Saturday of the Akathist to the Most-Holy Theotokos

Saints commemorated

Ven. Euthymius of Suzdal
Our Holy Mother Mary of Egypt (4th-6th c.)

Mary of Egypt (c. 344 – c. 421) is the great penitent of the Church — a woman who for seventeen years lived in unbridled licentiousness at Alexandria, was turned back from the doors of the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem by an unseen power on the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, and, struck to the heart before an icon of the Theotokos, crossed the Jordan into the wilderness, where she lived in solitary repentance for forty-seven years. Her story, told to the monk Zosimas whom she met at the end of her life, is read in full during Great Lent; she is the Church's supreme image of the power of repentance, and her memory, kept on April 1, crowns the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent.
Macarius of Pelekete

Macarius was abbot of the monastery of Pelekete on the Asian shore of the Sea of Marmara, and one of the confessors of the second Iconoclasm. An orphan of Constantinople who gave himself to the reading of Scripture and entered Pelekete as a young man, he was chosen hegumen by the brotherhood on the death of his predecessor Hilarion the New, and became famous in Bithynia as a healer and wonderworker. Under Leo V the Armenian (813–820) and Michael II the Stammerer (820–829) he refused to give up the veneration of the holy icons, was imprisoned, and was finally banished to the island of Aphousia in the Propontis, where he died about 830. The Church keeps him on April 1, the day of his repose, and again on August 18.

British Isles and Ireland

SS Caidoc and Fricor (Adrian) (7th C)
St. Agilbert, bishop of Dorchester-on-Thames (c.690)
St. Cellach, archbishop of Armagh (9th C)

Troparia & kontakia

Kontakion — Tone 3

Thou who wast once defiled with every impurity, art seen today through repentance a bride of Christ; loving the angelic life, thou dost trample down the demons with the weapon of the Cross. Wherefore, O glorious Mary, thou art shown to be a bride of the Kingdom.

Troparion — Tone 8 (common of a venerable confessor)

By a flood of tears thou didst make the barren desert fruitful, and thy longing for God brought forth fruit a hundredfold; by thy vigils thou wast a shining lamp to the world, and by thy confession of the holy images thou wast approved: O our father Macarius, pray to Christ God to save our souls.

Troparion — Tone 8

In thee, O Mother, 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 Mary, thy spirit rejoiceth with the angels.

Readings

Epistle

Hebrews 9.24-28

²⁴For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: ²⁵Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; ²⁶For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: ²⁸So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Hebrews 9.1-7 (Theotokos)

¹Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. ²For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. ³And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; ⁴Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; ⁵And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. ⁶Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. ⁷But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:

Gospel

Mark 8.27-31

²⁷And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Cæsarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? ²⁸And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. ²⁹And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. ³⁰And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. ³¹And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Luke 10.38-42, 11.27-28 (Theotokos)

³⁸Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. ⁴⁰But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. ⁴¹And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: ⁴²But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. ²⁷And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. ²⁸But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.