Daily Reading:

Monday

September 21st / October 4th

19the Week After Pentecost

LEAVE TAKING OF THE FEAST OF THE ELEVATION OF THE PRECIOUS

AND LIFE GIVING CROSS

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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:

Illumine my heart, O Master who lovest mankind, with the pure light of Thy divine knowledge. Open Thou the eyes of my mind to the understanding of Thy Gospel teachings. Implant also in me a love for Thy blessed commandments. Grant me the grace to overcome all my carnal desires, so that I may enter more completely into a spiritual manner of living, both thinking and doing such things as are well pleasing to Thee. For Thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and unto Thee do we ascribe glory, together with Thine all-holy, good and life-creating Spirit; now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.


O Lord Jesus Christ, open Thou the eyes of my heart, that I may hear Thy word and understand and do Thy will, for I am a sojourner upon the earth. Hide not Thy commandments from me, but open mine eyes, that I may perceive the wonders of Thy law. Speak unto me the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom. On Thee do I set my hope, O my God, that Thou shalt enlighten my mind and understanding with the light of Thy knowledge, not only to cherish those things which are written, but to do them; that in reading the lives and sayings of the Saints I may not sin, but that such may serve for my restoration, enlightenment and sanctification, for the salvation of my soul, and the inheritance of life everlasting. For Thou art the enlightenment of those who lie in darkness, and from Thee cometh every good deed and every gift. Amen.

By the intercessions of Thine All-immaculate Mother and of all Thy Saints, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen

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Philippians 1:1-7

Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

Luke 4:37-44

And the fame of Him went out into every place of the country round about. And He arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought Him for her. And He stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them. And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, "Thou art Christ the Son of God." And He rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that He was Christ. And when it was day, He departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought Him, and came unto Him, and stayed Him, that He should not depart from them. And He said unto them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. " And He preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

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LEAVETAKING OF THE FEAST OF THE ELEVATION OF THE PRECIOUS

AND LIFEGIVING CROSS

ST CODRATUS OF THE SEVENTY

ST MABYN

Troparion of the Feast Tone 1
O Lord, save Thy people/ and bless Thine inheritance./ Grant Victory over their enemies to Orthodox Christians,/ and protect Thy people with Thy Cross.

Troparion of St Codratus Tone 1
Thy life became radiant with wisdom; thou didst draw down the fire of the Spirit/ and discern the doctrines of life,/ Codratus, Apostle of Christ./ We cry to thee as to an enlightener:/ Glory to Christ Who has glorified thee; glory to Him Who has crowned thee:/ glory to Him Who through thee works healings for all.

Kontakion of the Feast Tone 4
O Christ our God/ Who wast voluntarily lifted up on the Cross,/ grant Thy mercies to Thy new people named after Thee./ Gladden with Thy power Orthodox Christians/ and give them victory over their enemies./ May they have as an ally/ that invincible trophy, Thy weapon of peace.

Kontakion of St Codratus Tone 8
O Lord, the world offers to Thee the Apostle Codratus as a holy Hierarch and Martyr./ As we hymn his memory we pray Thee/ to grant forgiveness to those who sing: Alleluia.

Kontakion of St Mabyn Tone 8
Preserving thyself in virginity, and pleasing Christ our God with thy asceticism, O holy Mabyn,/ thou didst give to the faithful an example of pious and godly living./ Pray that the example of our lives will also be pleasing to God,/ that our souls will be brought into the Way of Salvation.

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The Holy Apostle Codratus

One of the Seventy, he was a disciple of the Great Apostles. Hepreached the Gospel in Athens, and was at first bishop in Athensafter St Publius, and then in the city of Magnesia. He was verylearned in the secular disciplines and rich with the grace of theHoly Spirit. His biographer says of him: 'He was as a morning staramong clouds', the clouds being the darkness of Hellenic paganism,lacking the light of devotion, and the holy Apostle Codratus shoneto them - the Hellenes - as a great light, illumining the darkness,casting down the foul sacrifices and destroying demonic temples byhis prayers. But darkness always hates the light, and the paganshated holy Codratus. They first stoned him, as the Jews had earlierstoned St Stephen, and then imprisoned him, leaving him withoutbread until his holy soul left his body and entered into the Kingdomof Christ his God. St Codratus wrote a defence of Christianity andgave it to the Emperor Hadrian. This defence acted so strongly uponthe pagan Emperor that he decreed that Christians should not bepersecuted without especial cause. Holy Codratus suffered in about130. He was buried in Magnesia, the place of his passion.

The Prologue From Ochrid -of St. Nikolai (Velimirovic) Bishop of Zhicha