Monk Martyr and Confessor Stephen the New

Saints commemorated

Saint of the day

Monk Martyr and Confessor Stephen the New

Stephen the New (c. 715–764) was the foremost martyr of the second period of iconoclasm and the great monastic witness against the emperor Constantine V Copronymus. An ascetic and abbot of Mount Saint Auxentius near Chalcedon, he became the acknowledged leader of the defenders of the holy icons after the iconoclast Council of Hieria (754), refusing every bribe and threat to make him subscribe to it. Imprisoned, exiled, and at last handed to a mob, he was dragged through the streets of Constantinople and beaten to death on 28 November 764. Because his confession joined the ascetic and the martyric crowns, the Church styles him "monastic-martyr and confessor," and his Life became one of the principal documents of the whole iconoclast controversy.
Irenarchus of Sebaste and the Seven Women

Irenarchus was a young man of Sebaste in Armenia who, during the persecution of Diocletian, served the imprisoned and tortured Christians and was moved to confess Christ himself when he saw seven women endure their torments without flinching. Baptised and made bold by grace, he passed through trials of fire and water and was beheaded together with the seven holy women about the year 303. He is commemorated on November 28 with the seven women who won him to the faith, and shares the day with the great iconodule Stephen the New.

British Isles and Ireland

St. Fionnchu, successor of St. Comgall (6th C)

Troparia & kontakia

Kontakion — Tone 4

Today the Church keeps a joyful feast in your memory, and faithfully extolling you cries aloud: O divine Stephen, boast of the venerable.

Troparion — Tone 4

Your martyr Irenarchus, O Lord, in his contest received the crown of incorruption from you, our God; for possessed of your strength, he cast down the tyrants and broke the feeble insolence of the demons. By his prayers save our souls.

Troparion — Tone 4

Having trained yourself beforehand in asceticism on the mountain, with the whole armour of the Cross you laid low the invisible battle-lines of the enemy, O all-blessed one; and again you stripped for the contest manfully, slaying Copronymus with the sword of faith. For both crowns you were crowned by God, O monastic-martyr Stephen of everlasting memory.

Readings

Epistle

2 Thessalonians 3.6-18

⁶Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. ⁷For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; ⁸Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: ⁹Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. ¹⁰For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. ¹¹For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. ¹²Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. ¹³But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. ¹⁴And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. ¹⁶Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. ¹⁷The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write. ¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Gospel

Luke 19.12-28

¹²He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. ¹³And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. ¹⁴But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. ¹⁵And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. ¹⁶Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. ¹⁷And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. ¹⁸And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. ¹⁹And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. ²⁰And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: ²¹For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. ²²And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: ²³Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? ²⁴And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. ²⁵(And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) ²⁶For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. ²⁷But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. ²⁸And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.

Saints commemorated