Great Lent, day 14 · 35 days until Pascha
St Gregory Palamas
Saints commemorated
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Ven. Hilarion the New
Hilarion, called "the New" to distinguish him from Hilarion the Great, was abbot of the monastery of Pelekete near the Hellespont in the eighth century, a wonderworker and an iconodule confessor who suffered under the persecuting emperor Constantine V Copronymus. He is honoured among the venerable confessors of the second Iconoclasm.
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Repose of Gerontissa Gavrilia (1992) (March 15 OC)
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Antony of the Kiev Caves
Antony of the Kiev Caves (983–1073) is the father of monasticism in the land of Rus'. Born at Liubech near Chernigov and baptised Antipas, he went as a young man to Mount Athos, was tonsured there, and was sent back by his abbot with the word that he should carry the Holy Mountain's way of life to his own people. Settling in a cave dug in the wooded hill above the Dnieper at Berestovo, he lived on bread and water and drew disciples he had not sought; from that hole in the earth grew the Monastery of the Caves, the mother-house of Russian and Ukrainian monasticism, whose second founder and organiser was his disciple Theodosius. Antony himself never governed it: he appointed abbots and withdrew again into seclusion, and to the end preferred the cave to the church he had caused to be built. He reposed in 1073, and by a providence the tradition has never tried to explain away, his relics have never been uncovered.
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Gregory Palamas
Gregory Palamas (c. 1296–1359), Archbishop of Thessalonica, is the great theologian of the Orthodox spiritual tradition and the defender of the hesychasts — the monks of Mount Athos who, in stillness and unceasing prayer, were granted to behold the uncreated light of God. When the Calabrian philosopher Barlaam derided their experience and denied that the divine light was anything but a created symbol, Gregory answered with the distinction that would become dogma: God is utterly unknowable in his essence, yet truly known and truly partaken in his uncreated energies — the same grace and glory that shone from Christ on Tabor and dwells in the saints. His theology was vindicated by a succession of councils at Constantinople, definitively in 1351, and the Church honours him twice: on November 14, the day of his repose, and on the Second Sunday of Great Lent, where his triumph stands as a "second Sunday of Orthodoxy." He is one of several saints named Gregory, to be distinguished from Gregory the Illuminator of Armenia (September 30), and from the Theologian, the Dialogist, and Gregory of Nyssa.
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Stephen the Wonderworker
Stephen was a monk and abbot of the monastery of Triglia (or, in some notices, of the Chenolakkos community), a wonderworker who confessed the veneration of the holy icons during the Iconoclast persecution and reposed in peace after much affliction. He is honoured among the venerable confessors of the day of Hilarion of Pelekete.
British Isles and Ireland
- St. Tuathal of Saint-Gall (640)
Troparia & kontakia
Kontakion — Tone 8
Having offered thyself to God, whom thou didst love above all from thy youth, O venerable one, thou didst choose to follow Him with thy whole soul before all things else, and counting the beauties of the world as nothing, thou didst make thee a cave in the earth, and struggling well therein against the devices of the unseen enemies, thou didst shine upon all the land of Rus' like the sun in its splendour. Wherefore, standing now with boldness before Christ God, pray for thy flock, O father, and for all who come to thee, that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, O Antony our father.
Kontakion — Tone 8
The holy and divine instrument of wisdom, the clear-sounding trumpet of theology, we hymn thee with one accord, O God-inspired Gregory. But as a mind that stands before the primal Mind, guide our mind unto Him, O father, that we may cry: Rejoice, O herald of grace.
Troparion — Tone 4
Having gone forth from the tumult of the world, and having followed Christ after the manner of the Gospel by the renunciation of all things, thou didst live a life like the angels' and didst come to the quiet haven of the Holy Mountain of Athos; and thence, with the blessing of the fathers, thou camest to the hill of Kiev, and finishing thy course there in labour, thou didst enlighten thy fatherland, and having shown to a multitude of monastics the path that leads to the Kingdom of heaven, thou didst bring them to Christ. Him do thou entreat, O venerable Antony, that He may save our souls.
Troparion — Tone 8
O luminary of Orthodoxy, support and teacher of the Church, adornment of monastics, invincible champion of theologians, O Gregory the Wonderworker, boast of Thessalonica, herald of grace: ever intercede that our souls be saved.
Troparion — Tone 8 (common of a venerable confessor)
In thee, O Father, was preserved unimpaired that which is according to God's image; for taking up the Cross thou didst follow after Christ, and by thy deeds thou didst teach us to despise the flesh, for it passeth away, but to care for the soul, a thing immortal. Wherefore, O venerable Hilarion, thy spirit rejoiceth with the angels.
Troparion — Tone 8 (common of a venerable confessor)
In thee, O Father, was preserved unimpaired that which is according to God's image; for taking up the Cross thou didst follow after Christ, and by thy deeds thou didst teach us to despise the flesh, for it passeth away, but to care for the soul, a thing immortal. Wherefore, O venerable Stephen, thy spirit rejoiceth with the angels.
Readings
9th Matins Gospel
John 20.19-31
19Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 24But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 30And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Epistle
Hebrews 1.10-2.3
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. 13But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 14Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? 1Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Hebrews 7.26-8.2 (St Gregory)
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
Mark 2.1-12
1And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. 2And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. 3And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. 6But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 9Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? 10But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 11I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. 12And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
John 10.9-16 (St Gregory)
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.