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Thursday 23 February 2023

Hieromartyr Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna

Cheesefare Thursday

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Fast — Meat Fast Tone 3

Pre-Lenten Triodion, day 19 · 52 days until Pascha

Saints commemorated

  • Saint of the day

    Hieromartyr Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna

    Polycarp (c. 69 – c. 155) was bishop of Smyrna, a disciple of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, and — with Ignatius of Antioch, whose friend and correspondent he was — one of the Apostolic Fathers, the generation that received the faith directly from the Apostles and carried it into the second century. He was the living link between the Apostles and the great teachers who followed: Irenaeus of Lyons, who heard him preach as a boy, remembered how Polycarp told of his converse with John "and with the others who had seen the Lord." His one surviving writing, the Letter to the Philippians, and above all the Martyrdom of Polycarp — a letter of the church of Smyrna that is the earliest detailed account of a Christian martyrdom outside the New Testament — made his memory imperishable. Brought into the arena at about eighty-six years of age, he answered the proconsul's demand that he curse Christ with the words, "Eighty-six years have I served him, and he has done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" Condemned to the fire, he was not consumed by it, and was dispatched at last with a dagger. He is kept on February 23.

  • Saint Gorgonia (372)

    Gorgonia (c. 325 – c. 372) was the elder sister of Gregory the Theologian and the daughter of the holy parents Gregory the Elder, bishop of Nazianzus, and Nonna. A married laywoman, mother, and mistress of a household, she was honoured by the Church not for martyrdom or monastic withdrawal but as a model of Christian womanhood in the world — chaste, charitable, prayerful, and steadfast — and her memory is kept almost wholly through the funeral oration her brother preached over her, one of the most affecting portraits of a Christian woman to survive from the ancient Church. Gregory tells how she brought her husband and her whole house to baptism, how she was healed of a grievous injury and a mortal sickness by prayer at the holy altar, and how she foresaw her own falling-asleep and died in peace with a verse of the Psalms on her lips. She is commemorated on February 23.

  • Our Venerable Father Alexander the Unsleeping (430)

    Alexander the Sleepless (c. 350 – c. 430) was the founder of the Acoemetae (Greek Ἀκοίμητοι, "the Unsleeping" or "Sleepless Ones"), the monks who kept the praise of God unceasing day and night, dividing themselves into relays of choirs so that the Divine Office was never once silent in their churches — a literal enactment of the Apostle's command to "pray without ceasing." Born in Asia and educated at Constantinople, he abandoned a promising secular career for the Syrian desert, gave away all he had, and after years as a solitary conceived the discipline of perpetual psalmody that would make his name. Restless, uncompromising, and often at odds with the settled authorities of Church and city, he led a wandering band of ascetics through Syria and Mesopotamia before founding his monastery near Constantinople; driven out and persecuted, he died at Gomon on the Bosporus about the year 430. His community became one of the most famous of the Byzantine world and supplied the first monks of the great Monastery of Stoudios. He is commemorated on February 23.

  • Damian of Esphigmenou

    Damian (thirteenth century, † c. 1280) was a hesychast of the Monastery of Esphigmenou on Mount Athos, a disciple of the elder Cosmas who, after his teacher's repose, withdrew to the neighbouring wilderness of Mount Samareia and there passed his life in stillness, prayer, and extreme asceticism. He is honoured among the venerable fathers of the Holy Mountain, and the tradition tells that at his death a sweet fragrance filled the region for many days as a sign of his sanctity. He is commemorated on February 23.

  • The Syrian Desert Ascetics

    On February 23 the Church commemorates a group of ascetics of the Syrian desert of the fifth century — John, Antiochus, Antoninus, Moses, Zebinas, Polychronius, Moses the Second, and Damian — hermits and mountain-dwellers of the region of Antioch and Cyrrhus whose memory is preserved chiefly through the Religious History (the Philotheos Historia) of Theodoret, bishop of Cyrrhus, the great chronicler of Syrian monasticism, who knew several of them himself. They belong to the golden age of the Syrian ascetic movement — the age of the stylites and the mountain solitaries — and are honoured together as labourers in the same desert and the same discipline of prayer, standing vigil, and severe abstinence. Of Antiochian and Syriac note, they are commemorated as a company on February 23.

British Isles and Ireland

  • St. Jurmin of East Anglia, confessor (7th C)
  • St. Milburgh, abbess of Wenlock (7th C)
  • St. Boswell, abbot of Melrose (c.661)

Troparia & kontakia

Kontakion — Tone 1

Offering to the Lord the fruits of the reason through thy godly virtues, O wise Polycarp, thou wast shown forth worthy of God, O blessed hierarch; wherefore today we who have been enlightened by thy words hymn thy praiseworthy memory, glorifying the Lord.

Troparion — Tone 8 (from the common of a venerable father)

In thee, O Father, was the divine image kept secure; for taking up thy cross thou didst follow Christ, and by thy deeds thou didst teach us to despise the flesh, for it passes away, but to care for the soul, a thing immortal. Therefore doth thy spirit rejoice with the Angels, O venerable Alexander.

Troparion — Tone 8 (from the common of a venerable father)

In thee, O Father, was the divine image kept secure; for taking up thy cross thou didst follow Christ, and by thy deeds thou didst teach us to despise the flesh, for it passes away, but to care for the soul, a thing immortal. Therefore doth thy spirit rejoice with the Angels, O venerable Damian.

Troparion — Tone 4

A partaker of the ways of the Apostles and a successor to their thrones, O God-inspired one, thou didst find in the active life an ascent to divine vision; wherefore, rightly dividing the word of truth, thou didst contend for the faith even unto blood, O Hieromartyr Polycarp. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

Troparion — Tone 4 (from the common of the holy Fathers)

O God of our Fathers, who ever dealest with us according to thy forbearance: take not thy mercy from us, but by their supplications guide our life in peace.

Readings

Epistle

Jude 11-25

11Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 12These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. 14And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. 17But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Gospel

Luke 23.2-34, 44-56

2And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. 3And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. 4Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. 5And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. 6When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilæan. 7And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. 8And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. 9Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. 10And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. 11And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. 12And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves. 13And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: 15No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. 16I will therefore chastise him, and release him. 17(For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) 18And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: 19(Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) 20Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. 21But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. 22And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. 23And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. 24And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. 25And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will. 26And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. 27And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. 28But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. 30Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. 31For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? 32And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. 33And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. 44And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. 46And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. 47Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. 48And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. 49And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things. 50And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: 51(The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathæa, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. 52This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. 53And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. 54And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. 55And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. 56And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.