+Saint Sophia & her three daughters:

Faith, Hope, and Love



These Saints were from Italy and contested for the Faith about the year 126, during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Faith was twelve years old, Hope, ten, and Love, nine; each was tormented and then beheaded, from the eldest to the youngest. Their mother Sophia mourned at their grave for three days, where she also fell asleep in peace; because of her courageous endurance in the face of her daughters' sufferings, she is also counted a martyr. The name Sophia means "wisdom" in Greek; as for her daughters' names, Faith, Hope, and Love (Charity), they are Pistis, Elpis, and Agape in Greek, and Vera, Nadezhda, and Lyubov in Russian. 

Epistle Reading of the Day

St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 2:16-20

BRETHREN, you know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Gospel Reading for the Day

The Gospel of Mark 8:34-38; 9:1

The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

Απόστολος της Ημέρας

Πρὸς Γαλάτας 2:16-20

Ἀδελφοί, εἰδότες ὅτι οὐ δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, ἐὰν μὴ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐπιστεύσαμεν, ἵνα δικαιωθῶμεν ἐκ πίστεως Χριστοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου· διότι οὐ δικαιωθήσεται ἐξ ἔργων νόμου πᾶσα σάρξ. Εἰ δέ, ζητοῦντες δικαιωθῆναι ἐν Χριστῷ, εὑρέθημεν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἁμαρτωλοί, ἆρα Χριστὸς ἁμαρτίας διάκονος; Μὴ γένοιτο. Εἰ γὰρ ἃ κατέλυσα, ταῦτα πάλιν οἰκοδομῶ, παραβάτην ἐμαυτὸν συνίστημι. Ἐγὼ γὰρ διὰ νόμου νόμῳ ἀπέθανον, ἵνα θεῷ ζήσω. Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι· ζῶ δέ, οὐκέτι ἐγώ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός· ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, ἐν πίστει ζῶ τῇ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ.

Ευαγγέλιον της Ήμέρας

Κατὰ Μᾶρκον 8.34-38, 9.1

Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος· Εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἐλθεῖν, ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι. ὃς γὰρ ἂν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι, ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· ὃς δ᾿ ἂν ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, οὗτος σώσει αὐτήν. τί γὰρ ὠφελήσει ἄνθρωπον ἐὰν κερδήσῃ τὸν κόσμον ὅλον, καὶ ζημιωθῇ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ; ἢ τί δώσει ἄνθρωπος ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ; ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν ἐπαισχυνθῇ με καὶ τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ τῇ μοιχαλίδι καὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ, καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπαισχυνθήσεται αὐτὸν ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων τῶν ἁγίων. Καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι εἰσί τινες τῶν ὧδε ἑστηκότων, οἵτινες οὐ μὴ γεύσωνται θανάτου ἕως ἂν ἴδωσι τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐληλυθυῖαν ἐν δυνάμει.

ΑΓΙΟΛΟΓΙΟ ΚΑΙ ΕΟΡΤΕΣ

Οι άγιες αδελφές Πίστις, Ελπίς και Αγάπη - 17 Σεπτεμβρίου

Τη μνήμη τριών αδελφών αγίων παρθένων και της μητέρας των Σοφίας, εορτάζει και τιμά η Εκκλησία μας. Οι τρείς αδελφές στάθηκαν με γενναιότητα μπροστά στον ειδωλολάτρη τύραννο, ομολόγησαν το Χριστό κι επεσφράγισαν την ομολογία τους με μαρτυρικό θάνατο.

Η μητέρα τους αντίκρυσε με θαυμαστή καρτερία το μαρτύριο των θυγατέρων της, εκήδευσε με καύχημα τα τίμια σώματά τους και όπως το ευχήθηκε, απέθανε επάνω στον τάφο τους,

και ακολούθησε και αυτή, τέταρτη στο μαρτύριο τα τέκνα της. Τέτοιες θυσίες είναι που αγιάζουν τον κόσμο και το αίμα τέτοιων Μαρτύρων είναι που ξεπλένει τις ντροπές που λερώνουν το πρόσωπο της γής. Για το θάνατο τέτοιων αγίων ανέχεται ο Θεός και ζούν τόσοι αμαρτωλοί κάτω από τον ουρανό. Και είναι πάντα πολύ περισσότεροι οι ΄Αγιοι στον κόσμο και γύρω απο εμάς, παρ’ όσο εμείς νομίζουμε.

Η Σύλληψις του Τιμίου Ιωάννου του Προδρόμου - (23 Σεπτεμβρίου)

΄Ετσι προφήτευσε ο προφήτης Ησαϊας για τον Πρόδρομο του Κυρίου Ιωάννη: Φωνή ανθρώπου που φωνάζει στην έρημο και λέει: «Ετοιμάσετε το δρόμο, από όπου θα έλθει ο Κύριος». Η φωνή αυτή που ήταν ο Ιωάννης, γεννήθηκε με θαυμαστό τρόπο. Ο Πατέρας του ήτο ο ιερέας Ζαχαρίας και Μητέρα του η Ελισάβετ. Εζησε στα χρόνια του Ηρώδη βασιλιά της Ιορδανίας. Την ώρα του θυμιάματος, ο ιερέας Ζαχαρίας είδε μέσα στο θυσιαστήριο (‘Αγιο Βήμα) Άγγελο Κυρίου, που του ανήγγειλε, ότι θα αποκτήσει υιόν και θα ονομαστεί Ιωάννης. Ο Ζαχαρίας σκίρτησε από χαρά, αλλά δυσπίστηκε, η γυναίκα του ήταν στείρα και ηλικιωμένη, πώς θα γινόταν αυτό που άκουγε; Τότε ο Άγγελος του είπε ότι θα τιμωρηθεί για την δυσπιστία του μέχρι να πραγματοποιηθεί το θέλημα του Θεού θα έμενε κωφάλαλος. Πράγματι η Ελισάβετ συνέλαβε και έκανε γιό. Οταν δέ οκτώ ημέρες μετά την γέννηση του παιδιού και κατά την διάρκεια της περιτομής του βρέφους, οι συγγενείς ήθελαν να του δώσουν το όνομα του πατέρα του, Ζαχαρία. Ο Ζαχαρίας έγραψε επάνω σε πινακίδα το όνομα «Ιωάννης». Αμέσως η γλώσσα του λύθηκε και όλοι μαζί δόξασαν το Θεό και η χαρά τους ήταν μεγάλη. Η χάρη αυτή έγινε από το Θεό στο Ζαχαρία διότι αυτός ήταν «δίκαιος ενώπιον του Θεού, πορευόμενος εν πάσαις ταις εντολές και δικαιώμασι του Κυρίου, άμεμπτος». Δηλαδή Ήταν δίκαιος μπροστά στο Θεό και ζούσε σύμφωνα με όλες τις εντολές και τα παραγγέλματα του Κυρίου, άμεμπτος από κάθε σοβαρή ενοχή.

READINGS OF OUR ORTHODOX SAINTS

Saints Trophimos, Sabbatios, & Dorymedon the Martyrs

In 278, during the reign of Probus, Saints Trophimus and Sabbatius came to Antioch, and seeing the city celebrating the festival of Apollo at Daphne lamented the blindness of the people, and presented themselves as Christians to Atticus the Governor. Saint Trophimus was stripped of his clothing, and was stretched out and beaten until the earth was red with his blood. Then he was hung up, scraped on his sides, and imprisoned in torments. Saint Sabbatius was tortured so savagely that he gave up his spirit in his sufferings. Trophimus was sent to Synnada, wearing iron shoes fitted with sharp iron nails within; he was further tormented without mercy, then cast into prison. Dorymedon, a counsellor, and a pagan, came to the prison and cared for Trophimus. When a certain feast came, Dorymedon was asked why he did not sacrifice to the idols; he proclaimed himself a Christian, for which he was imprisoned, pierced with heated spits, frightfully punished, and finally beheaded with Saint Trophimus. ~Commemorated on September 18

Saint Eustathios the Great Martyr, his wife and two children

The holy Martyr Eustathius before his baptism was an illustrious Roman general named Placidas in the days of the Emperor Trajan. While hunting in the country one day, he was converted to the Faith of Christ through the apparition of an uncommonly majestic stag, between whose antlers he saw the Cross of Christ, and through which the Lord spoke to him with a human voice. Upon returning home, he learned that his wife Tatiana had also had a vision in which she was instructed to become a Christian. They sought out the Bishop of the Christians and were baptized, Placidas receiving the name Eustathius, and Tatiana the name Theopiste; their two sons were baptized Agapius and Theopistus. The family was then subjected to such trials as Job endured. Their servants died, all their goods were stolen, and on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem they were scattered abroad, each not even knowing if the others were still alive. By the providence of God, they were united again after many years, and returned to Rome in glory. Nevertheless, when they refused to sacrifice to the idols-a public sacrifice from which no Roman general could be absent-the Emperor Hadrian, who had succeeded Trajan, had them put into a large bronze device in the shape of a bull, which was heated with fire until they died. When their holy bodies were removed, they were found to be without harm. They suffered martyrdom about the year 126. ~Commemorated on September 20