Wednesday 7 April 2027
Repose St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow, Enlightener N. America
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Great Lent, day 24 · 25 days until Pascha
Repose St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow, Enlightener N. America
Saints commemorated
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Saint of the day
Tikhon of Moscow
Tikhon (Vasily Ivanovich Bellavin, 1865–1925) was the first Patriarch of Moscow after the two-hundred-year synodal captivity of the Russian Church, and before that the builder of Orthodoxy in North America — the hierarch under whom the American mission became a multi-ethnic archdiocese with its cathedral in New York, its seminary, its monastery, and its first church council. Elected Patriarch in November 1917, within days of the Bolshevik seizure of power, he led the Church of Russia into the fire of the persecution: he anathematized the shedders of innocent blood, refused to surrender the Church to the state-sponsored schism of the "Living Church," was imprisoned for a year, and died worn out on the feast of the Annunciation, 7 April 1925. The Church glorified him in 1989 as confessor and enlightener of North America, and his incorrupt relics were uncovered at the Donskoy monastery in 1992.
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Holy Martyr Calliopius, with his mother Theoclea (304)
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St George the Confessor, bishop of Mitylene (ca. 820)
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St Nilus (Nil Sorsky), abbot of Sora (1508)
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Saint Savvas the New of Kalymnos (1948) (March 25 OC)
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Calliopius of Pompeiopolis
Calliopius was a young Christian of Pompeiopolis in Cilicia, of noble birth, who during the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian confessed Christ and, after cruel tortures, was crucified — by his own request head-downward, that he might not be made equal to the Lord — on the day of the Lord's own Passion. His mother Theoclia, who had strengthened him in his contest, buried him and soon after died upon his grave. He is honoured among the martyrs of Cilicia.
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George of Mytilene
George the Confessor was bishop of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos in the late eighth and early ninth centuries, a wonderworker and almsgiver who confessed the veneration of the holy icons and was exiled for it under the emperor Leo V the Armenian, dying in banishment about 816. He is the first of three holy bishops of Mytilene named George whom the Church honours.
British Isles and Ireland
- St. Brynach, hermit of Pembroke (5th C)
- SS Gwrnerth and Llewellyn (6th C)
- St. Finan Cam, disciple of St. Brendan the Voyager (6th C)
Troparia & kontakia
Troparion — Tone 4 (common of a martyr)
Thy martyr Calliopius, O Lord, in his contest received an incorruptible crown from Thee, our God; for possessing Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants and shattered the feeble insolence of the demons. By his intercessions save our souls.
Troparion — Tone 1 (common of a hierarch-confessor)
O God of our fathers, ever dealing with us according to Thy gentleness: take not Thy mercy from us, but by the prayers of Thy hierarch George guide our life in peace.
Troparion — Tone 1
Let us praise Tikhon, the patriarch of all Russia and enlightener of the lands of the West, who bore the cross of the first-hierarch in the day of wrath, and kept the flock of Christ unbowed before the persecutors: for having filled America with the light of Orthodoxy and Russia with the steadfastness of his confession, he intercedes with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.
Readings
Matins Gospel
John 10.1-9 (St Tikhon)
1Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. 6This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. 7Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
6th Hour
Isaiah 26.21-27.9
21For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. 1In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. 2In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. 3I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. 4Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. 5Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me. 6He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. 7Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him? 8In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind. 9By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up.
Vespers
Genesis 9.18-10.1
18And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. 19These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. 20And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: 21And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. 22And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. 23And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness. 24And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. 25And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. 26And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. 27God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. 28And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 29And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died. 1Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
Proverbs 12.23-13.9 (LXX)
23A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness. 24The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. 25Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad. 26The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them. 27The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious. 28In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death. 1A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. 2A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence. 3He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. 4The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. 5A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. 6Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner. 7There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. 8The ransom of a man’s life are his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke. 9The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
Epistle
Hebrews 7.26-8.2 (St Tikhon)
26For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. 28For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. 1Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
Gospel
John 10.9-16 (St Tikhon)
9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Presanctified Liturgy