The holy apostle James Alpheus was one of the Twelve, a witness of the true words and miracles of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, a witness to his passion, resurrection, and ascension. After the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, it fell to James to preach the gospel in Eleutheropolis and the surrounding area. He suffered in Egypt in the town of Ostracina, being crucified by pagans.
Our venerable father Andronicus and his wife Athanasia: Andronicus was a goldsmith in Antioch during the reign of emperor Theodosius the Great. Both he and his wife were very devout, and gave a third of all they earned to the poor. They had two children and lost both of them on the same day to death. After this, they took the monastic habit in Egypt. After many years of the monastic life, they died eight days apart; Athanasia first, and then Andronicus (4th century)
O holy Apostle James, intercede with the merciful God that he may grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
O Andronicus, our God-bearing father, you were shown to be a citizen of the desert, an angel in bodily form, and a worker of miracles. Through fasting, prayers and vigils you received heavenly gifts to heal the sick and the souls of those who, with faith, run to you. Glory to Him who gives you strength. Glory to Him who crowned you. Glory to Him who works healing for all through you.
Let us extol James with praises as a herald of God, for he implanted wise doctrines deeply in the souls of all. Now he stands before the throne of the Master and rejoices in the company of angels, praying for all of us unceasingly.
1 Corinthians 4: 9-16
Brothers and sisters: As I see it, God has put us apostles at the end of the line, like men doomed to die in the arena. We have become like a spectacle to the universe, to angels and men alike. We are fools on Christ’s account. Ah, but in Christ you are wise! We are the weak ones, you the strong! They honor you, while they sneer at us! Up to this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, poorly clad, roughly treated, wandering about homeless. We work hard at manual labor. When we are insulted we respond with a blessing. Persecution comes our way; we bear it patiently. We are slandered, and we try conciliation. We have become the world’s refuse, the scum of all; that is the present state of affairs.
I am writing you this way not to shame you but to admonish you as my beloved children. Granted you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you have only one father. It was I who begot you in Christ Jesus through my preachings of the gospel. I beg you, be imitators of me.
Luke 10: 16-22a
The Lord said to his disciples: “He who hears you, hears me. He who rejects you, rejects me. And he who rejects me, rejects him who sent me.”
The seventy-two disciples returned in jubilation saying, “Master, even the demons are subject to us in your name.” Jesus said in reply: “I watched Satan fall from the sky like lightning. See what I have done; I have given you power to tread on snakes and scorpions and all the forces of the enemy, and nothing shall ever injure you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice so much in the fact that the devils are subject to you as that your names are inscribed in heaven.”
At that moment Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said: “I offer you praise, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because what you have hidden from the learned and the clever you have revealed to the merest children. Yes, Father, you have graciously willed it so.”
Philippians 3: 8-19
Brothers and sisters: I have come to rate all as loss in the light of the surpassing knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ. For his sake I have forfeited everything; I have accounted all else rubbish so that Christ may be my wealth and I may be in him, not having any justice of my own based on observance of the law. The justice I possess is that which comes through faith in Christ. It has its origin in God and is based on faith. I wish to know Christ and the power flowing from his resurrection; likewise to know how to share in his sufferings by being formed into the pattern of his death. Thus I do hope that I may arrive at resurrection from the dead.
It is not that I have reached it yet, or have already finished my course; but I am racing to grasp the prize if possible, since I have been grasped by Christ [Jesus]. Brethren, I do not think of myself as having reached the finish line. I give no thought to what lies behind but push on to what is ahead. My entire attention is on the finish line as I run toward the prize to which God calls me – life on high in Jesus Christ. All of us who are spiritually mature must have this attitude. If you see it another way, God will clarify the difficulty for you. It is important that we continue on our course, no matter what stage we have reached.
Be imitators of me, my brethren. Take as your guide those who follow the example that we set. Unfortunately, many go about in a way which shows them to be enemies of the cross of Christ. I have often said this to you before; this time I say it with tears. Such as these will end in disaster! Their god is their belly and their glory is in their shame. I am talking about those who are set upon the things of this world.
Luke 7: 31-35
The Lord said, “What comparison can I use for the men of today? What are they like? They are like children squatting in the city squares and calling to their playmates, ‘We piped you a tune but you did not dance, we sang you a dirge but you did not wail.’
“I mean that John the Baptizer came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He is mad!’ The Son of Man came and he both ate and drank, and you say, “Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ God’s wisdom is vindicated by all who accept it.”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Thursday, October 8 –
