Holy New Martyrs of Alaska
Saints commemorated
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Saint of the day
Juvenaly of Alaska
Juvenaly (John Feodorovich Hovorukhin, 1761 – c. 1796), hieromonk of the Valaam mission to Kodiak, is the protomartyr of America — the first Orthodox Christian to die for the Gospel on the American continent. A mining engineer of Nerchinsk who took the tonsure after his wife's death, he sailed with Herman and the first missionaries in 1794, and threw himself on the farthest fields: in two years he baptized thousands — the Chugach of Nushagak, the peoples of the Kenai — and pressed alone into the mainland toward the Kuskokwim, where, about 1796, a hunting party fell upon him. Struck down, he rose and faced his killers, hands raised not in defence but in blessing and calling them to repentance, until they slew him. The native oral tradition kept the memory of the "shaman who would not stop speaking" and of the beads and cross found after him; the Church glorified him in 1980 among the first saints of America.
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Saint of the day
Holy Protomartyr Thecla, Equal to the Apostles (1st c.)
Thecla of Iconium (1st century) is honoured by the Orthodox Church as protomartyr among women and equal-to-the-apostles: a noble virgin of Iconium who, hearing the Apostle Paul preach, broke her betrothal to follow Christ, passed unharmed through fire at Iconium and through the beasts at Antioch, and then preached, taught and healed for long decades at Seleucia in Isauria, where the tradition relates that the very rock opened to receive her at the end of her life. Her story is carried by the second-century Acts of Paul and Thecla; her cultus — from her great pilgrimage shrine at Seleucia to Egypt, Milan, and the Aramaic-speaking convent of Maaloula in the Antiochian patriarchate — is among the oldest and widest given to any woman saint.
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St Silouan, elder of Mt Athos (1938) (September 11 OC)
Silouan the Athonite (1866–1938) is the great monastic saint of the twentieth century: a barely lettered Russian peasant from Tambov province who spent forty-six years as a simple monk of the Russian monastery of St. Panteleimon on Mount Athos, was granted a vision of the living Christ, endured fifteen years of dereliction and demonic warfare, and received from the Lord the word that has become his signature — "Keep thy mind in hell, and despair not." His writings on the love of enemies, prayer for the whole world, and Adam's lament, published after his death by his disciple Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov), carried Athonite hesychasm to every corner of the modern world. He was glorified by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1987.
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St Stephen, First-crowned King of Serbia (Simon the Monk) (1224)
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Coprius of Palestine
Coprius of Palestine (†c. 530) was a monk of the great cenobium of St. Theodosius near Bethlehem whose whole life, from its first hour, belonged to the monastery: the tradition relates that he was found as a newborn infant, abandoned on a dung-heap when his mother fled a raid of desert nomads, and that the monks who took him up named him from the place of his finding — Kopris, from the Greek kopria, "dung-heap." Raised on goat's milk within the community, tonsured there in due course, he attained humility, virtue and the gift of working wonders, and reposed in peace at about ninety years of age.
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Peter the Aleut
Peter, whose native name was Cungagnaq, was a Kodiak Aleut of the Russian-American mission territory, baptised into the Orthodox faith, who about the year 1815 was seized with a party of Alaskan hunters by the Spanish authorities in California and, refusing under torture to renounce Orthodoxy for the Roman Catholic faith, was put to death. He is the first-glorified martyr of the Americas; the account of his suffering was carried to St Herman of Alaska, who blessed his memory, and he is honoured among the Saints of Alaska on September 24 (in Antiochian usage on December 12).
British Isles and Ireland
- SS. Chuniald and Gislar, Irish missionaries in Germany (7th C)
Troparia & kontakia
Apolytikion — Tone 4
Thy lamb, O Jesus, crieth with a great voice: Thee, my Bridegroom, do I love, and seeking Thee I contend, and I am crucified and buried with Thee in Thy baptism; and I suffer for Thy sake, that I may reign with Thee, and I die for Thee, that I may live in Thee. As a spotless sacrifice, then, receive her who with longing was slain for Thee. By her prayers, since Thou art merciful, save our souls.
Kontakion — Tone 8
Thou didst shine forth with the beauty of virginity, thou wast adorned with the crown of martyrdom, thou art entrusted with apostleship, O virgin, as one glorious; the flame of the fire thou didst turn to dew, and the rage of the bull thou didst tame by thy prayer, O first of contestants.
Troparion — Tone 8
In thee, O father, that which was made according to the image of God was preserved unimpaired; for taking up the Cross, thou didst follow Christ, and by thy deeds thou didst teach us to overlook the flesh, for it passeth away, but to care for the soul, which is a thing immortal. Wherefore thy spirit, O venerable Coprius, rejoiceth with the angels.
Troparion — Tone 4
First-fruits of the martyrs of the western land, thou didst leave the mines of the earth to dig for souls, O hieromonk Juvenaly: and when the spears fell upon thee, thou didst turn and bless thy slayers, preaching repentance with thy last breath. Entreat Christ God, whom thou didst carry to the ends of the earth, that our souls may be saved.
Troparion — Tone 4 (common of a new-martyr)
Thy martyr Peter, 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 4
Schooled by the words of Paul, O bride of God, Thecla, and made firm in the faith by Peter, O God-called one, thou wast shown forth the protomartyr and first sufferer among women. Thou didst enter the flame as into a place of flowering; beasts and bulls trembled before thee, for thou wast armed with the Cross. Wherefore, O all-praised one, entreat Christ God that our souls may be saved.
Readings
Vespers
Isaiah 43.9-14
9Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. 10Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 11I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. 12I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. 13Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? 14Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.
Wisdom of Solomon 3.1-9
1But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. 2In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, 3And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace. 4For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality. 5And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself. 6As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering. 7And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. 8They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever. 9They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he hath care for his elect.
Wisdom of Solomon 5.15-6.3
15But the righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the most High. 16Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand: for with his right hand shall he cover them, and with his arm shall he protect them. 17He shall take to him his jealousy for complete armour, and make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies. 18He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment instead of an helmet. 19He shall take holiness for an invincible shield. 20His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword, and the world shall fight with him against the unwise. 21Then shall the right aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well drawn bow, shall they fly to the mark. 22And hailstones full of wrath shall be cast as out of a stone bow, and the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the floods shall cruelly drown them. 23Yea, a mighty wind shall stand up against them, and like a storm shall blow them away: thus iniquity shall lay waste the whole earth, and ill dealing shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty. 1Hear therefore, O ye kings, and understand; learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the earth. 2Give ear, ye that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations. 3For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest, who shall try your works, and search out your counsels.
Matins Gospel
Luke 12.2-12
2For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. 3Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. 4And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. 6Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. 8Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: 9But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. 10And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. 11And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
Epistle
Galatians 2.6-10
6But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: 7But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; 8(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) 9And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. 10Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
Romans 8.28-39 (New Martyrs)
28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Gospel
Luke 4.22-30
22And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? 23And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 24And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 25But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 28And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 30But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
Luke 21.12-19 (New Martyrs)
12But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. 13And it shall turn to you for a testimony. 14Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: 15For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. 16And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. 17And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. 18But there shall not an hair of your head perish. 19In your patience possess ye your souls.