Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints,on Saturday, May 17, 2008
we celebrate:
EPISTLE READING
The Reading is from Acts of the Apostles 9:19-31
IN THOSE DAYS, Saul was with the disciples at Damascus. And in the
synagogues
immediately he proclaimed Jesus, saying, "He is the Son of God." And
all who
heard him were amazed, and said, "is not this the man who made havoc in
Jerusalem of those who called on this name? And he has come here for
this
purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests." But Saul
increased all
the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by
proving
that Jesus was the Christ. When many days had passed, the Jews plotted
to kill
him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates
day and
night, to kill him; but his disciples took him by night and let him
down over
the wall, lowering him in a basket. And when he had come to Jerusalem
he
attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for
they did
not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought
him to
the apostles, and declared to them how on the road he had seen the
Lord, who
spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of
Jesus.
So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the
name of
the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists; but they
were
seeking to kill him. And when the brethren knew it, they brought him
down to
Caesarea, and sent him off to Tarsus. So the church throughout all
Judea and
Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built up; and walking in the fear
of the
Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it was multiplied.
GOSPEL READING
3rd Saturday after Pascha
The Reading is from John 15:17-27; 16:1-2
The Lord said to his disciples: "This I command you, to love one
another. If
the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If
you were
of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of
the
world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than
his
master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept
my word,
they will keep yours also. But all this they will do to you on my
account,
because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken
to them,
they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. He
who
hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works
which no
one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have seen and hated
both me
and my Father. It is to fulfill the word that is written in their law,
'They
hated me without a cause.'
But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father,
even
the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness
to me;
and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the
beginning. I
have said all this to you to keep you from falling away. They will put
you out
of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you
will think
he is offering service to God."
Andronikos the Apostle of the 70 & Junia the Martyr
May 17
Reading:
These Apostles are mentioned by Saint Paul in his Epistle to the
Romans, where
he writes: "Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow
prisoners, who
are of note among the Apostles, who also were in Christ before me"
(Rom. 16:7).
Apolytikion in the Third Tone
O Holy Apostles, intercede to our merciful God, that He may grant our
souls
forgiveness of sins.
Kontakion in the Second Tone
As notable companions of the Apostles and true ministers of Jesus, ye
proved to
be sacred heralds of His condescension; for having received the grace
of the
Spirit, O glorious Andronicus and Junia, ye ****ne like lamps unto the
ends of
the world.
Reading Apolytikion Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery
from www.goarch.org
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