The holy martyrs Onesiphorus and Porphyrius of Ephesus suffered during the persecution of Christians by emperor Diocletian (284-305). They beat them and burned them. After this, they tied the saints to wild horses, which dragged them over stones, after which the martyrs died. Believers gathered the remains of the saints and reverently buried them.
Our venerable mother Matrona was from Perga in Pamphylia. She fled a horrible marriage by dressing in men’s clothing and, under the name of Babylas, lived in a monastery in Constantinople. She went from monastery to monastery to evade her husband. She lived the monastic life for seventy-five years and fell asleep in the Lord in the year 492.
The venerable Theoctista of Lesbos became a nun at the age of seventeen. Saracens descended on the island and enslaved all the people they captured. Theoctista escaped and lived in an abandoned church on the island of Paros for thirty-five years. She fell asleep in the Lord in the year 881.
In you, O mother, the divine image was strictly preserved; taking up your cross, you followed Christ. You taught us by example how to spurn the flesh, for it passes away, and how to care for the soul, which is immortal. Therefore, O venerable Matrona, your soul rejoices with the angels.
O venerable Matrona, for the love of the Lord, you rejected longing for rest; you gave light to your soul through fasting; you trampled on beasts by your might, but you destroy the wiles of satan through your prayers.
Galatians 1: 3-10
Brothers and sisters: We wish you the favor and peace of God our Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, to rescue us from the present evil age, as our God and Father willed – to him be glory for endless ages. Amen.
I am amazed that you are so soon deserting him who called you in accord with his gracious design in Christ, and are going over to another gospel. But there is no other. Some who wish to alter the gospel of Christ must have confused you. For even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel not in accord with the one we delivered to you, let a curse be upon him! I repeat what I have just said: if anyone preaches a gospel to you other than the one you have received, let a curse be upon him!
Whom would you say I am trying to please at this point – men or God? Is this how I seek to ingratiate myself with men? If I were trying to win man’s approval, I would surely not be serving Christ!
Luke 9: 37-43
At that time Jesus and the disciples came down from the mountain and a large crowd met them. Suddenly a man from the crowd exclaimed: “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. A spirit has possession of him and with a sudden cry throws him into a convulsion and makes him foam at the mouth, then abandons him in his shattered condition. I asked your disciples to cast out the spirit but they could not.” Jesus said in reply: “What an unbelieving and perverse lot you are! How long must I remain with you? How long can I endure you? Bring your son here to me.” As he was being brought, the spirit threw him into convulsions on the ground. Jesus then rebuked the unclean spirit, cured the boy, and restored him to his father. And all who saw it marveled at the greatness of God.
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Friday, November 8 –
