Nativity Fast, day 1
Saints commemorated
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Begin Nativity Fast
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Our Venerable Father Paisius Velichkovsky (1794)
Paisius Velichkovsky (1722–1794) was the Ukrainian-born, Athonite and Moldavian elder who, more than any other single figure, revived Orthodox hesychasm and the tradition of eldership (starchestvo) on the eve of the modern age. Born Peter Velichkovsky at Poltava and formed on Mount Athos and in the sketes of Moldavia and Wallachia, he gathered a great multilingual brotherhood at the monasteries of Dragomirna, Secu and Neamț, where he restored obedience to a spiritual father, unceasing practice of the Jesus Prayer, and the disciplined copying and correcting of the patristic texts of prayer. His crowning labour was the translation of the Greek Philokalia into Church Slavonic — the Dobrotolyubie, printed at Moscow in 1793 — whose diffusion through Russia seeded the Optina eldership and the whole nineteenth-century spiritual renewal.
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Gurias, Samonas and Abibus
Gurias, Samonas and Abibus are the three great martyr-confessors of Edessa in Syria (Mesopotamia), venerated together though they died sixteen years apart: the laymen Gurias and Samonas, preachers of the word, were tortured and beheaded about 306 in the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian, while Abibus, a deacon of the same city, was burned alive about 322 under Licinius. Buried in one tomb, they became the patrons of Edessa. The most famous of their posthumous wonders — the deliverance of the maiden Euphemia, betrayed by a Gothic soldier who had sworn faithfulness to her over their graves — made the three the guardians of oaths and the heavenly patrons of honourable marriage, under which title they are invoked to this day.
British Isles and Ireland
- St. Machell, founder of the monastery of Llanfechell (7th C)
- St. Fintan, monk and hermit (879)
Troparia & kontakia
Kontakion — Tone 2
Having received grace from on high, O all-praised and wise ones, ye stand by those who are in trials; wherefore ye delivered a maiden from a bitter death. For ye are in truth the glory of Edessa and the joy of the world.
Troparion — Tone 5
Having granted us the wonders of Thy holy Martyrs as an unassailable wall, O Christ God, by their entreaties scatter the counsels of the heathen and strengthen Thy holy Church, for Thou alone art good and the Lover of mankind.
Readings
2nd Matins Gospel
Mark 16.1-8
1And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. 3And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 4And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. 5And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. 6And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 7But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. 8And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.
Epistle
Ephesians 2.14-22
14For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Gospel
Luke 10.25-37
25And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.