Thursday 30 October 2025

Hieromartyr Zenobius and His Sister Zenobia

Thursday of the 21st week after Pentecost

No Fast Tone 3

Saints commemorated

  • Saint of the day

    Hieromartyr Zenobius and His Sister Zenobia

    Zenobius, bishop of Aegae in Cilicia, and his sister Zenobia were a brother and sister of a wealthy Christian family who gave away their inheritance to the poor and were glorified together in martyrdom around the year 285. A physician graced with the gift of healing, Zenobius was made bishop of his native city and was among the first seized when persecution broke out; when his sister saw him tortured she came forward and confessed Christ of her own accord, and the two were beheaded together after enduring the cross, the red-hot iron bed, and the boiling cauldron. They are commemorated on October 30, their joint feast keeping the memory of a family sanctified as a single company of witnesses.

  • Holy Apostle Cleopas

  • St Joseph I, Patriarch of Constantinople (1283)

  • Holy Martyr Hermengild, Prince of the Visigoths (486)

  • Holy Hieromartyr John Kochurov, First Hieromartyr of the Russian Revolution (1917)

  • Marcian of Syracuse

    Marcian, the first bishop of Syracuse in Sicily, is venerated as a disciple of the Apostle Peter sent to preach in the West, and as a hieromartyr of the apostolic age. The tradition places his labours in a cave near Syracuse, from which he spread the faith through the island, and records that he died a martyr; his relics are kept at Gaeta on the Italian mainland. He is commemorated on October 30 and is identified in the received calendars with the "Marcellus, bishop of Sicily" honoured on February 9.

  • Mark of Apollonias

    Mark of Apollonias — the apostle of the Seventy whom the New Testament names as "the cousin of Barnabas" (Colossians 4:10) — is counted by the Byzantine tradition among the Seventy and made bishop of Apollonias. He is commemorated on October 30 together with the apostles Tertius, Justus and Artemas of the Seventy, and with all the Seventy on January 4. He is one of the three apostles named Mark whom the synaxaria carefully distinguish — Mark the Evangelist (April 25), Mark "also called John," bishop of Byblos (September 27), and this Mark, bishop of Apollonias — while much of the source tradition, and modern scholarship, tangles the three together.

  • Tertius, Mark, Justus and Artemas of the Seventy

    Tertius, Mark, Justus and Artemas were four apostles of the Seventy whom the Byzantine calendar commemorates together on October 30. Tertius, the scribe to whom Paul dictated the Epistle to the Romans, became second bishop of Iconium and died a martyr; Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, was bishop of Apollonias; Justus, called Barsabbas, was the candidate set beside Matthias to fill the place of Judas and later a martyred bishop of Eleutheropolis; and Artemas, the companion Paul thought to send to Titus, was bishop of Lystra and reposed in peace. Each is named in the New Testament; the Church keeps their joint memory among the Seventy sent out by the Lord.

British Isles and Ireland

  • St. Ethelnoth the Good, 31st archbishop of Canterbury (1038)
  • Virgin-martyr Arilda of Gloucestershire
  • St. Talarican, Pictish bishop (6th C)

Troparia & kontakia

Kontakion — Tone 4

Let us honour the two martyrs of the truth and heralds of true worship, the pair of kindred — Zenobius together with the venerable Zenobia — who lived their life as one and through martyrdom obtained an incorruptible crown.

Troparion — Tone 4

Sharing the way of life of the apostles and having succeeded to their throne, you found in action, O God-inspired one, an ascent to divine vision; therefore, rightly dividing the word of truth, you contested for the faith even unto blood, O hieromartyr Marcian. Intercede with Christ God for the salvation of our souls.

Troparion — Tone 3

Holy apostles, intercede with the merciful God, that he may grant our souls forgiveness of offences.

Troparion — Tone 3

Holy apostles, intercede with the merciful God, that he may grant our souls forgiveness of offences.

Troparion — Tone 4

Your martyrs, O Lord, in their contest received incorruptible crowns from you, our God; for possessed of your might, they cast down the tyrants and broke the feeble insolence of demons. By their intercessions, O Christ God, save our souls.

Readings

Epistle

Colossians 1.24-29

24Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: 25Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; 26Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 29Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Gospel

Luke 11.14-23

14And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. 15But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. 18If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 19And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 20But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 21When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. 23He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.