the victory,’ even though the entire world rises against it. St. Isaac the Syrian says: ‘The wondrous love of God for man can most easily be perceived when a man is in such dire straits that his very hope is threatened. God thus demonstrates His power of salvation, for a man never acknowledges the power of God when he enjoys tranquility and freedom.’

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.