Ven. Cyriacos, Hermit of Palestine

Saints commemorated

Saint of the day

Ven. Cyriacos, Hermit of Palestine
St Mary of Palestine (6th c.)
Holy Martyrs Dada and those with them (4th c.)

Dada, Gabdelas and Casdoa were martyrs of fourth-century Persia under King Shapur II, whose long persecution made the Persian church a church of martyrs to rival the early centuries under Rome. The received account makes them members of the king's own household: Dada a great noble and steward of the court, secretly a Christian, condemned to the fire when discovered; and Gabdelas and Casdoa the king's son and daughter, converted by the miracles that attended Dada's and each other's sufferings, and dying of tortures inflicted at their own father's command. They are commemorated together on September 29.
Venerable Cyprian of Ustiug (1276)
Cyriacus the Hermit

Cyriacus the Hermit (448–556) was one of the great anchorites of the Judean desert: a Corinthian who came to Palestine at eighteen, was clothed in the schema by Euthymius the Great, trained under Gerasimus of the Jordan, and spent some seventy years of his hundred-and-seven-year life in the lavra of Souka — the "Old Lavra" of Chariton — and the wildernesses beyond it, living at the last in Chariton's own hanging cave. A healer and strict faster who said the sun had never seen him eat or grow angry, he was in extreme old age a pillar of the Orthodox resistance to the Origenist movement among the desert monks. His life was written by his younger contemporary Cyril of Scythopolis, who knew him personally. He is commemorated on September 29.
Theophanes the Merciful

Theophanes the Merciful was a householder of Gaza in Syria Palaestina, remembered for a single, complete virtue: he gave away everything. He took in strangers, tended the sick, and spent his whole substance on the poor until he himself was left in want; struck then by a disfiguring wasting illness, he bore it with thanksgiving, foretold the calm that would attend his death, and after his repose his body was found whole and fragrant, flowing with healing myrrh. No date is transmitted for him; he is commemorated on September 29.

Troparia & kontakia

Kontakion — Tone 8

As a mighty champion and helper, the sacred Lavra that honoureth thee keepeth thy memorial with festival year by year; but as thou hast boldness before the Lord, guard us from the enemies that rise against us, that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, thrice-blessed father. Divinely armed with purity of soul, and firmly grasping unceasing prayer as a spear, thou didst cut down the hosts of the demons, O Cyriacus our father: pray without ceasing for us all.

Troparion — Tone 1

Thou wast a citizen of the desert and an angel in the body, and thou wast shown forth a wonderworker, O our God-bearing father Cyriacus. By fasting, vigil and prayer receiving heavenly gifts of grace, thou healest the sick and the souls of them that run to thee with faith. Glory to him that gave thee strength; glory to him that crowned thee; glory to him that worketh healings for all through thee.

Troparion — Tone 4 (from the common of martyrs)

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

Troparion — Tone 8 (from the common)

In thee, O father, that which is according to the image was preserved unimpaired; for taking up the cross, thou didst follow Christ, and by thy deeds thou hast taught us to despise the flesh, for it passeth away, but to care for the soul, which is immortal. Wherefore thy spirit rejoiceth with the angels, O venerable Theophanes.

Readings

Epistle

Galatians 3.15-22

¹⁵Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. ¹⁶Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. ¹⁷And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. ¹⁸For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. ¹⁹Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. ²⁰Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. ²¹Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. ²²But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Gospel

Luke 5.33-39

³³And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink? ³⁴And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? ³⁵But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. ³⁶And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. ³⁷And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. ³⁸But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. ³⁹No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

Saints commemorated