Daily Devotional

Scripture Readings

Paschalion — Movable Calendar

Saturday of the Fifteenth Week

Epistle

The Reading is from the First Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians [§ 132]. Brethren:

4 ¹⁷On this account I sent to you Timothy, who is my child, beloved and faithful in the Lord, who shall remind you of my ways which are in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every church. ¹⁸Now some were puffed up as though I were not coming to you. ¹⁹But I will come quickly to you, if the Lord will, and I will know, not the word of those who have been puffed up, but the power; ²⁰for the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. ²¹What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and in a spirit of meekness?

5 ¹It is actually heard that there is fornication among you, and such fornication which is not even named among the nations—so as for one to have his father’s wife. ²And ye are being puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who did this might be taken away from among you! ³For I indeed, being absent in the body but present in the spirit, already have judged, as though I were present, the one who so wrought this thing, ⁴in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—after ye have been gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ— ⁵to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, in order that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 97]. At that time:

24 ¹The disciples of Jesus came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple. ²But Jesus said to them, “See ye not all these things? Verily I say to you, in no wise shall there be left here a stone upon a stone which shall not be put down.” ³And as He sat upon the Mount of Olives, His disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the completion of the age?” ⁴And Jesus answered and said to them, “Be taking heed, lest anyone lead you astray. ⁵“For many shall come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ’; and they shall lead astray many. ⁶“But ye are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars; keep on looking out and cease being clamorous; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ⁷“For nation shall be stirred up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there shall be famines, and plagues, and earthquakes, in place after place. ⁸“But all these are a beginning of birth pangs. ⁹“Then they shall deliver you up to affliction, and shall kill you; and ye shall be hated by all the nations for My name’s sake. ¹⁰“And then many shall be made to stumble, and shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one another. ¹¹“And many false prophets shall be raised up, and shall lead astray many. ¹²“And because lawlessness shall have been multiplied, the love of the multitude shall grow cold. ¹³“But the one who endureth to the end, this one shall be saved.”

Menaion — Fixed Calendar

The commemoration of the deposition of the precious belt of our most holy Lady Theotokos.

Epistle

The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrews [§ 320]. Brethren:

9 ¹The first tabernacle also used to have both ordinances of worship and the sanctuary of this world. ²For a tabernacle was furnished: the first in which were both the lampstand and the table, and the laying forth of the loaves, which is called Holy; ³and after the second veil, a tabernacle which is called Holy of Holies, ⁴which hath a golden censer, and the ark of the covenant which hath been covered all around from every side with gold, in which was the golden jar having the manna, and the rod of Aaron that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; ⁵and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat, concerning which now is not the time to speak severally. ⁶Now after these things were thus furnished, the priests, on the one hand, enter into the first tabernacle, performing worship services; ⁷on the other hand, into the second, the high priest entereth alone once for all every year, not without blood, which he offereth on behalf of himself and the faults of ignorance of the people.

Gospel

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [§ 54]. At that time:

10 ³⁸ Jesus entered into a certain village. And a certain woman, by name Martha, received Him into her house. ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat down beside the feet of Jesus, and was listening to His word. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted about much serving, and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, is it no concern to Thee that my sister left me to serve alone? Speak to her therefore that she should help me.” ⁴¹And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things. ⁴²“But there is need of one thing, and Mary chose the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”...

11 ²⁷And it came to pass, as He was speaking these things, a certain woman out of the crowd lifted up her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the breasts which Thou didst suck.” ²⁸But He said, “Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.”

Lives of the Saints (Prologue)

September 13th – Civil Calendar
August 31st – Church Calendar

1. The Feast of the Belt (Cincture) of the Holy Mother of God.

At her dormition, the most holy Mother of God left her belt to the holy Apostle Thomas. This belt was later taken to Constantinople and kept there in a sealed casket in the church of the Mother of God at Vlachernai, founded by the Empress Pulcheria. This casket was never opened until the time of the Emperor Leo the Wise (886-912). Leo’s wife, the Empress Zoe, was taken sick in soul, and as the result of a mysterious vision, desired that the belt of the holy Mother of God be placed upon her. The emperor asked the patriarch, and the casket was opened. The belt was taken out and placed upon the sick empress, who immediately recovered. This feast was instituted as a memorial of this wonder. One part of this belt is to be found in Georgia, in Zugdid. This came about as follows: The daughter of the Emperor Romanos was healed by the aid of this belt, and later, when her father gave her to King Abuchaz of Georgia, she took a part of this belt with her. By order of the Russian Tsar Alexander I, a special church was built in Mingrelia in Zugdid, where this piece of the wonder-working raiment of the holy Mother of God is kept.

2. St. Gennadios, Patriarch of Constantinople.

He followed St. Anatolios as patriarch, and was a contemporary of St. Marcian (Jan. 10th) and St. Daniel the Stylite (Dec. 11th). The famous monastery of the Studion was founded in his time, thus named for the Roman senator Studius, who came to Constantinople, and with Patriarch Gennadios’ blessing, built the church of St. John the Forerunner and the monastery beside it. Gennadios was very gentle and abstinent. He was never willing to ordain any man who did not know the whole Psalter by heart. He presided at a local Council in Constantinople at which simony in the Church was anathematised. He worked miracles, and learned of his death in a vision. He governed the Church for thirteen years, and went peacefully to the Lord in 471.

3. The Hieromartyr Cyprian.

He was born of unbelieving parents, and was himself reared in paganism. He became known in Carthage as a teacher of philosophy and rhetoric. He was married, but when he became a Christian, he stopped living with his wife and gave himself to an unceasing study of the holy Scriptures and the perfecting of his character. For his rare virtues, he was ordained priest and very soon consecrated bishop. He was both compassionate to Christians and firm with heretics. He wrote a number of learned books, guided by the Spirit of God, writing especially strongly against idolatry, Judaism and the Novatian heresy. His writings on virginity, martyrdom, alms, patience, prayer to God and so forth are beautiful and gentle. He suffered in the time of Valerian, in 258. At the time of his death, he prayed to God, blessed the people and left twenty-five gold pieces for the executioner who would behead him. See the matchless generosity and greatness of a true Christian!

4. St. John, Metropolitan of Kiev.

A Bulgarian, he went to Kiev in 1080 and at once achieved such eminence that he was quickly raised to the rank of metropolitan. He wrote a letter to Pope Clement, in which he denounced him for certain practices that the Roman Church had introduced. He governed the Church for eight years, and entered peacefully into rest in 1089.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Christians do not believe in kismet, in fate. Though God determines the chief lines of our life, He is willing, by our prayers and virtue, to change them. Thus, He prolonged King Hezekiah’s life by fifteen years (Is. 38), and our holy father Dios (July 19th) also had his life lengthened by a similar period. God extended the life of Basil the Great by one day, at the saint’s prayers, so that he could baptize his Jewish doctor, Joseph. But, as God can, in response to prayer, lengthen life, so He can, through sin, shorten it.

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.