Leavetaking of Annunciation; Synaxis of Archangel Gabriel

Saints commemorated

Saint of the day

Leavetaking of Annunciation
Saint of the day

Synaxis of Archangel Gabriel
Saint of the day

Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel
Irenaeus of Sirmium

Irenaeus was the young bishop of Sirmium in Pannonia (the modern Sremska Mitrovica), martyred about the year 304 in the Great Persecution of Diocletian. His authentic Acts — one of the more historically secure of the early martyr-records — preserve his examination before the governor Probus and his steadfast confession; he was beheaded and his body cast into the river Save.
The Twenty-Six Martyrs of Gotthia

The Twenty-Six Martyrs of Gotthia were Christians among the Goths beyond the Danube — priests, a monk, and lay men and women — put to death for Christ about the year 375 in the persecution raised by the Arian Gothic ruler Athanaric (Jungerich). Many were burned alive in their church during the Liturgy. Their relics were preserved by a Christian Gothic queen, Gaatha, and her daughter Duklida, and carried to safety; they stand as the first-fruits of the Gothic Church and among the earliest "barbarian" martyrs honoured in the Byzantine calendar.

British Isles and Ireland

St. Sincheall, abbot of Killeigh (5th C)
St. Mochelloc of Killmallock (639)
St. Garbhan (7th C)

Troparia & kontakia

Apolytikion — Tone 4

O commander of the heavenly hosts, we the unworthy beseech thee that by thy prayers thou wilt encompass us with the shelter of the wings of thine immaterial glory, guarding us who fall down before thee and fervently cry: Deliver us from dangers, O prince of the powers on high.

Kontakion — Tone 8

O Gabriel, thou minister of the mystery hidden from the ages, who didst stand of old before the Virgin and cry to her "Rejoice": intercede that we who honour thee may be delivered from all affliction and may cry to God, Alleluia.

Troparion — Tone 4 (common of a hieromartyr)

And by thy manner of life thou didst attain unto the reward of the wise, O hieromartyr Irenaeus: for by teaching well thou hast gained the talents entrusted to thee; thou wast not silent in the midst of trials, but didst offer thyself unto death for Christ. Wherefore, intercede with Him that our souls may be saved.

Troparion — Tone 4 (common of several martyrs)

Thy martyrs, O Lord, in their sufferings received incorruptible crowns from Thee, our God; for possessing Thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and shattered the feeble insolence of the demons. By their intercessions save our souls.

Readings

6th Hour

Isaiah 9.9-10.4

⁹And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, ¹⁰The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. ¹¹Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together; ¹²The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. ¹³For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts. ¹⁴Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. ¹⁵The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. ¹⁶For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. ¹⁷Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. ¹⁸For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke. ¹⁹Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother. ²⁰And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm: ²¹Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. ¹Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; ²To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! ³And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? ⁴Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Vespers

Genesis 7.1-5

¹And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. ²Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. ³Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. ⁴For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. ⁵And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.

Proverbs 8.32-9.11

³²Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. ³³Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. ³⁴Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. ³⁵For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. ³⁶But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death. ¹Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: ²She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. ³She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city, ⁴Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, ⁵Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. ⁶Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding. ⁷He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. ⁸Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. ⁹Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. ¹⁰The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. ¹¹For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

Saints commemorated