The holy martyr Lawrence was Archdeacon of Pope Sixtus, and they suffered together in the year 258 during the reign of the emperor Valerian (253-260). When St. Sixtus was arrested, he entrusted the treasures of the church with St. Lawrence to distribute to the poor. He went around the city on foot, helping clergy and impoverished Christians who were in hiding. When Valerian heard of these treasures, he had Lawrence brought before him, and demanded Lawrence give them to him. Instead of earthly treasure, Lawrence brought the emperor the poor, saying, “Behold the treasures of the Church.” He was thrown in prison, suffered many tortures, and received the unfading crown of martyrdom through fire.
Troparion
Your martyr Lawrence, O Lord our God, in his struggle received an incorruptible crown from You. With Your strength, he brought down the tyrants and broke the cowardly valor of demons. Through his prayers, O Christ our God, save our souls.
Kontakion
Inflaming your heart with heavenly fire, you turned the fires of passion into cold ashes. O God-bearing martyr Lawrence, strength of martyrs, amid all your sufferings you cried out: Nothing shall separate me from the love of Christ.
Epistle
1 Corinthians 1: 26-31
Brothers and sisters, you are among those called. Consider your situation. Not many of you are wise, as men account wisdom; not many are influential; and surely not many are well-born. God chose those whom the world considers absurd to shame the wise; he singled out the weak of this world to shame the strong. He chose the world’s lowborn and despised, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who were something; so that mankind can do no boasting before God. God it is who has given you life in Christ Jesus. He has made him our wisdom and also our justice, our sanctification, and our redemption. This is just as you find it written, “Let him who would blast, boast in the Lord.”
Gospel
Matthew 20: 29-34
At that time as Jesus and the disciples were leaving Jericho a large crowd followed them, and suddenly two blind men sitting by the roadside, who heard that Jesus was passing by, began to shout, “Lord, Son of David, have pity on us!” The crowd began to scold them in an effort to reduce them to silence, but they only shouted the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have pity on us!” Jesus then stopped and called out to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” they told him, “open our eyes!” Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they could see; and they became his followers.
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
The holy apostle Matthias was born of the tribe of Judah, in Bethlehem. He studied with St. Simeon the God-receiver in Jerusalem. When the Lord went out to preach the Kingdom of God, Matthias joined the others who loved the Lord- for he himself loved Him with all his heart, and heard His words and witnessed His works with delight. Initially Matthias was numbered among the seventy lesser disciples of Christ. However, following the Resurrection of the Lord, the place of Judas being empty, the apostles drew lots and chose Matthias as one of the Twelve Great Apostles (Acts 1:23-26). Receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, Matthias set out to preach the Gospel; first in Judah, and then in Ethiopia, where he endured great tortures for the sake of Christ. It is held that he preached throughout Macedonia, where they wanted to blind him; but he became invisible to his torturers, and thus escaped danger. The Lord appeared to him in prison, encouraged him, and freed him. Finally, he returned again to his work in Judea. There he was accused and brought to court before the high priest Ananias, before whom he fearlessly witnessed Christ. Ananias (the same who had slain the Apostle James) condemned Matthias to death. They led Matthias out, stoned him, and then decapitated him with an ax. This punishment was the Roman manner of killing a person who was sentenced to death, and the hypocritical Jews applied this method to Matthias to show he had been an enemy of Rome. Thus the great apostle of Christ reposed, and took up his habitation in the eternal joy of his Lord.
Troparion
O holy Apostle Matthias, intercede with the merciful God that He may grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
Kontakion
Your good tidings were more brilliant than the sun, and they have spread all over the world; they illumine the Church of the Gentiles with grace. Rejoice, O miracle-working apostle Matthias.
Readings for the saint
Epistle
Acts 1: 12-17 & 21-26
In those days they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olive near Jerusalem–a mere sabbath’s journey away. Entering the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying: Peter and John and James and Andrew; Phillip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus; Simon, the Zealot party member, and Judas son of James. Together they devoted themselves to constant prayer. There were some women in their company, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
At one point during those days, Peter stood up in the center of the brothers; there must have been a hundred and twenty gathered together. “Brothers,” he said, “the saying in Scripture uttered long ago by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David was destined to be fulfilled in Judas, the one who guided those that arrested Jesus. He was one of our number and he had been given a share in this ministry of ours.
*”It is entirely fitting, therefore, that one of those who was of our company while the Lord Jesus moved among us, from the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us, should be named as witness with us to his resurrection.” At that they nominated two, Joseph (called Barsabbas, also known as Justus) and Mathias. Then they prayed: “O Lord, you read the hearts of men. Make known to us which of these two you choose for this apostolic ministry, replacing Judas who deserted the cause and went the way he was destined to go.” They then drew lots between the two men. The choice fell to Matthias, who was added to the eleven apostles.
Gospel
Luke 9: 1-6
At that time Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them the power and authority to overcome all demons and to cure diseases. He sent them forth to proclaim the reign of God and heal the afflicted. Jesus advised them: “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking staff nor traveling bag; no bread, no money. No one is to have two coats. Stay at whatever house you enter and proceed from there. When people will not receive you, leave that town and shake its dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” So they set out and went from village to village, spreading the good news everywhere and curing diseases.
Readings for the day
Epistle
2 Corinthians 7: 10-16
Brothers and sisters: Indeed, sorrow for God’s sake produces a repentance without regrets, leading to salvation, whereas worldly sorrow brings death. Just look at the fruit of this sorrow which stems from God. What a measure of holy zeal it has brought you, not to speak of readiness to defend yourselves! What indignation, fear, and longing! What ardent desire to restore the balance of justice! In every way you have displayed your innocence in this matter. Therefore, my writing to you was not intended for the man who had given the offense or for the one offended, but to make plain in the sight of God the devotion you have for us. This done, we are comforted.
Beyond this consolation, we have rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus because his mind has been set at rest by all of you. For though I had boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame. Rather, just as everything I ever said to you was true, so my boasting to Titus has been proved equally true. His heart embraces you with an expanding love as he recalls the obedience you showed to God when you received him in fear and trembling. I rejoice because I trust you utterly.
Gospel
Mark 2: 18-22
At that time John’s disciples and the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus with the objection, “Why do John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees fast while yours do not?” Jesus replied: “How can the guests at a wedding fast as long as the groom is still among them? So long as the groom stays with them, they cannot fast. The day will come, however, when the groom will be taken away from them; on that day they will fast. No one sews a patch of shrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he should do so, the very thing he has used to cover the hole would pull away – the new from the old – and the tear would get worse. Similarly, no man pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does so, the wine will burst the skins, and both wine and skins will be lost. No, new wine is poured into new skins.”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
The holy confessor Emilian, Bishop of Cyzicus, lived during the reign of the Iconoclast emperor Leo the Armenian (813-820). He was summoned together with the other bishops to the court of the emperor, who insistently urged the bishops to refrain from the veneration of holy icons. St. Emilian was the first to tell the emperor firmly that the question of the veneration of holy icons ought to be discussed and decided only within the Church by its spiritual leaders, and not at the imperial court. In the year 815 he was sent to prison for the Orthodox Faith, where he died as a confessor.
Troparion
Your life has shown you to your flock as a rule of faith, an image of gentleness, and a teacher of moderation. You acquired greatness through humility and wealth through poverty. O father and bishop Emilian, intercede with Christ our God to save our souls.
Kontakion
The Church recognizes you, O father Emilian, as an advocate of the most Holy Trinity, and she glorifies you with hymns of praise. You even laid down your life as proof of your devotion. For all of this we honor your memory. Deliver your servants from pagan invasions.
Epistle
2 Corinthians 7: 1-10
Brothers and sisters: since we have these promises, beloved, let us purify ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, and in the fear of God strive to fulfill our consecration perfectly.
Make room for us in your hearts! We have injured no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one. I do not condemn you. I have already said that you are in our hearts, even to the sharing of death and life together. I speak to you with utter frankness and boast much about you. I am filled with consolation, and despite my many afflictions my joy knows no bounds.
When I arrived in Macedonia I was restless and exhausted. I was under all kinds of stress — quarrels with others and fears writhing myself. But God, who gives hearts to those who are low in spirit, gave me strength with the arrival of Titus. This he did, not only by his arrival but by the reinforcement Titus had already received from you; for he reported your longing, your grief and your ardent concern for me, so that my joy is greater still. If I saddened you by my letter I have no regrets. Or if I did feel some regret (because I understand that the letter caused you grief for a time), I am happy once again; not because you were saddened, but because your sadness led to repentance. You were filled with sorrow that came from God; thus you did not suffer any loss from us. Indeed, sorrow for God’s sake produces a repentance without regrets, leading to salvation, whereas worldly sorrow brings death.
Gospel
Mark 1: 29-35
At that time immediately upon leaving the synagogue, Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay I’ll with a fever, and the first thing they did was to tell Jesus about her. Jesus went over to her and grasped her hand and helped her up, and the fever left her. She immediately began to wait on them.
After sunset, as evening drew on, they brought to Jesus all who were ill, and those possessed by demons. Before long the whole town was gathered outside the door. Those whom he cured, who were variously afflicted, were many, and so were the demons he expelled. But he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. Rising early the next morning, he went off to a lonely place in the desert; there he was absorbed in prayer.
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
The holy venerable martyr Dometius lived in Persia during the 4th century. In his youth he was converted to the Faith by a Christian named Uaros. Forsaking Persia, St. Dometius withdrew to the frontier city of Nisibis (in Mesopotamia), where he was baptized in one of the monasteries, and also received the monastic tonsure. Fleeing the ill-will of some of the monks, St. Dometius moved to the monastery of Saints Sergius and Bacchus in the city of Theodosiopolis. The monastery was under the guidance of an archimandrite named Urbelos, a strict ascetic. In this monastery St. Dometius was ordained a deacon, but when the archimandrite decided to have Dometius made a presbyter, the saint, considering himself unworthy, hid himself on a desolate mountain in Syria, in the region of Cyrrhus. Many pagans were brought to faith in Christ by St. Dometius. At one time, the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363) arrived in the area, found St. Dometius praying with his disciples in a cave, and walled them up alive inside.
Troparion
Trained in asceticism on the mountain, you were able to defeat the assaults of the devil by the power of the Cross, O holy Dometius. With great courage, you faced the battle and crushed the hostile emperor with the sword of faith. O glorious monk and martyr, God crowned you for your asceticism and your good fight.
Kontakion
You once turned from perishable goods and earthly thoughts which destroy. You became an inspiration for monks, O father Dometius, and you did not shake before the anger of the king who tried to turn you away from honoring Christ. You were killed for your valiant stand; and we sing a hymn of praise to your honor, remembering your death song: God is with me, and no one can prevail against me.
Epistle
2 Corinthians 6: 11-16b
Men of Corinth, we have spoken to you frankly, opening our hearts wide to you. There is no lack of room for you in us; the narrowness is in you. In fair exchange, then (I speak as a father to his children), open wide your hearts!
Do not yoke yourselves in a mismatch with unbelievers. After all, what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common, or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What accord is there between Christ and Belial, what common lot between believer and unbeliever? Tell me what agreement there is between the temple of God and idols. You are the temple of the living God.
Gospel
Mark 1: 23-28
At that time there appeared in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit that shrieked: “What do you want of us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him sharply: “Be quiet! Come out of the man!” At that the unclean spirit convulsed the man violently and with a loud shriek came out of him. All who looked on were amazed. They began to ask one another: “What does this mean? A completely new teaching in a spirit of authority! He gives orders to unclean spirits and they obey!” From that point on his reputation spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
The Transformation of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ in which Jesus Christ, beloved and only-begotten Son of the eternal Father, manifested his glory in the presence of the holy Apostles Peter, James, and John, with the Law and the prophets bearing witness in the persons of Moses and Elijah. This was done so that, while sharing the servile humility of our state he might intimate our glorious restoration through grace. Thus it might be announced to the ends of the earth that the image of God, in which humanity was created, even as it was corrupted in Adam, would be restored in Christ.
Troparion
You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ our God, revealing as much of Your glory to Your disciples as they could behold. Through the prayers of the Theotokos, let Your everlasting light shine upon us singers. O Giver of Light, glory to You!
Kontakion
You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ our God, and Your disciples beheld as much of Your glory as they could bear, that when they would see You crucified they would understand that You suffered willingly, so they would preach to the world that You are truly the radiance of the Father.
Readings for the Feast
Epistle
2 Peter 1: 10-19
Brothers and sisters, be solicitous to make your call and election permanent; surely those who do so will never be lost. On the contrary, your entry into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for.
I intend to recall these things to you constantly, even though you already understand and are firmly rooted in the truth you possess. I consider it my duty, as long as I live, to prompt you with this reminder. I know, by the indications our Lord Jesus Christ has given me, how close is the day when I must fold my tent. I shall press to have you recall these things frequently after my departure. It was not by way of cleverly concocted myths that we taught you about the coming in power of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we were eyewitnesses of his sovereign majesty. He received glory and praise from God the Father when that unique declaration came to him out of the majestic splendor: “This is my beloved Son, on whom my favor rests.” We ourselves heard this said from heaven while we were in his company on the holy mountain. Besides, we possess the prophetic message as something altogether reliable. Keep your attention closely fixed on it, as you would on a lamp shining in a dark place until the first streaks of dawn appear and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Gospel
Matthew 17: 1-9
At that time Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. He was transfigured before their eyes. His face became as dazzling as the sun, his clothes as radiant as light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, how good that we are here! With your permission I will erect three booths here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them. Out of the cloud came a voice which said, “This is my beloved Son on whom my favor rests. Listen to him.” When they heard this the disciples fell forward on the ground, overcome with fear. Jesus came toward them and laying his hand on them, said, “Get up! Do not be afraid.” When they looked up they did not see anyone but Jesus. As they were coming down the mountainside Jesus commanded them, “Do not tell anyone of the vision until the Son of Man rises from the dead.”
Readings for the day
Epistle
2 Corinthians 5: 15-21
Brothers and sisters: Christ died for all so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who for their sakes died and was raised up. Because of this we no longer look on anyone in terms of mere human judgment. If at one time we so regarded Christ, we no longer know him by this standard. This means that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old order has passed away; now all is new! All this has been done by God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. I mean that God, in Christ, was reconciling the world to himself, not counting men’s transgressions against them, and that he has entrusted the message of reconciliation to us. This makes us ambassadors for Christ, God as it were appealing through us. We implore you, in Christ’s name: be reconciled to God! For our sakes God made him who did not know sin, to be sin, so that in him we might become the very holiness of God.
Gospel
Mark 1: 16-22
At that time as Jesus made his way along the Sea of Galilee, he observed Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me; I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately abandoned their nets and became his followers. Proceeding a little farther along, he caught sight of James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They too were in their boat putting their nets in order. Jesus summoned them on the spot. They abandoned their father, Zebedee, who was in the boat with the hired men, and went off in Jesus’ company. Shortly afterward they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and began to teach. The people were spellbound by his teaching because he taught with authority, and not like the scribes.
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
The holy martyr Eusignius was a soldier under emperors Maximian, Constantine, and Constantine’s sons. Having spent sixty years in military service, he withdrew and went home to Antioch, where he lived a life of good works, prayer, and fasting. In the year 362, during the time of the emperor Julian the Apostate, he was arrested and beheaded.
Troparion – Prefestive
Let us go forth to welcome the Transfiguration of Christ; let the faithful joyfully anticipate the feast and exclaim: the day of divine gladness has arrived; the Lord ascends Mount Tabor and the beauty of His divinity flashes like lightning.
Troparion – Martyr
Your martyr Eusignius, O Lord our God, in his struggle received an incorruptible crown from You. With Your strength, he brought down the tyrants and broke the cowardly valor of demons. Through his prayers, O Christ our God, save our souls.
Kontakion – Prefestive
Today all mortal nature radiates divinity at the divine Transfiguration and cries out with gladness: Christ is transfigured, saving all.
Kontakion – Martyr
Let us praise Eusignius the martyr who conquered evil by the power of Christ. He clearly proclaimed his faith and was subjected to vicious torments. But he vanquished the harshness of the torturer and received a victor’s crown from God Himself.
Epistle
2 Corinthians 5: 10-15
Brothers and sisters: The lives of all of us are to be revealed before the tribunal of Christ so that each one may receive his recompense, good or bad, according to his life in the body.
Standing in awe of the Lord we try to persuade men, but what we are is known to God. I hope that it is also known to you in your consciences. We shall not begin to recommend ourselves to you again, but we are giving you an opportunity to boast about us so that you may have something to say to those who take pride in external appearances, and not in what lies in the heart. Indeed, if we are ever caught up out of ourselves, God is the reason; and when we are brought back to our senses, it is for your sakes. The love of Christ impels us who have reached the conviction that since one died for all, all died. He died for all so that those who love might live no longer for themselves, but for him who for their sakes died and was raised up.
Gospel
Mark 1: 9-15
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. Immediately on coming up out of the water he saw the sky rent in two and the Spirit descending in him like a dove. Then a voice came from the heavens: “You are my beloved Son. On you my favor rests.”
At that point the Spirit sent him out toward the desert. He stayed in the wasteland forty days, put to the test there by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, and angels waited on him.
After John’s arrest, Jesus appeared in Galilee proclaiming the good news of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the gospel.”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
The holy seven children of Ephesus: During the persecution of the emperor Decius, seven young soldiers refused to sacrifice to idols. Tradition says that their names were: Maximilian, Iamblichus, Martinian, John, Dionysius, Exacustodianus, and Antoninus. They concealed themselves in a cave outside of Ephesus, and the emperor sealed them into that cave to kill them in the year 250. In the year 454, during the reign of the Christian emperor Theodosius the Younger (408-450), a dispute arose about the veracity of the Christian teaching on the resurrection of the dead. The youths awoke, testified to the true teaching, and one week later died.
The venerable martyr Eudoxia was a native of Heliopolis in Phoenicia who lived in the times of the emperor Trajan (98-117). At first she led a licentious life, enticed a large number of men to evil by her rare beauty, and amassed riches of great value. Having heard a certain Germanus, a monk, speak on religion and repentance, she was converted to Christ and baptized by Bishop Theodotos. After having distributed her goods to the poor, the saint retired to a monastery and there practiced all the ascetical exercises. She was brought before Emperor Adrian (177-138), accused by the very ones who she had formerly corrupted. Working miracles and curing the Emperor’s son, she converted the latter to the Christian faith. She received her crown of martyrdom through beheading.
Troparion
What a marvel of faith! The seven holy youths lived in a cave as in a palace, and they passed on without corruption. After time had marched on, they came out as if from sleep and are fitting signs of the resurrection of all. Have mercy on us, O Christ, through their prayers.
Kontakion
Despising the corruptible things of this world, they received gifts which were incorruptible. They died but did not decay. Coming out after many years, they bury unbelief. O faithful people, come to praise them today, and let us raise a hymn to Christ.
Epistle
1 Corinthians 9: 2-12
Brothers and sisters: Although I may not be an apostle for others, I certainly am one for you. You are the very seal of my apostolate in the Lord.
My defense against those who criticize me is this: Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Do we not have the right to marry a believing woman like the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Is it only myself and Barnabas who are forced to work for a living? What soldier in the field pays for his rations? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its yield? What shepherd does not nourish himself with the milk of his flock? You may think the reasons I am giving are merely human ones, but does not the law itself speak of these things? It is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain.” Is God concerned here for the oxen, or does he not rather say this for our sakes? You can be sure it was written for us, for the plowman should plow in hope and the harvester expect a share in the grain. If we have sown for you in spirit, is it too much to expect a material harvest from you? If others have this right over you, is not our right even greater? But we have not used this right. On the contrary, we put up with all sorts of hardships so as not to place any obstacles in the way of the gospel of Christ.
Gospel
Matthew 18: 23-35
The Lord said: “The reign of God may be said to be like a king who decided to settle accounts with his officials. When he began his auditing, one was brought in who owed him a huge amount. As he had no way of paying it, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of his debt. At that the official prostrated himself in homage and said, ‘My lord, be patient with me and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with pity, the master let the official go and write off the debt. But when that same official went out he met a fellow servant who owed him a mere fraction of what he himself owed. He seized him and throttled him. ‘Pay back what you owe,’ he demanded. His fellow servant dropped to his knees and began to plead with him, ‘Just give me a time and I will pay you back in full.’ But he would hear none of it. Instead, he had him put in jail until he paid back what he owed. When his fellow servants saw what had happened they were badly shaken, and went to their master to report the whole incident. His master sent for him and said, ‘You worthless wretch! I canceled your entire debt when you pleaded with me. Should you not have dealt mercifully with your fellow servant, as I dealt with you?’ Then in anger the master handed him over to the torturers until he paid back all he owed. My heavenly father will treat you in exactly the same way unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
The Carlin Family, Michael Hefferon, Shirley Kunze, Michael Mina, Peter Mina, Fr. John Mina, Mila Mina, Lana Zimmerman, Patrick Zimmerman, Patrick O’Neill, Shannon O’Neill, Fern Bonowicz, All the sick and suffering of St. Mary’s
8/14 Music Firepit Social– CALLING ALL MUSICIANS! As we celebrate the Feast of the Dormition with vigil liturgy on Wednesday, our regular firepit social will be a chance for our parishioners to share their musical talents with us. All are welcome to bring their musical instruments; we want to hear you!
8/31 Last Day of the Eparchial Appeal – we are a quarter of the way to our goal! Get your donations to the parish or directly to the eparchy at: https://ephx.org/eparchial-appeal and click on the Proto-Cathedral of St. Mary
Eparchial Appeal 2024
The Eparchial Appeal ends this month! We still need to raise $20,985.00. As of July 31st, we have raised 35% of our goal: $11,275.00.
Thank you to those who have already contributed:
Alig; Brady; Clemens; Golya; Herrera; Horey, F.; Horey, M.; Marschner-Coyne; Matthews; Michnya; Mina; Petach; Reichert; Sumandra, M.; Towle; Zimmerman, P.; Zimmerman, W.
Interpreting the Divine Liturgy
“Those whom the priest calls holy are not only those who have attained perfection, but those also who are striving for it without having yet obtained it. Nothing prevents them from being sanctified by partaking of the Holy Mysteries, and from this point of view, being saints… The faithful are called holy because of the Holy Things of which they partake, because of Him whose Body and Blood they receive: members of His Body, flesh of His Flesh, and bone of His Bone. As long as we remain united to Him and preserve our connection with Him, we live by holiness, drawing to ourselves, through the Holy Mysteries, the sanctity which comes from that Head and that Heart.”
–Nicholas Cabasilas
Who is Nicholas Cabasilas
The venerable Nicholas Cabasilas was born in Thessaloniki and lived during the 14th century. He was the nephew of the Archbishop of Thessaloniki. St. Nicholas served as an advisor to the Emperor, and joined him in a monastery when the emperor abdicated in the last year of his life. St. Nicholas was a disciple of St. Gregory of Sinai and a supporter of St. Gregory Palamas, both who were proponents of hesychasm (stillness) which involves unceasing prayer of the heart. St. Nicholas wrote the hesychastic teaching that the life in Christ, which begins in this life, is perfected in heaven. Sanctification comes only from Christ, but that sanctity is achieved when our wills are in harmony with Christ’s will.
“The lord of that slave, moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.” In today’s parable, we see our Lord acting out of a compassion that transcends what we deserve and brings forgiveness in the midst of debt. Is a life of prayer and compassion through the religious or ordained life something that God is calling you to consider? To learn more, contact the Vocations Office at 206-329-9219 or email: vocations@ephx.org
Our venerable fathers Isaac, Dalmatus, and Faustus: Dalmatus was an officer in the Roman army who abandoned all and entered the monastery where Isaac was abbot. His only son, Faustus, entered with him. Dalmatus followed Isaac as heguman of the monastery, and took part in the Third Ecumenical Council (431), battling against the Nestorian heresy.
The holy Salome the myrrh-bearer was the mother of the apostles James and John, the wife of Zebedee, and she served the Lord during his earthly life, and was made worthy to be among the first bearers of the tidings of His resurrection.
Troparion
God of our fathers, You always deal with us in Your kindness. Take not Your mercy away from us; but through their prayers guide our life in peace.
Kontakion
Let us praise with hymns Isaac and with him Dalmatus, and Faustus shining as stars in heaven, who dispelled heresies with their faith. Since they are Christ’s servants, they intercede with Him for the salvation of all of us.
Epistle
1 Corinthians 1: 3-9
Brothers and sisters: Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I continually thank my God for you because of the favor he has bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, in whom you have been richly endowed with every gift of speech and knowledge. Likewise, the witness I bore to Christ has been so confirmed among you that you lack no spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, and it was he who called you to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Gospel
Matthew 19: 3-12
At that time some Pharisees came up to Jesus and said, to test him, “May a man divorce his wife for any reason whatever?” Jesus replied, “Have you not read that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and declared, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and the two shall become as one’? Thus they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, let no man separate what God has joined.” They said to him, “Then why did Moses command divorce and the promulgation of a divorce decree?” Jesus replied, “Because of your stubbornness Moses let you divorce your wives, but at the beginning it was not that way. I now say to you, whoever divorces his wife (lewd conduct is a separate case) and marries another commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
His disciples said to him, “If that is the case between man and wife, it is better not to marry.” Jesus said, “Not everyone can accept this teaching, only those to whom it is given to do so. Some men are incapable of sexual activity from birth; some have been deliberately made so; and some there are who have freely renounced sex for the sake of God’s reign. Let him accept this teaching who can.”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Tradition says that the body of St. Stephen was taken by the Rabbi Gamaliel, a secret disciple of Christ, and buried in a cave in the town of Capargamala. In the year 415, Gamaliel appeared in a dream to the priest Lucian in that town, and revealed the burial place of the Protomartyr. His relics were translated from Palestine to Constantinople.
Our venerable father Basil of Moscow, was a Fool-for-Christ in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He came from a humble household, and was training to be a cobbler. At sixteen he went to Moscow to live his life as Fool for Christ. Purified by his great deeds and prayers of his souls, St. Basil was granted the gift of foreseeing the future. His holiness was renowned throughout the land, even after his death in 1557. The veneration of St. Basil the Blessed was always so strong that the Trinity temple, where the saint is buried, and the attached Protection church were renamed for him: the famous St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow.
Troparion
O martyr Stephen, your head was crowned with a kingly crown on account of all the struggles you endured for Christ our God. You beheld the vision of your Savior seated at the right hand of God. Do not cease to intercede with Him for the salvation of our souls.
Kontakion
O blessed Stephen worthy of all praise, you are the very first to have been planted in the earth by the Divine Gardener, the very first to have shed your blood for Christ, the very first to have been crowned with the crown of victory by Christ in heaven. You are the first to have suffered for Christ and to have received a martyr’s rewards.
Readings for the Protomartyr
Epistle
Acts 6:8 – 7:5a, 47-60
Stephen was a man filled with grace and power, who worked great wonders and signs among the people. Certain members of the so-called “Synagogues of Roman Freedom” (that is, the Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia) would undertake to engage Stephen in debate, but they proved no match for the wisdom and spirit with which he spoke. They persuaded some men to make the charge that they had heard him speaking blasphemies against Moses and God, and in this way they incited the people, the elders, and the scribes. All together they confronted him, seized him, and led him off to the Sanhedrin. There they brought in false witnesses, who said: “This man never stops making statements against the holy place and the law. We have heard him claim that Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses handed down to us.” The members of the Sanhedrin who sat there stared at him intently. Throughout, Stephen’s face seemed like that of an angel.
The high priest asked whether the charges were true. To this Stephen replied: “My brothers! Fathers! Listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was still in Mesopotamia and before he settled in Haran. God said to him, Leave your country and your kinsfolk, and go to the land I will show you. So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After Abraham’s father died, God made him move from there to this land where you now dwell. God did not give him any of it as his heritage, not even a foot of land.
“It was Solomon, however, who constructed [the temple]. Yet the Most High does not dwell in buildings made by human hands, for as the prophet says: ‘The heavens are my throne, the earth is my footstool; what kind of house can you build me? asks the Lord. What is my resting-place to be like? Did not my hand make all these things?’
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are always opposing the Holy Spirit just as your fathers did before you. Was there ever any prophet whom your fathers did not persecute? In their day, they put to death those who foretold the coming of the Just One; now you in your turn have become his betrayers and murderers. You who received the law through the ministry of angels have not obeyed it.”
Those who listened to his words were stung to the heart; they ground their teeth in anger at him. Stephen meanwhile, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked to the sky above and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. “Look!” he exclaimed, “I see an opening in the sky, and the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand.” The onlookers were shouting aloud, holding their hands over their ears as they did so. Then they rushed at him as one man, dragged him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses meanwhile were oiling their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As Stephen was being stoned he could be heard praying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And with that he died.
Gospel
Matthew 21: 33-42
The Lord said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, “Listen to another parable. There was a property owner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug out a vat, and erected a tower. Then he leased it out to tenant farmers and went on a journey. When vintage time arrived he dispatched his slaves to the tenants to obtain his share of the grapes. The tenants responded by seizing the slaves. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. A second time he dispatched even more slaves than before, but they treated them the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ When they saw the son, the tenants said to one another, ‘Here is the one who will inherit everything. Let us kill him and then we shall have his inheritance!’ With that they seized him, dragged him outside the vineyard, and killed him. What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to those tenants when he comes?”
They replied, “He will bring that wicked crowd to a bad end and lease his vineyard out to others who will see to it that he has grapes at vintage time.” Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the keystone of the structure. It was the Lord who did this and we find it marvelous to behold’?”
Readings for the day
Epistle
2 Corinthians 4: 1-6
Brothers and sisters: Because we possess this ministry through God’s mercy, we do not give in to discouragement. Rather, we repudiate shameful, underhanded practices. We do not resort to trickery or falsify the word of God. We proclaim the truth openly and commend ourselves to every man’s conscience before God. If our gospel can be called “veiled” in any sense, it is such only for those who are headed toward destruction. Their unbelieving minds have been blinded by the god of the present age so that they do not see the splendor of the gospel showing forth the glory of Christ, the image of God. It is not ourselves we preach but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts, that we in turn might make known the glory of God shining on the face of Christ.
Gospel
Matthew 24: 13-28
The Lord said to his disciples: “The man who holds out to the end is the one who will see salvation. This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a witness to all the nations. Only after that will the end come.
“When you see the abominable and destructive thing which the prophet Daniel foretold standing on the holy ground (let the reader take note!), those in Judea must flee to the mountains. If a man is on the roof terrace, he must not come down to get anything out of his house. If a man is in the field, he must not turn back to pick up his cloak. It will be hard on pregnant or nursing mothers in those days. Keep praying that you will not have to flee in winter or on a sabbath, for those days will be more filled with anguish than any from the beginning of the world until now or in all ages to come. Indeed, if the period had not been shortened, not a human being would be saved. For the sake of the chosen, however, the days will be shortened. If anyone tells you at that time, ‘Look, the Messiah is here,’ or ‘He is there,’ do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will appear, performing signs and wonders so great as to mislead even the chosen if that were possible. Remember, I have told you all about it beforehand; so if they tell you, ‘Look, he is in the desert,’ do not go out there; or ‘He is in the innermost rooms,’ do not believe it. As the lightning from the east flashes to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Where the carcass lies, there the vultures gather.”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com