Thursday 13 June 2024
Ascension of the Lord
The Ascension of our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ
Ascensiontide, day 1 · 39 days since Pascha
Ascension of the Lord
Saints commemorated
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Martyr Aquilina of Byblos
Aquilina of Byblos (c. 281–293) is the girl-martyr of Phoenicia: a Christian child of Byblos, the ancient coastal city that is the modern Jbeil in Lebanon, who at the age of twelve was denounced for having persuaded a pagan schoolfellow to believe in Christ. Brought before the governor Volusian, she refused every flattery and every threat, answering that the more she suffered the more strength the Lord invisibly gave her; she was beaten and had heated iron rods driven through her ears, and was cast out of the city for dead. Raised by an angel and returning to confess Christ a second time before the same tribunal, she was sentenced to beheading and gave up her soul in prayer before the sword could fall, in the year 293. Her tomb outside Byblos became a place of healings, and her relics were afterwards carried to Constantinople.
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Saint Triphyllius, bishop of Leucosia (Nicosia) in Cyprus (370)
Triphyllius (†c. 370) was Bishop of Leucosia — ancient Ledra, the modern Nicosia — in Cyprus, and the best-known disciple of Spyridon of Trimythous. Born at Constantinople and trained in law and rhetoric at Berytus (Beirut), he was by St Jerome's reckoning the most eloquent writer of his generation and the author of a commentary on the Song of Songs, now lost; yet he attached himself for a master not to a scholar but to the unlettered shepherd-bishop Spyridon, and the two stories the tradition tells best about him are both stories of Spyridon correcting his learning — the healing of the sick emperor, at which Triphyllius was recognised together with his teacher, and the rebuke in synod when he improved the Gospel's plain word for a sick man's bed. He founded a monastery at Leucosia out of his mother's inheritance, is counted among the Cypriot bishops at the Council of Sardica, and reposed in old age about the year 370.
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St Anna and her son John (5h c.)
Anna and her son John were ninth-century ascetics of Constantinople and Bithynia. Anna was the daughter of a deacon of the church of the Blachernae in the capital; widowed young, she cut her hair, put on a man's habit, took the name Euthymianus, and went with her son to live the monastic life in one of the monasteries on Mount Olympus in Bithynia, where the two of them were received as father and son. She belongs to the small and much-loved company of Byzantine holy women who lived hidden in men's monasteries under a man's name. She returned at length to Constantinople, and there reposed in the year 826. Her memory — and her son's with hers — is kept twice in the year, principally on June 13 and again on October 29.
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Andronicus of Moscow
Andronicus (†1404) was a native of Rostov, a disciple of Sergius of Radonezh, and the first abbot of the Monastery of the Saviour on the Yauza at Moscow — the house that took his own name and is known to this day as the Andronikov Monastery. It was founded by St Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow, in fulfilment of a vow made when he was delivered from a storm at sea on the voyage home from Constantinople, and completed about 1361; Alexis set Andronicus over it, and Sergius came to see his disciple there. Under Andronicus the monastery became a place of severe fasting and of unusual humility, and — as it proved — the nursery of the greatest school of icon-painting in Russia: his own disciples Sabbas and Alexander were remembered a century later for their skill, and it was in this house that Andrei Rublev and Daniel the Black were monks. In extreme old age Andronicus resigned the abbacy to Sabbas and withdrew into silence, and he reposed in 1404 and was buried in the monastery church, where his relics were identified again in 1993. The Church keeps him on June 13.
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Antipater of Bostra
Antipater was Bishop — properly Metropolitan — of Bostra, the capital of the Roman province of Arabia and one of the great metropolitan sees of the Patriarchate of Antioch, in the second half of the fifth century. He is one of the very few saints of the calendar who is remembered for a book: his Refutation of the Apology for Origen answered the defence of Origen composed by Pamphilus and Eusebius of Caesarea, and set out against the Origenist system — the pre-existence of souls, the final restoration of all things, the allegorising away of the Genesis creation — with a precision that later generations found useful. The work was ordered to be read in the Eastern churches during the Origenist crisis of Justinian's reign, and the Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 cited him as an authority; it is now lost apart from the fragments preserved in those conciliar acts. He also wrote against the Apollinarians, and a small body of his homilies survives. His life is not recounted in the Synaxaristes: what the Church keeps of him on June 13 is a name, a see, and a body of teaching.
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Antonina of Nicaea
Antonina of Nicaea (†c. 302) was a Christian woman of Nicaea in Bithynia who suffered martyrdom in the persecutions of the late third and early fourth centuries. Arrested for her confession of Christ and brought before the governor, she refused every inducement and threat to sacrifice to the idols; she was subjected to a succession of savage tortures — the rack, fire, and imprisonment — which she endured with unshaken constancy, and at last was put to death. The Church honours her among the martyrs of Nicaea and keeps her memory on March 1.
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Sabbas of Moscow
Sabbas (†1410) was the disciple of Andronicus of Moscow and the second abbot of the Monastery of the Saviour on the Yauza — the Andronikov monastery — succeeding his teacher in 1395, when Andronicus in extreme old age laid down the government of the house and withdrew into silence. He is one of the two disciples named by St Joseph of Volokolamsk — Sabbas and Alexander — for the virtue and the skill in icon-painting for which that monastery became famous, and he governed it through the years in which Andrei Rublev and Daniel the Black were its monks. He reposed in 1410 and was buried in the monastery church beside Andronicus; the two burials were identified together in the excavations of 1993. The Church keeps him on June 13, with his teacher.
British Isles and Ireland
- St. Damhnade of Cavan
Troparia & kontakia
Apolytikion — Tone 4
Thou wast taken up in glory, O Christ our God, and didst gladden thy disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit; and by the blessing they were made certain that thou art the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.
Apolytikion — Tone 8 (common of a venerable father)
By a flood of tears thou didst make the barren desert fruitful, and thy longing for God brought forth fruit in abundance by the labour of thy sighs a hundredfold; and thou didst become a shining lamp, illumining the world by thy miracles, O Andronicus our father. Intercede with Christ God that our souls may be saved.
Apolytikion — Tone 8 (common of a woman monastic-saint)
In thee, O mother, was preserved unimpaired that which is according to the image of God; for taking up the cross, thou didst follow Christ, and by thy deeds thou hast taught us to despise the flesh, which passeth away, and to care rather for the soul, a thing immortal. Wherefore, O venerable Anna, thy spirit rejoiceth with the angels.
Apolytikion — Tone 4 (common of a hierarch)
O God of our fathers, who dealest with us ever according to Thy gentleness: take not Thy mercy from us, but by the prayers of Thy hierarch Antipater, guide our life in peace.
Apolytikion — Tone 4 (common of a woman martyr)
Thy lamb Aquilina crieth out to Thee with a great voice, O Jesus: I love Thee, O my Bridegroom, and seeking Thee I contend, and I am crucified and buried together with Thee in Thy baptism; I suffer for Thy sake, that I may reign with Thee; I die for Thee, that I may live in Thee. Receive me as a spotless sacrifice, offered to Thee in love. By her intercessions, O merciful One, save our souls.
Apolytikion — Tone 8 (common of a venerable father)
By a flood of tears thou didst make the barren desert fruitful, and thy longing for God brought forth fruit in abundance by the labour of thy sighs a hundredfold; and thou didst become a shining lamp, illumining the world by thy miracles, O Sabbas our father. Intercede with Christ God that our souls may be saved.
Apolytikion — Tone 4 (common of a hierarch)
O God of our fathers, who dealest with us ever according to Thy gentleness: take not Thy mercy from us, but by the prayers of Thy hierarch Triphyllius, guide our life in peace.
Exapostilarion — Tone 2 (sung three times)
Before the eyes of thy disciples thou wast taken up, O Christ, to be enthroned together with the Father; and the angels running on before thee cried aloud: Lift up the gates, lift them up, for the King has gone up to the glory that is the source of light.
Kontakion — Tone 6
Having fulfilled the dispensation for our sake, and united the things of earth with the things of heaven, thou wast taken up in glory, O Christ our God, in no way parted from us, but remaining inseparable and crying to those who love thee: I am with you, and no one is against you. Leaving on earth the things of earth, and yielding the ashes to the dust, come, let us wake and lift up our eyes and our thoughts on high; let us mortals send our sight and our senses together flying toward the gates of heaven; let us reckon that we are on the Mount of Olives and are gazing upon the Redeemer as he is borne upon a cloud.
Kontakion — Tone 2 (common of a virgin martyr)
Thou didst offer to Christ the first-fruits of thy years, O maiden, and the purity of a body untouched; and being a child in age thou wast found perfect in confession, and didst tread down the pride of the tyrant. Wherefore we cry to thee: rejoice, O Aquilina, bride of the Lord.
The
O Lord, having in thy goodness fulfilled the mystery hidden from the ages and from the generations, thou didst come with thy disciples to the Mount of Olives, having with thee her who bore thee, the Maker and Fashioner of all things; for she who as a mother grieved above all others in thy Passion had also to enjoy the surpassing joy of the glorifying of thy flesh — in which we too, sharing it, glorify at thine ascent into the heavens, O Master, thy great mercy that has come upon us.
Troparion — Tone 4
Thy ewe-lamb, O Jesus, crieth out with a loud voice: "Thee, my Bridegroom, do I long for, and seeking Thee I contend; I am crucified and buried with Thee, and I suffer for Thy sake, that I may reign with Thee; I die for Thee, that I may live in Thee: receive me as an unblemished sacrifice offered to Thee with love." At her intercessions, O Merciful One, save our souls.
Readings
Vespers
Isaiah 2.2-3
2And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Composite 21 - Isaiah 62.10-63.3, 7-9
1Thus says the Lord: Walk, go through my gates; prepare my way and make a way for my people, and cast the stones out of the way; raise up a standard for the nations. For see, the Lord has made it heard to the ends of the earth: Say to the daughter of Sion: See, your Saviour has come, and his reward is with him, and his work before his face. And he will call it a holy people, redeemed by the Lord; while you will be called a city sought after, and not forsaken. Who is this who comes from Edom, the scarlet of his garments from Bosor, thus beautiful in his apparel? He cries out with much strength. I reason of justice and judgement of salvation. Why are your garments red, and your clothing as from a trodden winepress? I am full of the trodden grape; I have trampled the winepress quite alone, and no man from the nations was with me. I have remembered the mercy of the Lord, I will recall the Lord’s virtues, the Lord’s praise for all the things with which He rewards us. The Lord is a good judge for the house of Israel; he deals with us according to his mercy and according to the multitude of his justice. And he said: Are you not my people? Children will surely not be rebellious; and he became for them salvation out of their every distress. It was not an emissary, not an Angel, but the Lord himself saved them because he loved them and spared them. He redeemed them and took them up and exalted them all the days of the age.
Composite 22 - Zechariah 14.1, 4, 8-11
1Thus says the Lord: See, the day of the Lord is coming, and on that day his feet will stand upon the mount of Olives, opposite Jerusalem, where the sun rises. And on that day living water will come out from Jerusalem, half towards the first sea and half towards the last sea; in spring and in summer it shall be so; and the Lord will be for a King over all the earth; in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name, compassing all the earth and the wilderness from Gabaa as far as Remmon, south of Jerusalem; and he shall be exalted and remain on his place from the gate of Benjamin as far as the place of the first gate, as far as the gate of Gomor and as far as the tower of Anameël and as far as the tower of the corners and as far as the king’s winepresses; they shall dwell in it and there shall be no more curse and Jerusalem shall dwell confidently.
Matins Gospel
Mark 16.9-20
9Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. 10And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. 12After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 13And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. 14Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Epistle
Acts 1.1-12
1The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 12Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.
Gospel
Luke 24.36-53
36And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. 41And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43And he took it, and did eat before them. 44And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48And ye are witnesses of these things. 49And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. 50And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 52And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: 53And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.