Saints commemorated
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Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian
Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia (3rd–4th c.) are the first and greatest of the three pairs of holy unmercenary physicians of that name, and the only pair to have reposed in peace rather than by martyrdom. Sons of the pious Theodota and natives of Asia Minor, they were physicians who healed men and beasts alike freely, in the name of Christ, taking no payment — the very pattern of the anargyroi, "the silverless." Their memory on November 1 is the principal feast of the unmercenaries in the Byzantine calendar, and their proper apolytikion, "O holy Unmercenaries and wonderworkers," became the common troparion of the whole company. They are not to be confused with the martyred pairs of the same names venerated of Rome (July 1) and of Arabia (October 17).
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Holy New Martyr Helen of Sinope (18th c.)
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Cyrenia and Juliana
Cyrenia and Juliana (†c. 305) were two Christian women of Cilicia martyred by fire in the persecution of Maximian Galerius. Cyrenia was from Tarsus and Juliana from the city of Rossos; both had given themselves to works of mercy — caring for orphans, comforting poor widows, and tending the sick without fee — and to bringing pagans to Christ by the Gospel and by their own patience. Arrested by Marcian, governor of Cilicia, and refusing to deny Christ, Cyrenia was shorn and paraded naked through the streets of Tarsus, after which both women were taken to Rossos and burnt alive. They are commemorated on November 1.
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Hermenegild
Hermenegild (†585/586) was a prince of the Visigoths in Spain, elder son of the Arian king Leovigild, who forsook the Arianism of his people for the Orthodox faith and died for it. Imprisoned by his father and pressed to return to the heresy, he refused on Pascha to receive communion from an Arian bishop, was given the Holy Mysteries in secret by an Orthodox priest, and was beheaded at his father's command. The tradition, following St Gregory the Great's Dialogues, relates that angels were heard singing over his relics, that his father repented of the deed, and that through Bishop Leander the king's surviving son Reccared brought the whole Gothic nation to Orthodoxy. A pre-schism saint of the West, he is commemorated in the Orthodox calendar on November 1.
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Theodota, Mother of the Unmercenaries
Theodota was the widowed mother of the holy unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia, commemorated with her sons on November 1. Natives of Asia Minor, the family was left fatherless while the two boys were still small, their pagan father having died; and it was Theodota alone, by her own example and by reading the holy books to them, who raised her sons in Christian piety and purity of life, so that they grew into the righteous physicians whom the Church venerates as the first and greatest of the unmercenaries. She reposed in peace and is honoured among the righteous.
British Isles and Ireland
- St. Pabiali, son of King Brychan of Brecknock (6th C)
- St. Ceitho of Cardiganshire (6th C)
- St. Cledwyn of Breconshire (5th C)
- St. Cadfan, founder of monasteries (6th C)
- St. Caillin (7th C)
- St. Dingad (5th C)
- St. Gwythian (6th C)
Troparia & kontakia
Kontakion — Tone 2
Having received the grace of healings, ye stretch forth health to those in need, O glorious wonderworking physicians; wherefore by your visitation cast down the insolence of the enemy, and heal the world by your miracles.
Troparion — Tone 8
O holy Unmercenaries and wonderworkers, visit our infirmities: freely have ye received, freely give unto us.
Readings
11th Matins Gospel
John 21.15-25
15So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 18Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. 20Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. 23Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? 24This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. 25And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
Epistle
Galatians 6.11-18
11Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand. 12As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. 13For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. 14But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 15For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 16And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. 17From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. 18Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Gospel
Luke 8.26-39
26And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. 27And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. 28When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. 29(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) 30And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. 31And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. 32And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. 33Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked. 34When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country. 35Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. 36They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed. 37Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again. 38Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.