Daily readings from scriptures July 2012

1 1Cor 12:27-31;13:1-8 Mt 8:5-13

2 Rom 12:4-5,15-21 Mt 12:9-13

3 Rom 14:9-18 Mt 12:14-16,22-30

4 Rom 15:7-16 Mt 12:38-45

5 Rom 15:17-29 Mt 12:46-13:3

6 Rom 16:1-16 Mt 13:4-9

7 Rom 8:14-21 Mt 9:9-13

8 Rom 10:1-10 Mt 8:28-9:1

9 Rom 16:17-24 Mt 13:10-23

10 1Cor 1:1-9 Mt 13:24-30

11 1Cor 2:9-3:8 Mt 13:31-36

12 1Cor 3:18-23 Mt 13:36-43

13 1Cor 4:5-8 Mt 13:44-54

14 Rom 9:1-5 Mt 9:18-26

15 Titus 3:8-15 Mt 5:14-19

16 1Cor 5:9-6:11 Mt 13:54-58

17 1Cor 6:20-7:12 Mt 14:1-13

18 1Cor 7:12-24 Mt 14:35-15:11

19 1Cor 7:24-35 Mt 15:12-21

20 1Cor 7:35-8:7 Mt 15:29-31

21 Rom 12:1-3 Mt 10:37-11:1

22 Rom 15:1-7 Mt 9:27-35

23 1Cor 9:13-18 Mt 16:1-6

24 1Cor 10:5-12 Mt 16:6-12

25 1Cor 10:12-22 Mt 16:20-24

26 1Cor 10:28-11:7 Mt 16:24-28

27 1Cor 11:8-22 Mt 17:10-18

28 Rom 13:1-10 Mt 12:30-37

29 1Cor 1:10-18 Mt 14:14-22

30 1Cor 11:31-12:6 Mt 18:1-11

31 1Cor 12:12-26 Mt 18:18-22; 19:1-2,13-15 

Patriarch Pavle of Serbia: An Extraordinary Man of His Times

Archpriest Luka Hovakovic  

The Patriarch on the tram

It is difficult to speak about my service with Patriarch Pavle without sounding like I am boasting. Knowing the Patriarch was everyone’s privilege, not just of those who served with him or helped him in his administrative duties. After all, he was a very simple person; one could often see him walking through the streets of Belgrade or riding a city tram. Those whose duty it was to accompany him sometimes grew indignant: “Your Holiness, you have a car after all!” Whenever possible, however, he preferred to use public transport.

Nineteen Years with Patriarch Pavle

My service – as it happens, for which I am grateful to God – was always connected with His Holiness. I served with Patriarch Pavle for nineteen years, until his very last day.

During his primacy I held several positions: I was a teacher in the department of canon law at the Theological Faculty at the University of Belgrade; I taught homiletics and Russian at seminary (I graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy, so I had learned Russian); for nine years I was in charge of the Patriarchal Library; and for ten years I was secretary of the ecclesiastical court. I was also involved in the development of the Patriarchate’s information system by networking computers and purchasing and installing programs needed by the church administration.

His Holiness did not bless me to be ordained to the priesthood immediately. I served in the rank of deacon for fourteen years, which was quite normal with him. There was never any hurry in matters of ordination; he waited for the right time for a person.

ON THE UPBRINGING OF CHILDREN

By Elder Porphyrios (+1991).

    A large part of the responsibility for a person's spiritual state lies with the family.

Achild's upbringing commences at the moment of its conception. The embryo hears and feels in its mothers womb. Yes, it hears and it sees with its mother's eyes. It is aware of her movements and her emotions, even though its mind has not developed. If the mother's face darkens, it darkens too. If the mother is irritated, then it becomes irritated also. Whatever the mother experiences—sorrow, pain, fear, anxiety, etc.—is also experienced by the embryo.

If the mother doesn't want the child, if she doesn't love it, then the embryo senses this and traumas are created in its little soul that accompany it all its life. The opposite occurs through the mother's holy emotions. When she is filled with joy, peace and love for the embryo, she transmits these things to it mystically, just as happens to children that have been born.

"One Day in the Life of a Men's Monastery"

Documentary about daily life of a Men's Monastery in Abkhazia
length - 26 min.

With the blessing of: the Chairman of the Council of the Holy Metropolitanate of Abkhazia Dorofei (Dbar) and the Father Superior of the Monastery of St. Simon the Zealot Hieromonk Andrei (Ampar)

Saint John Maximovitch.

Condensed biography of Saint John Maximovitch (1896-1966)

Saint John was born on 4 June 1896 in the village Adamovka in the province of Kharkov in Southern Russia. He was a descendent of the aristocratic family Maximovitch, a member of which was pronounced a saint in 1916, the hierarch John Maximovitch, Metropolitan of Tobolsk, whose incorrupt relics are in Tobolsk to this day. This holy hierarch reposed at the beginning of the 18th century but he carried the torch of his grace to his distant nephew, Michael (the baptismal name of Saint John, who later received the name of his uncle when he was tonsured a monk). His father Boris was a marshal of the nobility in a region of Kharkov and his uncle was rector at the University of Kiev. His relationship with his parents was always excellent. Throughout his youth, Michael was sickly and ate very little. He was a quiet kid, very polite and deeply religious. When he played he would dress his play soldiers as monks, collect icons and religious books and enjoyed reading about the lives of the Saints. At night he would stand praying for long periods. Because he was the eldest of five siblings, it was he who knew the lives of the Saints very well and became their first teacher of the Faith. He was very austere with himself in the application of ecclesiastic and national traditions. So much did he impress his teacher, who was a French woman and Catholic, that she was influenced by young Michael’s Christian life and was baptized Orthodox.

He had a country house near a monastery where little Michael would visit often. At the age of 11 his parents Boris and Glaphyra sent him to the Military School of Poltava where he continued to live, with his faith deeply rooted. For when kids are absent from their home for long time, their youthful souls are easily influenced. He, however, remained steadfast in his faith. There he also met the Bishop of Poltava, Theophan, a much loved hierarch, who influenced Michael. At a military parade while passing by the cathedral, little Michael (who was 13 then) crossed himself, and his classmates laughed at him and mocked him, and he was punished by his officers for the action. However Prince Constantine, who was a benefactor of the school, told them not to punish cadet Michael for with his action he showed deep and healthy religious feelings. In 1914, he completed the military school and wished to continue his studies at the Theological School of Kiev. However, his parents insisted that he go to law school and Michael obeyed them. His classmates observed that he read about the lives of the saints even more than his lessons and yet he was a good student. Time passed and he completed his studies. However, at that time the anti-Christian movement had started to spread in Russia, but Michael had deep faith inside him and he was bold. The ecclesiastic council of Kharkov was discussing whether to take down the silver bell of the church to melt it.