Pentecost week, day 1 · 49 days since Pascha
Holy Pentecost
Saints commemorated
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Trans. Rel. Theodore Stratelates
Theodore Stratelates (†319) — "the Commander," from the Greek stratelates, a general — was a Roman military officer of the early fourth century, governor and garrison-commander of Heraclea on the Thracian coast of the Black Sea, and one of the two great warrior-martyrs named Theodore whom the Church honours. A Christian in the years of Licinius's persecution, he was so loved by the city that the emperor himself came to him; entrusted with idols of gold and silver to offer in sacrifice, Theodore broke them up and distributed the pieces to the poor, then openly confessed Christ. He was scourged, racked, blinded, and — the tradition holds — crucified, and at the last beheaded on February 8, 319. His faithful servant Varus wrote down the acts of his passion. He is closely associated with, and in the calendars and iconography often paired with, Theodore the Recruit (Tyron), commemorated on February 17; the two Theodores are distinct saints. His relics were translated to his estate at Euchaita, kept as a second feast on June 8.
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St Ephraim, Patriarch of Antioch (545)
Ephraim, a Syrian of Amida, was the imperial Count of the East (comes Orientis) under Anastasius and Justin — a soldier and administrator famous for his charity — when the great earthquake of 526 levelled Antioch and killed its patriarch. Sent back to rebuild the ruined city, he was raised from the lay state to its vacant throne in 527, and governed the see of Peter for eighteen years, until his repose in 545. He was among the firmest defenders of the Council of Chalcedon in the East, touring Syria and Mesopotamia to recover the non-Chalcedonian communities, presiding over the synod that condemned the writings of Severus of Antioch, and subscribing the condemnation of Origen in 543. The synaxarion remembers him above all for the trial by fire in which he met a heretical stylite: the pyre burnt three hours, and the patriarch's omophorion was drawn out of the ashes unharmed.
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Our Holy Mother Melania the Elder (410)
Melania the Elder (c. 350 – c. 410) was a Roman noblewoman, widowed at twenty-two, who took ship for Egypt in the reign of Valens, spent half a year among the fathers of Nitria, followed the exiled Orthodox monks into Palestine disguised as a slave-girl to serve them, and then settled for twenty-seven years on the Mount of Olives, where with Rufinus of Aquileia she governed a house of fifty virgins and a companion monastery of men and kept open house for every pilgrim who came to Jerusalem. She was the friend of Evagrius of Pontus and Palladius, the teacher of Olympias, and a reader of Origen on a scale that astonished her contemporaries — which drew on her the anger of Jerome and set her at the centre of the first Origenist controversy. Returning to Rome in old age she carried her granddaughter Melania the Younger and half her kindred out of the world before the Gothic sack; she reposed at Jerusalem forty days after her final arrival, about the year 410.
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St Zosimas, monk, of Phoenicia (Syria) (6th c.)
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Kalliope
Kalliope was a Christian maiden of the middle of the third century, in the reign of Decius, remarkable — as her name says — for beauty, and no less for the gifts of mind and soul she gave wholly to Christ. She refused every offer of marriage, taught the word of God, and spent herself on the care of the sick and the comforting of the afflicted. Taken in Decius' persecution and brought before the local governor, she met first his flatteries and promises and then his fury: she was scourged without mercy, scored with knives, her wounds burned, and at last beheaded. The Greek synaxarion sums her up in a couplet: overlooking the beauties of things made, she was granted the sight of the beauty of the Maker.
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Naucratius
Naucratius was the second son of Basil the Elder and Emmelia, and so the brother of Basil the Great, Macrina the Younger, Gregory of Nyssa and Peter of Sebaste. Brilliantly gifted and already launched on a career at the bar, he abandoned it at twenty-one for a hermitage in the forests by the river Iris in Pontus, where he lived five years in extreme austerity with a single servant, Chrysapius, hunting and fishing not for himself but to feed a company of poor and sick old men whom he had taken into his care. He died suddenly, still in his twenties, about the year 357 — the death whose news, in Gregory of Nyssa's telling, became the occasion of his sister Macrina's greatest act of courage. The Greek synaxarion keeps him on June 8, with the note that his identity is not certain.
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Theodore of Rostov and Suzdal
Theodore, a Greek by birth, was consecrated in 991 or 992 — within a few years of the baptism of Rus' — as the first bishop of Rostov, and so the first hierarch sent into the wholly pagan forest country of the upper Volga and the Kliazma. The Merya and Slav population of Rostov would not receive him and drove him out; he withdrew to Suzdal, where his preaching took root, and there he baptised and taught until his repose in 1023. He is honoured as the founder of the see that Leontius, Isaiah and Ignatius afterwards made famous, as the enlightener of the Suzdal land, and — because his body was found incorrupt — as a wonderworker. His relics rest in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos at Suzdal.
British Isles and Ireland
- St. Bron, bishop of Cassel-Irra (c.511)
- St. Levan (6th C)
- St. Muirchu (7th C)
- St. Syra (7th C)
Troparia & kontakia
Apolytikion — Tone 8
Blessed art thou, O Christ our God, who hast shown forth the fishermen as all-wise, sending down upon them the Holy Spirit, and through them taking the whole world in thy net. O Lover of mankind, glory to thee.
Kontakion — Tone 8
When the Most High came down and confounded the tongues, he divided the nations; when he distributed the tongues of fire, he called all men into unity; and with one accord we glorify the all-holy Spirit.
Kontakion — Tone 4
Raised from the ranks of the world to the throne of Antioch, thou didst rebuild the fallen city and the fallen faith together, O wise Ephraim; and laying thy omophorion in the fire thou didst put the pride of heresy to shame. Wherefore we honour thy holy memory, and glorify the Lord who glorified thee.
Kontakion — Tone 4
The judge desired thy beauty and offered thee the world, but thou didst pour out thy blood for the Bridegroom whom thou hadst loved from thy youth, O Kalliope; and cut with knives and burned with fire, thou wast beheaded rejoicing. Wherefore we keep thy holy memory, and glorify the Lord who crowned thee.
Kontakion — Tone 4
Forsaking the wealth and the glory of Rome as a burden, thou didst put on the dress of a slave to serve the confessors in their exile, and upon the Mount of Olives thou didst gather a lamp-stand of virgins; O Mother Melania, thou didst keep open house for the whole Church, entreat Christ God that our souls may be saved.
Kontakion — Tone 2
Leaving the courts and the honours of the world in thy youth, thou didst hide thyself in the forests of the Iris, and what thy hands took from the waters thou gavest to the aged poor, O blessed Naucratius; wherefore, taken swiftly to God, thou didst leave to thy house an example of mercy.
Kontakion — Tone 4
Sent as the first shepherd into a land that knew not Christ, thou wast driven from Rostov and didst not turn back, but at Suzdal thou didst raise up a people to God; wherefore thy body was kept incorrupt, O hierarch Theodore, and we bless thy first labours in the north.
Kontakion — Tone 2
Having armed thy soul with faith through courage, and wielding the word of God as a spear, thou didst strike down the enemy, O Theodore, glory of the martyrs. With them cease thou never to intercede with Christ our God on behalf of us all.
Magnification
We magnify thee, O passion-bearer and holy Great-Martyr Theodore, and we honour thy precious sufferings, which thou didst endure for Christ.
Megalynarion — Tone 7
O Mother who hast not known man, Virgin Theotokos, who didst conceive without experience of corruption and didst lend flesh to the all-fashioning Word; vessel of him whom nothing can contain, place of thine own uncircumscribed Maker: thee do we magnify.
Oikos
Give swift and steadfast consolation to thy servants, O Jesus, when our spirits grow listless. Be not parted from our souls in afflictions, be not far from our minds in adversities, but come to us always before we call. Draw near to us, draw near, thou who art everywhere; and as thou wast ever with thine apostles, so unite thyself to those who long for thee, O compassionate one, that being joined to thee we may hymn and glorify thine all-holy Spirit.
Synaxarion
Overlooking the beauties of the things that are made, thou lookest, O Kalliope, on the beauties of the Maker.
Troparion — Tone 4 (common of a hierarch)
O guide of Orthodoxy, teacher of piety and holiness, luminary of the whole world, God-inspired adornment of hierarchs: by thy teachings thou hast enlightened all, O harp of the Spirit. O righteous father Ephraim, intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.
Troparion — Tone 4 (common of a woman martyr)
Thy lamb Kalliope crieth out to Thee with a great voice, O Jesus: I love Thee, O my Bridegroom, and seeking Thee I contend; I am crucified and buried with Thee in Thy baptism, 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 in love. By her intercessions, as Thou art merciful, save our souls.
Troparion — Tone 8 (common of a venerable woman)
In thee, O Mother, was the image of God preserved with exactness; for thou didst take up the Cross and follow 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. Therefore doth thy spirit, O venerable Melania, rejoice together with the Angels.
Troparion — Tone 8 (common of a venerable ascetic)
In thee, O Father, was the image of God preserved with exactness; for thou didst take up the Cross and follow 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. Therefore doth thy spirit, O venerable Naucratius, rejoice together with the Angels.
Troparion — Tone 4 (common of a hierarch)
O guide of Orthodoxy, teacher of piety and holiness, luminary of the whole world, God-inspired adornment of hierarchs: by thy teachings thou hast enlightened all, O harp of the Spirit. O righteous father Theodore, intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.
Troparion — Tone 4
By true enlistment in the army of the heavenly King thou didst become his most comely commander, O Theodore; for with the weapons of faith thou didst wisely array thyself for battle and didst utterly rout the hordes of the demons, and wast shown to be a victory-bearing champion. Wherefore with faith we ever call thee blessed.
Readings
Vespers
Numbers 11.16-17, 24-29
16And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. 17And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. 24And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. 25And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. 26But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. 27And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. 28And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. 29And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’s people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!
Joel 2.23-32
23Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. 24And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. 25And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. 26And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. 27And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. 28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. 32And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
Ezekiel 36.24-28
24For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Matins Gospel
John 20.19-23
19Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Epistle
Acts 2.1-11
1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilæans? 8And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judæa, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
Gospel
John 7.37-52, 8.12
37In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) 40Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. 41Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? 42Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? 43So there was a division among the people because of him. 44And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. 45Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? 46The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. 47Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? 48Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? 49But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. 50Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) 51Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? 52They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. 12Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.