Saint Chariton the Confessor is commemorated on Septemer 28th. He was persecuted as a Christian during the reign Emperor Aurelian. St. Chariton denounced pagan gods and confessed faith in Jesus Christ. Though tortured, he survived until the death of the Emperor, and eventually released from prison. Thereafter, he dedicated his life to Christ by starting three monasteries. He drew many disciples to them as well as converted many Jews and pagans. He died peacefully on September 28, 350.
The Gospel Reading is Luke 6: 17-23, in which Jesus chooses His 12 Apostles and gave His Sermon on the Mount. The Gospel is as follows: “12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. 20 Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.”
