Daily Orthodox - December 22nd, 2024
Today is the 26th Sunday after Pentecost.
Fasting Obligations
- OCA, GOARCH, Antioch: Wine and oil permitted.
Today, we commemorate...
- The Holy Great-martyr Anastasia the Deliverer from Bonds, and others with her
This glorious heroine of the Christian Faith was born in Rome into a wealthy senatorial family of a pagan father and a Christian mother. From her early youth, she clung in love to the Lord Jesus, guided in the teaching of Christ by a devout teacher, Chrysogonus. Anastasia was forced by her father to enter into marriage with a pagan landowner, Publius. Excusing herself on the basis of a female illness, she in no way wished to enter into physical relations with him. For this, her husband tortured her harshly by confinement and starvation. He inflicted even more tortures upon her when he learned of her secret visits to the prisons of the Christian martyrs: bringing them provisions, ministering to them, bathing their wounds and loosening their bonds. But by God's providence she was freed from her wicked husband. Publius was sent to Persia by the emperor, and while sailing on the sea he was drowned. At one time the Emperor Diocletian was in the town of Aquileia and ordered that Chrysogonus, the confessor of Christ, be brought to him. St. Anastasia accompanied him on the way. Holy Chrysogonus was beheaded by order of the emperor, and then three sisters—Agape, Chionia and Irene—also suffered (April 16); the first two were cast into fire and the third was shot through with arrows. St. Anastasia took their bodies, wrapped them in white linen, anointed them with many aromatic spices, and honorably buried them. Following this, Anastasia went to Macedonia, where she helped the sufferers for Christ. There she became well known as a Christian, for which she was seized and brought before various judges for interrogation and torture. Desiring to die for her beloved Christ, Anastasia constantly longed for Him in her heart. A certain chief of the pagan prisons, Ulpianus, lustfully tried to touch St. Anastasia's body, but he was suddenly blinded and breathed his last. Condemned to death by starvation, St. Anastasia lingered in prison for thirty days without food, nourishing herself only on tears and prayer. Then she was placed in a boat with several other Christians to be drowned, but God delivered her even from this death. She was finally tied by the feet and hands to four wheels over a fire, and she gave up her holy soul to God. She suffered and took up her habitation in the Kingdom of Christ in the year 304.
- The Holy Martyr Theodota with her three children
Being left a young widow with three children, Theodota gave herself completely to the service of God and the rearing of her children in devout faith. St. Anastasia lived with her when she was in Macedonia, and together they visited the Christian prisoners in the jails. Brought to trial, Theodota boldly confessed Christ the Lord. Then she was sent to Nicetas, the proconsul of Bithynia. When a shameless pagan tried to touch her body, he immediately saw an angel of God beside her and was struck by the angel. Condemned to death and cast into a fiery furnace together with her three children, St. Theodota honorably ended her earthly life and entered into the Kingdom of Eternal Glory.
- St. Boris of Kostroma
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.
The merciful God often sends comfort to those pleasing to Him on earth from the other world through his saints. St. Theodota suffered for Christ before St. Anastasia. Anastasia was then cast into a confined and dark prison to die of hunger, according to the judgment of the torturers. During the thirty days of her imprisonment, St. Theodota appeared to Anastasia every night from the other world and strengthened her in her suffering. Anastasia spoke of many things with St. Theodota and asked numerous questions. One night she asked how she was able to come to her after her death. Theodota replied that the souls of the martyrs are given special grace from God, so that after departing this world they may return to speak to whomever they desire for the imparting of instruction and comfort. When thirty days had passed, the torturer brought St. Anastasia out of prison and was amazed to see her still alive. He then condemned her, along with several others, to be drowned in the sea. The Christians were put into a small boat by the soldiers, who set sail in another. When the Christians were brought out into the deep, the soldiers upset the boat, so that the water would enter and drown the condemned. Then a miraculous vision took place: St. Theodota appeared on the water and guided the boat to shore. Thus, all who were condemned to death were saved with Anastasia. Seeing this miracle of God, one hundred and twenty pagans immediately believed in Christ and were baptized.
Daily Scriptures
Slavic and Greek
- Epistle: Hebrews 11:9-10; 32-40 [Slavic includes vv. 17-23]
<9> By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; <10> for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. [Slavic: <17> By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, <18> of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," <19> concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. <20> By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. <21> By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. <22> By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones. <23> By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's command.] <32> And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: <33> who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, <34> quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. <35> Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. <36> Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. <37> They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— <38> of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. <39> And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, <40> God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
- Gospel: Matthew 1:1-25
<1> The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: <2> Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. <3> Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. <4> Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. <5> Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, <6> and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. <7> Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. <8> Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. <9> Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. <10> Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. <11> Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon. <12> And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. <13> Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. <14> Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. <15> Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. <16> And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. <17> So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations. <18> Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. <19> Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. <20> But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. <21> And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." <22> So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: <23> "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." <24> Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, <25> and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.