Pre-Lenten Triodion, day 10 · 61 days until Pascha
Saints commemorated
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Saint of the day
Apostle Onesimus of the Seventy
Onesimus (Greek Ὀνήσιμος, "useful, profitable") is the runaway slave of the Epistle to Philemon: a servant of Philemon of Colossae who fled his master, reached the imprisoned Apostle Paul at Rome, was there converted and baptized, and was sent back to Colossae bearing Paul's tender letter of intercession — the New Testament's shortest and most personal epistle, in which the Apostle plays on the slave's name and begs that he be received "not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved" (Philemon 16). Freed and returned to Paul's service, Onesimus became in time a preacher of the Gospel and a bishop — by the received tradition the successor of Timothy at Ephesus — and is numbered among the Seventy Apostles. Under the emperor Trajan he was seized, brought to Rome, and tried before the eparch Tertyllus; there, about the year 109, his legs were crushed with clubs and he received the crown of martyrdom. He is kept on February 15, and with the Colossian household on November 22.
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Our Venerable Father Dalmatius of Siberia (1697)
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Our Venerable Father Anthimos of Chios (1960)
Anthimus of Chios (1869–1960), born Argyrios Vagianos, was a Greek priest-monk, healer and spiritual father of the island of Chios, one of the best-loved elders of the twentieth-century Greek Church. Of poor and pious parents, he became a monk of the island's monasteries, served long years as chaplain to the lepers of the Chios leprosarium — among whom his prayers wrought many healings — and in 1930 founded the convent of Panagia Voithia ("Our Lady the Helper") to shelter nuns made refugees by the Asia Minor catastrophe. Renowned in his own lifetime for the gift of healing, the casting-out of demons, and clairvoyant counsel, he reposed on February 15, 1960, and was glorified by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1992. He is a recently canonised saint, and this entry is authored accordingly (see the notes on his icon and hymns).
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Eusebius the Hermit of Syria
Eusebius was a Syrian ascetic of the region of Antioch, remembered as one of the mountain-hermits whose lives the bishop Theodoret of Cyrrhus gathered in his Religious History. On a bare hilltop near the village of Asicha he lived under the open sky, without roof or cell, enduring the summer's heat and the winter's cold, clothed in skins and nourished on soaked pulse, and — the detail the tradition holds fast — bound with heavy iron chains that bent his body toward the ground, so that his prayer was made in a labour of the flesh as well as the spirit. His holiness drew disciples, and a monastic brotherhood grew about him. He is commemorated on February 15.
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Major of Gaza
Major (Greek Μαΐωρ) was a martyr of Gaza in Palestine, put to death under scourging in one of the persecutions of the early fourth century. The synaxaria remember him for the manner of his confession: as the lash tore his flesh he answered his tormentors with the words of the Psalmist — "I am ready for scourges" — and so gave up his soul under the blows. His memory is kept on February 15; of his life beyond this the record transmits little.
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Paphnutius the Recluse of the Kiev Caves
Paphnutius was a monk of the Kiev Caves who lived as a recluse in the caverns of the great monastery and is remembered above all for the gift of tears: by the unbroken remembrance of death he wept continually for his sins, and when the hour of his own death came he departed in peace, the tradition says, in the sight of angels who came to receive his soul. Nothing of his origin or of the year of his repose is securely transmitted; he is counted among the venerable fathers who rest in the Far (Theodosius) Caves, where his relics lie, and is generally placed in the thirteenth century. He is commemorated on February 15 and with the whole company of the Far Caves on August 28.
British Isles and Ireland
- St. Berach of Connaught (5th C)
- St. Dochow (473)
- St. Farannan of Allernan (590)
- St. Oswy, King of Northumbria (670)
- St. Sigfrid of Glastonbury, Apostle of Sweden (c.1045)
- SS. Winaman, Unaman & Sunaman, Monk Martyrs (1040)
Troparia & kontakia
Kontakion — Tone 4
As a ray of light thou didst shine forth upon the world, O blessed one, made bright by the beams of the all-radiant sun — of Paul, who gave light to the world; wherefore we all honour thee, O Onesimus.
Synaxarion
Onesimus stretched forth his legs to be crushed — the legs that had run the noble courses of Paul. On the fifteenth they broke the legs of Onesimus.
Troparion — Tone 3
O holy Apostle Onesimus, intercede with the merciful God, that he may grant to our souls the forgiveness of transgressions.
Troparion — Tone 8 (general of a venerable)
In thee, O Father, was the image of God preserved with exactness; for taking up the Cross, thou didst follow after Christ, and by thy deeds thou didst teach us to despise the flesh, for it passeth away, but to care for the soul, a thing immortal; wherefore thy spirit, O venerable Paphnutius, rejoiceth with the angels.
Readings
Epistle
1 John 3.10-20
10In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 11For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. 13Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
Gospel
Mark 14.10-42
10And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. 11And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him. 12And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? 13And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. 14And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 15And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us. 16And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. 17And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. 18And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. 19And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I? 20And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish. 21The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born. 22And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. 23And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. 24And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. 25Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God. 26And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. 27And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. 28But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. 29But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. 30And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. 31But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all. 32And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. 33And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; 34And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. 35And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. 37And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? 38Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. 39And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. 40And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him. 41And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.