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 28.14-22

¹⁴Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. ¹⁵Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: ¹⁶Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. ¹⁷Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. ¹⁸And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. ¹⁹From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. ²⁰For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. ²¹For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. ²²Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.

Vespers

Genesis 10.32-11.9

³²These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood. ¹And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. ²And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. ³And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. ⁴And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. ⁵And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. ⁶And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. ⁷Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. ⁸So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. ⁹Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

Proverbs 13.19-14.6

¹⁹The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil. ²⁰He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. ²¹Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed. ²²A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. ²³Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment. ²⁴He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. ²⁵The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want. ¹Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. ²He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him. ³In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them. ⁴Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox. ⁵A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies. ⁶A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.

Saints commemorated