13th Sunday after Pentecost

Saints commemorated

Martyrs Trophimus, Sabbatius, Dorymedon

Trophimus, Sabbatius and Dorymedon (†c. 276) are the chief martyrs of September 19, sufferers under the emperor Probus. Trophimus and Sabbatius, Christian strangers arriving at Antioch of Pisidia during a riotous pagan festival, were arrested when their grief at the spectacle betrayed them. Sabbatius died at Antioch under torture; Trophimus, driven three days to Synnada in Phrygia in iron sandals set with nails, was cared for in prison by the senator Dorymedon, a secret Christian, until Dorymedon's own refusal of a pagan feast exposed him. Thrown to the beasts and left untouched, Trophimus and Dorymedon were beheaded together. The three are commemorated as one company.
Ss David and Constantine of Yaroslavl
Holy Martyr Zosimas the Hermit of Cilicia (4th c.)

Zosimas of Cilicia (4th century) was a Christian hermit who lived among the wild beasts of the Cilician wilderness, having fled the cities of the persecutors. Discovered at his ease among the animals by Dometian, governor of Cilicia, while the governor was hunting, he confessed himself a Christian and was put to fierce tortures: hung head downwards with a stone at his neck and torn with iron hooks. Challenged to prove his God by summoning one of the beasts that obeyed him, he prayed, and a lion came and bore up the stone with its paw. The terrified governor ordered him released to be sent to the emperor, but the old man immediately gave up his soul to God.
Igor of Chernigov

Igor Olgovich (†1147), of the princely house of Chernigov, held the throne of Kiev for a fortnight in 1146, was defeated and imprisoned, and in prison asked for and received the monastic tonsure with the name Gabriel, and then the great schema. Two years later, while he was standing at the Liturgy in the monastery church of St Theodore in Kiev, the Kiev mob — inflamed by rumours of a conspiracy of his kinsmen, and against the pleading of the metropolitan, the clergy and the prince's own brother — dragged him from the church, beat him, and killed him, leaving his body naked in the marketplace. He is venerated as a passion-bearer: a prince who had already given up the world and who did not resist. His murder is kept on September 19 and the translation of his relics to Chernigov in 1150 on June 5.
Theodore of Tarsus

Theodore of Tarsus (c. 602–690) was a Byzantine Greek monk of Cilicia who, at the age of sixty-six, was consecrated by Pope Vitalian as Archbishop of Canterbury (668–690) and became the organiser of the English Church. Arriving in Kent in 669 with his companion Hadrian the African, he made the first visitation of all England, filled and multiplied the vacant sees, held the first council of the whole English Church at Hertford (672), condemned Monothelitism at Hatfield (679), and founded at Canterbury a school where Greek was taught at the edge of the known world. Bede calls him the first archbishop whom the whole Church of the English obeyed; the diocesan structure he built endures. He reposed on September 19, 690.

Troparia & kontakia

Kontakion — Tone 2

Thou wast dragged from the church in the hour of the Gospel, and thy blood was shed in the marketplace of the city that had sworn to serve thee; but the candles kindled of themselves above thy body, and the city that slew thee learned to honour thee. O holy prince and monk, pray for our salvation.

Kontakion — Tone 4

As the foundation of athletes and the buttress of godliness, the Church honoureth and glorifieth thy light-bearing contest, O all-hymned and blessed one, noble-hearted athlete, glorious Trophimus; with thy fellow contestants ask cleansing for them that hymn thee, for thou art invincible.

Troparion — Tone 4 (common of a passion-bearer)

Having exchanged the crown of a prince for the habit of a monk, and the throne of Kiev for a cell of prayer, thou didst not flee, O right-believing Igor, when the people rose against thee; but standing before the holy things thou wast taken as a lamb, and didst render good for evil. Wherefore, O passion-bearer Gabriel, entreat Christ our God to grant peace to His people.

Troparion — Tone 4 (from the common of a hierarch)

The truth of thy deeds hath revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, an image of meekness, and a teacher of temperance; therefore by humility thou didst gain the heights, by poverty the riches. O father and hierarch Theodore, intercede with Christ God that our souls may be saved.

Troparion — Tone 8

God, praised in Trinity, hath glorified a trinity of martyrs, Trophimus, Sabbatius and Dorymedon; for believing in him they cast down the enemy. By their prayers, O Christ our God, have mercy on us.

Troparion — Tone 4 (from the common of martyrs)

Thy martyr Zosimas, O Lord, in his contest received the incorruptible crown from thee, our God; for possessing thy strength he cast down the tyrants and broke the feeble insolence of the demons. By his prayers, O Christ God, save our souls.

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

Galatians 2.16-20 (Sunday after Elevation)

¹⁶Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. ¹⁷But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. ¹⁸For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. ¹⁹For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. ²⁰I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

1 Corinthians 16.13-24

¹³Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. ¹⁴Let all your things be done with charity. ¹⁵I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) ¹⁶That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth. ¹⁷I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied. ¹⁸For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such. ¹⁹The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. ²⁰All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss. ²¹The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand. ²²If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. ²³The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. ²⁴My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Gospel

Mark 8.34-9.1 (Sunday after Elevation)

³⁴And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ³⁵For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. ³⁶For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? ³⁷Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? ³⁸Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. ¹And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

Matthew 21.33-42

³³Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: ³⁴And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. ³⁵And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. ³⁶Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. ³⁷But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. ³⁸But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. ³⁹And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. ⁴⁰When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? ⁴¹They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. ⁴²Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?