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Thursday 15 February 2029

Apostle Onesimus of the Seventy

Cheesefare Thursday

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Fast — Meat Fast Tone 3

Pre-Lenten Triodion, day 19 · 52 days until Pascha

Saints commemorated

  • 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.

  • Our Venerable Father Dalmatius of Siberia (1697)

  • 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).

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

Jude 11-25

11Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 12These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. 14And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. 17But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Gospel

Luke 23.2-34, 44-56

2And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. 3And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. 4Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. 5And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. 6When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilæan. 7And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. 8And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. 9Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. 10And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. 11And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. 12And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves. 13And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: 15No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. 16I will therefore chastise him, and release him. 17(For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) 18And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: 19(Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) 20Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. 21But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. 22And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. 23And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. 24And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. 25And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will. 26And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. 27And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. 28But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. 30Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. 31For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? 32And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. 33And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. 44And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. 46And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. 47Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. 48And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. 49And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things. 50And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: 51(The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathæa, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. 52This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. 53And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. 54And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. 55And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. 56And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.