Daily Orthodox - December 23rd, 2024
Today is Monday of the 27th Week after Pentecost.
Fasting Obligations
- OCA, GOARCH, Antioch: Strict fast.
Today, we commemorate...
- The Ten Holy Martyrs of Crete (250)
They suffered for Christ the Lord during the persecution of Decius in the year 250. Their names were Theodulus, Saturnicus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician, Zoticus, Pompeius, Agathopous, Basilides and Evaristus. They were all eminent and honored citizens, the best among the best. When they were brought to the place of execution they were elated, and they discussed among themselves which of them would be the first to be beheaded, for each one of them wanted to be the first to go to his beloved Christ. Then they prayed: "O Lord, forgive Thy servants and accept our blood, which is about to be shed, as an offering on our behalf and for our kinsmen and friends and for all of our fatherland, that all may be freed from the darkness of ignorance and may know Thee, the True Light, O Eternal King!'' They were beheaded and entered into the Kingdom of Glory to rejoice eternally.
- Saint Niphon the Wonderworker, Bishop of Constantia on Cyprus (4th c.)
Niphon was born in Paphlagonia and brought up in Constantinople at the court of a commander [Sabbatius]. Falling into evil company, the young Niphon became dissolute and gave himself over to many sins and vices. Because of his sin, he could not even pray to God. By the mercy of the Most-holy Theotokos, he was brought back to the path of righteousness and was tonsured a monk. He had numerous visions of the heavenly world, and for four years he endured a difficult struggle with a demon, who constantly whispered to him: "There is no God! There is no God!'' But, when the Lord Jesus Himself appeared to him alive on an icon, Niphon received great power over evil spirits and was freed from these grievous temptations. He was such a great seer that he saw angels and demons around men just as clearly as he saw men themselves, and he knew the thoughts of men. He often spoke with angels and disputed with demons. He built a church to the Most-holy Theotokos in Constantinople, gathered monks together, and saved many souls. Alexander, the Archbishop of Alexandria, according to a revelation from heaven, consecrated him bishop of the town of Constantia on Cyprus. At that time St. Niphon was already old. He governed well the Church of God for a short time and took up his habitation in Christ's Eternal Kingdom. Before his death he was visited by St. Athanasius the Great, then the archdeacon of the Church in Alexandria, and after his death he was seen by Athanasius, his face shining as the sun.
- The Venerable Nahum, Wonderworker of Ohrid (910)
Nahum was a disciple of Saints Cyril and Methodius and one of the Five Companions who most zealously labored with these Apostles to the Slavs. St. Nahum traveled to Rome, where he became well known for his miracle-working power as well as his great learning. He was knowledgeable in many languages. After his return from Rome, he and his companions settled on the shores of Lake Ohrid with the help of King Boris Michael. While St. Clement labored as bishop in Ohrid, St. Nahum founded a monastery on the southern shore of the lake. The monastery even today adorns that shore, just as the name of St. Nahum adorns the history of Slavic Christianity and has been a source of miraculous power and a refuge for the sick and the unfortunate through the ages. Many monks from throughout the Balkans gathered around St. Nahum. St. Nahum was a wise teacher, a unique leader of monks, a resolute ascetic, a miracle-working intercessor, and a spiritual father. A tireless worker, St. Nahum labored especially on the translation of the Sacred Scriptures and other ecclesiastical books from the Greek language into the Slavonic. He worked miracles both during his life and after his death. His miracle-working relics, to this day, amaze many with numerous miracles, healing grave illnesses, especially insanity. Nahum entered into rest in the first half of the tenth century and took up his habitation in the joy of his beloved Christ.
[footnote: In the Greek Synaxarion, Saints Clement and Nahum are called the new Moses and Aaron, and this miracle is told of them: The heretics in Germany chained them and threw them into prison. By God's providence, however, the prison shook, the chains fell from them, the doors of the prison opened and they walked out freely.]
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St. Paul, bishop of Neo-Caesarea (4th c.)
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St. David of Echmiadzin in Armenia (693)
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St. Egbert of Rathmelsigi (Neth.) (729)
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St. Theoctistus, archbishop of Novgorod (1310)
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New Hieromartyrs Paul, bishop of Starobelsk (1932), and Macarius, hieromonk, of Zavidovskaya Gorka (Tver), and John, hieromonk, of Bolshoye Mikhailovskoye (Tver) (1937)
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.
While still living in the flesh, the saints had great revelations from God and visions of both heavenly and infernal powers. All of their revelations and visions confirm the Orthodox Faith in all of her teachings. The saints are a joy, a great joy to the faithful. St. Niphon saw the Theotokos and the Lord Christ alive in glory; he saw men's souls leaving the body; and he saw the guardian angels of certain men! He spoke openly with angels and disputed with demons. The Church teaches that the sincere repentance of a sinner, even in the last hour, saves the soul of the penitent. St. Niphon saw the soul of one such repentant sinner in the last moment; he saw how the angels defended that soul from the aggressive demons and carried it to Paradise. The Church teaches that suicide is a mortal sin. St. Niphon saw the soul of a suicide as the devils were dragging it to hell. The guardian angel of that soul went off and wept bitterly for that soul. This was the soul of a servant who had committed suicide because his master was merciless, and who did not want to endure to the end in order to be saved.
Daily Scriptures
Slavic and Greek
- Epistle: 1 Timothy 5:1-10
<1> Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, <2> older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity. <3> Honor widows who are really widows. <4> But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God. <5> Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. <6> But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. <7> And these things command, that they may be blameless. <8> But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. <9> Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, <10> well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.
- Gospel: Mark 10:46-52
<46> Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. <47> And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" <48> Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" <49> So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you." <50> And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. <51> So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight." <52> Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.