Jan. 24 Our Venerable Mother Xenia of Rome

Our venerable mother Xenia was of a noble and famous Roman family. As her parents were planning her marriage, she escaped from her bridegroom and fled with two handmaidens to Alexandria for refuge. There she founded a convent for virgins, where she lived an ascetic life until her death in the year 450. At the time of her death, a sign appeared over the convent: a wreath of stars with a cross in the center, brighter than the sun. Many who were sick received healing from her relics. Her handmaidens, who also became nuns, continued in the example of their abbess. When they died, they were buried at the feet of Blessed Xenia as was their wish. 

 

Troparion

In you, O venerable mother Xenia, the faithful image of God shone forth, for you carried your cross and followed Christ. You taught by your deeds how to spurn the body, for it passes away; and how to value the soul, for it is immortal. Therefore, your soul is forever in happiness with the angels.

 

Kontakion

Commemorating your marvelous life, O Xenia, we honor you with fervor, singing hymn in praise of Christ who gave you the power of miracles. Intercede with Him constantly for all of us.  

 

Epistle

2 Peter 3: 1-18

Dearly beloved: I am writing you this second letter, intending them both as reminders urging you to sincerity of outlook. Recall the teaching delivered long ago by the holy prophets, as well as the new command of the Lord and Savior preached to you by the apostles. 

Note this first of all: in the last days, mocking, sneering men who are ruled by their passions will arrive on scene. They will ask: “Where is that promised coming of his? Our forefathers have been laid to rest, but everything stays just as it was when the world was created.” In believing this, they do not take into account that of old there were Heavens and the earth drawn out of the waters and standing between the waters, all brought into being by the word of God. By water that world was then destroyed; it was overwhelmed by the deluge. The present heavens and earth are reserved by God‘s word for fire; they are kept for the day of judgment, the day when godless men will be destroyed.

This point must not be overlooked, dear friends. In the Lord‘s eyes, one day is as 1000 years and 1000 years are as a day… The Lord does not delay in keeping his promise – those some consider it a “delay.” Rather, he shows you generous patience, since he wants none to perish but all to come to repentance. The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and on that day the heavens will vanish with the war; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and all its deeds will be made manifest.

Since everything is to be destroyed in this way, what sort of men must you not be! How holy in your conduct and devotion, looking for the coming of the day of God and trying to hasten it! Because of it, the heavens will be destroyed in flames and the elements will melt away in a blaze. What we await are new heavens and a new earth where, according to his promise, the justice of God will reside. 

So, beloved, while waiting for this, make every effort to be found without stain or defilement, and at peace in his sight. Consider that our Lord‘s patience is directed toward salvation. Paul, our beloved brother, wrote you this in the spirit of wisdom that is his, dealing with these matters as he does in all his letters. There are certain passages in them hard to understand. The ignorant and the unstable to start them (just as they do the rest of Scripture) to their own ruin.

 

Gospel

Mark 13: 24-31

The Lord said to his disciples: “During that period after trials of every sort the sun will be darkened, the moon will not shed it’s light, stars will fall out of the skies, and the heavenly hosts will be shaken. Then men will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. He will dispatch his angels and assemble his chosen from the four winds, from the farthest bounds of earth and sky. Learn a lesson from the fig tree. Once the sap of its branches runs high and it begins to sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. And the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that he is near, even at the door. I assure you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. The heavens and earth will pass away but my words will not pass.”

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

Jan. 23 The Holy Martyr Clement, Bishop of Ancyra; The Holy Martyr Agathangel

The holy martyr Clement, Priest-Martyr, Bishop of Ancrya, lived in exile for 28 years under several persecutors and died by the sword in the year 296.

The holy martyr Agthangel suffered death also in the reign of emperors Maximian and Diocletian.

 

Troparion

 O most holy Clement, you are a vineyard of holiness for the faithful, a rod of valiance, a flower of purity, and a fruit of great delight that God has granted. Since you struggled together with the martyrs and to the dignity of a bishop, intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls. 

 

Kontakion

O Clement worthy of all praise, you became a precious vine and a noble conqueror in Christ’s vineyard. At the time of your martyrdom you cried out with your companion: O Christ our God, You are the delight of martyrs.

 

Epistle 

2 Peter 2: 9-22

Dearly beloved: the Lord, indeed, knows how to rescue devout men from trial, and how to continue the punishment of the wicked up to the day of judgment. He knows, especially, how to treat those who live for the flesh and their desire for whatever corrupts, and who despise authority. These bold and arrogant men have no qualms whatsoever about reviling celestial beings, on whom angels, though greater than men in strength and power, pass no opprobrious sentence in the Lord’s presence. These men pour abuse on things of which they are ignorant. They act like creatures of instinct, brute animals born to be caught and destroyed. Because of their decadence they t0o will be destroyed, suffering the reward of their wickedness. Thinking daytime revelry a delight, they are stain and defilement as they share your feasts in a spirit of seduction. Constantly on the lookout for a woman, theirs is a never ending search for sin. They lure the weaker types. Their hearts are trained in greed. An accursed lot they are! They have abandoned the straight road and wander off the path taken by Balaam, son of Beor. He was a man attracted to dishonest gain, but he was rebuked before his evildoing. A mute beast spoke with a human voice to restrain the prophet’s madness.

These men are waterless springs, mists whipped by the gale. The darkest gloom has been reserved for them. They talk empty bombast while baiting their hooks with passion, with the lustful ways of the flesh, to catch those who have just come free of a life of errors. They promise them freedom though they themselves are slaves of corruption – for surely anyone is the slave of that by which he has been overcome. When men have fled a polluted world by recognizing the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and then I cut up and overcome in pollution once more, their last condition is worse than their first. It would have been better for them not to have recognized the road to holiness than to have turned their backs on the holy law handed on to them, once they had known it. How well the proper fits them: “The dog returns to its vomit,” and, “a sow bathes by wallowing in mire.”

 

Gospel 

Mark 13: 14-23

The Lord said to his disciples: “When you see the abominable and destructive presence standing where it should not be – 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 or enter his house to get anything out of it. If a man is in the field, he must not turn back to pick up his cloak. It will go badly with pregnant and nursing women in those days. Keep praying that none of this happens in winter. Those times will be more distressful than any between God’s work of creation and now, and for all time to come. Indeed, had the Lord not shortened the period, not a person would be saved. But for the sake of those he has chosen, he has shortened the days. If anyone tells you at that time, ‘Look, the Messiah is here!’ ‘Look, he is there!’ – do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will appear performing signs and wonders to mislead, if it were possible, even the chosen. So be constantly on guard! I have told you about it beforehand.”

 

 

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

Jan. 22 The Holy Apostle Timothy; The Venerable Martyr Anastasius the Persian

The Holy apostle Timothy who, disciple of St. Paul the Apostle and his assistant in his apostolate, was the leader of the church at Ephesus. Two epistles were written to him that offer wise counsels on the ordering of pastors and the faithful.

The venerable martyr Anastasius the Persian from Bethsaloe in Persia, monk. After enduring many tortures, which he had borne steadfastly, in Caesarea in Palestine, he was afflicted with many punishments by Chosroes, king of the Persians. After his seventy companions, he too was strangled next to a river and beheaded. His head was brought to Rome and is still venerated in the church of Ss. Vincent and Anastasius. 

 

Troparion – Timothy

Having heard the good news and being truly temperate, you have been clothed with the priesthood in integrity. You found deep knowledge in the chosen vessel, and you kept the faith over a smooth course. O apostle Timothy, beg Christ to save our souls.

 

Troparion – Anastasius

O Lord our God, your holy martyr Anastasius has deserved the crown of immortality on account of his good fight. Armed with your strength, he has vanquished the persecutors and crushed Satan’s dreadful might. Through his supplications, O Christ our God, save our souls.

 

Kontakion

Let us praise Paul’s companion and disciple, Timothy. Let us venerate him along with Anastasius who beamed out of Persia like a star, who disperses the passions of our soul and the ills of our flesh.

 

Epistle

2 Peter 1:20- 2:9

Dearly beloved: First you must understand this: there is no prophecy contained in Scripture which is a personal interpretation. Prophecy has never been put forward by man’s willing it. It is rather that men impelled by the Holy Spirit have spoken under God’s influence…

In times past there were false prophets among God’s people, and among you also there will be false teachers who will smuggle in pernicious heresies. They will go so far as to deny the master who acquired 160 them for his own, thereby bringing on themselves swift disaster. They’re lustful ways will lure many away. Through them, the true way will be made subject to contempt.

They will deceive you with fabricated tales, in a spirit of greed. Their condemnation has not lain idle all this time, however; their destruction is not asleep. Did God spare even the angels who sinned? He did not! He held — them captive in Tartarus – consigned them to pits of darkness, to be guarded until judgment. Nor did he spare the ancient world – even though he preserved Noah as a preacher of holiness, with seven others, when he brought down the flood on that godless earth. He blanketed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in ashes and condemned them to destruction, thereby showing what would happen in the future to the godless. He did deliver Lot, however, a just man oppressed by the conduct of men unprincipled in their lusts. (Day after day that just one, good as he was, felt himself tormented by seeing and hearing the lawless deeds of those among whom he lived.) The Lord, indeed, knows how to rescue devout men from trial, and how to continue the punishment of the wicked up to the day of judgment.

 

Gospel

Mark 13: 9-13

The Lord said to his disciples: “Be constantly on your guard. They will hand you over to the courts. You will be beaten in synagogues. You will be arraigned before governors and kings on my account and have to testify to your faith before them. But the good news must first be proclaimed to all the Gentiles. When men take you off into custody, do not worry beforehand about what to say. In that hour, say what you are inspired to say. It will not be yourselves speaking but the Holy Spirit. Brother will hand over brother for execution and likewise father his child; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. Because of my name, you will be hated by everyone. Nonetheless, the man who holds out till the end is the one who will come through safe.”

 

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

Jan. 21 Our Venerable Father Maximus the Confessor; The Holy Martyr Neophyte; The Holy Martyrs Eugene, Candidus, Valerian, and Aquila

Our venerable father Maximus the confessor, noted theologian and writer who resigned his post as secretary to the Emperor Heraclius and entered the monastery of Chrysopolis, of which he eventually became hegumen. He headed the opposition to the Monothelite heresy. For this he was banished, imprisoned, and lost his tongue and right hand.

The holy martyr Neophyte of Nicea, died a martyr at the age of fifteen during the reign of Diocletian.

The holy martyrs Eugene, Candidus, Valerian, and Aquila suffered for their faith in Christ during the reign of Diocletian and Maximian, under the regimental commander Lycius.

 

Troparion – Maximus

O guide of the true faith, mirror of piety and commendable behavior, bright star of the universe, and adornment of pontiffs, you enlightened us all by your teachings. O wise Maximus, inspired by God and lyre of the Holy Spirit, intercede with Christ our God that he may save our souls.

 

Troparion – Neophyte

O Lord our God, your holy martyr Neophyte has deserved the crown of immortality on account of his good fight. Armed with your strength, he has vanquished his persecutors and crushed Satan’s dreadful might. Through his supplications, O Christ our God, save our souls.

 

Troparion – Holy Martyrs

Today the Church is filled with music, and the world is replete with miracles. These four holy men have acted bravely against guile, and in their faith they professed Christ. O saints, obtain remission of sins for those who venerate your holy memory.

 

Kontakion – Maximus

Let us, O faithful, honor with worthy hymns the great Maximus so highly devoted to the Holy Trinity. He preached faith in God with great courage and glorified Christ in his two natures, two wills, and two operations. Therefore, let us cry out: Rejoice, O preacher of the true faith.

 

Kontakion – Neophyte

You are a new shoot in the garden of Christ’s martyrs. You offer the fruits of heavenly understanding which nourish those who venerate you in faith. O glorious, wise, and brave martyr Neophyte, as you stand before God, pray for our souls. 

 

Kontakion – Holy Martyrs

Now that we have assembled let us praise the holy and God-bearing martyrs: Eugene, Candidus, Valerian, and Aquila. They spurned the goods of the world, and now we honor them as a choir of four.

 

Epistle

2nd Timothy 3: 10-15

Timothy, my son: you have followed closely my teaching and my conduct. You have observed my resolution, fidelity, patience, love, and endurance, through persecution and sufferings in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. You know what persecutions I have had to bear, and you know how the Lord saved me from them all. Anyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus can expect to be persecuted. But all the while evil men and charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceiving others, themselves deceived. You, for your part, must remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know who your teachers were. Likewise, from your infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, the source of the wisdom which through faith in Jesus Christ leads to salvation.

 

Gospel

Luke 18: 10-14

The Lord told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, the other a publican. The Pharisee with head unbowed prayed in this fashion: ‘I give you thanks, O God, that I am not like the rest of men – grasping, crooked, adulterous – or even like this publican. I fast twice a week. I pay tithes on all I possess.’ The other man, however, kept his distance, not even daring to raise his eyes to heaven. All he did was beat his breast and say, ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’ Believe me, this man went home from the temple justified but the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled while he who humbled himself shall be exalted.”

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

Sunday Bulletin 01/21/24

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Saturday, Jan. 20  –  Euthymius the Great, Venerable         

5:00 PM          Santa Paula Outreach Divine Liturgy

5:30 PM          Reader Vespers

Sunday, Jan. 21  –  Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee

8:30 AM          Matins

9:30 AM          Divine Liturgy

Monday, Jan. 22  –  Timothy, Apostle & Anastasius, Martyr          

8:30 AM          Morning Prayer

4:00 PM          Evening Prayer

Tuesday, Jan. 23  –  Clement of Ancyra, Martyr          

5:30 PM          Akathist* for those suffering Addictions & Mental Illness

Wednesday, Jan. 24  –  Xenia, Venerable     

8:30 AM          Morning Prayer

4:30 PM          Divine Liturgy at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo (please arrive by 4pm)

6:30 PM         Reader Vespers

Saturday, Jan. 27  –  Translation of the Relics of John Chrysostom          

5:00 PM          Santa Paula Outreach Divine Liturgy

Sunday, Jan. 28  –  Sunday of the Prodigal Son

8:30 AM          Matins

9:30 AM          Divine Liturgy

*Add first names to this prayer service by emailing niemirick@gmail.com

MYSTERY OF REPENTANCE (Confession)

St. Mary’s: Sundays 8:45 AM or by appointment

Santa Paula: Saturdays 4:15 PM or by appointment

PRAYER REQUESTS

(Please resubmit or submit names to admin@ByzantineLA.com)

The Carlin Family, Michael Hefferon, Shirley Kunze, Michael Mina, Peter Mina, Fr. John Mina, Mila Mina, Lana Zimmerman, Patrick Zimmerman, Shannon O’Neill, Fern Bonowicz, Carolina Chirdon, All the sick and suffering of St. Mary’s

WEEKLY DEPOSIT:

Collection: $1,709.00; Santa Paula: $610.00; Online: $155.00; Candles: $95.45; Church Improvements: $375.00; Gift Shop: $80.00; Initial Offering: $15.00; Holydays: $60.00; Parish Socials: $34.00; Gift Shop: $80.00; All Souls: $20.00

Total: $3,153.45 / Attendance – PSM: 74     SPO: 93  

 

Wednesday Night Divine Liturgy

This week’s Wednesday evening Divine Liturgy will be held at 4:30 PM at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo. All are welcome to join this wonderful chance to share our beautiful liturgy with the seminarians at St. John’s.

St. John’s Seminary, 5012 Seminary Rd, Camarillo, CA 93012

 

When Does Christmas End?

You’ve heard of the 12 days of Christmas? How about the “Season of Light”? But we only say, “Chris is Born!” until December 31st! Yet we fasted for 40 days in preparation, so can’t we celebrate for that long (like Pascha)? And the church prescribes no fasting between the 25th and January 4! 

Like much of our Eastern Christian traditions, there are options and levels of celebration. “Both/And” as we so often say. 

The liturgical celebration of the Nativity of our Lord ends on December 31st (along with the greeting “Christ is Born!”). We then celebrate the Circumcision/Naming of our Lord on the 1st, and the pre-feast of Theophany begins January 2nd. Theophany (January 6th) is the celebration of the revelation of the Trinity (when Christ was baptized) and used to also be the feast of His Nativity (and revelation to the Magi) because they are both feasts of “revelation”. The post-feast of Theophany ends on January 14th. 40 days after his birth, though, Christ was brought to the temple where he met Simeon and Anna, and after a 40 day fast, it would make sense to celebrate for 40 days. Also, this feast also contains the theme of revelation, since Simeon says, “my eyes have seen the salvation…”. So… We celebrate until the 31st (liturgical celebration), but also until the 4th (no fasting), but also until the 14th (end of Theophany) and also until February 2 (40 days). So Blessed Feast! And it’s almost time for the Great Fast! 🙂 

 

“Today salvation has come to this house.” Our Great God and Savior has come to save the world. Have you experienced His salvation in your “house”? Would you like to share this life with the world through a calling to holy orders, religious or monastic life?  Contact the Vocations Office at 206-329-9219 or email: vocations@ephx.org

Jan. 20 Our Venerable and God-bearing Father Euthymius the Great

Our venerable and divinely inspired father, Euthymius the Great, Hegumen-Abbot, lived in the fifth century in Melitene in Armenia. His parents were devout Christians of noble birth. However, even after many years of marriage, they were childless. In their sorrow, they entreated God to give them a child. They had a vision and heard a voice tell them: “Be of good cheer! God will grant you a son, who will bring joy to the churches.” They named their son Euthymuis which means “good cheer.” St. Euthymius became a monk and was ordained to the priesthood. He was entrusted with the supervision  of all the monasteries in the city. He frequently visited the monastery of St. Polyeuctus, and during the Great Fast he withdrew  to the wilderness. Feeling the great weight of his responsibilities for the monasteries conflicting with his desire for stillness, St. Euthymius secretly left the city and set out for Jerusalem. After venerating the holy shrines, he visited the Fathers in the desert. He settled into a solitary cell in the monastery in Tharan where he lived the rest of his life until he died at the age of ninety-seven.

 

Troparion

Joy to you, O barren wilderness; rejoice, sterile desert that has never known the travail of birth; for your spouse has multiplied your children. He has planted them in devotion and piety, and made them grow in detachment for the sake of perfect virtue. Through his supplications, Christ our God, give peace to our lives.

 

Kontakion

 Creation takes you in your birth and memory. It is delighted with the abundance of your miracles. Enrich our souls from your treasures, O father, and wash our defilements away so that we can sing: Alleluia!

 

 

Epistle

Hebrews 13: 17-21

Brothers and sisters: Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over you as men who must render an account. So act that they may fulfill their task with joy, not sorrow, for that would be harmful to you. Pray for us; we are confident that we may have a good conscience. Wishing, as we do, to ask rightly in every respect. I Especially ask your prayers that I may be restored to you very soon. May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will. Through Jesus Christ may he carry out in you all that is pleasing to him. To Christ be glory forever! Amen.

 

Gospel

Luke 6:17-23

At that time, coming down the mountain with the twelve, Jesus stopped at a level stretch where there were many of his disciples; a large crowd of people was with them from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coast of Tyre and Sidon, people who came to hear him and be healed of this diseases. Those who were troubles with unclean spirits were cured; indeed, the whole crowd was trying to touch him because power went out from him which cured all. 

Then, raising his eyes to his disciples, he said: “Blest are you poor, the reign of God is yours. Blest are you who hunger; you shall be filled. Blest are you who are weeping; you shall laugh. Blest shall you be when men hate you, and proscribe your name as evil because of the Son of Man. On the day they do so, rejoice and exult, for your reward shall be great in heaven.”

 

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

Jan. 19 Our Venerable Father Macarius of Egypt

Our Venerable Father Macarius the Great of Egypt was born in the early fourth century in the village of Ptinapor in Egypt. At the wish of his parents he entered into marriage, but was soon widowed. After he buried his wife, he withdrew to the wilderness. He spent sixty years in labor and struggle, both inwardly and outwardly, for the Kingdom of Heaven. So much did he succeed in cleansing his mind of evil thoughts and his heart of evil desires, that God bestowed upon him the abundant gift of miracle-working, so that he even raised the dead from the graves. Macarius often told his disciple, Paphnutius: “Do not judge anyone, and you will be saved.” Before his death at age ninety-seven, Macarius was visited by St. Anthony and St. Pachomius who told him he would die in nine days, and so it came to pass. 

 

Troparion

You made the wilderness your dwelling, O father Macarius, the bearer of God. You became an angel in the flesh and a wonderworker. Through fasts, vigils, and prayers, you obtained from God special graces to heal the sick and to sanctify the souls of those who come to you with trust. Glory to the One who gave you strength! Glory to the One who crowned you! Glory to the One who through your intercession grants healing to all!

 

Kontakion

You ended your life among those who imitate martyrdom, and you have inherited the land of the meek, O father. You filled the desert with people like a city, and God gave to you the grace to work wonders. Therefore, we come to venerate you, O Macarius.

 

Epistle

2 Peter 1: 1-10

Simeon Peter, servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have been given a faith like ours in the justifying power of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: may grace be yours and peace in abundance through your knowledge of God and of Jesus, our Lord.

That divine power of his has freely bestowed on us everything necessary for a life of genuine piety, through knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power. By virtue of them he has bestowed on us the great and precious things he promised, so that through these you who fled a world corrupted by lust might become sharers of the divine nature. This is reason enough for you to make every effort to undergird your virtue with faith, your discernment with virtue, and your self-control with discernment; this self-control, in turn, should lead to perseverance, and perseverance to piety, and piety to care for your brother, and care for your brother, to love.

Qualities like these, made increasingly your own, are by no means ineffectual; they bear fruit in true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Any man who lacks these qualities is short-sighted to the point of blindness. He forgets the cleansing of his long-past sins. Be solicitous to make your call and election permanent, brothers and sisters; surely those who do so will never be lost. 

 

Gospel

 Mark 13: 1-8

At that time as Jesus was making his way out of the temple area, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look at the huge blocks of stone and the enormous building!” Jesus said to him, “You see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another– all will be torn down.” While he was seated on the Mount of Olives facing the temple, Peter, James, and Andrew began to question him privately. “Tell us, when will this occur? What will be the sign that all this is coming to an end?”

Jesus began his discourse: “Be on your guard. Let no one mislead you. Any number will come attempting to impersonate me. ‘I am he,’ they will claim, and will lead many astray. When you hear about wars and threats of war, do not yield to panic. Such things are bound to happen, but this is not yet the end. Nation will rise against nation, one kingdom against another. There will be earthquakes in various places and there will be famine. This is but the onset of the pains of labor.”

Jan. 18 Our Holy Fathers, Athanasius and Cyril, Archbishops of Alexandria

Our holy father Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, is one of the four great doctors of the Byzantine Church, called the Father of Orthodoxy. He opposed the Arians with admirable zeal and endured exile for 46 years. He died in 373.

Our holy father Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria, opposed the Nestorians and taught that the divine and human natures in Christ are united in oneness of person, and that the Theotokos ought truly to be called Mother of God. He presided over the 3rd Ecumenical Council at Ephesus in 431. He died in 444.

 

Troparion

Shining with works of true faith, you quenched every heretical dogma. You were conquerors in victory and enriched everyone by your holiness. You adorned the Church with regal glory, and you justly found Christ who shows us mercy.

 

Kontakion

O archbishops, remarkable for your piety and devotion, heroic defenders of the Church of Christ, protect all those who beg of you: O merciful Ones, through your intercession save those who honor you with fervor.

Epistle 

1 Peter 4:12 – 5:5

Dearly beloved: Do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring in your midst. It is a test for you, but it should not catch you off guard. Rejoice instead, in the measure that you share Christ’s sufferings. When his glory is revealed, you will rejoice exultantly. Happy are you when you are insulted for the sake of Christ, for then God’s Spirit in its glory has come to rest on you. See to it that none of you suffers for being a murderer, a thief, a malefactor, or a destroyer of another’s rights. If anyone suffers for being a Christian, however, he ought not to be ashamed. He should rather glorify God in virtue of that name. The season of judgment has begun, and began with God’s own household. If it begins this way with us, what must be the end for those who refuse obedience to the gospel of God? And if the just man is saved only with difficulty, what is to become of the godless and the sinner? Accordingly, let those who suffer as God‘s will requires continue in good deeds, and then trust their lives to a faithful creator. 

To the elders among you I, a fellow elder, a witness of Christ suffering and sharer in the glory that is to be revealed, make this appeal. God’s flock is in your midst; give it a shepherd’s care. Watch over it willingly as God would have you do, not under constraint; and not for shameful profit either, but generously. Be examples to the flock, not lording it over those assigned to you, so that when the chief Shepherd appears you will win for yourselves the unfailing crown of glory.

In the same way, you younger men must be obedient to the elders. In your relations with one another, clothe yourselves with humility, because God, (as Scripture says,) “is stern with the arrogant but to the humble he shows kindness.”

 

Gospel 

Mark 12: 38-44

The Lord said: “Be on guard against  the scribes, who like to parade around in their robes and accept marks of respect in public, front seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. These men devour the savings of widows and recite long prayers for appearance’ sake; it is they who will receive the severest sentence.”

Taking a seat opposite a treasury, Jesus observed the crowd putting money into the collection box. Many of the wealthy put in sizable amounts; but one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins worth a few cents. Jesus called his disciples over and told them: “I want you to observe that this poor widow contributed more than all the others who donated to the treasury. They gave from their surplus wealth, but she gave from her want, all that she had to live on.”

Icon image courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

Jan. 17 Our Venerable Father Anthony the Great

Our venerable and divinely inspired father, Anthony the Great, was Egyptian by birth, who went into the desert during the reign of Constantine the Great, in the year 312. Living to the age of 105, he died in 356. He was a friend of St. Paul the Hermit and was one of the founders of the cenobitical life.

Troparion

Father Anthony, you imitated Elijah in his zeal, and you followed John the Baptist in his holy way of life. You took up your abode in the desert and strengthened the world by your prayers. Intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls. 

Kontakion

You rejected the troubles of this world, most venerable Anthony, and spent your life in peace by imitating John the Baptist. With him, we exalt your name; for you are a perfect example of good conduct.

Epistle

Hebrews 13: 17-21

Brothers and sisters: Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over you as men who must render an account. So act that they may fulfill their task with joy, not sorrow, for that would be harmful to you. Pray for us; we are confident that we may have a good conscience. Wishing, as we do, to ask rightly in every respect. I Especially ask your prayers that I may be restored to you very soon. May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will. Through Jesus Christ may he carry out in you all that is pleasing to him. To Christ be glory forever! Amen.

Gospel

Luke 6:17-23

At that time, coming down the mountain with the twelve, Jesus stopped at a level stretch where there were many of his disciples; a large crowd of people was with them from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coast of Tyre and Sidon, people who came to hear him and be healed of this diseases. Those who were troubles with unclean spirits were cured; indeed, the whole crowd was trying to touch him because power went out from him which cured all. 

Then, raising his eyes to his disciples, he said: “Blest are you poor, the reign of God is yours. Blest are you who hunger; you shall be filled. Blest are you who are weeping; you shall laugh. Blest shall you be when men hate you, and proscribe your name as evil because of the Son of Man. On the day they do so, rejoice and exult, for your reward shall be great in heaven.”

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

Jan. 16 The Veneration of the Precious Chains of the Holy and All-Praiseworthy Apostle Peter

In about the year 42 the apostle Peter was thrown into prison for preaching about Christ the Savior. In prison he was bound by two iron chains. The night before his trial, an angel of the Lord came to Peter, removed his chains, and let him out of the prison (Acts 12:1-11). When Christians learned of this miracle, they took the chains and kept them as precious items. For three centuries the chains were kept in Jerusalem, and those who were afflicted with illness and approached them with faith received healing. The patriarch Juvenal gifted these chains to the wife of the emperor Theodosius the Younger and were sent to Constantinople. Later, one chain was given to the wife of the emperor Valentinian who built a church dedicated to the apostle Peter and placed that chain in it. Also placed in that church were the chains that bound Peter before his martyrdom under the emperor Nero.

Troparian

Without leaving Rome you come to us with your chains. We venerate them in our faith, O prime apostle, and we pray to you: obtain mercy for us from God by your prayers.

Kontakion

Where is praise Peter, the heavenly disciple of truth, the first and greatest of the apostles. Let us kiss his chains with faith that our sins may be forgiven.

Epistle

1 Peter 3: 10-22

Dearly beloved: [Scripture says] “He who cares for life and wants to see prosperous days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from uttering deceit. He must turn from evil and do good, seek peace and follow after it, because the Lord has eyes for the just and ears for their cry; but against evildoers the Lord sets his face.”

Who indeed can harm you if you are committed deeply to doing what is right? Even if you should have to suffer for justice’ sake, happy will you be. [Again, Scripture says] “Fear not and do not stand in awe of what this people fears.” Venerate the Lord, that is, Christ, in your hearts. Should anyone ask you the reason for this hope of yours, be ever ready to reply, but speak gently and respectfully. Keep your conscience clear so that, whenever you are defamed, those who libel your way of life in Christ may be shamed. If it should be God’s will that you suffer, it is better to do so for good deeds than for evil ones. 

The reason why Christ died for sins once and for all, the just man for the sake of the unjust, was that he might lead you to God. He was put to death insofar as fleshly existence goes, but was given life in the realm of the spirit. It was in the spirit also that he went to preach to the spirits in prison. They had disobeyed as long ago as Noah’s day, while God patiently waited until the ark was built. At that time, a few persons, eight in all, escaped in the ark through the water. You are now saved by a baptism bath which corresponds to this exactly. This baptism is no removal of physical stain, but the pledge to God of an irreproachable conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He went to heaven and is at God’s right hand, with angelic rulers and powers subjected to him. 

Gospel

Mark 12: 18-27

At that time some Sadducees who hold there is no resurrection came to Jesus with a question: “Teacher, we were left this in writing by Moses: ‘If anyone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and produce offspring for his brother.’ There were seven brothers. The eldest took a wife and died, leaving no children. The second took the woman, and he too died childless. The same happened to the third; in fact none of the seven left any children behind. Last of all the woman died. At the resurrection, when all come back to life, whose wife will she be? All seven married her.” Jesus said: “You are badly misled, because you fail to understand the Scriptures or the power of God. When people rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but live like angels in heaven. As to the raising of the dead, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God told him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob’? He is the God of the living not of the dead. You are very much mistaken.”