“Truth is not a thought, not a word, not a relationship between things, not a law. Truth is a Person. It is a Being which exceeds all beings and gives life to all. If you seek truth with love and for the sake of love, she will reveal the light of His face to you inasmuch as you are able to bear it without being burned.”
- St. Nicholas of Serbia, Thoughts on Good and Evil
Daily Scripture Reading for Tuesday, April 23, 2024
6th Hour Reading: Isaiah 49:6-10
6 Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.
7 Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, to Him whom man despises, to Him Whom the nation abhors, to the servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord Who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, Who has chosen You.”
8 Thus says the Lord: “In an acceptable time I have heard You, and in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You as a covenant to the people, to restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the desolate heritages;
9 that You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ “They shall feed along the roads, and their pastures shall be on all desolate heights.
10 They shall neither hunger nor thirst, neither heat nor sun shall strike them; for He who has mercy on them will lead them, even by the springs of water He will guide them.
Vespers 2nd Reading: Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9
1 But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them.
2 In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be affliction,
3 and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace.
4 For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality.
5 Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;
6 like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.
7 In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble.
8 They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever.
9 Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his elect, and he watches over his holy ones.
Holy Glorious Greatmartyr, Victorybearer, and Wonderworker George (303)
"George, this truly great and glorious Martyr of Christ, was born of a father from Cappadocia and a mother from Palestine. Being a military tribune, or chiliarch (that is, a commander of a thousand troops), he was illustrious in battle and highly honored for his courage. When he learned that the Emperor Diocletian was preparing a persecution of the Christians, Saint George presented himself publicly before the Emperor and denounced him.
When threats and promises could not move him from his steadfast confession, he was put to unheard-of tortures, which he endured with great bravery, overcoming them by his faith and love towards Christ. By the wondrous signs that took place in his contest, he guided many to the knowledge of the truth, including Queen Alexandra, wife of Diocletion, and was finally beheaded in 296 in Nicomedia." (Great Horologion) The Empress Alexandra, along with a pagan priest who confessed Christ due to George's witness, were executed together with the Great Martyr. St Alexandra is commemorated on April 21/May 4.
Neither the Great Horologion nor the Prologue, nor the Church's services to St George, mention the most popular story of St George, his slaying of a dragon. Though many icons of the Saint show him mounted on horseback, slaying a dragon with a spear, the story is thought by many to be legendary, and the dragon in the icon symbolic.
Christ's Passion - Journey to Pascha in the Orthodox Christian Church
This week’s calendar reminders:
Monday 4/22: Lenten Matins 8:30 a.m.
Tuesday 4/23: No services or events
Wednesday 4/24: Pre-sanctified Liturgy 6:30 p.m.
Thursday 4/25: Lenten Matins 8:30 a.m.
Friday 4/26: Vespers of Lazarus 7 p.m.
Saturday 4/27: Lazarus Saturday Liturgy 9:15 a.m.; Vigil for Palm Sunday 6 p.m.
Sunday 4/28: Palm Sunday Baptismal Liturgy 9:15 a.m.