Saturday Oct. 20 / Nov. 12 ns 2022 • Holy Martyrs Zenóbios and Zenobía; Holy Apostle Cleopas; St. Joseph, Patriarch of Constantinople • II Cor. 5:1–10; St. Luke 8:16–21 ~ ON THE DESIRE FOR GOD, THE ONLY DESIRE OF THE RIGHTEOUS

 On the desire for God

the only desire of the righteous

Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee (Psalm 73:25).

♦ In heaven and on earth, there is one supreme good for the soul of an awakened man. That good is God. 

♦ There is countless good in heaven, but the King of heaven is the greatest good. 

♦ There is countless good on earth, but the Creator of all of this good is incomparable. That is why the soul of the awakened man asks: ``What could I have or what could I desire, either in heaven or on earth, beside Thee?'' 

♦ Is the river necessary to the one who is brought to drink at its source? 

♦ Does one who sits at the king's table desire the shepherd's dinner? God alone is sufficient in Himself to satisfy all of men's hunger and thirst. 

♦ The heavens are God's, the earth is God's. 

♦ The Lord of all good is the greatest good; 

♦ the Creator of all sweetness is the greatest sweetness; 

♦ the Bearer of all wisdom is the greatest wisdom; 

♦ the Source of all power and mercy is the greatest power and mercy; the Creator of every kind of beauty in heaven and on earth is the greatest beauty. 

♦ No kind of good can enter the heart of man-whether openly or in a dream-that is not already in God to the highest degree.

♦ Therefore, my brethren, let us ask God that we may receive all; 

♦ let us seek God that we may find all; 

♦ let us become rich in God that we may be rich in all.

O Lord our God, come near us when our souls seek Thee.

To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.

❁ Zenóbios and Zenobia were from the town of Aegea in Cilicia. They inherited the true Faith and great material wealth from their parents. Working zealously for the Faith and with great love, they distributed all their wealth to the poor. Because their hands were so generous, the hand of God shielded them from every evil intent of men and demons.  The generous hands of Zenóbios, which gave to the poor, were endowed by God with the gift of miracle-working, and Zenóbios healed the sick of every kind of infirmity merely by touching them.

Zenóbios was appointed Bishop of Aegea. During a persecution, the Prefect Lysias arrested him and said: "I offer you two choices: life or death; life if you worship the gods, or death if you do not.'' St. Zenóbios replied: "Life without Christ is not life but death, whereas death for the sake of Christ is not death but life.'' When Zenóbios 

was subjected to cruel tortures, Zenobia came to the judge and said: "I also want to drink from this cup of suffering, and be crowned with that wreath.'' After being tortured in fire and in boiling pitch, both were beheaded with the sword in about the year 285. Thus this brother and sister took up their habitation in the Kingdom of the Immortal Christ the King.

The Holy Epistle of Saint Paul

2 Corinthians

5:1-10

KJV

5 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

The Holy Gospel According to

Saint Luke
8:16-21

KJV

16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.

17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

19 Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.

20 And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.

21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.