Daily Orthodox - December 6th, 2024

Today is Friday of the 24th Week after Pentecost.

Fasting Obligations

• OCA: Fish, wine, and oil permitted.
  
• GOARCH, Antioch: Wine and oil permitted.
  

Today, we commemorate...

1. Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia

This glorious saint, celebrated even today throughout the entire world, was the only son of his eminent and wealthy parents. Theophanes and Nona, citizens of the city of Patara in Lycia. Since he was the only son bestowed on them by God, the parents returned the gift to God by dedicating their son to Him. St. Nicholas learned of the spiritual life from his uncle Nicholas, Bishop of Patara, and was tonsured a monk in the Monastery of New Zion founded by his uncle. Following the death of his parents, Nicholas distributed all his inherited goods to the poor, not keeping anything for himself. As a priest in Patara, he was known for his charity, even though he carefully concealed his charitable works, fulfilling the words of the Lord: Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth (Matthew 6:3). When he gave himself over to solitude and silence, thinking to live that way until his death, a voice from on high came to him: "Nicholas, for your ascetic labor, work among the people, if thou desirest to be crowned by Me." Immediately after that, by God's wondrous providence, he was chosen archbishop of the city of Myra in Lycia. Merciful, wise and fearless, Nicholas was a true shepherd to his flock. During the persecution of Christians under Diocletian and Maximian, he was cast into prison, but even there he instructed the people in the Law of God. He was present at the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea [325] and, out of great zeal for the truth, struck the heretic Arius with his hand. For this act he was removed from the Council and from his archiepiscopal duties, until the Lord Christ Himself and the Most-holy Theotokos appeared to several of the chief hierarchs and revealed their approval of Nicholas. A defender of God's truth, this wonderful saint was ever bold as a defender of justice among the people.

On two occasions, he saved three men from an undeserved sentence of death. Merciful, truthful, and a lover of justice, he walked among the people as an angel of God. Even during his lifetime, the people considered him a saint and invoked his aid in difficulties and in distress. He appeared both in dreams and in person to those who called upon him, and he helped them easily and speedily, whether close at hand or far away. A light shone from his face as it did from the face of Moses, and he, by his presence alone, brought comfort, peace and good will among men. In old age he became ill for a short time and entered into the rest of the Lord, after a life full of labor and very fruitful toil, to rejoice eternally in the Kingdom of Heaven, continuing to help the faithful on earth by his miracles and to glorify his God. He entered into rest on December 6, 343.

2. Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Patara

Nicholas was the uncle of the great St. Nicholas, and it was he who guided him to the spiritual life and ordained him a priest.

3. The Holy Martyr Nicholas Karamos

Nicholas was cruelly tortured for the Christian Faith by the Turks and was hanged in Smyrna in the year 1657.

4. Saint Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch

A man well educated in Hellenic philosophy, Theophilus, after reading the Holy Scriptures, was baptized and became a great defender of the Christian Faith. His work "On the Faith" is preserved even today. He governed the Church of Antioch for thirteen years and entered into rest in the year 181.

5. St. Abramius, bishop of Cratea in Bithynia (6th c.)

6. Blessed Maximus, metropolitan of Kiev (1305)

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.

In icons of St. Nicholas, the Lord Savior is usually depicted on one side with a Gospel in His hands, and the Most-holy Virgin Theotokos is depicted on the other side with an episcopal omophorion in her hands. This has a twofold historical significance: first, it signifies the calling of Nicholas to the hierarchical office, and second, it signifies his exoneration from the condemnation that followed his confrontation with Arius. St. Methodius, Patriarch of Constantinople, writes: "One night St. Nicholas saw our Savior in glory, standing by him and extending to him the Gospel, adorned with gold and pearls. On his other side, he saw the Theotokos, who was placing the episcopal pallium on his shoulders." Shortly after this vision, John the Archbishop of Myra died and St. Nicholas was appointed archbishop of that city. That was the first incident. The second incident occurred at the time of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea. Unable to stop Arius through reason from espousing the irrational blasphemy against the Son of God and His Most-holy Mother, St. Nicholas struck Arius on the face with his hand. The Holy Fathers at the Council, protesting such an action, banned Nicholas from the Council and deprived him of all emblems of the episcopal rank.

That same night, several of the Holy Fathers saw an identical vision: how the Lord Savior and the Most-holy Theotokos were standing around St. Nicholas-on one side the Lord Savior with the Gospel, and on the other side the Most-holy Theotokos with a pallium, presenting the saint with the episcopal emblems that had been removed from him. Seeing this, the fathers were awestruck and quickly returned to Nicholas that which had been removed. They began to respect him as a great chosen one of God, and they interpreted his actions against Arius not as an act of unreasonable anger, but rather an expression of great zeal for God's truth.

Daily Scriptures

Slavic and Greek

• Epistle (Slavic: for St. Nicholas): Hebrews 13:17-21
  

<17> Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. <18> Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. <19> But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. <20> Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, <21> make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

• Gospel (Slavic: for St. Nicholas): Luke 6:17-23
  

<17> And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, <18> as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. <19> And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. <20> Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God. <21> Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh. <22> Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake. <23> Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

Slavic

• Epistle (Day): 1 Thessalonians 5:9-13, 24-28

<9> For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, <10> who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. <11> Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. <12> And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, <13> and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves. <24> He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. <25> Brethren, pray for us. <26> Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. <27> I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren. <28> The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

• Gospel (Day): Luke 21:37-22:8

<37> And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. <38> Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him. <1> Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. <2> And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. <3> Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. <4> So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. <5> And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. <6> So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude. <7> Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. <8> And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."