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Wednesday 7 February 2029

St Parthenius, Bishop of Lampsacus

Wednesday of Meatfare

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Fast Tone 2

Pre-Lenten Triodion, day 11 · 60 days until Pascha

Saints commemorated

  • Saint of the day

    St Parthenius, Bishop of Lampsacus

    Parthenius (fourth century) was bishop of Lampsacus on the Hellespont in the age of Constantine the Great, and one of the most celebrated wonderworkers and healers of the early Church. Born at Melitopolis, the son of a deacon, and a fisherman by trade who gave the price of his catch to the poor, he was ordained priest and afterward consecrated bishop of the still largely pagan Lampsacus. He converted the city, overthrew its idols, and — armed with an edict he obtained from the emperor — pulled down its temples and raised a church in their place. His memory is bound above all to the abundance of his miracles: he healed the sick of every kind of disease and was renowned as a caster-out of demons, before whom, the tradition says, the unclean spirits fled at his mere word. He reposed in peace and is kept on February 7.

  • Our Venerable Father Luke the New of Mount Stirion (ca. 950)

    Luke of Steiris (c. 896 – c. 953), called the Younger and Luke of Hellas, was the most beloved Greek ascetic-saint of the tenth century and one of the great wonderworkers of the Byzantine world. Born of poor Phocian farmers who had fled the Arab raids on Aegina, he gave himself from childhood to prayer, fasting, and an almost reckless charity, and left the world young to live as a monk and hermit in the mountains of central Greece. Driven from place to place by war, he settled at last at Steiris in Phocis, where a community gathered around him. He was famed for healings, for the reading of hearts, for the gift of prophecy — most celebrated of all his foretelling that Crete would be recovered from the Saracens, which came to pass under Nikephoros Phokas eight years after his death — and, the tradition says, for being lifted from the ground in prayer. He reposed on February 7. Over his tomb rose the monastery of Hosios Loukas, one of the supreme monuments of Byzantine art, where his myrrh-flowing relics rest to this day.

  • The 1,003 Martyrs of Nicomedia

    The 1,003 Martyrs of Nicomedia were a great company of Christians put to death in the eastern capital of Nicomedia during the Great Persecution under Diocletian, in the year 303. The tradition remembers them as the servants and household of four court dignitaries who, in the fury of the persecution that began at Nicomedia, confessed Christ before the emperor, refused to sacrifice to the idols, and were martyred together — one thousand and three souls glorified in a single company. They are kept on February 7, and belong to the vast multitude of witnesses whose blood made Nicomedia, in that terrible year, the very type of a city sanctified by martyrdom.

  • Peter of Monembasia

    Peter of Monembasia is a venerable monastic saint commemorated on February 7, known only from the brief notice of the Byzantine synaxaria. The tradition remembers him as a monk who "struggled" — that is, pursued the ascetic life — at a place its manuscripts call Monovata or Monebata, a name variously rendered in the calendars as Monembasia. Beyond his name, his monastic vocation, and his feast, the surviving record transmits nothing certain of his life, dates, or deeds; he is honoured, as many of the ascetics of the synaxarion are, for a holiness the Church remembers though its details are lost.

British Isles and Ireland

  • Holy Martyr Augulus (Aule) of London (303)
  • St. Richard of the West Saxons (720)
  • St. Ronan of Kilmaronen
  • St. Meldon, bishop of Peronne (6th C)

Troparia & kontakia

Troparion — Tone 1

The glory of Hellas and the boast of the venerable, the luminary of Steiris and its holy dweller — Luke the God-bearer — let us honour with piety in songs and hymns; for he poureth forth healings upon those who draw near to him in faith and cry: Glory to Christ who hath glorified thee; glory to him who hath made thee wondrous; glory to him who through thee worketh healings for all.

Troparion — Tone 4 (from the common of martyrs)

Thy Martyrs, O Lord, in their contest received crowns of incorruption from Thee our God; for possessing Thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and shattered the powerless insolence of the demons. By their supplications, O Christ our God, save our souls.

Troparion — Tone 4

O God of our Fathers, who ever dealest with us according to Thy forbearance: take not Thy mercy from us, but by his supplications guide our life in peace.

Readings

Epistle

1 John 3.21-4.6

21Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. 1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Gospel

Mark 14.43-15.1

43And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely. 45And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him. 46And they laid their hands on him, and took him. 47And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 48And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me? 49I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled. 50And they all forsook him, and fled. 51And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: 52And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked. 53And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. 54And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. 55And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. 56For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. 57And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, 58We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. 59But neither so did their witness agree together. 60And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 61But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 62And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 63Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? 64Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. 65And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands. 66And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: 67And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. 68But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. 69And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. 70And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto. 71But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak. 72And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept. 1And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.