Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Monday of the Fifth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Acts of the Apostles [§ 30]. In those days:

12 ¹²Peter came to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was surnamed Mark, where a considerable number of them were gathered together and praying. ¹³And after Peter knocked at the door of the gateway, a maidservant, by name Rhoda, came to hearken. ¹⁴And having recognized the voice of Peter, from her joy she did not open the gateway, but she ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gateway. ¹⁵And they said to her, “Thou art mad.” But she was strongly affirming that it was so. And they kept on saying, “It is his angel.” ¹⁶But Peter continued knocking. And after they opened, they saw him and were amazed. ¹⁷And having motioned to them with his hand to be silent, he set out in detail to them how the Lord brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Relate these things to Iakovos and to the brethren.” And going out, he went to another place.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John [§ 32]. The Lord said to those Jews who had come to Him:

8 ⁴²“If God were your Father, ye would love Me; for I came forth out of God and am come; for neither have I come of Myself, but that One sent Me forth. ⁴³“Why do ye not understand My speech? Because ye are not able to hear My word. ⁴⁴“Ye are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father ye wish to do. That one was a manslayer from the beginning, and hath not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he may speak the lie, he speaketh out of the things which are his own; for he is a liar and the father of it. ⁴⁵“And because I speak the truth, ye believe Me not. ⁴⁶“Which of you reproveth Me concerning sin? But if I speak truth, why do ye not believe Me? ⁴⁷“The one who is of God heareth the words of God; on this account ye hear not, because ye are not of God.” ⁴⁸Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “We say well, do we not, that Thou art a Samaritan and hast a demon?” ⁴⁹Jesus answered, “I have not a demon; but I honor My Father, and ye dishonor Me. ⁵⁰“And I seek not Mine own glory; there is One Who seeketh and judgeth. ⁵¹“Verily, verily, I say to you, if anyone should keep My word, he in no wise shall ever see death.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of the holy Apostles of the Seventy, Jason and Sosipater, and their companions (commemorated on Sl. calendar on the 28^th of April). The commemoration of the holy Nine Martyrs of Kyzicus, Theognis, Rufus, Antipater, Theostichos, Artemas, Magnos, Theodotos, Thavmasios, and Philemon (commemorated on Gk. calendar on the 28^th of April).

No readings given.

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

May 12th – Civil Calendar
April 29th – Church Calendar

1. St. Basil of Ostrog.

Basil was born in Popovo Selo in Herzegovina, of simple and devout parents. From his youth he was filled with love for the Church of God, and when he grew up he went to the monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God at Trebinje, and became a monk. As such, he quickly became known for his serious and rare ascetic life, for he loaded himself with ascetic practices, each harder than the last. He was later chosen and consecrated as Bishop of Zahum and Skenderia, much against his will. As a bishop, he first lived in the monastery at Tvrdoš, whence, as a good pastor, he confirmed his flock in the Orthodox Faith, keeping it from the cruelty of the Turks and the guile of the Latins. But when he was too pressed-upon by his enemies, and when Tvrdoš* was destroyed by the Turks, Basil moved to Ostrog, where he lived in strict asceticism, protecting his flock by his unceasing and loving prayers. He went peacefully to the Lord in the 16th century, leaving his whole and healing body, incorrupt and wonder-working, to the present day. The miracles at the grave of St. Basil are without number. Both Christians and Moslems hasten to his relics and find healing of the gravest sicknesses and sufferings. A great national gathering takes place there every year at Pentecost.

* Author’s Note: A new church, on the ruins of the old Tvrdoš, has been built in our day by Nikolai Runjevac, from the village of Poljica near Trebinje—a wonderful foundation in the sight of God and His people.

2. The Nine Holy Martyrs of Kyzikos.

These nine courageous martyrs, burning with love for Christ, refused to offer sacrifice to idols or to deny Christ the Lord, for which they were harshly tortured and finally beheaded. In the time of the Emperor Constantine, a church was built in Kyzikos in honor of these martyrs, and their incorrupt relics were laid there. Their names were: Theognes, Roufos, Antipater, Theostichos, Artemas, Magnos, Theodotos, Thaumasios and Philemon. They all scorned the temporal for the sake of the eternal, and the corruptible for the incorruptible. Therefore the Lord brought them into His eternal family and crowned them with wreaths of unfading glory. They suffered with honor and were glorified in the 3rd century.

3. Our Holy Father Memnon the Wonder-worker.

From his youth, Memnon gave himself to fasting and prayer, and purified himself so greatly that he became a dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit. He cured incurable illnesses and worked many other miracles. He appeared during storms at sea and saved boats from destruction. He entered peacefully into rest in the Lord in the second century, and went to His heavenly courts.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Nothing can be hidden from the omniscient God. To Him is known at every moment what is being done on earth, both in the external and in the internal, spiritual world. Not a single intention, not a single wish, not a single thought of his can a man hide from God. How can that which cannot be hidden from holy men be hidden from God? The great Tsar Ivan the Formidable came one day to church. In the church, Blessed Basil the Fool for Christ was at prayer. The tsar was indeed physically present in the church, but his mind was on Sparrow Hill, not far from Moscow, on which a palace had been begun. Throughout the service, Ivan was thinking of how to continue and complete his palace on that hill. After the service, the tsar saw Basil, and asked him where he had been. ‘In church,’ replied Basil, and immediately asked the tsar: ‘And where were you, my tsar?’ ‘I, too, have been in church,’ replied the tsar. But to this, the discerning saint made answer: ‘You are not speaking the truth, my little Ivan, for I saw you in thought walking on Sparrow Hill and building a palace 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.