Our venerable mother Euphrosyna was born to parents long childless, who brought her up in the Christian faith. She presented herself, in man’s clothing, to the abbot of a local monastery, who admitted her and placed her in the spiritual care of the monk Agapetus. After thirty-eight years of living the monastic life, her father visited the monastery. Just before her death, she identified herself to him. She fell asleep in the Lord and was buried in the monastery in the year 479.
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 Euphrosyna, your soul rejoices with the angels.
When you longed for life in the highest, you turned away from the longest delight of the world. You put on the clothing of a man, all beautiful one, and abandoned your earthly betrothed for Christ your Bridegroom before the time.
Ephesians 1: 1-9
Paul, by the will of God an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the holy ones [at Ephesus], believers in Christ Jesus. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has bestowed on us in Christ every spiritual blessing in the heavens! God chose us in him before the world began, to be holy and blameless in his sight, to be full of love; he likewise predestined us through Christ Jesus to be his adopted sons — such was his will and pleasure — that all might praise the glorious favor he has bestowed on us in his beloved.
It is in Christ and through his blood that we have been redeemed and our sins forgiven, so immeasurably generous is God’s favor to us. God has given us the wisdom to understand fully the mystery, the plan he was pleased to decree in. Christ.
Luke 4: 16-22
At that time Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been reared, and entering the synagogue on the sabbath as he was in habit of doing, he stood up to do the reading. When the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him, he unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it is written: “The spirit of the Lord is upon me; therefore he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind and release to prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the Lord.”
Rolling up the scroll he gave it back to the assistant and sat down. All in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on Jesus. Then he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” All who were present spoke favorably of him; they marveled at the appealing discourse which came from his lips.
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Wednesday, September 24 –
