Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Friday of the Thirty-Fifth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Second General Epistle of Saint John [§ 75].

1 ¹The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not I only, but also those who have come to know the truth, ²for the sake of the truth which abideth in us and shall be with us forever: ³Grace, mercy, peace shall be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

⁴I was gladdened greatly that I have found some of thy children walking in truth, even as we received a commandment from the Father. ⁵And I now request thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we be loving one another. ⁶And this is the love, that we be walking according to His commandments. This is the commandment, even as ye heard from the beginning, that ye be walking in it. ⁷For many deceivers entered into the world, those not confessing Jesus Christ coming in the flesh; this is the deceiver and the antichrist. ⁸Keep on looking to yourselves, in order that ye might not lose that which we wrought, but that ye might receive a full reward. ⁹Everyone who transgresseth and abideth not in the teaching of the Christ hath not God; the one abiding in the teaching of the Christ, this one also hath the Father and the Son. ¹⁰If anyone come to you and bring not this teaching, cease receiving him into the house and saying to him fare-thee-well; ¹¹for the one who saith to him fare-thee-well partaketh in his evil works.

¹²Having many things to write to you, I was not willing by means of paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and to speak face to face that our joy may be full. ¹³The children of thine elect sister greet thee. Amen.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark [§ 68]. At that time:

15 ²⁰The soldiers took Jesus; and they lead Him out in order that they might crucify Him....

²²And they bring Him to a place, Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, Place of a Skull.... ²⁵And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.... ³³And the sixth hour having come to pass, there came to be a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. ³⁴And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lima sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, My God, why didst Thou forsake Me [cf. Ps. 21(22):1]?” ³⁵And some of those standing by, having heard that, were saying, “Behold, He calleth Elias.” ³⁶And one of them ran and filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and was attempting to give Him to drink, saying, “Let be; let us see if Elias is coming to take Him down.” ³⁷And Jesus let out a loud cry, and gave up the spirit. ³⁸And the veil of the temple was torn into two from top to bottom. ³⁹Now after the centurion who stood opposite Him saw that He thus cried out and gave up the spirit, he said, “Truly this Man was God’s Son.” ⁴⁰And there were also women looking on from afar off, among whom was also Mary Magdalene, and Mary the Mother of Iakovos the younger and of Joses, and Salome— ⁴¹who also, when He was in Galilee, were following Him and ministering to Him—and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of the Forefeast of the Meeting of the Lord, and the holy Martyr Tryphon, and venerable Mother Bridget, Enlightener of Ireland.

Epistle

For the Martyr:

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans [§ 99]. Brethren:

8 ²⁸We know that to those who love God all things work together for good, to those who are called according to purpose. ²⁹For whom He foreknew, He also foreordained to be conformable to the image of His Son, in order for Him to be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰But whom He foreordained, these also He called; and whom He called, these also He justified; and whom He justified, these also He glorified. ³¹What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He Who indeed spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also graciously give us all things? ³³Who shall bring an accusation against the elect of God? God is the One Who justifieth. ³⁴Who is the one who condemneth? Christ is the One Who died, but much more is He the One also Who was raised, Who also is at the right of God, Who also intercedeth for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall affliction, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶Even as it hath been written: “For on account of Thee, we are being put to death the whole day; we were counted as sheep of slaughter [Ps. 43(44):23(22)].” ³⁷But in all these things we more than conquer through the One Who loved us. ³⁸For I have been persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things coming, ³⁹nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For the venerable Mother:

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Galatians [§ 208]. Brethren:

3 ²³Before faith came, we were being guarded under the law, having been closed up to the faith about to be revealed. ²⁴Therefore the law hath become our tutor until Christ, in order that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵But faith having come, we are no longer under a tutor. ²⁶For all are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷For as many as were baptized into Christ, ye put on Christ. ²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹And if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to promise.

Gospel

For the Martyr:

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ mid 51]. The Lord said to His disciples:

10 ¹⁹“Behold, I give you the authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy; and nothing in anywise shall injure you. ²⁰“However cease rejoicing in this, that the spirits are being made subject to you; but be rejoicing that your names were written in the heavens.” ²¹In the same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit, and said, “I give thanks to Thee, O Father, Lord of the heaven and of the earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent, and didst reveal them to babes. Yea, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing before Thee.”

For the venerable Mother:

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 104]. The Lord said this parable:

25 ¹“The kingdom of the heavens shall be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. ²“And five of them were prudent, and five were foolish. ³“Those who were foolish took lamps for themselves and took no oil with them; ⁴“but the prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵“But while the bridegroom tarried, they all dozed and went on sleeping. ⁶“But in the middle of the night, there came to pass a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him!’ ⁷“Then all those virgins were wakened and trimmed their lamps. ⁸“And the foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹“But the prudent answered, saying, ‘Peradventure there might not be enough for us and you, but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰“But while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and they who were ready went in with him to the wedding festivities; and the door was shut. ¹¹“And afterwards the remaining virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ¹²“But he answered and said, ‘Verily I say to you, I know ye not.’ ¹³“Be watching then, for ye know not the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man cometh.”

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

February 14th – Civil Calendar
February 1st – Church Calendar

1. The Holy Martyr Tryphon.

He was born in the village of Lampsacus in Phrygia of poor parents. He kept geese as a child, and he had from childhood great grace from God; healing both people and animals and driving out evil spirits. At that time the Emperor Gordian (238-44) came to the throne in Rome. He had a mad daughter, the source of great distress to her father. Doctors could do nothing to help her, but the evil spirit in the girl broke silence and said that no one but Tryphon could cast it out. After many other Tryphons in the empire had failed, this young Tryphon was sent for, by the providence of God. He was taken to Rome, where he healed the emperor’s daughter. The emperor heaped gifts on him, which Tryphon gave away to the poor before returning home. This holy youth remained in his village, tending the geese and praying to God.

When Decius, who was violently opposed to the Christian Faith, became emperor, Tryphon was interrogated and cruelly tortured for Christ. But he endured all his sufferings with great joy, saying: ‘Oh, when shall I become worthy, through fire and torture, to make an end for the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and God?’ No torture was able to harm him, and the torturers finally condemned him to be beheaded. At the moment of his death, Tryphon commended his soul to his Creator, in the year 250.

2. The Holy Martyrs Perpetua, Felicitas and Satyrus, and others with them.

They were all thrown into prison for their Christian Faith in the time of Emperor Septimus Severus. St. Perpetua was of a noble family, and she encouraged all the other captives in the prison to be fearless in their suffering for Christ. Perpetua saw in a dream a ladder stretching from earth to heaven, all thickly set with sharp knives, swords, stakes, hooks, nails and other deadly implements. A terrible serpent lay at its foot. She saw Satyrus run first up the ladder to the top without injury, and call thence to her: ‘Perpetua! I’m waiting for you. Come on, but mind the serpent!’ Encouraged by this, Perpetua stood on the serpent’s head, as if on the first rung, then in her turn hastened to the top. When she reached it, she saw the beautiful court of heaven and rejoiced with great joy. When she recounted her dream to the other captives, they all interpreted it as meaning that death would soon come to them, and to Satyrus first—which quickly came to be. Satyrus was killed first, then Perpetua, then the rest in order. As lambs butchered for Christ, the Lamb of God, they received from Christ the eternal reward in the kingdom of light. They all suffered for Christ between 202 and 203.

3. Our Holy Father Peter of Galatia.

He left his parents’ home for the sake of Christ at the age of seven, and hid himself in the desert. There he became so perfect through fasting and prayer that he was able to perform many miracles by the power of the Spirit of God. He entered into the eternal kingdom of Christ in about 429 at the age of 99.

FOR CONSIDERATION

St. Tryphon prayed before his death: ‘O Lord, God of gods and King of kings, the holiest of all that is holy, I thank Thee that Thou hast made me worthy to finish the spiritual struggle without faltering. And now I pray Thee, let me not fall into the hands of the invisible demon, lest he drag me down into the pit of destruction. But may Thy holy angel lead me to Thy beauteous habitation and teach me to become an heir of the kingdom that I so greatly desire. Receive my soul, and hearken to the prayers of all who will bring Thee offerings in memory of me: look Thou upon them from Thy holy habitation, give Thou them abundant and enduring gifts. For Thou art a good and merciful Giver of gifts, forever and ever. Amen.’ Because St. Tryphon had suffered in Nicaea and many miraculous healings were performed by his relics, the citizens of Nicaea wanted to bury him in their cemetery. But the saint appeared to someone in a vision and expressed his desire to be taken home to his own village, Lampsacus, where he had formerly tended the geese, and to be buried there.

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.