Martyrs Menas, Hermogenes, Eugraphus

Saints commemorated

Saint of the day

Martyrs Menas, Hermogenes, Eugraphus

Menas Kallikelados ("the fair-spoken"), Hermogenes and Eugraphus were three martyrs of the early fourth century, commemorated together on December 10. Menas, a Christian of great eloquence, was sent by the emperor from Athens to Alexandria to quiet the strife between Christians and pagans, but instead preached Christ openly and won many converts. The imperial official Hermogenes, despatched to try him, was himself converted by the martyr's endurance under torture and his miraculous healing; and Eugraphus, Menas's own secretary, confessed Christ on witnessing their steadfastness. The emperor, unmoved by their constancy and by the miracles wrought among them, put all three to death.
Angelina of Serbia

Angelina was an Albanian nobleman's daughter who married the blinded and dispossessed despot Stephen Branković of Serbia, followed him through exile in Venetian Albania and northern Italy, buried him there, and then — twice widowed of a country, since Serbia itself had fallen to the Turks in 1459 — brought her sons and her husband's body north into Hungarian Syrmia to begin again. Both sons, George and John, are numbered among the saints; George became the monk and metropolitan Maximus, and with him Angelina founded the monastery of Krušedol in the Fruška Gora, the house that became the spiritual centre of the Serbs of the Danube for two centuries. She ended her days there as a nun, about 1520, and is venerated as Prepodobna mati Angelina, "our venerable mother Angelina" — the matriarch of the last Serbian ruling house and of its exile.
Gemellus of Paphlagonia

Gemellus was a Christian of Paphlagonia who, about the year 361, openly rebuked the emperor Julian the Apostate for his renunciation of Christ, and for this confession was seized and cruelly tortured. A red-hot iron belt was fastened about his waist, and he was compelled to follow the emperor on his march eastward; at Edessa in Mesopotamia he was racked, pierced with stakes, and mangled, yet went on reviling the impiety of Julian. Released half-dead, he found a priest and was baptized, whereupon his wounds were healed. Learning of the miracle, Julian ordered him crucified, and so he gave up his soul to God. He is commemorated on December 10.
Joasaph of Belgorod

Joasaph of Belgorod (1705–1754), born Joachim Gorlenko of a noble Ukrainian family, was a monk and bishop of the Russian Church renowned for the austerity of his personal life and the strictness of his pastoral zeal. Formed at the Kiev Academy and tonsured young, he rose through the monastic offices to be igumen of the Mgarsk monastery and vicar of the Trinity–Sergius Lavra before his consecration as Bishop of Belgorod and Oboyan in 1748. In six years of ascetic and exacting episcopate he laboured for the moral reform of his clergy and people. His body was found incorrupt after his repose, and he was glorified in 1911; he is commemorated on December 10, the day of his death.
Thomas of Bithynia

Thomas Dephourkinos was a monk of Bithynia in the ninth and tenth centuries, who from his youth loved the monastic life and rose to govern a monastery newly founded on the river Sangarios before withdrawing into the wilderness to labour in solitude. Overcoming, the tradition says, many assaults of the devil, he was glorified by God with the gifts of healing and of prophecy, so that the emperor Leo VI the Wise sought his counsel. He is commemorated on December 10.

Troparia & kontakia

Kontakion — Tone 8

Who can recount the manifold struggles of thy life, or number the manifold mercies of God made manifest through thee? Knowing well thy boldness before the most pure Theotokos and the all-bountiful God, in compunction of heart we cry to thee: deprive not us also of thy help and protection, O hierarch of Christ and wonderworker Joasaph.

Kontakion — Tone 4

The Lord snatched thee, O Menas, from the passing warfare, and made thee, together with thy fellow-strugglers, a fellow-heir of that which is incorruptible, granting thee the unfading crown.

Troparion — Tone 8 (common of a venerable woman)

In thee, O mother, was preserved unimpaired that which is according to the image; for taking up the cross, thou didst 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. Wherefore, O venerable Angelina, thy spirit rejoiceth with the angels.

Troparion — Tone 4

Thy martyr Gemellus, O Lord, in his contest received an incorruptible crown from Thee our God; for possessed of Thy strength, he cast down the tyrant and broke the feeble insolence of demons. By his prayers, O Christ God, save our souls.

Troparion — Tone 3

O hierarch beloved of Christ God, thou wast a rule of faith and an image of mercy to the people; by vigil, fasting and prayer thou didst shine as a most radiant lamp, and wast shown forth glorified by God. Reposing incorrupt in body, yet standing in spirit before the throne of God, thou dost pour forth wondrous miracles. Entreat Christ God that He confirm us in Orthodoxy and godliness, and save our souls.

Troparion — Tone 4

Thy martyrs, O Lord, in their contest received incorruptible crowns from Thee our God; for possessed of Thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and broke the feeble insolence of demons. By their prayers, O Christ God, save our souls.

Troparion — Tone 8

In thee, O Father, was the divine image preserved with exactness; for taking up thy cross, thou didst follow Christ, and by thy deeds thou didst teach us to despise the flesh, for it passes away, but to care for the soul, a thing immortal. Therefore, O venerable Thomas, thy spirit rejoices with the angels.

Readings

Epistle

Titus 1.5-2.1

⁵For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: ⁶If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. ⁷For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; ⁸But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; ⁹Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. ¹⁰For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: ¹¹Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. ¹²One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. ¹³This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; ¹⁴Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. ¹⁵Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. ¹⁶They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. ¹But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

Gospel

Luke 21.28-33

²⁸And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. ²⁹And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; ³⁰When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. ³¹So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. ³²Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. ³³Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Saints commemorated