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Tuesday 31 March 2020

Repose St Innocent, Metr. Moscow and Apostle to Americas

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

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Lenten Fast Tone 8

Great Lent, day 30 · 19 days until Pascha

Saints commemorated

Hieromartyr Hypatius, Bishop of Gangra (326)

Hypatius was bishop of Gangra in Paphlagonia and one of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325), a wonderworker famed for healing and for the casting-out of demons. Returning from Constantinople some years after the Council, he was set upon by a band of Novatian (or, in some accounts, Arian) heretics and stoned and clubbed to death; a woman who cast the final stone was afterward tormented until she repented at his tomb. He is honoured as a hieromartyr and a protector against serpents and the assaults of demons.
St Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow (1461)

Jonah (†1461) was the last Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia to be styled by the old title and the first to be consecrated in Moscow by Russian bishops alone — the hinge on which the Russian Church turned from dependence on Constantinople to self-government. Tonsured at twelve in a monastery of his native Galich, and afterwards a monk of the Simonov monastery at Moscow, where the Metropolitan Photius found him asleep in the bakery with his right hand set in the gesture of blessing and prophesied that he would be a great hierarch, he was made Bishop of Ryazan and Murom, was twice passed over for the metropolitanate, and finally received it in 1448 after the Russian Church had deposed Isidore for accepting the union of Florence. He governed thirteen years, was credited with the deliverance of Moscow from the Tatar raid of 1451, and reposed in 1461; his relics were found incorrupt in 1472 and lie in the Dormition Cathedral of the Kremlin. He was glorified by the Council of 1547.
Acacius the Confessor

Acacius the Confessor was bishop of Melitene in Armenia in the middle of the third century. Arrested in the persecution of Decius (249–251) and brought before the governor Marcianus, he confessed Christ boldly under torture but was not put to death; released, he bore the marks of his sufferings for the rest of his life and died in peace. His memory is kept on March 31, and the uncovering of his relic — whose year is not transmitted — on September 15.
Benjamin of Persia

Benjamin of Persia (†c. 424) was a deacon of the Persian church and a tireless evangelist who converted many Zoroastrian Persians to Christ during the great persecution that broke out at the end of the reign of Yazdegerd I. Imprisoned two years for his preaching, he was released at the intercession of a Roman envoy on the pledge that he would keep silence — a pledge he declared himself unable to keep, for he could not hide the light entrusted to him — and when he resumed his preaching he was put to death under Bahram V with tortures of studied cruelty. His story is told by the church historian Theodoret of Cyrrhus, nearly a contemporary. He is commemorated on October 13 and again on March 31.
Innocent of Alaska

Innocent (John Veniaminov, 1797–1879) was the great apostle of Orthodoxy in Alaska and the Russian Far East — a married priest of Siberia who volunteered for the missions of the Aleutian Islands, learned the languages of the peoples he served, translated the Scriptures and services into Aleut and other tongues, and, after his wife's death, was consecrated the first Orthodox bishop of Kamchatka, the Kurils and the Aleutians. He crossed and re-crossed a diocese larger than a continent by kayak and dog-sled, and ended his days as Metropolitan of Moscow and founder of the Orthodox Missionary Society. He is honoured as Equal-to-the-Apostles.

Troparia & kontakia

Kontakion — Tone 8

Having accomplished the ascetic life by desire of the Spirit, and having received a flock as bishop, thou wast kept incorrupt in body also for thy bodily purity by Christ the Master, who made thee the heir of Peter the wonderworker; and thou didst follow his manner of life, and Christ gave thee as a teacher to His own flock. There where thy healing relics lie they are fragrant as with sweet incense, and grant healing to the infirm who come with faith. O hierarch Jonah, pray unceasingly to Christ God for us all.

Troparion — Tone 4 (from the common of a hierarch)

A rule of faith and an image of meekness, a teacher of temperance did the truth of things show thee to thy flock; therefore thou didst gain by humility the things on high, by poverty the things that are rich: O Father and hierarch Acacius, intercede with Christ God that our souls may be saved.

Troparion — Tone 4 (from the common of martyrs)

Thy martyr Benjamin, O Lord, in his contest received an incorruptible crown from thee, our God; for possessing thy strength he cast down the tyrants and shattered the feeble insolence of the demons. By his intercessions, O Christ God, save our souls.

Troparion — Tone 4 (common of a hieromartyr)

And by thy manner of life thou didst attain unto the reward of the wise, O hieromartyr Hypatius: 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

O Father Innocent, in truth thou didst prove to be an apostle to the peoples, and a herald of the Gospel of Christ: for thou didst give thyself to the enlightening of the far-off tribes, translating for them the words of life and gathering them into the Church. Wherefore, as thou didst then labour without ceasing, so now intercede that our souls may be saved.

Troparion — Tone 3

Taking up the yoke of the Lord from thy youth, thou didst follow in His footsteps with a desire that never turned back, and didst attain the labour of the priesthood; receiving a flock as bishop, thou didst receive also from God the gift of wonders, and to those who come with faith to the shrine of thy relics thou givest unstinting healing of every sickness. O our father Jonah, hierarch of Christ, pray to Christ God to grant us great mercy.

Readings

Matins Gospel

John 10.1-9 (St Innocent)

¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ²But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. ⁴And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. ⁵And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. ⁶This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. ⁷Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

6th Hour

Isaiah 40.18-31

¹⁸To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? ¹⁹The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains. ²⁰He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved. ²¹Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? ²²It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: ²³That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. ²⁴Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. ²⁵To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. ²⁶Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. ²⁷Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? ²⁸Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. ²⁹He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. ³⁰Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: ³¹But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Vespers

Genesis 15.1-15

¹After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. ²And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? ³And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. ⁴And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. ⁵And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. ⁶And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. ⁷And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. ⁸And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? ⁹And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. ¹⁰And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. ¹¹And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. ¹²And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. ¹³And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; ¹⁴And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. ¹⁵And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

Proverbs 15.7-19

⁷The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so. ⁸The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. ⁹The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness. ¹⁰Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die. ¹¹Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men? ¹²A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise. ¹³A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. ¹⁴The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. ¹⁵All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast. ¹⁶Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith. ¹⁷Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. ¹⁸A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife. ¹⁹The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

Epistle

Hebrews 7.26-8.2 (St Innocent)

²⁶For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; ²⁷Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. ²⁸For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. ¹Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; ²A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

Gospel

John 10.9-16 (St Innocent)

⁹I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. ¹¹I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. ¹²But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. ¹³The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. ¹⁵As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.