Today's Saint: Honor to Whom Honor Is Due

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Thursday, February 26, 2004 we celebrate:

First Thursday in Lent

Our Holy Father Porphyrius, Bishop of Gaza
Holy Martyr Photine the Samaritan
Holy Martyr Theocletus

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyrs Theocletus and Photine the Samaritan, Our Holy Father Porphyrius, O Christ our God have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Our Holy Father Porphyrius, bishop of Gaza

Apolytikion: Fourth Tone

A model of faith and the image of gentleness, the example of your life has shown you forth to your sheep-fold to be a master of temperance. You obtained thus through being lowly, gifts from on high, and riches through poverty. Porphyrius, our father and priest of priests, intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.

Reading:

Saint Porphyrius had Thessalonica as his homeland. He became a monk in Scete of Egypt, where he lived for five years. He went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, after which he spent five years in much affliction in a cave near the Jordan. Stricken with a disease of the liver, he departed to Jerusalem, where he was ordained presbyter and appointed Keeper of the Cross at the age of 45. Three years later he was made Bishop of Gaza. He suffered much from the rulers and pagans of Gaza; but with the friendship of Saint John Chrysostom, and the patronage of the Empress Eudoxia, he razed the temple of the idol Marnas in Gaza and built a great church to the glory of God. He reposed in 450.

Holy Martyr Photine the Samaritan

http://www.goarch.org/images/eImages/skete/photini.jpg

Apolytikion: Third Tone

All illumined by the Holy Spirit, thou didst drink with great and ardent longing of the waters Christ Saviour gave unto thee; and with the streams of salvation wast thou refreshed, which thou abundantly gavest to those athirst. O Great Martyr and true peer of Apostles, Photine, entreat Christ God to grant great mercy unto us.

Kontakion: Third Tone

Photine the glorious, the crown and glory of the Martyrs, hath this day ascended to the shining mansions of Heaven, and she calleth all together to sing her praises, that they might be recompensed with her hallowed graces. Let us all with faith and longing extol her gladly in hymns of triumph and joy.

Reading:

Saint Photine was the Samaritan Woman who encountered Christ our Saviour at Jacob's Well (John 4:1-42). Afterwards she laboured in the spread of the Gospel in various places, and finally received the crown of martyrdom in Rome with her two sons and five sisters, during the persecutions under the Emperor Nero.

Readings courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikia courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Icon courtesy of St. Isaac's Skete

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[nicodemus]

St. Raphael of Brooklyn (http://www.oca.org/pages/orth_chri/Feasts-and-Saints/OCA/St-Raphael-Hawaweeny/Life-and-Conduct.html)

http://www.straphaeldetroit.org/WichitaCathedral.jpeg

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Friday, February 27, 2004 we celebrate:

First Friday in Lent

Prokopios the Confessor of Decapolis
Raphael of Brooklyn (please see previous post for his icon)
Stephen the Monk

Through the intercessions of our Holy Father Raphael of Brooklyn and our Righteous Fathers Stephen and Prokopios, O Christ our God have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Prokopios the Confessor of Decapolis

Apolytikion: Plagal of the Fourth Tone (tone 8)

With the rivers of your tears, you have made the barren desert fertile. Through sighs of sorrow from deep within you, your labors have borne fruit a hundred-fold. By your miracles you have become a light, shining upon the world. O Procopius, our Holy Father, pray to Christ our God, to save our souls.

Kontakion: Fourth Tone

O renowned Procopius, having obtained thee as a morning star this day, the Church dispelleth all the gloom of evil doctrine, while hon'ring thee, O thou initiate of Heaven and man of God.

Reading:

Saints Prokopios and Basil, fellow ascetics, lived about the middle of the eighth century, during the reign of Leo the Isaurian (717-741), from whom they suffered many things for the sake of the veneration of the holy icons. They ended their lives in the ascetical discipline.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Narthex Press, Northridge, CA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

[nicodemus]

Raphael of Brooklyn (please see previous post for his icon)
Orange text is also a hyperlink to OCA's page about St. Raphael.

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Saturday, February 28, 2004 we celebrate:

First Saturday in Lent

Basil the Confessor
Kyranna the New Martyr of Thessaloniki

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyr Kyranna and our Righteous Father Basil, O Christ our God have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Basil the Confessor

Apolytikion: First Tone

With the streams of thy tears, thou didst cultivate the barrenness of the desert; and by thy sighings from the depths, thou didst bear fruit a hundredfold in labours; and thou becamest a luminary, shining with miracles upon the world, O Basil our righteous Father. Intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Kontakion: Second Tone

Thou tookest thyself away from worldly turbulence, since thou hadst received God's revelation from on high; and for living righteously as a monk, thou didst receive might from grace to heal ills and work miracles, O all-blessed Basil, wise in sacred things.

Reading:

Saints Prokopios and Basil, fellow ascetics, lived about the middle of the eighth century, during the reign of Leo the Isaurian (717-741), from whom they suffered many things for the sake of the veneration of the holy icons. They ended their lives in the ascetical discipline.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

February 29, 2004

Reading for the Sunday of Orthodoxy

For more than one hundred years the Church of Christ was troubled by the persecution of the Iconoclasts of evil belief, beginning in the reign of Leo the Isaurian (717-741) and ending in the reign of Theophilus (829-842). After Theophilus's death, his widow the Empress Theodora (celebrated Feb. 11), together with the Patriarch Methodius (June 14), established Orthodoxy anew. This ever-memorable Queen venerated the icon of the Mother of God in the presence of the Patriarch Methodius and the other confessors and righteous men, and openly cried out these holy words: "If anyone does not offer relative worship to the holy icons, not adoring them as though they were gods, but venerating them out of love as images of the archetype, let him be anathema." Then with common prayer and fasting during the whole first week of the Forty-day Fast, she asked God's forgiveness for her husband. After this, on the first Sunday of the Fast, she and her son, Michael the Emperor, made a procession with all the clergy and people and restored the holy icons, and again adorned the Church of Christ with them. This is the holy deed that all we the Orthodox commemorate today, and we call this radiant and venerable day the Sunday of Orthodoxy, that is, the triumph of true doctrine over heresy.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Today, Sunday, February 29, we celebrate the feast day of:

St. John Cassian the Roman, abbot

Through the intercessions of our Holy Father John Cassian, O Christ our God have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

St. John Cassian the Roman, abbot

Kontakion: First Tone

Thy words breathe forth the sweetness of heavenly cassia, dispelling the foul odour of passion and pleasures; but with the sweet fragrance of thy discretion and temperance, they make known the spiritual ascents in the Spirit, leading men on high, O righteous Father John Cassian, divinely-sent guide of monks.

Reading:

Note: If it is not a leap year the hymns of Saint John are transferred to the 28th.

This Saint was born about the year 350, and was, according to some, from Rome, according to others, from Dacia Pontica (Dobrogea in present-day Romania). He was a learned man who had first served in the military. Later, he forsook this life and became a monk in Bethlehem with his friend and fellow-ascetic, Germanus of Dacia Pontica, whose memory is also celebrated today. Hearing the fame of the great Fathers of Scete, they went to Egypt about the year 390; their meetings with the famous monks of Scete are recorded in Saint John's Conferences. In the year 403 they went to Constantinople, where Cassian was ordained deacon by Saint John Chrysostom; after the exile of Saint Chrysostom, Saints Cassian and Germanus went to Rome with letters to Pope Innocent I in defence of the exiled Archbishop of Constantinople. There Saint Cassian was ordained priest, after which he went to Marseilles, where he established the famous monastery of Saint Victor. He reposed in peace about the year 433.

The last of his writings was On the Incarnation of the Lord, Against Nestorius, written in 430 at the request of Leo, the Archdeacon of Pope Celestine. In this work he was the first to show the spiritual kinship between Pelagianism, which taught that Christ was a mere man who without the help of God had avoided sin, and that it was possible for man to overcome sin by his own efforts; and Nestorianism, which taught that Christ was a mere man used as an instrument by the Son of God, but was not God become man; and indeed, when Nestorius first became Patriarch of Constantinople in 428, he made much show of persecuting the heretics, with the exception only of the Pelagians, whom he received into communion and interceded for them to the Emperor and to Pope Celestine.

The error opposed to Pelagianism but equally ruinous was Augustine's teaching that after the fall, man was so corrupt that he could do nothing for his own salvation, and that God simply predestined some men to salvation and others to damnation. Saint John Cassian refuted this blasphemy in the thirteenth of his Conferences, with Abbot Chairemon, which eloquently sets forth, at length and with many citations from the Holy Scriptures, the Orthodox teaching of the balance between the grace of God on one hand, and man's efforts on the other, necessary for our salvation.

Saint Benedict of Nursia, in Chapter 73 of his Rule, ranks Saint Cassian's Institutes and Conferences first among the writings of the monastic fathers, and commands that they be read in his monasteries; indeed, the Rule of Saint Benedict is greatly indebted to the Institutes of Saint John Cassian. Saint John Climacus also praises him highly in section 105 of Step 4 of the Ladder of Divine Ascent, on Obedience.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[nicodemus]

This Saint was born about the year 350, and was, according to some, from Rome, according to others, from Dacia Pontica (Dobrogea in present-day Romania). We have many Romanians at our parish, and they can assure you he's Romanian :D

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On March 1, 2004, we celebrate the feastdays of

Eudokia the Martyr of Heliopolis
Andonina the New Martyr

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyrs Eudokia and Andonina, O Christ our God have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Eudokia the Martyr of Heliopolis

http://www.goarch.org/images/eImages/skete/evdokia.jpg

Kontakion: Fourth Tone

When thou wast brought up from the mire of transgression, like a most precious stone whose brightness is darkened, repentance made thee shine again with godliness; and when thou hadst reached the height of ascetical striving. Christ made thee illustrious with the glory of contest, and hath bestowed on thee His grace to heal, O wise Eudocia, thou rival of angel-kind.

Reading:

This saint came from Helioupolis, which lies in the district of Libanesia in Phoenicia, and lived during the reign of king Trajan in 160.

She was an unbeliever and a pagan. At the beginning she led a life of promiscuity and vice and, because she attracted many lovers with her beauty, she laid aside a lot of money. Then she believed in Christ through a monk, Germanus by name, whom she had heard reading edifying homilies about piety and repentance. Having believed in the divine revelations, which she had been made worthy to see, she was baptised by bishop Theodotos. Indeed, having been guided by a divine angel, she fell into a tranceand she thought that she rose to heaven and that she saw the holy angels, who were rejoicing for her return. But she also saw a black and most ugly one who was gnashing his teeth and crying that he would be wronged, if anybody took her from his hands. So, having come to her senses, she distributed to the poor all her sinfully gathered wealth and went to a monastery, where she became a nun. Having walked the way of asceticism well, she was brought to king Aurelianus, who succeeded Trajan, in 270. She had been accused by her former lovers for being a Christian but, because she performed a miracle and raised the king's son, she attracted the king to Christ's faith. Then she was brought to Diogenes, the governor of Helioupolis. But again she worked a miracle and was set free. Later on, when Vicentius became governor, the blessed woman was beheaded by him and, thus, she received the unfading crown of martyrdom from the Lord.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Icon courtesy of St. Isaac's Skete

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Tuesday, March 2, 2004 we celebrate:

2nd Tuesday of Lent

Hesychios the Martyr
Our Holy Father Nicholas of Plana
Andronikos & Athanasia the Martyrs

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyrs Hesychios, Andronikos, and Athanasia and our Holy Father Nicholas, O Christ our God have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Hesychios the Martyr

Apolytikion: Fourth Tone

Thy Martyr, O Lord, in his courageous contest for Thee received the prize of the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since he possessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by his prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.

Kontakion: Fourth Tone

When thou didst follow in the steps of the Martyrs, thou didst ascend unto the height of divine love, which made thee Godlike, O most wise Hesychius; when thou didst forsake the court of a king that was earthly, thou wast honoured in the courts of the King of the Angels; and cast into the river, thou didst find the living water of true and eternal life.

Reading:

Holy martyr Hesychios lived during the reign of king Maximian in 302. He was the first and the leader in the royal palace and the Senate, because he was magistrianus by office. When Maximian ordered that all Christians who were royal soldiers ought to be deprived of their belts (which were a sign of their royal merit) and live as civilians and without honour, many Christians preferred to live without any outward honour due to this illegal order than to be honoured and lose their soul. St. Hesychios was numbered with these Christians as well. When the king heard this, he ordered that the saint ought to be stripped of the expensive clothes, which he used to wear, and be dressed with a shabby mantle without sleeves woven from hair and to be as disgraced and disdained as to consort with women.

When this had been carried out, the king invited him and asked him: "Aren't you ashamed, Hesychios, that you lost the honour and office of magistrianus and that you have been debased to this kind of life? Or maybe you don't know that the Christians, whose way of life you preferred, have no power to restore you to your previous great honour and office?" The saint replied: "Your honour, o king, is temporary but the honour and glory which Christ gives is eternal and without end." Because of these words the king got angry and ordered his men to tie a great millstone around the saint's neck and then to throw him in the middle of river Orontus, which lies in Coele Syria and which is commonly called Oronge. Thus, the blessed man received the crown of martyrdom from the Lord.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA


Our Holy Father Nicholas of Plana

http://www.goarch.org/images/eImages/skete/NicholasPlanas.jpg

Icon courtesy of St. Isaac's Skete

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

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On Wednesday, March 3, 2004 we celebrate:

2nd Wednesday of Lent

Eutropios, Kleonikos, Vasiliskos, Zenos, & Zoilis the Martyrs
Theodoretos the Holy Martyr of Antioch

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyrs Eutropios, Kleonikos, Vasiliskos, Zenos, Zoilis, and Theodoretos O Christ our God have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Eutropios, Kleonikos, Vasiliskos, Zenos, & Zoilis the Martyrs

Kontakion: Fourth Tone

Since divine Eutropius and Basilicus and the famed Cleonicus were bound in unity of faith, they cut asunder the foe's arrays when they contended courageously for the Lord.

Reading:

These saints lived during the reign of king Diocletian in 296. They came from Amasia, the famous city in Cappadocia at the Black Sea. They were relatives and fellow-soldiers with St. Theodore of Tyre. Having been accused to governor Asclepiodotes, they were strongly beaten. St. Eutropios received wounds on his mouth, because he insulted the governor. However, although the soldiers who were hitting them were paralysed and tired, the saints were cured, because the Lord and holy martyr Theodore of Tyre had appeared to them. When they saw this miracle, many unbelievers believed in Christ and were beheaded. When the governor saw these things, he changed behaviour and tried to move St. Kleonikos from Christ's faith with flatteries. He gave him presents and promised to give him more but not only wasn't the saint's mind changed but he even got angry and ridiculed both the governor's lack of understanding as well as the idols' weakness. So, while the governor and the rest of the Greeks were offering sacrifices to their gods, St. Kleonikos prayed and toppled Diana's idol down.

When the idolaters saw this, they burnt with anger, boiled tar and asphalt in three boilers and poured them on the three Christian martyrs' backs. However, the martyrs were preserved unharmed but the servants who were pouring the mix were completely burnt. After this Sts. Eutropios and Kleonikos were crucified, received the crown of martyrdom and went to eternal life. St. Basiliscus on the other hand was thrown to prison, where he died after he had spent quite some time there.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Thursday, March 4, 2004 we celebrate:

2nd Thursday of Lent

Gerasimos the Righteous of Jordan
Paul & his sister Juliana and their Companions
Daniel, Prince of Moscow

Through the intercessions of our Holy Righteous Father Gerasimos, Paul and his sister Juliana and their Companions, and Prince Daniel, O Christ our God have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Gerasimos the Righteous of Jordan

http://www.goarch.org/images/eImages/skete/GerasimosJordan.jpg

Apolytikion: First Tone

Thou didst prove to be a citizen of the desert, an angel in the flesh, and a wonderworker, O Gerasimus, our God-bearing Father. By fasting, vigil, and prayer thou didst obtain heavenly gifts, and thou healest the sick and the souls of them that have recourse to thee with faith. Glory to Him that hath given thee strength. Glory to Him that hath crowned thee. Glory to Him that worketh healings for all through thee.

Kontakion: Fourth Tone

As a star resplendent with the light of virtues, thou didst make the wilderness of Jordan radiantly shine with beams of sacred celestial light, O righteous Father, God-bearing Gerasimus.

Reading:

Venerable Gerasimos lived during the reign of king Constantine Pogonatos in 670, as Sophronios of Jerusalem, who wrote his life, attests. He had fear of God since childhood and, after he became a monk, he went to the deepest parts of the desert of Thebais. He reached such a height of virtue and was graced with such intimacy with God, because he had preserved his image and likeness so pure, that he even had authority over wild beasts. A lion used to attend upon him and among other things this lion used to graze the donkey which fetched water to the saint. Once some merchants passed from that place. When they saw the donkey, they stole it. The lion was sleeping and did not feel a thing. So, in the evening he returned to the saint without having the donkey with him, as usual.

When the saint's servant saw the lion alone, he told the elder that the lion had eaten the donkey. So, the poor lion was condemned to carry the pitchers on his back and fetch water from the river instead of the donkey, for as long as the merchants kept it. However, the same merchants happened to pass from that place again and they had the donkey with them. As soon as the lion saw the donkey, he recognised it and rushed at the merchants with a loud roar. The people got scared and left. Together with the donkey the lion brought to St. Gerasimos' cell the camels which were tied on it. Knocking with his tail on the door of the saint's cell, he acted as if to show that he was offering them to the elder as game.

When the saint saw this thing, he smiled a bit and said to his disciple: "We wrongly accused the innocent lion that he had eaten the donkey. So, now we have to liberate him from his labour and allow him to go and graze at his usual place." Then the lion bowed his head, as if he had reason, and taking his leave from the saint he went to the wilderness. Once every week he used to come and bow before the saint. After the saint had died, the lion came, as his habit was, and asked to venerate him. However, when he did not find him, he seemed to be sad and angry. With many signs the saint's disciple helped him feel that the elder had died. The lion lamented the elder's death with a fine roar and seemed to be looking for the saint's grave. When the disciple led him to it, the lion fell on it and with a loud roar he breathed his last due to his extreme pain which he suffered from his love for the saint. This is how God glorifies those who glorify Him and makes wild beasts submit to those who keep His image and likeness pure.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Icon courtesy of St. Isaac's Skete

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Friday, March 5, 2004, we celebrate the feast days of:

Konon the Gardener
Theodore the Recruit
Mark the Ascetic
Righteous Father Mark of Athens
John the Bulgarian
Mark the Faster

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyr Konon, and our Righteous Fathers Mark of Athens, John of Bulgaria, Mark the Faster, Mark the Ascetic, and Theodore the Recruit, O Christ our God have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

the Holy Martyr Konon the Gardener

Apolytikion: Fourth Tone

Thy Martyr, O Lord, in his courageous contest for Thee received the prize of the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since he possessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by his prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.

Kontakion: Fourth Tone

Through the angelic vision that thou wast granted, thou wast instructed in the Faith of Christ Jesus and didst receive the power to work miracles. Wherefore, thou didst utterly quell the demons' presumption, and didst quench deception's flames in the floods of thy contest. O righteous Martyr Conon, pray Christ God, the Friend of man to be gracious unto us all.

Reading:

This saint lived during the reign of emperor Decius in 251. He came from the town of Nazareth. He left his hometown and went to the city of Mandron, in the province of Pamphylia. There he stayed at a place called Karmela or Karmena cultivating a garden which he used to water and plant with various vegetables. From this garden he obtained what is necessary for life. He had such an upright and simple mind that, when he met those who wished to arrest him and saw that they greeted him, he also greeted in return from the bottom of his soul and heart. When they told him that governor Publius called the saint to go to him, the saint answered with simplicity: "What does the governor need me, since I am a Christian? Let him call those who think the way he does and have the same religion with him." So, the blessed man was tied and brought to the governor, who tried to move him to sacrifice to the idols. But the saint sighed from the bottom of his heart, cursed the tyrant and confirmed his faith in Christ with his confession, saying that it is not possible to be moved from it even though he might be tortured cruelly. So, for this reason they nailed his feet and made the saint run in front of the governor's coach. But the saint fainted in the street. Having fallen on his knees, he prayed and, thus, he commended his holy soul to the hands of God.

Mark the Ascetic

Reading

Saint Mark the Ascetic lived in the fifth century and according to Nicephorus Callistus was a disciple of Saint John Chrysostom's. Besides his blameless life of asceticism, Saint Mark was distinguished for his writings, some of which are preserved in Volume One of the Philokalia. His writings were held in such great esteem that in old times there was a saying, "Sell all that thou hast, and buy Mark."

Righteous Father Mark of Athens

Reading:

Of our righteous Fathers commemorated today, Saint Mark of Athens lived in the fourth century. Born in Athens of pagan parents, he believed in Christ, was baptized, and forsook the world, living the eremitical life in extreme privation in the deep wilderness beyond Egypt. His life is recounted by the monk Serapion, who found Mark in deep old age and about to depart this lfe, not having seen a man for ninety-five years. Serapion gave him burial after his blessed repose, even as Paphnutius had done for Saint Onuphrius (see June 12).

Readings courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/index.asp?D=3/6/2004&T=0

On Saturday, March 6, 2004 we celebrate:

Second Saturday in Lent

42 Martyrs of Amorion in Phrygia

Finding the Precious Cross by St. Helen

Hesychios the Wonderworker

Through the intercessions of our Holy 42 Martyrs of Amorion, and Hesychios the Wonderworker, O Christ our God, through the power of Thy Cross, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

42 Martyrs of Amorion in Phrygia

Kontakion: Fourth Tone

Ye who contended on earth for Christ's glory, and were shown forth as a godly crown-bearing Martyrs, have been vouchsafed to dwell in Heaven joyously; for since ye brake all the snares of the enemy's cunning by your suff'rings and the blood of your tortures and woundings, ye ever send down freely from on high loosing of sins unto all them that honour you.

Reading:
These Martyrs, men of high rank in the Roman (Byzantine) army, were taken captive when the city of Amorion in Phrygia fell to the Moslem Arabs in 838, during the reign of Theophilus the Iconoclast. Among them were Aetius and Melissenus, the generals; Theodore, the chief of the imperial ceremonial bodyguard; Craterus, the eunuch; Callistus, Constantine, Bassoes, and Theophilius, who were military officials; and certain others who held important positions. Because of their experience in war and their virtue, the Moslems did not slay them, but tried by all means to convert them to Islam and have them to fight in their own campaigns. They kept the holy Martyrs shut up in a dark dungeon in the city of Samarra in Syria, threatening and abusing them, making promises of glorious rank and magnificent riches, keeping them in hunger, oppression, and darkness, not for a few weeks, or a few months, but for seven full years. Finally, unable to break the courage and faith of their captives, they beheaded them in the year 845.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

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On Sunday, March 7, 2004 we celebrate:

Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas

The 7 Hieromartyrs of Cherson
Lavrentios of Megara, the Righteous
Paul the Simple

Through the intercessions of our Holy 7 Hieromartyrs of Cherson and our Righteous Fathers Lavrentios of Megara and Paul the Seimple, O Christ our God, through the power of Thy Cross, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

The 7 Hieromartyrs of Cherson

Reading:

St. Ephraim came from Amidene and was a count when Justinus the Thracian was reigning in 518. He came to Antioch to rebuild it because it had been destroyed by earthquakes for a second time. By royal command he was consecrated bishop by the people of Antioch in 527 as Meletios writes and as it had happened in times of old with Ambrosios of Mediolana (Milan) and Nectarios of Constantinople. Ephraim was a great enemy of the Monophysites. So, he wrote strongly against them, as Photios says. He heard that there was stylite monk in Hierapolis who was a follower of Severus the monophysite. So, he was moved by holy zeal, went to him and started teaching him the orthodox faith. But he was not at all convinced by his words. He only said: "Let us both get into the fire and whosoever is not harmed by the flame is orthodox and victorious." He said these words in order to scare the Patriarch away. But Ephraim said: "Bring here wood and fire and I shall get into it resting all my courage on omnipotent God. So, you, too, descend from your pillar." But he did not want to come down. Then, the Patriarch took his overcoat off, prayed and threw both himself and his overcoat onto the fire. Miraculously the fire was immediately put out and he and his overcoat remained unharmed and unburnt. When the stylite saw this miracle, he came down from his pillar and anathematized Severus' heresy. Thus, he was united with the catholic Church. These things are told by Sophronios, Patriarch of Jerusalem. Because Antioch had been ruined by earthquakes for a second time, as we have said above, the fear of earthquake made every Christian write on his homedoor these words: "May Christ stand with us." So, because of this Antioch was called Theoupolis (God's city) as Nicephoros relates in book xvii of his history. Emperor Justinus weeped a lot over the destruction of Antioch. St. Ephraim ministered his flock well and in a way pleasing to God for eighteen years according to Meletios and then departed to the Lord.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Monday, March 8, 2004 we celebrate:

3rd Monday of Lent

Theophylaktos, Bishop of Nicomedea
Hermas the Apostle of the 70
Paul the Confessor

Through the intercessions of our Holy Father Theophylaktos and the Holy Righteous Fathers Hermas and Paul the Confessor, O Christ our God, through the power of Thy Cross, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Theophylaktos, Bishop of Nicomedea

Apolytikion: Plagal of the Second Tone (6th tone)

Thou didst live a life hidden in God, O all-famed Theophylact, but Christ revealed thee unto all as a shining light set upon the spiritual lampstand, and He placed in thy hands the tablets of the Spirit's doctrines; whereby do thou enlighten us.

Reading:
Theophylact was from the East; his native city is unknown. In Constantinople he became a close friend of Tarsius, who afterwards became Patriarch of Constantinople (see Feb. 25).Theophylact was made Bishop of Nicomedia. After the death of Saint Tarsius, his successor Nicephorus (see June 2) called together a number of Bishops to help him in fighting the iconoclasm of Emperor Leo the Armenian, who reigned from 813-820. Among them was Euthymius, Bishop of Sardis (celebrated Dec. 26), who had attended the holy Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 - he was exiled three times for the sake of the holy icons, and for defying the Emperor Theophilus' command to renounce the veneration of the icons, was scourged from head to foot until his whole body was one great wound, from which he died eight days later, about the year 830; Joseph of Thessalonica (see July 14); Michael of Synnada (see May 23); Emilian, Bishop of Cyzicus (see Aug. 8); and Saint Theophylact, who boldly rebuked Leo to his face, telling him that because he despised the long-suffering of God, utter destruction was about to overtake him, and there would be none to deliver him. For this, Theophylact was exiled to the fortress of Strobilus in Karia of Asia Minor, where, after 30 years of imprisonment and hardship, he gave up his holy soul about the year 845. Leo the Armenian, according to the Saint's prophecy, was slain in church on the eve of our Lord's Nativity, in 820.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Tuesday, March 9, 2004 we celebrate:

3rd Tuesday of Lent

40 Martyrs at Lake Sebaste
Caesarios the Righteous

Through the intercessions of our Holy 40 Martyrs of Sebaste and our Holy Righteous Caesarios, O Christ our God, through the power of Thy Cross, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

40 Martyrs at Lake Sebaste

The martyrdom of the Holy 40 Martyrs of Sebasteia is a powerful lesson in Christian faith, perseverance, sacrifice, and friendship. The story of this martyrdom begins in the early part of the 4th century when the persecution of Christians was still active. There were 40 soldiers of the Roman army who possessed sincere faith in Jesus Christ. When it was realized that they would not deny their belief in the Lord, they were brought to trial before their commander who threatened to have them discharged from the military dishonorably. One of the soldiers responded: "Do not take only our military status, but also our bodies; nothing is dearer or of greater honor to us than Christ our God." Following a number of failed attempts to torture them, they were finally stripped, tied, and thrown into a lake. It happened to be wintertime and the temperature was extremely cold. To tempt the soldiers to deny Christ, the torturers lit fires near the lake to entice them to deny Christ. One soldier actually did come out of the water and headed for the fire, but before he could get there, he died. During the night, a light from heaven came down and heated the lake and warmed these Christian witnesses. At the same time, thirty-nine crowns were sent from heaven and rested upon each of them. One of the soldiers torturing them saw this and, moved by this event, confessed the Christ as Lord and Savior and joined the others in the lake. A fortieth crown appeared and descended upon him at that very moment. In the morning, the commander was furious when he learned of the events and ordered that their legs be broken and they be thrown back into the lake. On the third day following their drowning, the martyrs appeared to the local bishop and told him to search beneath the water and recover their relics. In the middle of the night, the bishop, along with his priests, went to the lake where they found the relics glowing in the water and, gathering them together, they gave them a proper burial.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA


Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Wednesday, March 10, 2004 we celebrate:

3rd Wednesday of Lent

Kodratos the Martyr & his Companions
Anastasia of Alexandria

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyrs Kodratos and his companions and our Holy Anastasia of Alexandria, O Christ our God, through the power of Thy Cross, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Kodratos the Martyr & his Companions

Reading:

These Martyrs contested for piety's sake in Corinth during the reign of the Emperor Valerian (253-260).

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Thursday, March 11, 2004, we celebrate the feast days of:

Sophronios, Patriarch of Jerusalem
Theodora the Righteous
Pionios the Presbyter
George the New Wonderworker of Constantinople

Through the intercessions of our Holy Fathers Sophronios and Pionios, and our Holy Saints Theodora and George, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Sophronios, Patriarch of Jerusalem

Apolytikion: Fourth Tone

The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, an icon of meekness, and a teacher of temperance; for this cause, thou hast achieved the heights by humility, riches by poverty. O Father and Hierarch Sophronios, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Reading:

This Saint was born in Damascus. As a young man he became a monk at the Monastery of Saint Theodosius the Cenobiarch in Palestine, where he met John Moschus and became his close friend. Having a common desire to search out ascetics from whom they could receive further spiritual instruction, they journeyed together through Palestine, Syria, Asia Minor, and Egypt, where they met the Patriarch of Alexandria, Saint John the Almsgiver, with whom they remained until 614, when Persians captured Jerusalem (see also Saint Anastasius the Persian, Jan. 22). Saint Sophronius and John Moschus departed Alexandria for Rome, where they remained until 619, the year of John Moschus' death. Saint Sophronius returned to the Monastery of Saint Theodosius the Cenobiarch, and there buried the body of his friend. He laboured much in defence of the Holy Fourth Council of Chalcedon, and traveled to Constantinople to remonstrate with Patriarch Sergius and the Emperor Heraclius for changing the Orthodox Faith with their Monothelite teachings. After the death of Patriarch Modestus in December of 634, Sophronius was elected Patriarch of Jerusalem. Although no longer in the hands of the Persians, the Holy Land was now besieged by the armies of the newly-appeared religion of Mohammed, which had already take Bethlehem; in the Saint's sermon for the Nativity of our Lord in 634, he laments that he could not celebrate the feast in Bethlehem. In 637, for the sins of the people, to the uttermost grief of Saint Sophronius, the Caliph Omar captured Jerusalem. Having tended the flock of his Master for three years and three months, Saint Sophronius departed in peace unto Him Whom he loved on March 11, 638.

Saint Sophronius has left to the Church many writings, including the life of Saint Mary of Egypt. The hymn "O Joyous Light," Which is wrongly ascribe to him, is more ancient than Saint Basil the Great, as the Saint himself confirms in his work "On the Holy Spirit" (ch. 29). However, it seems that this hymn, which was chanted at the lighting of the lamps and was formerly called "The Triadic Hymn," was later supplemented somewhat by Saint Sophronius, bringing it into the form in which we now have it. Hence, some have ascribed it to him.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

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On Friday, March 12, 2004 we celebrate:

3rd Friday of Lent

Theophanes the Confessor
Symeon the New Theologian
Gregory Dialogos, Bishop of Rome

Through the intercessions of our Holy Fathers Theophanes and Gregory Dialogos, and our Righteous Father Symeon, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Theophanes the Confessor

Kontakion: Second Tone

Receiving from God a revelation from the heights, thou swiftly didst leave the turmoil of the world, O Saint; and thou as a monk didst receive the power to perform miracles and the grace of true prophecy, depriving thyself of riches and thy spouse.

Reading:

Saint Theophanes, who was born in 760, was the son of illustrious parents. Assenting to their demand, he married and became a member of the Emperor's ceremonial bodyguard. Later, with the consent of his wife, he forsook the world. Indeed, both of them embraced the monastic life, struggling in the monastic houses they themselves had established. He died on March 12, 815, on the island of Samothrace, whereto, because of his confession of the Orthodox Faith, he had been exiled by Leo the Armenian, the Iconoclast Emperor.

Gregory Dialogos, Bishop of Rome

Apolytikion: Fourth Tone

The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, an icon of meekness, and a teacher of temperance; for this cause, thou hast achieved the heights by humility, riches by poverty. O Father and Hierarch Gregory, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Kontakion: Plagal of the Fourth Tone

To thee, who art the Church's tuneful harp inspired of God, thou toungue of wisdom who wast verily possessed of God, unto thee, as it is meet, we now offer praises; for thou truly hadst the zeal of the Apostles' choir and didst follow in their footsteps as their worthy heir; and to thee we say: Rejoiced, divine Father Gregory.

Reading:
Saint Gregory was born in Rome to noble and wealthy parents about the year 540. While the Saint was still young, his father died. However, his mother, Sylvia, saw to it that her child received a good education in both secular and spiritual learning. He became Prefect of Rome and sought to please God even while in the world; later, he took up the monastic life; afterwards he was appointed Archdeacon of Rome, then, in 579, apocrisiarius (representative or Papal legate) to Constantinople, where he lived for nearly seven years. He returned to Rome in 585 and was elected Pope in 590. He is renowned especially for his writings and great almsgiving, and also because, on his initiative, missionary work began among the Anglo-Saxon people. It is also from him that Gregorian Chant takes its name; the chanting he had heard at Constantinople had deeply impressed him, and he imported many elements of it into the ecclesiastical chant of Rome. He served as Bishop of that city from 590 to 604.

Readings courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakia courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Saturday, March 13, 2004 we celebrate:

Third Saturday of Lent

Removal of the relics of Nicephoros, Patriarch of Constantinople
Pouplios the Martyr, Bishop of Athens

Through the intercessions of our Holy Hieromartyr Pouplios and our Holy Father Nicephoros, and our Righteous Father Symeon, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Removal of the relics of Nicephoros, Patriarch of Constantinople

Apolytikion: Fourth Tone

The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, an icon of meekness, and a teacher of temperance; for this cause thou hast achieved the heights by humility, riches by poverty. O Father and Hierarch Nicephorus, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Reading:
The main feast day of this Saint is June 2. The translation of his holy relics took place in 846, when Saint Methodius (see June 14) was Ecumenical Patriarch.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

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On Sunday, March 14, 2004 we celebrate:

Sunday of the Holy Cross

Benedict the Righteous of Nursia
Euschemon the Confessor, Bishop of Lampasakos

Through the intercessions of our Holy Father Euschemon and our Holy Righteous Father Benedict, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Benedict the Righteous of Nursia

http://www.goarch.org/images/eImages/skete/benedict.jpg

Kontakion: Fourth Tone

O sun that shinest with the Mystic Dayspring's radiance, who didst enlighten the monastics of the western lands, thou art worthily the namesake of benediction; do thou purge us of the filth of passions thoroughly by the sweat of thine illustrious accomplishments, for we cry to thee: Rejoice, O thrice-blessed Benedict.

Reading:

This Saint, whose name means "blessed," was born in 480 in Nursia, a small town about seventy miles northeast of Rome. He struggled in asceticism from his youth in deserted regions, where his example drew many who desired to emulate him. Hence, he ascended Mount Cassino in Campania and built a monastery there. The Rule that he gave his monks, which was inspired by the writings of Saint John Cassian, Saint Basil the Great, and other Fathers, became a pattern for monasticism in the West; because of this, he is often called the first teacher of monks in the West. He reposed in 547.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Icon courtesy of St. Isaac's Skete

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Monday, March 15, 2004 we celebrate:

4th Monday of Lent

Agapios the martyr & his Companions
Manuel the New Martyr of Crete
Holy Apostle Aristobulus of the Seventy, Bishop of Britain

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyrs Manuel and Agapios and his Companions, and the Holy Apostle Aristobulus, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Agapios the martyr & his Companions

Apolytikion: First Tone

Let all of us entreat Christ the Lord's holy Martyrs, for they make supplication for our souls' salvation; with faith and with longing, therefore, let us draw nigh unto them, for they overflow with the divine grace of healings, and they drive away the ranks of demons in terror, as guardians of the Faith.

Reading:

The holy Martyrs contested for piety's sake during the reign of Diocletian (284-305), when Urban was Governor of Caesarea of Palestine. When Urban had commanded that together with a heathen festival, certain condemned Christians be publicly cast to wild beasts, Timolaus, a native of Pontus, Dionysius of Tripolis in Phoenicia, Romulus of Diospolis, Plesius (or Paisius) and Alexander from Egypt, and another Alexander from Gaza, tied their own hands and presented themselves to Urban when the exhibition was about to begin, professing their faith in Christ; they were immediately cast into prison. A few days later Agapius and Dionysius also presented themselves. All were beheaded together at Caesarea. Their martyrdom is recorded by Eusebius (Eccl. Hist.,Book VIII, ch.3, called The Martyrs of Palestine).

Holy Apostle Aristobulus of the Seventy, Bishop of Britain

Apolytikion: Third Tone

O Holy Apostle Aristobulus, intercede with the merciful God that He grant unto our souls forgiveness of offenses.

Reading:

Saint Aristobulus, the brother of Saint Barnabas, was ordained to be bishop in Britain by the Apostle Paul, who mentions him in his epistle to the Romans (16:10). He suffered many afflictions at the hands of the pagans, but also brought many to Christ. Having established the Church there, he finally reposed in peace.

Readings courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikia courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Tuesday, March 16, 2004 we celebrate:

4th Tuesday of Lent

Savinos the Martyr of Egypt
Christodoulos the Wonderworker of Patmos
Aristovoulos, Apostle of the 70

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyr Savinos, the Holy Apostle Aristovoulos, and our Righteous Father Christodoulos of Patmos, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Savinos the Martyr of Egypt

Reading:

The holy Martyr Sabine was from Hermopolis in Egypt, and was known for his zeal and piety. During the persecution of Diocletian, he concealed himself with other Christians in a small dwelling outside the city. But when he was discovered, and professed his faith in Christ, he was taken before Arian the Governor, and after he had been tortured he was drowned in the river. Concerning Arian the Governor, See also December 14.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Christodoulos the Wonderworker of Patmos

http://www.goarch.org/images/eImages/skete/christodulos.jpg

Reading:

Saint Christodulus, who was from the region of Nicaea of Bithynia, was the son of Theodore and Anna, and was given the name John. He assumed the monastic habit in his youth and was renamed Christodulus (“slave of Christ" in Greek). At first, he lived the ascetical life in various places, then he received permission and monetary aid from the Emperor Alexis I Comnenus (reigned 1081-1118), and built on the island of Patmos a church and monastery name in honour of Saint John the Evangelist. These buildings stand to this day. However, when the Arabs attacked that place, he fled with his disciples and went to Euboia (Euripus), where also he completed the course of his life about the end of the eleventh century on the 16th of March. The disciples of this righteous man took his sacred incorrupt remains and transferred them to his own monastery, where thy repose to this day for the sanctification of those who have recourse to them with faith.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Icon courtesy of St. Isaac's Skete

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Wednesday, March 17, 2004 we celebrate:

4th Wednesday of Lent

Alexios the Man of God
Marinos the Martyr
Theocteristos the Confessor
Patrick Bishop of Ireland

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyr Marinos, our Holy Father Patrick, and our Righteous Fathers Alexios and Theocteristos, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Alexios the Man of God

http://www.goarch.org/images/eImages/skete/alexismanofgod.jpg
Apolytikion: Fourth Tone

Though thou didst bud forth from a renowned and notable root, and though thou didst blossom from a city famed for her great imperial dignity, yet didst thou scorn all things as corruptible and fleeting, striving to be joined to Christ thy Master for ever. Entreat Him, O Alexis most wise, fervently for our souls.

Kontakion: Fourth Tone

As we celebrate today with fitting rev'rence the all-holy festival of Saint Alexis the all-blest, with hymns we praise him and cry aloud: Rejoice, thou gladsome adornment of righteous men.

Reading:

Saint Alexis was born in old Rome of illustrious parents named Euphemianus and Aglais, and at their request was joined to a young woman in marriage. However, he did not remain with her even for one day, but fled to Edessa, where he lived for eighteen years. He returned to Rome in the guise of a beggar and sat at the gates of his father's house, unknown to all and mocked by his own servants. His identity was revealed only after his death by a paper that he had on his person, which he himself had written a little before his repose. The pious Emperor Honorius honoured him with a solemn burial. The title "Man of God" was given to him from heaven in a vision to the Bishop of Rome on the day of the Saint's repose.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Icon courtesy of St. Isaac's Skete



Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[Yana]

St. Patrick's Day

History of Saint Patrick


St. Patrick's birthplace was probably Roman Britain - most likely Wales, but perhaps Scotland or France. Patrick was about sixteen years old when he was abducted and enslaved by Irish marauders, under their leader, Niall of the Nine Hostages. He worked as a shepherd on the slopes of Slemish Mountain in Country Antrim. During this time he prayed to the Christian God while captive in a pagan land.

After six years an angel came to him in a dream, prompting him to escape and seek out his homeland. After travelling for more than 200 miles by foot, he was eventually given passage on a boat travelling across the Irish Sea. His first destination was Britain, but he soon settled in France.

Patrick spent twenty years of his life as a monk in Marmoutier Abbey. There he again received a celestial visitation, this time calling him to return to the land where he has been enslaved, though now with a mission as a priest and converter. Patrick was called to Rome in 432 whereupon Pope Celestine bequeathed the honour of Bishop upon him before he left on his holy mission.

Patrick and 24 of his followers arrived in Ireland in the winter of 432. In the Spring, Patrick decided to confront the high King of Tara, the most powerful King in Ireland. Patrick knew that if he had the King?s support he would be free to take God's message to the people of Ireland.

Patrick and his followers were invited to Tara by the King of Laoghaire. While he was there he plucked a shamrock from the ground and tried to explain the to the druids and the King that the shamrock had three leaves just like God had three personas - The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit. This was called the Trinity.

King Laoghaire was very impressed and chose to accept Christianity. He also gave Patrick the freedom to spread Christianity throughout Ireland.

St. Patrick is also known to have driven the snakes out of Ireland. However, the snakes were at that time a symbol of Paganism, and it was the Pagans that were driven out.

Patrick is thought to have died sometime between 463AD and 493AD. There is a dispute as to his place of burial; the site with the strongest claim seems to be Down Cathedral, where a large slab of rock on which the word Patric is inscribed protects "the grave" of St. Patrick.

Within the Christian calendar Patrick has long been remembered with fondness. This began as early as the ninth century AD with the Feast of St Patrick's "falling asleep" - in other words his passing on 17 March. The Book of Armagh included a note directing all monasteries and churches in Ireland to honour the memory of the saint by the celebration, during three days and three nights in mid-spring.

O, Holy Father Patrick, intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved!

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Thursday, March 18, 2004 we celebrate:

4th Thursday of Lent

Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem
Trophimos & Eukarpion, Monk-martyrs of Nicomedea

Through the intercessions of our Holy Monk-Martyrs Trophimos and Eukarpion, and our Holy Father Cyril of Jerusalem, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem

Apolytikion: Fourth Tone

The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, an icon of meekness, and a teacher of temperance; for this cause, thou hast achieved the heights by humility, riches by poverty. O Father and Hierarch Cyril, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Kontakion: First Tone

Thy speech inspired of God hath enlightened thy people to honour the One God, undivided in essence, yet known and distinguished in His Three Persons, the Trinity. Wherefore, with great joy we keep the holy remembrance, and we have thee as our intercessor, wise Cyril, to pray unto God for us.

Reading:

This Saint was born in 315, and succeeded Maximus as Archbishop of Jerusalem in 350. He was zealous for the Orthodox Faith, and was a defender of the poor. He was exiled three times by the Arian Emperors Constantius and Valens. But after their death, he was recalled to his throne; he reposed in peace in 386. Of his writings, the most prominent are his catechetical lectures, which are considered the most ancient systematic summary of Christian teaching. Before Saint Cyril, there had been two dioceses, one of Jerusalem, and one of Holy Sion; under Saint Cyril, they were united into one bishopric. See also May 7.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Friday, March 19, 2004 we celebrate:

4th Friday of Lent

Chrysanthos & Daria the Martyrs
Demetrios the New Martyr

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyrs Demetrios, Chrysanthos and Daria, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Chrysanthos & Daria the Martyrs

http://www.goarch.org/images/eImages/skete/chrysanthos.jpg

Reading:

Saint Chrysanthus, who was from Alexandria, had been instructed in the Faith of Christ by a certain bishop. His father, who was a senator by rank and a pagan, had him shut up in prison for many days; then, seeing the unchanging disposition of his mind, he commanded that a certain young woman name Daria be brought from Athens. She was a very beautiful and learned maiden, and also an idolater, and Chrysanthus' father wedded him to her so that he might be drawn away from the Faith of Christ because of his love for her. Instead of this however, Chrysanthus drew Daria unto piety, and both of them boldly proclaimed Christ and received the crown of martyrdom in 283, during the reign of Numerian, when they were buried alive in a pit of mire.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Icon courtesy of St. Isaac's Skete

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Saturday, March 20, 2004 we celebrate:

Fourth Saturday of Lent

Righteous Fathers slain at the Monastery of St. Savas
Myron the New Martyr of Crete
Photini the Samaritan Woman

Through the intercessions of our Holy Monk-Martyrs of St. Savas Monastery, and the Holy Martyrs Myron and Photini, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Righteous Fathers slain at the Monastery of St. Savas

Apolytikion: Second Tone

Blessed is the earth that drank your blood, O prizewinners of the Lord, and holy are the tabernacles that received your spirits; for in the stadium ye triumphed over the enemy, and ye proclaimed Christ with boldness. Beseech Him, we pray, since He is good, to save our souls.

Kontakion: Fourth Tone

Shunning all earthly and corruptible pleasures, ye chose a life of great ascetical struggles, disdaining worldly beauty and all fleeting fame; wherefore, ye dwell joyously in the Kingdom of Heaven with the Martyrs' holy choirs and the ranks of ascetics. Hence, we revere your memory and cry: From every peril, O Fathers, deliver us.

Reading:

The Righteous Martyrs were put to death by the barbarians during the reign of Emperor Heraclius, when Saint Modestus was Patriarch of Jerusalem (632-634).

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Sunday, March 21, 2004 we celebrate:

Sunday of St. John Climacus

Reading:
The memory of this Saint is celebrated on March 30, where his biography may be found. He is celebrated today because his book, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, is a sure guide to the ascetic life, written by a great man of prayer experienced in all forms of the monastic polity; it teaches the seeker after salvation how to lay a sound foundation for his struggles, how to detect and war against each of the passions, how to avoid the snares laid by the demons, and how to rise from the rudimental virtues to the heights of Godlike love and humility. It is held in such high esteem that it is universally read in its entirety in monasteries during the Great Fast.

And the feast days of:

James the Confessor
Thomas I, Patriarch of Constantinople

Through the intercessions of our Holy Father Thomas I and our Righteous Father James, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

James the Confessor

Apolytikion: Fourth Tone

O God of our Fathers, ever dealing with us according to Thy gentleness: take not Thy mercy from us, but by their entreaties guide our life in peace.

Reading:

This Saint took up the monastic life from his youth in the Monastery of Studium, where he became a disciple of Saint Theodore the Studite. Later he became bishop and suffered many afflictions and torments at the hands of the Iconoclasts. Saint Theodore composed a homily in honour of this Saint James (PG 99, 1353-1356).

Readings courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On March 22, 2004, we celebrate the feast days of

Basil the Holy Martyr of Ancyra
Kalliniki & Vassilisa the Martyrs
Euthemios the New Martyr

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyrs Basil, Kalliniki, Vassilisa and Euthemios, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Basil the Holy Martyr of Ancyra

Apolytikion: Fourth Tone

As a sharer of the ways and a successor to the throne of the Apostles, O inspired of God, thou foundest discipline to be a means of ascent to divine vision. Wherefore, having rightly divided the word of truth, thou didst also contest for the Faith even unto blood, O Hieromartyr Basil. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls be saved.

Reading:
Saint Basil strove in martyrdom during the short reign of Julian the Apostate, from 361-363. The Saint was denounced as a Christian to Saturninus, Governor of Ancyra, who, when Basil would not deny Christ, had him hanged from a post and scraped on his sides, then beaten, and cast into prison. A few days later, when Julian himself came through Ancyra, the Saint was brought before him and was asked to deny Christ, Whom he rather confessed the more. Julian then had strips cut in his flesh, so that they were left hanging from his body in front and in back. The valiant Martyr tore one of these strips off of his body and cast it into Julian's face. At this Julian commanded that iron spits be heated fiery hot; Saint Basil's belly, his back, and all his joints were pierced with them, and he received the crown of martyrdom.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

On Tuesday, March 23, 2004 we celebrate:

5th Tuesday of Lent

Nikon the Holy Martyr & his 200 Companion Martyrs
Anatolios & Protoleon the Martyrs converted by the martyrdom of St. George
Luke the New Martyr of Mytilene

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyrs Nikon, Anatolios and Protoleon, and Luke, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Nikon the Holy Martyr & his 200 Companion Martyrs

Apolytikion: Fourth Tone

O God of our Fathers, ever dealing with us according to Thy gentleness: take not Thy mercy from us, but by their entreaties guide our life in peace.

Reading:
Saint Nicon was from Neapolis (Naples) in Italy. His father was an idolater and his mother a Christian. At first he was a soldier, but later he went to the East, where he was baptized and in time became a bishop. After some years, he returned to the West and came to Sicily, where he and many of his disciples were put to death by beheading because they would not worship the idols.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Wednesday, March 24, 2004 we celebrate:

5th Wednesday of Lent

Forefeast of the Annunciation of the Theotokos
Artemon the Presbyter
Our Holy Father Theonas, Archbishop of Thessolonica, Builder of the Monastery of St. Anastasia, the Healer of Potions in Chalkedika

Through the intercessions of the Most Pure Theotokos and our Holy Fathers Artemon and Theonas, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Forefeast of the Annunciation of the Theotokos

Apolytikion: Fourth Tone

Today is the prelude of universal joy; let us keep the forefeast in gladness. For, behold, Gabriel cometh with fear and wonder unto the Virgin, bringing her the good tidings: Rejoice, thou who art full of grace; the Lord is with thee.

Kontakion: Fourth Tone

At the great Archangel's voice, O Theotokos, the All-holy Spirit came upon thee and thou didst conceive Him that is one in essence and throne with God the Father, O Adam's recovery.

Artemon the Presbyter

On this day we celebrate the memory of our holy father Artemon, bishop of Seleucia-in-Pisidia.

Reading

Blessed Artemon came from Seleucia of Pisidia, where he was born and brought up at the time of the holy Apostles. When blessed Apostle Paul was walking and preaching the Gospel around those places, he found St. Artemon and consecrated him Bishop, shepherd and teacher of that city, because the lamp ought not to be hidden under the bushel. St. Artemon ministered his flock well. He became a harbour that saved all those who were in need, he cared for the widows and the orphans, he helped the poor and cured the diseases of both the spirit and the flesh. Having led a life of such God- pleasing works, the thrice-blessed man departed to the Lord full of years.

Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On March25, 2004, we celebrate the Annunciation of the Theotokos

Through the intercessions of the Most Pure Theotokos, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Annunciation of the Theotokos

http://www.goarch.org/images/eImages/SMALL/ANNUNCIA.JPG

Reading:

Six months after John the Forerunner's conception, the Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth, a town of Galilee, unto Mary the Virgin, who had come froth from the Temple a mature maiden (see Nov. 21). According to the tradition handed down by the Fathers, she had been betrothed to Joseph four months. On coming to Joseph's house, the Archangel declared: "Rejoice, thou Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." After some consideration, and turmoil of soul, and fear because of this greeting, the Virgin, when she had finally obtained full assurance concerning God's unsearchable condescension and the ineffable dispensation that was to take place through her, and believing that all things are possible to the Most High, answered in humility: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." And at this, the Holy Spirit came upon her, and the power of the Most high overshadowed her all-blameless womb, and the Son and Word of God, Who existed before the ages, was conceived past speech and understanding, and became flesh in her immaculate body (Luke 1:26-38)

Bearing in her womb the Uncontainable One, the blessed Virgin went with haste from Nazareth to the hill country of Judea, where Zacharias had his dwelling; for she desired to find Elizabeth her kinswoman and rejoice together with her, because, as she had learned from the Archangel, Elizabeth had conceived in her old age. Furthermore, she wished to tell her of the great things that the Mighty One had been well-pleased to bring to pass in her, and she greeted Elizabeth and drew nigh to her. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, she felt her six-month-old babe, Saint John the Baptist, prophesied of the dawning of the spiritual Sun. Immediately, the aged Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and recognized her as the Mother of her Lord, and with a great voice blessed her and the Fruit that she held within herself. The Virgin also, moved by a supernatural rejoicing in the spirit, glorified her God and Savior, saying: "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour," and the rest, as the divine Luke hath recorded (1:39-55)

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Friday, March 26, 2004 we celebrate:

5th Friday of Lent

Synaxis in honor of the Archangel Gabriel
26 Martyrs in Crimea
Irenaeus the Hieromartyr of Hungary

Through the intercessions of the Archangel Gabriel and our Holy Martyrs Irenaeus and the 26 Martyrs in Crimea, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Synaxis in honor of the Archangel Gabriel

Kontakion: Second Tone

Supreme Commander of God and minister of the Divine glory, guide of men and leader of the bodiless hosts: Ask for what is to our profit and for great mercy, since thou art Supreme Commander of the bodiless hosts.

Reading:
This festive Synaxis is celebrated to the glory of the Archangel Gabriel, since he ministered to the marvelous mystery of God's incarnate dispensation.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Saturday, March 27, 2004 we celebrate:

5th Saturday of Lent: The Akathist Hymn

Matrona of Thessaloniki
Paul, Bishop of Corinth

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyr Matrona and our Holy Father Paul, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Matrona of Thessaloniki

Reading:

This martyr was the servant of a certain Jewish woman named Pantilla, the wife of the Governor of Thessalonica. When Matrona refused to follow her mistress into the synagogue Pantilla beat her so severly that she died in a few days, and thus recieved the crown of her confession.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Sunday, March 28, 2004 we celebrate:

Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt

Hilarion the New
Herodion the Apostle of the 70
Stephen the Wonderworker

Through the intercessions of our Holy Righteous Fathers Hiliarion, Herodion, and Stephan, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Hilarion the New

Apolytikion: Plagal of the Fourth Tone [tone 8]

In thee the image was preserved with exactness, O Father; for taking up thy cross, thou didst follow Christ, and by thy deeds thou didst teach us to overlook the flesh, for it passeth away, but to attend to the soul since it is immortal. Wherefore, O righteous Hilarion, thy spirit rejoiceth with the Angels.

Reading:

Saint Hilarion took up the monastic life from his youth and lived in seclusion. Later, as Abbot of the Monastery of Pelecete in Asia Minor (believed to be in Bithynia, not far from Triglia), he suffered much from the Iconoclasts, and reposed in the year 754.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Monday, March 29, 2004 we celebrate:

6th Monday of Lent

Mark, Bishop of Arethusa
Martyr Cyril the Deacon and Those with him
Jonah & Mark the Martyrs

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyrs Jonah, Mark, Cyril and his companions and our Holy Father and Martyr Mark, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Mark, Bishop of Arethusa

Apolytikion: Plagal of the Fourth Tone

Since they had slain through their abstinence and struggles the fiery ragings and fierce motions of the passions, the staunch Martyrs of Christ God laid hold on the graces to drive off the pains and illnesses of the sick and work wonders both while living and after death. Strange indeed is the miracle! That these bare bones should pour forth such overflowing streams of cures. Glory be to our only God.

Reading:
Saint Mark was Bishop of Arethusa in Syria. In the days of Saint Constantine the Great, Saint Mark, moved with divine zeal, destroyed a temple of the idols and raised up a church in its stead. When Julian the Apostate reigned, in 361, as the pagans were now able to avenge the destruction of their temple, Saint Mark, giving way to wrath, hid himself; but when he saw that others were being taken on his account, he gave himself up. Having no regard to his old age, they stripped him and beat his whole body, cast him into filthy sewers, and pulling him out, had children prick him with their iron writing-pens. Then they put him into a basket, smeared him with honey and a kind of relish of pickled fish, and hung him up under the burning sun to be devoured by bees and wasps. But because he bore this so nobly, his enemies repented, and unloosed him.

Jonah & Mark the Martyrs

Apolytikion: Plagal of the Fourth Tone (tone 8)

Since they had slain through their abstinence and struggles the fiery ragings and fierce motions of the passions, the staunch Martyrs of Christ God laid hold on the graces to drive off the pains and illnesses of the sick and work wonders both while living and after death. Strange indeed is the miracle! That these bare bones should pour forth such overflowing streams of cures. Glory be to our only God.

Reading:
As for the holy Martyrs Jonas and Barachesius, they were monks from Persia who lived in the reign of Sapor II, King of Persia from 325 to 379. These Saints found nine Christians in prison suffering for their faith, and comforted them, encouraging them to stand fast till the end, which they did, and received the crown of martyrdom. Because of this, Saints Jonas and Barachesius also were seized, and commanded to worship the fire, the sun, and the water. When they refused, Jonas, among other tortures, had his hands and feet cut off, was crushed in a device that broke his bones, and was sawn asunder. Barachesius was dragged naked over thorns, his whole body was pierced with sharp reeds and then broken in the same device employed upon Jonas, and when boiling pitch was poured down his throat, he gave up his soul into the hands of God.

Martyr Cyril the Deacon and Those with him

Apolytikion: Plagal of the Fourth Tone [tone 8]

Since they had slain through their abstinence and struggles the fiery ragings and fierce motions of the passions, the staunch Martyrs of Christ God laid hold on the graces to drive off the pains and illnesses of the sick and work wonders both while living and after death. Strange indeed is the miracle! That these bare bones should pour forth such overflowing streams of cures. Glory be to our only God.

Reading:
Saint Cyril was a deacon from Heliopolis in Phoenicia. During the reign of the Emperor Constantius, son of Saint Constantine, he had also broken the idols in pieces. When Julian came to power, Saint Cyril was seized by the idolaters and his belly was ripped open. The other holy Martyrs celebrated today, martyred in Gaza and Ascalon during the reign of Julian, were men of priestly rank and consecrated virgins; they were disemboweled, filled with barley, and set before swine to be eaten. The account of all the above Saints is given in Book III, ch. 3, of Theodoret of Cyrrhus' "Ecclesiastical History."

Readings courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikia courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Tuesday, March 30, 2004 we celebrate:

6th Tuesday of Lent

John Climacus the Righteous, author of The Divine Ladder of Ascent
Sosthenes Apollos, Cephas, Caesar, & Epaphroditos, the Apostles of the 70
Zacharias the New Martyr

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyrs Zacharias, Sosthenes, Apollos, Cephas, Caesar and Epaphroditis, and our Holy Father John Climacus, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

John Climacus the Righteous, author of The Divine Ladder of Ascent

http://www.goarch.org/images/eImages/skete/iconclimacus.jpg

Apolytikion: Fourth Tone

With the streams of thy tears, thou didst cultivate the barrenness of the desert; and by thy sighings from the depths,thou didst bear fruit a hundredfold in labours; and thou becamest a luminary, shining with miracles upon the world, O John our righteous Father. Intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Kontakion: First Tone

As ever-blooming fruits, thou dost offer the teachings of thy God-given book, O wise John, thou most blessed, while sweet'ning the hearts of all them that heed it with vigilance; for it is a ladder from the earth unto Heaven that conferreth glory on the souls that ascend it and honour thee faithfully.

Reading:
This Saint gave himself over to the ascetical life from his early youth. Experienced both in the solitary life of the hermit and in the communal life of cenobitic monasticism, he was appointed Abbot of the Monastery at Mount Sinai and wrote a book containing thirty homilies on virtue. Each homily deals with one virtue, and progressing from those that deal with holy and righteous activity (praxis) unto those that deal with divine vision (theoria), they raise a man up as though by means of steps unto the height of Heaven. For this cause his work is called "The Ladder of Divine Ascent." The day he was made Abbot of Sinai, the Prophet Moses was seen giving commands to those who served at table. Saint John reposed in 603, at eighty years of age. See also the Fourth Sunday of the Fast.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Icon courtesy of St. Isaac's Skete

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Wednesday, March 31, 2004 we celebrate:

6th Wednesday of Lent

Hypatios the Wonderworker
Innocent, Enlightener of Siberia & Alaska
Akakios the Confessor

Through the intercessions of our Holy Father and Martyr Hypatios, our Holy Father Innocent, and our Righteous Father Akakios, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Hypatios the Wonderworker

Apolytikion: First Tone

Thou didst prove to be a citizen of the desert, an angel in the flesh, and a wonderworker, O Hypatios, our God-bearing Father. By fasting, vigil, and prayer thou didst obtain heavenly gifts, and thou healest the sick and the souls of them that have recourse to thee with faith. Glory to Him that hath given thee strength. Glory to him that hath crowned thee. Glory to Him that worketh healings for all through thee.

Kontakion: Third Tone

Celebrating blamelessly the sacred rites, O Hypatius, thou didst greatly multiply the talent that thou wast given; and when thou didst strive in contest, thou wast presented as a godly sacrifice and holy first-fruits unto Him that glorified thee with signs and wonders that tongue of man cannot tell.

Reading:
This Saint, who was from Cilicia of Asia Minor, became Bishop of Gangra, the capital of Paplagonia. He was present at the First Ecumenical Council. Because of his confession of the Orthodox Faith, he was put to death by the Novatians, a sect which denied that sins committed after Baptism could be forgiven.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[Reader Nilus]

Below is the Life of St Innocent of Alaska whose feast we celebrated today.
http://www.firebirdvideos.com/saintslives/lifeofinnocentak.htm (http://www.firebirdvideos.com/saintslives/lifeofinnocentak.htm) written by Jane M. deVyver, M.Th., Ph.D
In 1824, 30 years after the establishment of the Russian Orthodox mission on Kodiak Island, a new phase of mission work among the Alaskan people commenced. At that time Fr. John Veniaminov, a 27-year old priest, arrived on the Aleutian Island of Unalaska, Alaska, with his wife and family, thus beginning the 37 years of missionary work in Alaska of St. Innocent, Apostle to America. On Unalaska the young Fr. John built the Holy Ascension Church (photo to the right).

Fr. John was born 1n 1797in the small village of Anga, near Irkutsk, Siberia, seven years before the glorification of St. Innocent of Irkutsk. After his father reposed, the future saint lived with his uncle, the parish deacon, in the family house in Anga (photo to the left). Then, for eleven years he attended the school that St. Innocent had established in Irkutsk. Thus, it was very appropriate when Fr. John later received his monastic name in honor of St. Innocent of Irkutsk.

The brilliant future saint and bishop had numerous gifts in addition to his zeal and love of God. Besides being a scholar, linguist, scientist and writer, he also had many practical and technical skills. In Alaska he worked tirelessly on behalf of the people. He learned the Aleut and other native languages and created written alphabets for them, so he could translate the catechism, liturgical books and Bible for the natives and teach them to read. His famous book, The Indication of the Path to the Kingdom of Heaven has gone through countless editions in many languages(the photo to the right shows an 1899 edition), and is an Orthodox spiritual classic. An original copy of his translation of the Gospel of St. Matthew into the Aleut language (photo to the left), that includes some of his own hand-written notes, is still in the Ascension Cathedral in Unalaska. Throughout his 43-years of missionary work in Alaska and Siberia, the saint traveled extensively, teaching and preaching to the people, who loved him for his gentleness and compassion. As Fr. Herman also had done, Fr. John taught the natives practical skills: construction, carpentry, gardening, animal husbandry, metalworking. He built churches, orphanages and schools, where trades were taught along with religion and traditional studies.

While on a trip to Moscow, on behalf of his Alaskan mission work, Fr. John’s wife died, and in 1840, he was tonsured a monk and consecrated as the first resident Bishop of Alaska. Bishop Innocent traveled throughout his large, new diocese, preaching and serving in the native languages, expanding his prior work. His diocesan center was in Sitka, where he built the St. Michael Cathedral (photo to the left), and established a seminary to train native clergy. (This work is continued today at the St. Herman Seminary on Kodiak Island.) The seminary was located in the Bishop's House (photo to the right) which St. Innocent built, and where he lived. [The Bishop of Alaska continued to live in that house until about 1970, when the State of Alaska bought the historic buillding, restored it, and converted it into a museum. The second floor has been restored to its appearance when St. Innocent lived there, including the still functioning Chapel and bishop's quarters, and includes one of the clocks and some of the furniture that St. Innocent made.]

In 1852 Bishop Innocent’s diocese was enlarged to an archdiocese, to include the northeastern areas of Siberia. When he moved the center of his activity to Yakutsk in Siberia, he appointed an auxiliary bishop for Alaska. In spite of his requests to retire due to ill health, in 1869 (just two years after Russia sold Alaska to the United States), St. Innocent was made Metropolitan of Moscow (the Head of the entire Russian Orthodox Church), from where he continued to watch over his former mission fields. When St. Innocent reposed in 1879, he was buried at the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra Monastery. He was glorified as a saint in 1977, and now his relics are in a very prominent place, in front of the left front pillar in the Dormition Cathedral at the Lavra (see photo to the left).

As a result of the missionary work of St. Herman and St. Innocent, many thousands of native Alaskans came to know the Lord, and Orthodoxy was established in America, of which all Orthodox people in America are heirs today.
http://s88610834.onlinehome.us/boat.jpg
Jeff the Finn

[Reader Nilus]

A couple of the Hymns of the Feast of St Innocent of Alaska

Troparion - Tone 4
Holy father Innocent, in obedience to the will of God you accepted dangers and tribulations bringing many peoples to the knowledge of truth; you showed us the way. And now by your prayers, help lead us into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Kontakion - Tone 2
Your life, holy father Innocent, Apostle to our land, proclaims the dispensation and grace of God! For laboring in dangers and hardships for the Gospel of Christ you were kept unharmed and exalted in humility. Pray that He may guide our steps in the way we should go.
__________________________________________________________
Jeff the Finn

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Thursday, April 1, 2004 we celebrate:

6th Thursday of Lent

Mary of Egypt
Gerontios & Vasilides the Martyrs
Euthemios of Suzdal

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyrs Gerontios and Vasilides, Our Righteous Father Euthemios and Mary of Egypt, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Mary of Egypt

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Apolytikion: Plagal of the Fourth Tone [tone 8]

In thee the image was preserved with exactness, O Mother; for taking up thy cross, thou didst follow Christ, and by thy deeds thou didst teach us to overlook the flesh, for it passeth away, but to attend to the soul since it is immortal. Wherefore, O righteous Mary, thy spirit rejoiceth with the Angels.

Kontakion: Second Tone

By the toils of thy struggles, O God-inspired one, thou didst hallow the harshness of the desert. Wherefore, we glorify thy memory, as we honour thee with hymns, O Mary, glory of the righteous.

Reading:

When Mary was only twelve years old, she left her parents and departed to Alexandria, where she lived a depraved life for seventeen years. Then, moved by curiosity, she went with many pilgrims to Jerusalem, that she might see the Exaltation of the venerable Cross. Even in the Holy City she gave herself over to every kind of licentiousness and drew many into the depth of perdition. Desiring to go into the church on the day of the Exaltation of the Cross, time and again she perceived a certain invisible power preventing her entrance, whereas the multitude of people about her entered unhindered. Therefore, wounded in heart by this, she decided to change her way of life and reconcile herself to God by means of repentance. Invoking our Lady the Theotokos as her protectress, she asked her to open the way for her to worship the Cross, and vowed that she would renounce the world. And thus, returning once again to the church, she entered easily. When she had worshipped the precious Wood, she departed that same day from Jerusalem and passed over the Jordan. She went into the inner wilderness and for forty-seven years lived a most harsh manner of life, surpassing human strength; alone, she prayed to God alone. Toward the end of her life, she met a certain hermit named Zosimas, and she related to him her life from the beginning. She requested of him to bring her the immaculate Mysteries that she might partake of them. According to her request, he did this the following year on Holy and Great Thursday. One year after this, Zosimas again went thither and found her dead, laid upon the ground, and letters written in the sand near her which said: "Abba Zosimas, bury here the body of wretched Mary. I died on the very day I partook of the immaculate Mysteries. Pray for me." Her death is reckoned by some to have taken Place in 378, by some, in 437, and by others, in 522. She is commemorated also on the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent. Her life was recorded by Saint Sophronius of Jerusalem.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

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On Friday, April 2, 2004 we celebrate:

6th Friday of Lent

Titus the Wonderworker
Theodora the Virgin-martyr of Palestine
Amphianos & Aedesios the Martyrs of Lycia

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyrs Theodora, Amphianos, and Aedesios, abd Our Holy Father Titus, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Titus the Wonderworker

Reading:

Little is known of this Saint except that he took up the monastic life from his youth, became the abbot of a monastery, and reposed in peace.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[Reader Nilus]

http://s88610834.onlinehome.us/lazarus.jpg
ON HIS ARRIVAL Jesus found that Lazarus had already been four days in the tomb. Bethany was just under two miles from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come from the city to Martha and Mary to condole with them on their brother’s death. As soon as she heard that Jesus was on his way, Martha went to meet him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, sir, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will grant you.’ Jesus said, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ ‘I know that he will rise again’, said Martha, ‘at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and I am life. If a man has faith in me, even though he die, he shall come to life; and no one who is alive and has faith shall ever die. Do you believe this?’ ‘Lord, I do,’ she answered; ‘I now believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who was to come into the world.’ With these words she went to call her sister Mary, and taking her aside, she said, ‘The Master is here; he is asking for you.’ When Mary heard this she rose up quickly and went to him. Jesus had not yet reached the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were in the house condoling with Mary, when they saw her start up and leave the house, went after her, for they supposed that she was going to the tomb to weep there.So Mary came to the place where Jesus was. As soon as she caught sight of him she fell at his feet and said, ‘O sir, if you had only been here my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews her companions weeping, he sighed heavily and was deeply moved. ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. They replied, ‘Come and see, sir.’ Jesus wept. The Jews said, ‘How dearly he must have loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not this man, who opened the blind man’s eyes, have done something to keep Lazarus from dying?’ Jesus again sighed deeply; then he went over to the tomb. It was a cave, with a stone placed against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, ‘Sir, by now there will be a stench; he has been there four days.’ Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you have faith you will see the glory of God?’ So they removed the stone.Then Jesus looked upwards and said, ‘Father, I thank thee; thou hast heard me. I knew already that thou always hearest me, but I spoke for the sake of the people standing round, that they might believe that thou didst send me.’ Then he raised his voice in a great cry: ‘Lazarus, come forth.’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet swathed in linen bands, his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said, ‘Loose him; let him go.’



Now many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.But some of them went off to the Pharisees and reported what he had done.

Thereupon the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a meeting of the Council. ‘What action are we taking?’ they said. ‘This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone like this the whole populace will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and sweep away our temple and our nation.’ But one of them, Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said, ‘You know nothing whatever; you do not use your judgement; it is more to your interest that one man should die for the people, than that the whole nation should be destroyed.’ He did not say this of his own accord, but as the High Priest in office that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation—would die not for the nation alone but to gather together the scattered children of God. So from that day on they plotted his death….

The chief priests then resolved to do away with Lazarus as well, since on his account many Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.

[MariaRegina]

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/search.asp

On Saturday, April 3, 2004 we celebrate:

Lazarus Saturday (see previous post)

Nikitas the Confessor
Joseph the Hymnographer
Theodosia and Irene the Martyrs

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyrs Theodosia and Irene, Our Holy Father Nikitas, and our Holy Hymnographer Joseph, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Nikitas the Confessor

Reading:

Saint Nicetas lived in the eighth century and became the Abbot of the Monastery of Medicium, which was near the city of Triglia on the Sea of Marmara. For his Orthodox confession of the veneration of the holy icons, he was persecuted and exiled twice by the Iconoclast Emperor Leo the Armenian, but recalled by Michael the Stutterer, and reposed, adorned with the twofold crown of holiness and of confession of the Orthodox Faith, about the year 824.

Joseph the Hymnographer

Reading:

Saint Joseph was from Sicily, the son of Plotinus and Agatha. Because Sicily had been subjugated by the Moslems, he departed thence and, passing from place to place, came with Saint Gregory of Decapolis (see NOV. 20) to Constantinople, where he endured bitter afflictions because of his pious zeal. Travelling to Rome, he was captured by Arab pirates and taken to Crete, whence he later returned to Constantinople. He became an excellent hymnographer and reposed in holiness shortly after 886 (according to some, it was in 883). The melismatic canons of the Menaion are primarily the work of this Joseph; they bear his name in the acrostic of the Ninth Ode. He also composed most of the sacred book known as the Paracletike, which complements the Octoechos For this reason, Joseph is called par excellence the Hymnographer.

Readings courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

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On Sunday, April 4, 2004 we celebrate:

Palm Sunday

George the Righteous of Maleon
Righteous Plato the Studite and Righteous Zosima
Nicetas the Hieromartyr. Struggler of Serrai (1808)

Through the intercessions of our Holy Hieromartyr Nicetas, Our Holy Righteous Fathers George, Plato and Zosima, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

George the Righteous of Maleon

Apolytikion: Fourth Tone

With the streams of thy tears, thou didst cultivate the barrenness of the desert; and by thy sighings from the depths,thou didst bear fruit a hundredfold in labours; and thou becamest a luminary, shining with miracles upon the world, O George our righteous Father. Intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Reading:

This Saint took up the monastic life from his youth, and went to Mount Maleon, where a community of monks gathered about him. He foretold his death from three years before, and reposed in an odour of sanctity.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

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On Monday, April 5, 2004 we celebrate:

Holy Monday

Reading:

The holy Passion of our Saviour begins today, presenting Joseph the all-comely as a prefiguring of Christ. He was the eleventh son of Jacob, and his first son by Rachel; because he was so beloved of his father, his own brethren came to envy him and cast him into a pit. Later they sold him to foreigners for thirty pieces of silver, who later sold him again in Egypt. Because of his virtue, his master gave him much authority in governing his house; because he was fair of countenance, his master's wife sought to draw him into sin with her; because of his chastity, he refused her, and through her slanders was cast into prison. Finally, he was led forth again with great glory and was honoured as a king. He became lord over all Egypt and a provider of wheat for all the people. Through all this, he typifies in himself the betrayal, Passion, death, and glorification of our Lord Jesus Christ (see Gen., chapters 37, 39 41).

To the commemoration of Patriarch Joseph is added also the narration concerning the fig tree, which on this day was cursed and subsequently dried up because of its unfruitfulness. It portrayed the Jewish synagogue, which had not produced the fruit demanded of it, that is, obedience to God and faith in Him and which was stripped of all spiritual grace by means of the curse (Matt. 21:18-20).

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

On this day we also commemorate:

Monk-Martyrs Victor, Victorin, and those with them,
Theodora the Righteous of Thessaloniki
Agathopodes and Theodulos the Martyrs

Through the intercessions of our Holy Martyrs Agathopodes and Theodulos, the Holy Monk-Martyrs Victor, Victorin and their companions, and Our Holy Righteous Father Theodora, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Monk-Martyrs Victor, Victorin, and those with them

Reading:

Of these Martyrs, Saint Claudius died when his arms and legs were severed; Saint Diodore was burned alive; Saints Victor, Victorinus, and Nicephorus were crushed to death by a large boulder; Saint Serapion was burned alive; Saint Pappias was cast into the sea. According to some accounts, they contested in Corinth under Decius in 251; according to others, in Diospolis in Egypt under Numerian in 284.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Note: Permission has been received to reproduce this copyrighted material here. All texts used are reproduced with permission from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. The selections are taken from their Great Horologion. You may visit them at http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/

[MariaRegina]

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On Tuesday, April 6, 2004 we celebrate:

Holy Tuesday

http://www.goarch.org/images/eImages/SKETE/nymphios.jpg

Reading:

Today we bring to mind the parable of the ten virgins, which our Saviour related as He was coming to His Passion. This parable teaches us that the accomplishment of the great work of virginity should not make us careless in other matters, especially in almsgiving, wherewith the lamp of virginity is made radiant. Furthermore, it teaches us that we should not be remiss about the end of our life, but should be prepared for it at every moment, like the wise virgins, so that we may meet the Bridegroom, lest He come suddenly and the doors of the heavenly bridechamber be shut, and we also, like the foolish virgins, hear that dread sentence: "Amen, I say unto you, I know you not" (Matt. 25:1-13).

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

We also celebrate the memory of:

Eutychios, Patriarch of Constantinople
Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles & Enlightener of the Slavs
120 Martyrs of Persia

Through the intercessions of the 120 Holy Martyrs of Persia, and our Holy
Fathers Eutychios and Methodius, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Eutychios, Patriarch of Constantinople

Apolytikion: Fourth Tone

The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, an icon of meekness, and a teacher of temperance; for this cause, thou hast achieved the heights by humility, riches by poverty. O Father and Hierarch Eutychius, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Kontakion: Fourth Tone

O divine Eutychius, to all that praise thee, thou dost give abundant gifts of holy joy and grace divine from that which God hath bestowed on thee, O rightful namesake of blessed prosperity.

Reading:

Born in Theia Kome of Phrygia, Eutychius was the son of illustrious parents, from whom he received a pious upbringing. He studied in Constantinople, and became a monk in a certain monastery of Amasia. In 552 he was chosen Patriarch of New Rome, but was exiled in 565 as a result of the machinations of the Origenists. In 577 he was restored to his throne