Saints and Feasts

August 31

Floros & Lauros the Monk-martyrs of Illyria

These Martyrs were twin brothers, and stonemasons. After the martyrdom of their teachers Proclus and Maximus, they left Byzantium and came to the city of Ulpiana in Illyricum, where a certain Licinius hired them to build a temple for the idols. The wages he gave them, they distributed to the poor, and when the temple was built, Floros and Lauros gathered the paupers, and with their help put ropes about the necks of the idols, pulled them to the ground, and furnished the temple as a church. When Licinius learned of this, he had the paupers burned alive in a furnace. Floros and Lauros were tormented, then cast into a deep well, where they gave up their souls to the Lord. When their holy relics were recovered years later, they poured forth myrrh and worked many miracles; they were enshrined in Constantinople.

September 01

Andrew the General & Martyr & his 2,593 soldiers

During the reign of Maximian, about the year 289, Antiochus the Commander-in-Chief of the Roman forces sent Andrew with many other soldiers against the Persians, who had overrun the borders of the Roman dominion. Saint Andrew persuaded his men to call upon the Name of Christ, and when they had defeated the Persians with unexpected triumph, his soldiers believed in Christ with him. Antiochus, learning of this, had them brought before him. When they confessed Christ to be God, he had Andrew spread out upon a bed of iron heated fiery hot, and had the hands of his fellow soldiers nailed to blocks of wood. Antiochus then commanded some thousand soldiers to chase the Saints beyond the borders of the empire. Through the instructions of Saint Andrew, these soldiers also believed in Christ. At the command of Antiochus, they were all beheaded in the mountain passes of the Taurus mountains of Cilicia.

September 02

Samuel the Prophet

This most holy man, a Prophet of God from childhood, was the last judge of the Israelite people, and anointed the first two Kings of Israel. He was born in the twelfth century before Christ, in the city of Armathaim Sipha, from the tribe of Levi, the son of Elkanah and Hannah (Anna). He was the fruit of prayer, for his mother, being barren, conceived him only after she had supplicated the Lord with many tears; wherefore she called him Samuel, that is, "heard by God." As soon as Hannah had weaned him, she brought him to the city of Silom (Shiloh), where the Ark was kept, and she consecrated him, though yet a babe, to the service of God, giving thanks to Him with the hymn found in the Third Ode of the Psalter: "My heart hath been established in the Lord . . ." Samuel remained in Silom under the protection of Eli the priest. He served in the Tabernacle of God, and through his most venerable way of life became well-pleasing to God and man (I Kings 2: 26). While yet a child, sleeping in the tabernacle near the Ark of God, he heard the voice of God calling his name, and foretelling the downfall of Eli; for although Eli's two sons, Ophni and Phineas, were most lawless, and despisers of God, Eli did not correct them. Even after Samuel had told Eli of the divine warning, Eli did not properly chastise his sons, and afterwards, through various misfortunes, his whole house was blotted out in one day.

After these things came to pass, Samuel was chosen to be the protector of the people, and he judged them with holiness and righteousness. He became for them an example of all goodness, and their compassionate intercessor before God: "Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; yea, I will serve the Lord, and show you the good and the right way" (ibid. 12:23). When he asked them -- having God as witness -- if he ever wronged anyone, or took anyone's possessions, or any gift, even so much as a sandal, they answered with one voice: "Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, nor afflicted us, neither hast thou taken anything from anyone's hand" (ibid. 12:4). When Samuel was old, the people asked him for a king, but he was displeased with this, knowing that God Himself was their King. But when they persisted, the Lord commanded him to anoint them a king, saying, "They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me from reigning over them" (ibid. 8:7); so Samuel anointed Saul. But Saul transgressed the command of God repeatedly, so Samuel anointed David. Yet, since Samuel was a man of God, full of tender mercy, when the Lord told him that He had rejected Saul, Samuel wept for him the whole night long (ibid. 15:11); and later, since he continued to grieve, the Lord said to him, "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul?" (ibid. 16:1). Having lived blamelessly some ninety-eight years, and become an example to all of a God-pleasing life, he reposed in the eleventh century before Christ. Many ascribe to him the authorship of the Books of judges, and of Ruth, and of the first twenty-four chapters of the First Book of Kings (I Samuel).

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Third Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Mark 16:9-20

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.

Third Orthros Gospel
مرقس 16: 9-20

9 في ذلك الزمان بَعْدَمَا قَامَ يسوع بَاكِراً فِي أَوَّلِ الأُسْبُوعِ ظَهَرَ أَوَّلاً لِمَرْيَمَ الْمَجْدَلِيَّةِ، الَّتِي كَانَ قَدْ أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا سَبْعَةَ شَيَاطِينَ. 10فَذَهَبَتْ هَذِهِ وَأَخْبَرَتِ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا مَعَهُ وَهُمْ يَنُوحُونَ وَيَبْكُونَ. 11فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ أُولَئِكَ أَنَّهُ حَيٌّ، وَقَدْ نَظَرَتْهُ، لَمْ يُصَدِّقُوا. 12وَبَعْدَ ذَلِكَ ظَهَرَ بِهَيْئَةٍ أُخْرَى لاِثْنَيْنِ مِنْهُمْ وَهُمَا يَمْشِيَانِ مُنْطَلِقَيْنِ إِلَى الْبَرِّيَّةِ. 13وَذَهَبَ هَذَانِ وَأَخْبَرَا الْبَاقِينَ فَلَمْ يُصَدِّقُوا وَلاَ هَذَيْنِ. 14أَخِيراً ظَهَرَ لِلأَحَدَ عَشَرَ وَهُمْ مُتَّكِئُونَ، وَوَبَّخَ عَدَمَ إِيمَانِهِمْ وَقَسَاوَةَ قُلُوبِهِمْ، لأَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يُصَدِّقُوا الَّذِينَ نَظَرُوهُ قَدْ قَامَ. 15وَقَالَ لَهُمُ: ((اذْهَبُوا إِلَى الْعَالَمِ أَجْمَعَ وَاكْرِزُوا بِالإِنْجِيلِ لِلْخَلِيقَةِ كُلِّهَا. 16مَنْ آمَنَ وَاعْتَمَدَ خَلَصَ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنْ يُدَنْ. 17وَهَذِهِ الآيَاتُ تَتْبَعُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ: يُخْرِجُونَ الشَّيَاطِينَ بِاسْمِي وَيَتَكَلَّمُونَ بِأَلْسِنَةٍ جَدِيدَةٍ. 18يَحْمِلُونَ حَيَّاتٍ، وَإِنْ شَرِبُوا شَيْئاً مُمِيتاً لاَ يَضُرُّهُمْ، وَيَضَعُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَرْضَى فَيَبْرَأُونَ)). 19ثُمَّ إِنَّ الرَّبَّ بَعْدَمَا كَلَّمَهُمُ ارْتَفَعَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، وَجَلَسَ عَنْ يَمِينِ اللَّهِ. 20وَأَمَّا هُمْ فَخَرَجُوا وَكَرَزُوا فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ، وَالرَّبُّ يَعْمَلُ مَعَهُمْ وَيُثَبِّتُ الْكَلاَمَ بِالآيَاتِ التَّابِعَةِ. آمِينَ.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 5th Tone. Psalm 11.7,1.
You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us.
Verse: Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed.

The reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians 1:21-24; 2:1-4.

Brethren, it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has commissioned us; he has put his seal upon us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

But I call God to witness against me - it was to spare you that I refrained from coming to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith; we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. For I made up my mind not to make you another painful visit. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. For I wrote you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

البروكيمنون. 5th Tone. مزمور 11: 7، 1.
أنت يا رب تحفظنا وتخلصنا
خلصني يا رب فإن البار قد فنيَ

فصل من رسالة بولس الثانية الى اهل كورنثس 1: 21-24 ; 2: 1-4.

يَُّا إِخْوَة، إِنَّ الَّذِي يُثَبِّتُنَا مَعَكُمْ فِي الْمَسِيحِ، وَقَدْ مَسَحَنَا، هُوَ اللهُ الَّذِي خَتَمَنَا أَيْضاً، وَأَعْطَى عَرْبُونَ الرُّوحِ فِي قُلُوبِنَا. وَلَكِنِّي أَسْتَشْهِدُ اللهَ عَلَى نَفْسِي أَنِّي إِشْفَاقاً عَلَيْكُمْ لَمْ آتِ إِلَى كُورِنْثُوسَ. لَيْسَ أَنَّنَا نَسودُ عَلَى إِيمَانِكُمْ بَلْ نَحْنُ مُوازِرُونَ لِسُرُورِكُمْ. لأَنَّكُمْ بِالإِيمَانِ تَثْبُتُونَ. وَلَكِنِّي جَزَمْتُ بِهَذَا فِي نَفْسِي أَنْ لاَ آتِيَ إِلَيْكُمْ أَيْضاً فِي حُزْنٍ. لأَنَّهُ إِنْ كُنْتُ أُحْزِنُكُمْ أَنَا، فَمَنْ هُوَ الَّذِي يُفَرِّحُنِي إِلاَّ الَّذِي أَحْزَنْتُهُ؟ وَكَتَبْتُ لَكُمْ هَذَا عَيْنَهُ حَتَّى إِذَا جِئْتُ لاَ يَكُونُ لِي حُزْنٌ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَانَ يَجِبُ أَنْ أَفْرَحَ بِهِمْ، وَاثِقاً بِجَمِيعِكُمْ أَنَّ فَرَحِي هُوَ فَرَحُ جَمِيعِكُمْ. لأَنِّي مِنْ حُزْنٍ كَثِيرٍ وَكَآبَةِ قَلْبٍ كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْكُمْ بِدُمُوعٍ كَثِيرَةٍ، لاَ لِكَيْ تَحْزَنُوا، بَلْ لِكَيْ تَعْرِفُوا الْمَحَبَّةَ الَّتِي عِنْدِي وَلاَ سِيَّمَا مِنْ نَحْوِكُمْ.

Gospel Reading

14th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 22:2-14

The Lord said this parable, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.' But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.' And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen."

14th Sunday of Matthew
متى 22: 2-14

²(( قال الرب هذا المثل يُشْبِهُ مَلَكُوتُ السَّمَاوَاتِ إِنْسَاناً مَلِكاً صَنَعَ عُرْساً لاِبْنِهِ،³وَأَرْسَلَ عَبِيدَهُ لِيَدْعُوا الْمَدْعُوِّينَ إِلَى الْعُرْسِ ، فَلَمْ يُرِيدُوا أَنْ يَأْتُوا.⁴فَأَرْسَلَ أَيْضاً عَبِيداً آخَرِينَ قَائِلاً: قُولُوا لِلْمَدْعُوِّينَ: هُوَذَا غَدَائِي أَعْدَدْتُهُ. ثِيرَانِي وَمُسَمَّنَاتِي قَدْ ذُبِحَتْ ، وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ مُعَدٌّ. تَعَالَوْا إِلَى الْعُرْسِ!⁵وَلَكِنَّهُمْ تَهَاوَنُوا وَمَضَوْا ، وَاحِدٌ إِلَى حَقْلِهِ ، وَآخَرُ إِلَى تِجَارَتِهِ، ⁶وَالْبَاقُونَ أَمْسَكُوا عَبِيدَهُ وَشَتَمُوهُمْ وَقَتَلُوهُمْ.⁷فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ الْمَلِكُ غَضِبَ ، وَأَرْسَلَ جُنُودَهُ وَأَهْلَكَ أُولَئِكَ الْقَاتِلِينَ وَأَحْرَقَ مَدِينَتَهُمْ.⁸ثُمَّ قَالَ لِعَبِيدِهِ: أَمَّا الْعُرْسُ فَمُسْتَعَدٌّ ، وَأَمَّا الْمَدْعُوُّونَ فَلَمْ يَكُونُوا مُسْتَحِقِّينَ.⁹فَاذْهَبُوا إِلَى مَفَارِقِ الطُّرُقِ ، وَكُلُّ مَنْ وَجَدْتُمُوهُ فَادْعُوهُ إِلَى الْعُرْسِ. ¹⁰فَخَرَجَ أُولَئِكَ الْعَبِيدُ إِلَى الطُّرُقِ، وَجَمَعُوا كُلَّ الَّذِينَ وَجَدُوهُمْ أَشْرَاراً وَصَالِحِينَ. فَامْتَلَأَ الْعُرْسُ مِنَ الْمُتَّكِئِينَ.¹¹فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ الْمَلِكُ لِيَنْظُرَ الْمُتَّكِئِينَ ، رَأَى هُنَاكَ إِنْسَاناً لَمْ يَكُنْ لاَبِساً لِبَاسَ الْعُرْسِ. ¹²فَقَالَ لَهُ: يَا صَاحِبُ ، كَيْفَ دَخَلْتَ إِلَى هُنَا وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ لِبَاسُ الْعُرْسِ؟ فَسَكَتَ. ¹³حِينَئِذٍ قَالَ الْمَلِكُ لِلْخُدَّامِ: ارْبُطُوا رِجْلَيْهِ وَيَدَيْهِ ، وَخُذُوهُ وَاطْرَحُوهُ فِي الظُّلْمَةِ الْخَارِجِيَّةِ. هُنَاكَ يَكُونُ الْبُكَاءُ وَصَرِيرُ الأَسْنَانِ. ¹⁴لأَنَّ كَثِيرِينَ يُدْعَوْنَ وَقَلِيلِينَ يُنْتَخَبُونَ)).

Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Prophet Samuel in the Second Tone

As we celebrate the memory of Thy Prophet Samuel, O Lord, through him we beseech Thee to save our souls.

Kontakion of Prophet Samuel in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

Thy hallowed mother dedicated thee unto the Lord even before she had conceived thee; and when thou wast born thou didst serve Him from thine infancy like an Angel. And, O Prophet of the Most High, for thy fervent faith, thou wast granted to foretell things that should come to pass. Hence, we cry to thee: Rejoice, O ven'rable Samuel.

Wisdom of the Fathers

For unto Christ he would pass all on, saying, "He must increase, I must decrease;" by the Son Himself again, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you;" ... But not by words only, but also by actions did He bid them.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 69 on Matthew 22, 4th Century

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