+ + + + + + + + Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Monday, December 2, 2013 Fast Day (Fish Allowed) Feasts and Saints celebrated today: Monday of the 12th Week Habakkuk the Prophet Our Righteous Father Cyril of Phileus Myrope the Martyr of Chios Joannicos the Monk of Devich Readings for today: St. Pauls First Letter to the Thessalonians 2:20-3:8 Luke 20:27-44 Habakkuk the Prophet Reading from the Synaxarion: This Prophet, whose name means loving embrace, is eighth in order of the minor Prophets. His homeland and tribe are not recorded in the Divine Scriptures; according to some, he was of the tribe of Symeon. He prophesied in the years of Joachim, who is also called Jechonias, before the Babylonian captivity of the Jewish People, which took place 599 years before Christ. When Nabuchodonosor came to take the Israelites captive, Habakkuk fled to Ostrakine, and after Jerusalem was destroyed and the Chaldeans departed, Habakkuk returned and cultivated his field. Once he made some pottage and was about to take it to the reapers in the field. An Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and carried him with the pottage to Babylon to feed Daniel in the lions den, then brought him back to Judea (Bel and the Dragon, 33-39): His book of prophecy is divided into three chapters; the third chapter is also used as the Fourth Ode of the Psalter. His holy relics were found in Palestine during the re ign of Emperor Theodosius the Great, through a revelation to Zebennus, Bishop of Eleutheropolis (Sozomen, Eccl. Hist., Book VI 1, 2-9). Apolytikion in the Second Tone As we celebrate the memory of Thy Prophet Habakkuk , O Lord, through him we beseech Thee to save our souls. Kontakion in the Fourth Tone Thou plainly beheldest the sacred disciples of Christ as horses that troubled the deep sea of ignorance, plunging error into the depths with their godly teachings, Habakkuk, God-proclaimer; hence, as a true Prophet, we acclaim thee, while asking that thou shouldst intercede that we find mercy with God the Lord. The content on this page is under copyright and is used by permission. All rights reserved. These works may not be further reproduced, in print or on other websites or in any other form, without the prior written authorization of the copyright holder: Reading (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA Apolytikion (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA Kontakion (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA Our Righteous Father Cyril of Phileus The content on this page is under copyright and is used by permission. All rights reserved. These works may not be further reproduced, in print or on other websites or in any other form, without the prior written authorization of the copyright holder: Epistle Reading The reading is from St. Pauls First Letter to the Thessalonians 2:20-3:8 BRETHREN, you are our glory and joy. Therefore, when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and Gods servant in the gospel of Christ, to establish you in your faith and to exhort you, that no one be moved by these afflictions. You yourselves know that this is to be our lot. For when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer affIiction; just as it has come to pass, and as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent that I might know your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and that our labor would be in vain. But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you - for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith; for now we live, if you sta nd fast in the Lord. Gospel Reading The reading is from Luke 20:27-44 At that time, there came to Jesus some Sadducees, those who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a mans brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the wife and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and died without children; and the second and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. Afterward the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife. And Jesus said to them, The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him. And some of the scribes answered, Teacher, you have spoken well. For they no longer dared to ask him any question. But he said to them, How can they say that the Christ is Davids son? For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet. David thus calls him Lord; so how is he his son?
Posted on: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:38:06 +0000