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Daily Orthodox - February 18th, 2025

Today is Tuesday of Meatfare.

Fasting Obligations

  • OCA, GOARCH, Antioch: No fasting obligations.

Today, we commemorate...

  1. Saint Leo I the Great, Pope of Rome (461)

Leo was born in Italy of devout parents. He first served as archdeacon under Pope Sixtus III, and following the death of Sixtus he was elevated against his will to the throne of the Pope of Rome. When Attila, with his Huns, drew near to Rome and was prepared to destroy and burn the city, Leo came out before him in his episcopal vestments. He subdued the wrath of the leader of the Huns and averted the destruction of Rome. Attila allowed himself to be counseled by this holy man, but was also frightened by a vision of the Apostles Peter and Paul, who stood alongside Leo and threatened him with flaming swords. Not only did St. Leo save Rome, but he also contributed much to save Orthodoxy from the heresy of Eutyches and Dioscorus. This heresy consisted in the merging of the divine and human natures of Christ into one and, consequently, the denial of the two wills in the Person of the Lord Savior. Because of this, the Fourth Ecumenical Council [Chalcedon, 451] was convened, at which time the epistle of St. Leo was read. St. Leo had written this epistle and placed it on the tomb of St. Peter, who corrected it. Before his death, Leo spent forty days in fasting and prayer at the tomb of St. Peter, beseeching him to tell him whether his sins were forgiven. The Apostle Peter appeared to him and said that all of his sins were forgiven except sins committed in the ordination of priests (whence it is evident how grave a sin it is to ordain onne who is unworthy). The saint again fell to prayer until he was told that even those sins were forgiven. He peacefully gave up his soul to the Lord. St. Leo reposed in the year 461.

  1. Saint Flavian the Confessor, archbishop of Constantinople (ca. 449)

Flavian became Patriarch of Constantinople following St. Proclus. He was a contemporary of Pope Leo. He fought resolutely against Eutyches and Dioscorus, but did not live to see the triumph of Orthodoxy at the Fourth Ecumenical Council, for, prior to that, he was so mercilessly beaten and trampled upon at a heretical council in Ephesus that he died there. Flavian was a faithful soldier of Christ—a courageous defender and confessor of the Orthodox Faith. He reposed in the year 449.

  1. Martyrs Leo and Parigorius of Patara in Lycia (ca. 258)

  2. St. Agapitus, bishop of Synnada in Phrygia, and Martyrs Victor, Dorotheus, Theodulus, and Agrippa, who suffered under Licinus (308-324)

  3. St. Helladius, archbishop of Toledo (632)

  4. St. Colman, bishop of Lindisfarne (676)

  5. St. Blaise of Amorium and Mt. Athos (ca. 908)

  6. St. Cosmas, founder of Yakhromsk Monastery (Vladimir) (1492)

  7. St. Nicholas, catholicos of Georgia (1591)

  8. Commemoration of the New Martyrs who suffered during the "Holy Night" in St. Petersburg (1932)

  9. Finding of the relics (1961) of New Martyr Irene of Mytilene (1463)

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.

With great difficulty and with even greater effort and sacrifice, the tares of heresy were sifted from the wheat of the truth of Orthodoxy. The heretics have always made use of lower means and base persons in undermining Orthodoxy. Archimandrite Eutyches of Constantinople and Patriarch Dioscorus of Alexandria—who spread the heretical teaching that there were not two natures in Christ, divine and human, but rather one nature—had as their ally in the imperial court the vile eunuch Chrysaphius. Empress Eudoxia was secretly aligned with them. Patriarch Flavian, like a lion, fearlessly defended Orthodoxy. In this he was assisted by Pulcheria, the sister of the emperor. The eunuch Chrysaphius presented to Emperor Theodosius the most disgusting slanders against Flavian, so that the emperor would remove him from the throne and replace him with the heretic Eutyches. When this and all else failed, the heretics plotted to kill Flavian. At the Robber Council in Ephesus, they beat him and trampled upon him so badly that St. Flavian gave up his soul to God on the third day. What happened in the end? At the Fourth Ecumenical Council [Chalcedon, 451], Eutyches and Dioscorus were anathematized. The eunuch was ousted from the court and shamefully ended his life. The Empress Eudoxia was banished from Constantinople to Palestine. Flavian and Pulcheria were proclaimed saints, and the Orthodox Faith was victoriously confirmed.

Daily Scriptures

Slavic and Greek
  • Epistle: 1 John 3:11-20
    [Greek includes vv. 9-10 and vv. 21-22]

[<9> Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. <10> In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.] <11> For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, <12> not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous. <13> Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. <14> We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. <15> Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. <16> By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. <17> But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? <18> My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. <19> And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. <20> For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. [<21> Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. <22> And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.]

  • Gospel: Mark 14:10-42

<10> Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. <11> And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him. <12> Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?" <13> And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him. <14> Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"' <15> Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us." <16> So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover. <17> In the evening He came with the twelve. <18> Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me." <19> And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, "Is it I?" And another said, "Is it I?" <20> He answered and said to them, "It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish. <21> The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born." <22> And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." <23> Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. <24> And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. <25> Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." <26> And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. <27> Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered.' <28> "But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee." <29> Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be." <30> Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." <31> But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And they all said likewise. <32> Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray." <33> And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. <34> Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch." <35> He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. <36> And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will." <37> Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? <38> Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." <39> Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. <40> And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. <41> Then He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. <42> Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand."

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