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Daily Orthodox - February 10th, 2025

Forgive me for my absence. Virus #4 hit us in the form of viral gastroenteritis.

Today is Monday of the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee.

Fasting Obligations

  • OCA, GOARCH, Antioch: No fasting obligations.

Today, we commemorate...

  1. The Hieromartyr Charalampus, bishop of Magnesia in Asia Minor, and Martyrs Porphyrius and Baptus (202)

This great saint, Charalampus, was a bishop in Magnesia who suffered for Christ in his 113th year. When a terrible persecution began during the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus, the elderly Charalampus did not hide from the persecutors. Instead, he freely and openly preached the Christian Faith. He endured all tortures as though he were in someone else's body. When they skinned him alive, the forgiving elder said to the emperor's soldiers: "Thank you, my brethren, for in scraping my old body you renew my spirit for a new eternal life." He worked many miracles and converted many to the Faith. Even the emperor's daughter, Galina, abandoned the idolatry of her father and became a Christian. Condemned to death and brought to the place of execution, St. Charalampus raised his hands to heaven and prayed to God for all people, that God would grant them bodily health and spiritual salvation and that He would multiply their fruit on the earth: "O Lord, Thou knowest that men are flesh and blood; forgive them their sins and pour out Thy grace on all!" After praying, this holy elder gave up his soul to God before the executioner lowered the sword on his neck. He suffered in the year 202. The emperor's daughter, Galina, removed his body and honorably buried it.

  1. The Venerable Prochorus, the Orach-eater
    [footnote: Orach: any plant of the genus Atriplex, cultivated for use like spinach.—Trans.]

Prochorus was a miracle-worker of the Monastery of the Kiev Caves. He is called the orach-eater because, during the time that he lived in the Monastery of the Caves, he did not taste bread. Instead, he fed on orach, mixing it in his own way, and from it he prepared a type of bread. Whenever he would give someone his orach bread with a blessing, the bread tasted sweet, as though prepared from honey. If, however, someone stole the bread, it was as bitter as wormwood. One time, when there was a shortage of salt in Russia, Prochorus distributed ashes to the people in place of salt. The ashes that he distributed with his blessing were as salt; however, the ashes that people took oon their own remained ordinary ashes. Prince Svyatopolk ordered that all the ashes from Prochorus' cell be taken to his palace with neither the permission nor the blessing of the monk. When the ashes were removed, those who tasted them were convinced that they were ashes and not salt. Then Prochorus told the people who came to him for salt to go to the emperor's palace and, when the prince threw the ashes out of his palace, to take them and carry them home for salt. The people did so, and again the ashes were salt. Having become convinced, the prince himself was filled with respect and love toward the holy man. When Prochorus died in the year 1107, the prince, with his own hands, placed him in the tomb alongside the great Russian saints, Anthony and Theodosius.

  1. Martyrs Ennatha, Valentina, and Paula, of Palestine (308)

  2. St. Scholastica of Italy (543), sister of St. Benedict of Nursia

  3. St. Anastasius II, patriarch of Jerusalem (706)

  4. Synaxis of Novgorod Hierarchs: Sts. Joachim (1030), Luke the Jew (1060), Germanus (1095), Arcadius (1162), Gregory (1193), Martyrius (1199), Anthony (1231), Basil (1352), Moses (1362), Symeon (1421), Gennadius (1504), Pimen (1571), and Athonius (1653)

  5. St. Anna of Novgorod (1050), wife of Yaroslav I

  6. St. John Chimchimeli of Bachkovo and Gremi (13th c.)

  7. St. Longinus, founder of Koryazhemka Monastery (Vologda) (1540)

  8. St. Raphael, archimandrite (1765), and St. Ioannicus, hieromonk (1882), of Svatogorsk Monastery

  9. "Aerovindus" ("Fiery Vision") Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos

For more information on today's saints or commemorations not provided, see https://www.oca.org/saints/lives (Slavic) and/or https://www.goarch.org/chapel (Greek).

Reflection

Reflections are added when it includes additional stories from the life of a saint commemorated today.

Many of the serious infirmities that befall a man have their cause, known or unknown, in his past. The causes of such serious infirmities as, let us say, mental disorder, are nothing other than the transgression of the moral law of God. [ed. note: This is obviously not the sole origin of mental disorder and should not be taken as such. Consult your priest and your therapist/psychiatric professional.]

When St. Charalampus was being tortured, the persecuting emperor learned of his miracle-working power. The emperor ordered an insane man to be brought before Charalampus, to see if Charalampus could heal him. The devil had tormented this man for thirty-five years, driving him into the wilderness and hills and hurling him into bogs and chasms. When this deranged man approached Charalampus, the demon sensed a sweet-smelling fragrance emanating from the holy man and shouted; "I beg you, O servant of God, do not torment me before my time, but command me and I will depart. And, if you wish, I will tell you how it happened that I entered into this man." The saint commanded the demon to relate the story. The demon said: "This man wanted to steal from his neighbor and thought to himself: 'If I don't kill the man first, I will not be able to seize his goods.' So he went and killed his neighbor. Having caught him in the act, I entered him, and, behold, I have dwelt in him for thirty-five years." Upon hearing this, the saint of God commanded the demon to depart from the man immediately and to leave him in peace. The demon departed, and the demented man was restored to health and became tranquil.

Daily Scriptures

Slavic
  • Epistle: 2 Peter 1:20-2:9

<20> knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, <21> for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. <1> But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. <2> And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. <3> By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. <4> For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; <5> and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; <6> and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; <7> and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked <8> (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— <9> then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

  • Gospel: Mark 13:9-13

<9> "But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. <10> And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. <11> But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. <12> Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. <13> And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

Greek
  • Epistle: 2 Timothy 2:1-10

<1> You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. <2> And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. <3> You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. <4> No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. <5> And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. <6> The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. <7> Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. <8> Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, <9> for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. <10> Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

  • Gospel: John 15:17-16:2

<17> These things I command you, that you love one another. <18> "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. <19> If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. <20> Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. <21> But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. <22> If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. <23> He who hates Me hates My Father also. <24> If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. <25> But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.' <26> "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. <27> And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. <1> "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. <2> They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.

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