St Eumenes, Bishop of Gortyna

Saints commemorated

Saint of the day

St Eumenes, Bishop of Gortyna

Eumenes (7th century) was bishop of Gortyna in Crete, venerated as a wonderworker and honoured in the Menaion as the chief saint of September 18. Noted from youth for an ascetic and merciful life — he gave away his whole substance to the poor — he was raised to the first see of Crete, where he shepherded his flock as a compassionate father and by his prayer, the tradition relates, once ended a drought with abundant rain. A defender of the orthodox faith against the heresy of his day, he was exiled to the Thebaid in Egypt, where he reposed; his body was returned to Gortyna for burial.
St Ariadne of Phrygia (2nd c.)

Ariadne (2nd century) was a Christian slave in the household of Tertullus, a leading citizen of a Phrygian city the sources call Promissia — most plausibly Prymnessus. When her master held a sacrificial feast to the pagan gods on his son's birthday, Ariadne alone refused to take part; she was beaten, torn with iron hooks, and starved in prison, and when at last she was released and fled the city, her master's men pursued her. The tradition relates that at her prayer a cleft opened in the mountain rock and received her, and there she gave up her soul to God. She is commemorated on September 18.
Castor the Martyr

Castor is a martyr commemorated on September 18 of whom nothing is transmitted beyond his name and his end: he suffered death for the open confession of the faith of Christ. The Greek and Slavic calendars carry him as a separate commemoration without place or date; the OCA joins him to the martyrs Sophia and Irene of Egypt, commemorated the same day, placing his martyrdom with theirs at Alexandria.
Euphrosyne of Suzdal

Euphrosyne of Suzdal (1212–1250), in the world the princess Theodulia, eldest daughter of the martyred prince Michael of Chernigov, was betrothed in youth to a prince of Suzdal who died on the very day appointed for the wedding. Refusing to return to her father's house, she entered the convent of the Deposition of the Robe (Rizopolozhensky) in Suzdal and became, under the name Euphrosyne, the most renowned woman ascetic of pre-Mongol and Mongol-era Russia: a teacher of nuns and laywomen, an ascetic of severe fasting, and a seer whose prayers, the tradition holds, spared her convent when Batu's horde burned Suzdal in 1238. She reposed on September 25, 1250, and was glorified in 1698.
Sophia and Irene of Egypt

Sophia and Irene were two women martyred for Christ in Egypt in the third century — the Russian tradition places their death under the emperor Aurelian (270–275), at the hands of Claudius, governor of Egypt — and the Greek synaxarion records that they were perfected by the sword after tortures. Their relics are said to have been translated to Constantinople by Constantine the Great. They are commemorated together on September 18. They are not to be confused with Sophia of Rome, the mother of the martyrs Faith, Hope and Love, commemorated the day before (September 17), nor with the great-martyr Irene (May 5).

Troparia & kontakia

Kontakion — Tone 2

Illumined with divine light, O all-blessed one, thou dost enlighten us who lovingly hymn thy revered, glorious and holy translation, O father and hierarch Eumenes; for thou intercedest without ceasing on behalf of us all.

Kontakion — Tone 2

Having filled the pure vessel of thy virginity with the oil of prayer and love, thou didst kindle an unquenchable lamp in thy heart, O venerable one; and going forth with it, watchful, to meet the heavenly Bridegroom, thou wast received into His most radiant bridal chamber. There now, dwelling with the choirs of angels and saints, pray, we beseech thee, to Christ God, that we may be delivered from the portion of the foolish virgins.

Magnification

We magnify thee, O holy hierarch, father Eumenes, and we honour thy holy memory, for thou prayest for us to Christ our God.

Troparion — Tone 4 (from the common of a woman martyr)

Thy ewe-lamb Ariadne crieth to thee with a great voice, O Jesus: Thee, my Bridegroom, do I love, and seeking thee I endure the contest; I am crucified and buried with thee in thy baptism, and I suffer for thy sake, that I may reign with thee; I die for thee, that I may live in thee. Receive me as a spotless sacrifice, slain for thee with love. By her prayers, since thou art merciful, save our souls.

Troparion — Tone 4 (from the common of a single martyr)

Thy martyr Castor, O Lord, in his contest received an incorruptible crown from thee, our God; for possessing thy strength he cast down the tyrants and broke the feeble insolence of the demons. By his intercessions save our souls.

Troparion — Tone 7

With fasting thou didst adorn thy life, and, loving the poor, thou didst distribute to them all thy substance; thou didst shine forth in virtues like the sun, comforting the mourning and gladdening the sorrowful. And now, we pray thee, O father Eumenes, by thy prayers ask of Christ the forgiveness of our sins.

Troparion — Tone 4

Thy holy memory makes glad the land of Suzdal, and calls together all the faithful to thine all-honourable temple, where now thine all-glorious memory is celebrated, O venerable Euphrosyne: pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved.

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 broke the feeble insolence of the demons. By their intercessions save our souls.

Readings

Epistle

Ephesians 2.19-3.7

¹⁹Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; ²⁰And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; ²¹In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: ²²In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. ¹For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, ²If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: ³How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, ⁴Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) ⁵Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; ⁶That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: ⁷Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

Gospel

Luke 3.23-4.1

²³And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, ²⁴Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, ²⁵Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, ²⁶Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, ²⁷Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, ²⁸Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, ²⁹Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, ³⁰Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, ³¹Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, ³²Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, ³³Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, ³⁴Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, ³⁵Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, ³⁶Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, ³⁷Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, ³⁸Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. ¹And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

Saints commemorated