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Thursday 30 September 2027

Hieromartyr Gregory of Armenia; Ven. Gregory of Vologda

Thursday of the 15th week after Pentecost

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No Fast Tone 5

Saints commemorated

  • Saint of the day

    Hieromartyr Gregory of Armenia

    Gregory the Illuminator (c. 257 – c. 331) was the apostle of Armenia: a Parthian noble of the Arsacid line who, after enduring torture and some thirteen years' imprisonment in the pit of Khor Virap under King Tiridates III, healed the afflicted king, converted him, and led the Armenian nation to baptism around 301 — by the traditional reckoning the first kingdom on earth to embrace Christianity as a state. Consecrated bishop at Caesarea in Cappadocia, he became the first Catholicos of the Armenians, founded the cathedral of Etchmiadzin at the place of his celebrated vision of Christ descending, and ended his life as a hermit. The Byzantine calendar styles him hieromartyr for his sufferings, though he reposed in peace; he is commemorated on September 30.

  • Saint of the day

    Ven. Gregory of Vologda

  • Venerable Gregory of Pelshma (1441 or 1451)

  • Our Father among the Saints Michael, Metropolitan of Kiev (992)

    Michael (†992) is venerated as the first Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia: the hierarch who, by church tradition, came to Kiev with Prince Vladimir after his baptism at Korsun (c. 988–989), baptised the people of the newly converted land, made missionary rounds of the Russian towns founding the first churches and schools, and set the Russian hierarchy on its foundations — the old Kievan and Novgorodian records call him "the initiator." He reposed in 992 and was buried in the Tithe Church of the Theotokos in Kiev; his relics were later translated to the Kiev Caves Lavra. His principal feast is June 15; September 30 commemorates the translation of his relics, kept in the Russian and OCA calendars.

  • Ripsimia, Gaiana and the Virgin-Martyrs of Armenia

    Ripsimia (Hripsime), the eldress Gaiana (Gayane), and the company of consecrated virgins with them (†c. 300) fled the emperor Diocletian — who had sought the beautiful Ripsimia for his wife — from the Roman world to Vagharshapat in Armenia, where King Tiridates III desired her in turn. Resisting the king by God's strength, Ripsimia was put to death with dreadful tortures, Gaiana and the other virgins after her; days later Tiridates was struck with madness, healed only by Gregory the Illuminator, drawn from the pit of Khor Virap — so that the blood of these women became the seed of the conversion of Armenia. Their martyria stand around Etchmiadzin to this day. They are commemorated on September 30, together with Gregory.

British Isles and Ireland

  • St. Honorius, 5th archbishop of Canterbury (653)
  • St. Midan of Anglesey (610)
  • St. Enghenedl of Anglesey (7th C)
  • SS Tancred, Torthred and Tova, hermits and martyrs (870)

Troparia & kontakia

Kontakion — Tone 2

Come, ye faithful, let us all today with divine songs and hymns praise the glorious hierarch Gregory as a contender for the truth: the watchful shepherd and teacher, the luminary of the whole world; for he intercedes with Christ God that we may be saved.

Kontakion — Tone 2

Thou wast shown forth as a second Moses for the Russian land, O father, bearing the spiritual vine out of the idolatry of Egypt into a land foreseen by prophecy: "There shall be," it said, "an establishment of faith upon the earth, and upon the summits of the hills of Kiev its fruit, nourishing the whole world, shall be exalted above Lebanon." Tasting of that fruit, we call thee blessed, O Michael, hierarch of God.

Troparion — Tone 4

Sharer of the ways and successor to the throne of the apostles, divinely inspired one, thou didst find thy deeds a ladder to divine vision; wherefore, rightly dividing the word of truth, thou didst suffer for the faith even unto blood. O hieromartyr Gregory, entreat Christ God that our souls may be saved.

Troparion — Tone 4

Today the prophecy of the first-called apostle is fulfilled: for behold, upon these hills grace has shone forth and faith has been multiplied; and they who had grown old in unbelief have been reborn of the divine font and become a people of renewal — a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the flock of Christ — whose first shepherd thou wast shown to be, as first serving it with baptism. And now, standing before the Master, Christ God, pray that all the sons of the Russian land may be saved; for thou hast boldness as God's hierarch and minister.

Troparion — Tone 4

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

Readings

Epistle

Galatians 3.23-4.5

23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. 1Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 2But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 3Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Gospel

Luke 6.12-19

12And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; 14Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphæus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor. 17And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judæa and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; 18And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. 19And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.