Daily Devotional

Friday, September 5, 2031 (NS), August 23, 2031 (OS)

Fast Day, but Wine and Olive Oil Allowed.

Friday of the Fourteenth Week

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.

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Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Friday of the Fourteenth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Galatians [§ 201]. Brethren:

2 ⁶From those who were reputed to be something—of what sort they once were, it maketh no difference to me; God accepteth the person of no man—for those who were of repute offered nothing else of themselves to lay upon me. ⁷But on the contrary, after they saw that I have been entrusted with the Gospel of the uncircumcision, even as Peter that of the circumcision ⁸(for the One having energized in Peter toward an apostleship of the circumcision, energized also in me toward the nations), ⁹and after Iakovos and Kephas and John, those who were reputed to be pillars, perceived the grace which was given to me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we go to the nations, but they to the circumcision; ¹⁰only that we be remembering the poor, which very thing I also was eager to do.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark [§§ 20, mid 21]. At that time:

5 ²²There cometh to Jesus one of the rulers of the synagogue, by name Jairos; and after he saw Him, he fell at His feet, ²³and was beseeching Him very much, saying, “My little daughter is at her end, so come and lay Thy hands on her, that she might be made well, and she shall live.” ²⁴And He went away with him; and a great crowd was following Him and pressing upon Him.... ³⁵And some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying, “Thy daughter died; why art thou still troubling the Teacher?” ³⁶But Jesus, after He heard the word spoken, straightway saith to the ruler of the synagogue, “Cease being afraid, only keep on believing.” ³⁷And He allowed no one to follow along with Him, except Peter, and Iakovos, and John the brother of Iakovos. ³⁸And He cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth a tumult, and the crowd weeping and wailing greatly. ³⁹And after He entered, He saith to them, “Why are ye being clamorous and weeping? The little child did not die, but sleepeth.” ⁴⁰And they kept on laughing scornfully at Him. But when He put all out, He took the father of the child and the mother, and those with Him, and entered in where the little child was lying. ⁴¹And He laid hold of the little child’s hand, and saith to her, “Talitha, koumi,” which is, being interpreted, “Little girl, I say to thee, arise.” ⁴²And straightway the little girl arose and was walking about, for she was twelve years old. And they were amazed with great ecstasy; ⁴³and He Himself earnestly gave them express orders that no one should know this; and He said that something should be given to her to eat.

6 ¹And He went out from that place, and came into His own country; and His disciples followed Him.

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

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 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.