Acts 8.40-9.19 (Epistle)

40But Philip was found at Azotus. Passing through, he preached the Good News to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.

1But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3As he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him. 4He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5He said, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6But rise up and enter into the city, then you will be told what you must do.”

7The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one. 8Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.

10Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” He said, “Behold, it’s me, Lord.”

11The Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judah for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying, 12and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.”

13But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem. 14Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”

15But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel. 16For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

17Ananias departed and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized.

19He took food and was strengthened. Saul stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus.

John 6.48-54 (Gospel)

48I am the bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died. 50This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

52The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

53Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don’t have life in yourselves. 54He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

Martyr Sabbas Stratelates

He came from a noble Gothic family. Like St George, he was an officer in the imperial army. He lived a life of great purity, fasted greatly, and often visited imprisoned Christians. Because of this his Christian faith became known, and when he was summoned before the Emperor, he boldly confessed his faith. He was tortured in many ways, but emerged unharmed. Seeing this miracle, seventy of his fellow-soldiers confessed Christ and were beheaded at the Emperor’s command. Sabbas himself was condemned to death by drowning, and gave his soul to God in 272.

St Alexis Toth of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (1909) (April 24 OC)

This light of Orthodoxy in North America was born in Austro-Hungary in 1854, to poor Carpatho-Russian parents. His father was a priest in the Eastern-rite Roman Catholic church and, following in his father’s footsteps, he was ordained in 1878. In 1889 he was appointed to serve as pastor to a Uniate parish in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prompted partly by the strong hostility of the American Roman Catholic hierarchy at that time to Eastern-rite practices, he convened a meeting of about ten Eastern-rite priests in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania, where the divinely-led decision was made to seek to return to the Orthodox faith. Fr Alexis contacted Bishop Vladimir of the Russian church in San Francisco, who, in 1891, received Fr Alexis and 361 of his parishioners back into the faith of their ancestors.

From that time forward, Fr Alexis worked tirelessly, at great personal sacrifice, to proclaim the truths of the Orthodox faith, especially to those still attached to its mimic, Byzantine Catholicism. For long periods of time he received little or no salary and (despite claims that he had embraced Orthodoxy to enrich himself) worked in a bakery to support himself. Through his work, thousands of Christians in North America were led into the fullness of the Orthodox Faith during his lifetime.

St Alexis reposed in 1909. He was officially glorified in 1994. His holy relics can be venerated at St Tikhon’s Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania.