Saturday of the Akathist to the Most-Holy Theotokos

Fifth Saturday of Lent

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Lenten Fast — Wine and Oil are Allowed Tone 4

Great Lent, day 34 · 15 days until Pascha

About Cyprus Icon of the Mother of God →

19th century, Russian — a painted copy of the Cyprus type with border saints · Wikimedia Commons · Faithful photographic reproduction of a nineteenth-century Russian panel; public domain by age of the underlying work. Identity verified from the painted Slavonic inscription across the top of the panel, "The image of the Cyprus Most Holy Theotokos," and from the composition itself — the Theotokos enthroned with the Child, an angel on either side.

Saints commemorated

Ven. Theodore Trichinas

Theodore, called Trichinas ("the Hairy" or "the Hair-shirt Wearer"), was an ascetic of the region of Constantinople who, for love of Christ, wore only a rough garment of animal hair next to his skin throughout his life, enduring cold and hardship in the extremity of his self-denial. A great faster and man of prayer, he received the gift of wonderworking; from his relics flowed a healing myrrh that drove out demons and cured the sick, and he is honoured on April 20.
Holy Apostle Zaccheus
Anastasius of Antioch

Anastasius I, called the Sinaite, was Patriarch of Antioch in the later sixth century — a theologian and defender of Orthodoxy who withstood the emperor Justinian's late heresy of aphthartodocetism, was for this deposed and exiled for some twenty-three years, and at last restored to his throne. Learned, ascetic and steadfast, the friend and correspondent of St Gregory the Great of Rome, he governed the great see of Antioch with distinction and reposed in peace in 599. The Church of Antioch keeps him with especial honour, together with St Gregory, his successor, on April 20.

British Isles and Ireland

St. Caedwalla, King of Wessex (689)

Troparia & kontakia

Kontakion — Tone 6

Enthroned thou art shown in thine image, O Queen, with the angels standing about thee and the Word upon thine arm; the impious arrow drew blood from thee and the wound became a wonder, and to this day thou dost cleanse the eyes of them that look on thee. Wherefore we cry: hail, O thou refuge of the islands and of the Russian land.

Troparion — Tone 4 (common of an icon of the Mother of God)

Today the faithful keep radiant festival, overshadowed by thy coming, O Mother of God; and looking upon thy most pure image we cry with compunction: shelter us beneath the precious veil of thy protection, and deliver us from every evil, entreating thy Son, Christ our God, to save our souls.

Troparion — Tone 4 (common of a hierarch)

The truth of things revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, an image of meekness and a teacher of temperance; therefore thou hast achieved the heights by humility, riches by poverty. O Father and hierarch Anastasius, intercede with Christ God that our souls may be saved.

Troparion — Tone 8 (common of an ascetic)

By a flood of tears thou didst make the barren desert fruitful, and by thy sighs from the depths thou didst bear fruit a hundredfold in labours; and thou becamest a beacon, shining upon the world by thy miracles, O Theodore our father: intercede with Christ God that our souls may be saved.

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.