FRIDAY, oCTOBER 3, 2014 Saints and Feasts *Dionysios the Areopagite *John the Chozebite, Bishop of Caesaria DIONYSIOS THE AREOPAGITE This Saint was from Athens, a learned man, and a member of the famous judicial court of Mars Hill (in Greek Aeros Pagos, hence the name Areopagite (see Acts 17:19-34). When Saint Paul preached in Athens, he was one of the first there to believe in Christ, and, according to some, became the first bishop of that city. Others say -- and this may be more probable--that he was the second Bishop of Athens, after Saint Hierotheus, whom Dionysios calls his friend and teacher after Paul (On the Divine Names, 3:2). With Saint Hierotheus he was also present at the Dormition of the most holy Theotokos; the Doxasticon of the Aposticha for the service of the Dormition is partly taken from a passage in Chapter III of On the Divine Names. According to ancient tradition, he received a martyrs end (according to some, in Athens itself) about the year 96. EPISTLE READING Acts of the Apostles 17:16-34 Prokeimenon. Grave Mode. Psalm 149.5,1 The saints shall rejoice in glory. Verse: Sing to the Lord a new song. IN THOSE DAYS, while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the market place every day with those who chanced to be there. Some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers met him. And some said, What would this babbler say? Others said, He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities - because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. And they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagos, saying, May we know what this new teaching is which you present? For you bring some strange things to our ears; we wish to know therefore what these things mean. Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. So Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagos, said: Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, To an unknown god. What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything. And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, for In him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your poets have said, For we are indeed his offspring. Being then Gods offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead. Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, We will hear you again about this. So Paul went out from among them. But some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysios the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. GOSPEL READING The Gospel of Luke 6:17-23 At that time, Jesus stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came forth from him and healed them all. And he lifted up his eyes on His disciples, and said: Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven.
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 02:15:59 +0000
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