Our holy father Porphyrius, Archbishop of Gaza was born in the year 346. He grew up with wealthy parents, but was drawn to monastic life. He left home at the age of twenty five and set off for Egypt, where he lived in the desert under the guidance of St. Macarius the Great. He made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to see all the holy places, and to venerate the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. He moved into a cave in the Jordanian wilderness for prayer and ascetic deeds. St. Porphyrius was summoned from his cave by Metropolitan John to become the next bishop of Gaza. Gaza needed a bishop who could contend against the pagans, which were predominant there and were harassing the local Christians. The Lord inspired the Metropolitan to call for his priest Porphyrius to uphold Christianity in Gaza. Porphyrius did just that to the very end of his life, and he guarded his flock from the vexatious pagans. The holy archpastor guided his flock for twenty five years, and fell asleep in the Lord in the year 420.
Who can recount all your works and sufferings of piety? You never stopped working day or night until you washed Gaza clean of impurity and replaced its evil ways with sound holiness. You are a constant guardian over your flock. Now beg Christ to save our souls, O Porphyrius.
You were splendid in the robes of the priesthood, adorned with your priestly virtue, O blessed saint. You dispense treasures of cures, O wise-in-God, praying unceasingly on our behalf, O Porphyrius.
This is the record of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, he made them in the likeness of God; he created them male and female. When they were created, he blessed them and named them mankind.
Adam was one hundred and thirty years old when he begot a son in his likeness, after his image; and he named him Seth. Adam lived eight hundred years after he begot Seth, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Adam was nine hundred and thirty years; then he died.
When Seth was one hundred and five years old, he begot Enosh. Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after he begot Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Seth was nine hundred and twelve years; then he died.
When Enosh was ninety years old, he begot Kenan. Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years after he begot Kenan, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Enosh was nine hundred and five years; then he died.
When Kenan was seventy years old, he begot Mahalalel. Kenan lived eight hundred and forty years after he begot Mahalalel, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Kenan was nine hundred and ten years; then he died.
When Mahalalel was sixty-five years old, he begot Jared. Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years after he begot Jared, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Mahalalel was eight hundred and ninety-five years; then he died.
When Jared was one hundred and sixty-two years old, he begot Enoch. Jared lived eight hundred years after he begot Enoch, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Jared was nine hundred and sixty-two years; then he died.
When Enoch was sixty-five years old, he begot Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he begot Methuselah for three hundred years, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Enoch was three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God, and he was no longer here, for God took him.
So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s power: Go, hurry, rouse your neighbor!
Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids;
Free yourself like a gazelle from the hunter, or like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Go to the ant, O sluggard, study her ways and learn wisdom;
For though she has no chief, no commander or ruler,
She procures her food in the summer, stores up her provisions in the harvest.
How long, O sluggard, will you lie there? When will you rise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest–
Then poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like a brigand.
Scoundrels, villains, are they who deal in crooked talk.
Shifty of eye, feet ever moving, pointing with fingers,
They have perversity in their hearts, always plotting evil, sowing discord.
Therefore their doom comes suddenly; in an instant they are crushed beyond cure.
There are six things the Lord hates, yes seven are an abomination to him,
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that plots wicked schemes, feet that are quick to run to evil,
The false witness who utters lies, and the one who sows discord among kindred.
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Tuesday, February 24 –
