Love Remembers
“Let us remember the poor, and not forget kindness to strangers; above all, let us love God with all our soul, and might, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves.”
Athanasius of Alexandria
#love #God #poor
Tuesday May 20, 2025 / May 7, 2025
Fifth Week of Pascha. Tone four.
Commemoration of the Apparition of the Sign of the Precious Cross over Jerusalem in 351 A.D.
Martyr Acacius the Centurion at Byzantium (303).
Repose of Venerable Nilus, abbot of Sora (1508).
Venerable John of Zedazeni in Georgia, and 12 disciples: Venerables Shio Mgvime, David of Gareji, Anthony of Martq’ophi, Thaddeus of Urbnisi or Stepantsminda, Stephen of Khirsa, Isidore of Samtavisi, Michael of Ulumbo, Pyrrhus of Breta, Zenon of Iqalto, Jesse (Ise) of Tsilkani, Joseph of Alaverdi, and Abibus of Nekressi (6th c.) (Georgia).
Uncovering of the relics (1815) of Venerable Nilus the Myrrh-gusher of Mt. Athos.
Synaxis of All Holy Russian Sovereigns Commemorated on Athos.
Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos “Zhirovits” (1470) and “Lubech” (11th c.).
New Martyr Pachomius of Patmos (1730) (Greek).
St. Domitianus, bishop of Maastricht (560) (Neth.).
St. John of Beverley, bishop of York (721) (Celtic & British).
St. Lydia of Philippi (1st c.).
Uncovering of the relics of St. Euthymius the Great.
The Scripture Readings
25
And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.
1
Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2
As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
3
Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
4
So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
5
And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.
6
Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus,
7
who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.
8
But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9
Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
10
and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
11
And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time. And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
12
Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
51
Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.
52
Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’
53
Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?
54
Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.
55
Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.
56
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.
57
Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
58
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
59
Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
1 Corinthians 1:18-24 Cross
18
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19
For it is written:
20
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
22
For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
23
but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
24
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30-35 Cross
6
Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”
7
The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”
8
Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid,
9
and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
10
Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”
11
Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
13
When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14
Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
15
But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”
16
Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.
17
And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,
18
where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.
19
Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
20
Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
25
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
26
When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”
27
Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
28
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”
30
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
31
Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32
Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him.
33
But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.
34
But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
35
And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.