Memorial Saturday

Saints commemorated

Hieromartyr Mark, Bishop of Anthusa

Mark, bishop of Arethusa in Syria, and Cyril, a deacon of Heliopolis, were confessors who suffered cruelly under Julian the Apostate. Mark, an aged bishop who in the days of Constantine had destroyed a pagan temple and built a church, was seized when Julian sought to restore paganism, and was tortured with such savagery — smeared with honey and hung up in the sun to be stung by wasps and bees — that his very persecutors were shamed by his endurance; Cyril, who had broken idols, was likewise martyred. Their steadfastness is recorded by Gregory the Theologian and the church historians.
Our Holy Father John the Hermit (4th c.)
Jonah and Barachisius

Jonah and Barachisius were brothers and monks of Persia who, during the long persecution of the Christians under the Sassanid king Shapur II, went to encourage a company of Christians condemned for the faith, and were themselves seized and put to death with terrible tortures about the year 327. They are among the great host of the Persian martyrs whose sufferings in the fourth century rivalled those of the early Church under Rome.

British Isles and Ireland

St. Gladys and St. Gwynllyn, parents of St. Cadoc (6th C)
St. Lasar, niece of St. Forchera (6th C)

Troparia & kontakia

Troparion — Tone 4 (common of two martyrs)

Thy martyrs, O Lord, in their sufferings received incorruptible crowns from Thee, our God; for possessing Thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and shattered the feeble insolence of the demons. By their intercessions save our souls.

Troparion — Tone 4 (common of a hieromartyr)

And by thy manner of life thou didst attain unto the reward of the wise, O hieromartyr Mark: for by teaching well thou hast gained the talents entrusted to thee; thou wast not silent in the midst of trials, but didst offer thyself unto suffering for Christ. Wherefore, intercede with Him that our souls may be saved.

Readings

Epistle

Hebrews 6.9-12

⁹But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. ¹⁰For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. ¹¹And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: ¹²That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

1 Corinthians 15.47-57 (Departed)

⁴⁷The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. ⁴⁹And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. ⁵⁰Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵²In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. ⁵⁵O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? ⁵⁶The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel

Mark 7.31-37

³¹And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. ³²And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. ³³And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; ³⁴And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. ³⁵And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. ³⁶And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; ³⁷And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

John 5.24-30 (Departed)

²⁴Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. ²⁵Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. ²⁶For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; ²⁷And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. ²⁸Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, ²⁹And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. ³⁰I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.