Great Lent, day 6 · 43 days until Pascha
St Theodore Tyro (the Recruit)
Saints commemorated
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Saint of the day
Theodore the Recruit
Theodore the Recruit (†c. 306) — Tyron, "the recruit" or "the conscript," from the Latin tiro — was a young soldier newly enrolled in the Roman legion, stationed at Amasea in Pontus during the persecution of Maximian, and one of the two great warrior-martyrs named Theodore whom the Church honours. Refusing to sacrifice to the gods, and given a stay in which the authorities hoped he would relent, he instead set fire by night to the temple of the Mother of the gods (Cybele/Rhea); arrested and racked, comforted in prison by a vision of Christ, he was at the last burned alive, and gave up his soul in the flames. His body was buried at Euchaita by a pious woman, Eusebia, and Gregory of Nyssa preached his praise at the shrine there. He is famous above all for a posthumous wonder: when Julian the Apostate secretly ordered the food of Constantinople defiled with blood offered to idols during the first week of Lent, Theodore appeared to the archbishop and bade the faithful eat boiled wheat (kollyva) instead — for which the Church keeps his memory each year on the First Saturday of Great Lent, besides his fixed feast on February 17.
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Seven Hieromartyrs of Cherson
The Hieromartyrs of Cherson — Basil, Ephraim, Capiton, Eugene, Aetherius, Agathodorus and Elpidius — were seven bishops who, across the fourth century, carried the Gospel to Cherson (Chersonesus in the Tauric Crimea) and the lands of the northern Black Sea, and most of whom sealed their preaching with their blood. Sent out from Jerusalem in the last age of the pagan persecutions, Basil raised to life the dead son of a leading citizen and was clubbed to death for it; Ephraim was beheaded among the peoples of the Danube; Eugene, Elpidius and Agathodorus were stoned; Aetherius governed the church in the peace won by Constantine; and Capiton, challenged for a sign, walked unharmed into a burning lime-kiln in his vestments and converted the city — a wonder reported to the First Ecumenical Council. They are the seedbed of Crimean Christianity, on the very ground where, six centuries later, Prince Vladimir of Kiev would be baptised and Rus' receive the faith. The Church keeps all seven together on March 7.
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Emilian of Rome
Emilian of Rome — a Roman by birth, called Victorinus in the world — is remembered as a striking icon of repentance in old age. Having lived, the tradition says, a long and sinful life into his later years, he was seized at last by godly sorrow, renounced the world, and entered a monastery, where he took the name Emilian and gave himself to such humble obedience and strict fasting that he became the wonder of the brethren. When the abbot once found him praying in a cave, bathed in a heavenly light, a voice from on high was heard to declare his sins forgiven — a sign, made public for the encouragement of all, of God's mercy toward the repentant sinner. He ended his days in spiritual joy and reposed in peace. He is commemorated on March 7.
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Paul the Confessor of Plousias
Paul the Confessor (died c. 850) was bishop of Plousias, a city of Bithynia in Asia Minor, and a defender of the holy icons in the second iconoclast persecution of the ninth century. His stand for the images, the tradition notes, was grounded above all in Holy Scripture. For it he was harassed, driven from his see, and — together with the confessor Theophylact, bishop of Nicomedia — sent into exile, where he ended his life as a confessor of the faith, never having yielded the veneration of the icons of Christ and the saints. He is commemorated on March 7.
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Paul the Simple
Paul the Simple (†c. 339) was an Egyptian farmer who at about sixty years of age, on discovering his wife's adultery, walked into the desert and asked Anthony the Great to make him a monk. Tested by the great ascetic with a harshness meant to send an old man home, he obeyed everything without a murmur, and his guileless obedience — the "simplicity" of his name — made him within a few years a wonderworker whom Anthony himself held up as the pattern of the monastic beginner, sending to Paul the demoniacs whom he could not himself cure.
British Isles and Ireland
- St. Enodoc (c.520)
- St. Deifer, founder abbot of Bodfari (6th C)
- St. Eosterwine, abbot of Wearmouth (686)
Troparia & kontakia
Kontakion — Tone 8
Having taken the faith of Christ within your heart as a breastplate, you trampled down the powers of the enemy, O greatly-contending one, and were crowned for ever with a heavenly crown, as one invincible.
Magnification
We magnify you, O holy Great-Martyr Theodore, and we honour your precious sufferings, which you endured for Christ.
Troparion — Tone 8 (from the common of a venerable)
With the streams of thy tears thou didst make the barren desert bloom, and with sighs from the depths thou didst bring forth fruit a hundredfold in thy labours; and thou becamest a beacon to the whole world, shining with wonders. O Emilian our venerable father, intercede with Christ God that our souls may be saved.
Troparion — Tone 4
Thy Martyrs, O Lord, in their courageous contest have received from thee, our God, crowns incorruptible; for possessing thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and shattered the feeble insolence of the demons. By their prayers, O Christ our God, save our souls.
Troparion — Tone 4
O God of our Fathers, who dealest ever with us according to thy gentleness, take not thy mercy from us, but by the prayers of thy hierarch Paul guide our life in peace.
Troparion — Tone 8 (from the common of a venerable)
With the streams of thy tears thou didst make the barren desert bloom, and with sighs from the depths thou didst bring forth fruit a hundredfold in thy labours; and thou becamest a beacon to the whole world, shining with wonders. O Paul our venerable father, intercede with Christ God that our souls may be saved.
Troparion — Tone 2
Great are the achievements of faith! In the fountain of flame, as at the water of repose, the holy Martyr Theodore rejoiced; for being wholly consumed by fire, he was offered up as sweet bread unto the Trinity. By his prayers, O Christ God, save our souls.
Readings
Epistle
Hebrews 1.1-12
1God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 7And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 8But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 10And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 11They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
2 Timothy 2.1-10 (St Theodore)
1Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 5And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 6The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. 7Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. 8Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: 9Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. 10Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Gospel
Mark 2.23-3.5
23And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? 25And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? 26How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? 27And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. 1And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. 2And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. 3And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. 4And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. 5And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
John 15.17-16.2 (St Theodore)
17These things I command you, that ye love one another. 18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. 26But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. 1These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. 2They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.