неделя на Разслабления

Подир това имаше иудейски празник, и възлезе Иисус в Иерусалим.
А в Иерусалим, при Овчи порти, се намира къпалня, по еврейски наричана Витезда, която има пет притвора; в тях лежеше голямо множество болни, слепи, хроми, изсъхнали, които очакваха да се раздвижи водата, защото Ангел Господен от време на време слизаше в къпалнята и раздвижваше водата, и който пръв влизаше след раздвижване на водата, оздравяваше, от каквато болест и да бе налегнат. Там имаше един човек, болен от трийсет и осем години.
Иисус, като го видя да лежи и като узна, че боледува от дълго време, казва му: искаш ли да оздравееш? Болният му отговори: да, господине; но си нямам човек, който да ме спусне в къпалнята, кога се раздвижи водата; когато пък аз дойда, друг слиза преди мене.
Иисус му казва: стани, вземи одъра си и ходи. И той веднага оздравя, взе си одъра и ходеше. А тоя ден беше събота.
Поради това иудеите думаха на изцерения: събота е; не бива да си дигаш одъра. Той им отговори: Който ме изцери, Той ми рече: вземи одъра си и ходи. Попитаха го: кой е Човекът, Който ти рече: вземи одъра си и ходи? Но изцереният не знаеше, кой е, защото Иисус се бе отдръпнал поради тълпата, що беше на онова място.
След това Иисус го срещна в храма и му рече: ето, ти оздравя; недей греши вече, за да те не сполети нещо по-лошо.
Човекът отиде, та обади на иудеите, че Иисус е, Който го изцери.

Случи се, че Петър, обхождайки всички, слезе и при светиите, които живееха в Лида.
Там намери един човек, на име Еней, който от осем години лежеше на постелка разслабен. И Петър му каза: Енее, Иисус Христос те изцерява; стани и си сбери постелката. И той веднага стана.
И всички, които живееха в Лида и в Сарона, видяха го, и се обърнаха към Господа.
В Иопия имаше една ученица, на име Тавита, което значи: Сърна; тя беше изпълнена с добри дела и милостини, които правеше. Случи се в ония дни, че тя заболя и умря. Окъпаха я и туриха в една горница. А понеже Лида беше близо до Иопия, учениците, като чуха, че Петър е там, проводиха при него двама души да го молят, да дойде незабавно при тях. Петър стана и отиде с тях; и когато стигна, възведоха го в горницата, и всички вдовици дойдоха при него, плачейки и показвайки ризи и дрехи, що ги бе правила Сърна, докато живеела с тях.
Петър отпрати всички вън и, като коленичи, помоли се, па се обърна към тялото и рече: Тавито, стани! И тя отвори очите си и, като видя Петра, седна. Той й подаде ръка, дигна я и, като повика светиите и вдовиците, представи я жива.
Това стана известно по цяла Иопия, и мнозина повярваха в Господа.

Иoaн, 5:1-15
Деяния, 9:32-42


The Holy Martyr Theodotus and the Holy Seven Virgins, Tecusa, Phaine, Claudia, Matrona, Julia, Alexandra and Euphrasia lived during the second half of the third century in the city of Ancyra, Galatia, and died as martyrs for Christ at the beginning of the fourth century. St Theodotus was an innkeeper and was married.
Theoteknos, prefect of Ancyra, issued a proclamation informing Christians that they were obliged to offer sacrifice to idols, and if they refused, they would be tortured and killed. Pagans would delivere Christians over to torture, and then divide up their property. Theodotus was not afraid to bury the remains of holy martyrs, either carrying them off secretly or ransoming them from the soldiers. When the Christian churches at Ancyra were destroyed and closed, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in his inn. Knowing that martyrdom awaited him, St Theodotus predicted to the priest Phrontonos that soon they would bring him the relics of martyrs, at a place chosen by both of them. In surety of his words, St Theodotus gave the priest his ring.
At this time, seven holy virgins died for Christ. The eldest, St Tecusa, was the aunt of St Theodotus. The holy virgins Tecusa, Phaine, Claudia, Matrona, Julia, Alexandra and Euphrasia had dedicated themselves to God from their youth, living in constant prayer, fasting, temperance and good deeds. All of them had attained to an advanced age. Brought to trial as Christians, the holy virgins bravely confessed their faith in Christ before Theoteknos and were given over to torture, yet remained steadfast. The prefect then gave them to shameless youths for defilement. The holy virgins prayed intensely, asking help from God. St Tecusa fell down at the feet of a youth, and pushing back her veil she showed him her grey hair. The young men were startled, and ran off weeping. The prefect then ordered that the saints take part in offering sacrifice to the idols, but again the holy virgins refused. For this they were sentenced to death. A heavy stone was tied to the legs of each, and all seven of the holy virgins were drowned in a lake.
On the following night St Tecusa appeared in a dream to St Theodotus, asking him to take her body and give it Christian burial. St Theodotus, taking with him his friend Polychronius and several other Christians, went to the lake. It was dark, and a torch illumined their way. The holy martyr Sosander appeared in front of the guard who was posted by the pagans at the shore of the lake. The frightened guard ran off in terror. The Christians found the bodies of the holy martyrs and carried them to church, where they were buried. Learning that the bodies of the holy martyrs had been stolen, the prefect flew into a rage and gave orders to arrest all Christians and torture them. Polychronius also was seized. Unable to endure the torture, he accused St Theodotus of stealing the bodies. St Theodotus was prepared to die for Christ. Speaking with other Christians, he bequeathed his body to the priest Phrontonos, to whom he had given his ring.
The account of the life and martyrdom of St Theodotus and the suffering of the holy virgins was compiled by Nilus, a contemporary and companion of St Theodotus. Nilus lived in the city of Ancyra during the persecution of Christians under the emperor Diocletian, and witnessed the saint's death.

Ό Θεόδοτος καταγόταν από την Άγκυρα της Γαλατίας και ήταν έμπορος σιτηρών και συγχρόνως εξασκούσε το επάγγελμα του αρτοποιού. Άνθρωπος ευσεβής και ελεήμων ό Θεόδοτος, μοίραζε ψωμιά στους φτωχούς και έκανε συνά επισκέψεις στους φυλακισμένους χριστιανούς και τους τροφοδοτούσε ανάλογα. Ή ειδωλολατρική μανία όμως κατά των χριστιανών εκδηλώθηκε με το φόνο μιας ομάδας χριστιανών παρθένων, στα νερά μιας λίμνης. Τη νύχτα ό Θεόδοτος, άνδρας με θάρρος και θερμή πίστη στο Χριστό, έβγαλε από τη λίμνη τα τίμια λείψανα των παρθένων και τα έθαψε. Ή ενέργεια του αυτή καταγγέλθηκε στον έπαρχο Θεότεκνο, πού αμέσως τον συνέλαβε και τον άνέκρινε. Ό Θεόδοτος παραδέχθηκε την ενέργεια του και ό έπαρχος του είπε ότι οι χριστιανοί δε σέβονται καμιά εξουσία και ότι είναι οι πιο μικροπρεπείς και μηδαμινοί των ανθρώπων. Τότε ό Θεόδοτος, με το φωτισμό του 'Αγίου Πνεύματος, απάντησε: "Πράγματι, έπαρχε, οι χριστιανοί γνωρίζουν πόσο μηδαμινοί είναι, διότι μόνο αυτοί είναι ικανοί να γνωρίζουν την υπέροχη και ασύγκριτη μεγαλειότητα του Θεού και να κατανοούν την άβυσσο της ανθρώπινης ασθένειας, όταν είναι γυμνή από τη θεία χάρη. Έπειτα, γνώριζε ότι ό τελευταίος των χριστιανών, πού έχει ελεηθεί από το Χριστό και φέρει τον αρραβώνα της αιώνιας βασιλείας, είναι ανώτερος και λαμπρότερος από τους ειδωλολάτρες βασιλείς, οι όποιοι αύριο θα είναι ντροπή και ατιμία μπροστά στο αδέκαστο κριτήριο της θείας δικαιοσύνης". Ό έπαρχος, εξοργισμένος από τα λόγια του Θεοδότου, διέταξε και του έσχισαν τα πλευρά και τελικά τον αποκεφάλισαν, παίρνοντας ένδοξα το στεφάνι του μαρτυρίου.

http://www.gonia.gr/gonia.php?saint=5349
http://www.oca.org/FSlives.asp