Christmastide, day 4
Saints commemorated
-
Saint of the day
20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia
-
Saint of the day
The Twenty Thousand Martyrs burned to death in their church in Nicomedia (ca. 304).
The Twenty Thousand Martyrs of Nicomedia were the great company of Christians who perished in the imperial capital of Bithynia at the opening of the Great Persecution, when — on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, about the year 302 — the emperor's soldiers surrounded the city's church while the faithful were gathered for the Liturgy, heaped it with fuel, and set it ablaze, so that the whole assembly was consumed by fire. Their bishop, Anthimus of Nicomedia, had first baptised the catechumens and given all Communion; he escaped the flames to be beheaded later, on September 3. The synaxaria join to the anonymous multitude a company of named sufferers of the same city and persecution — the priest Glycerius, the deacons Theophilus and Migdonius, Zeno, Dorotheus, Mardonius, Peter, Indes, Gorgonius, Euthymius, the abbess Agapia, and the women Domna and Theophila among them. The Church keeps them together on December 28, within the afterfeast of the Nativity.
-
Our Holy Father Simon the Outpourer of Myrrh, Founder of Simonopetra Monastery, Mt Athos (1287)
Simon the Myrrh-gusher (†c. 1287) was a hermit of Mount Athos and the founder of the monastery of Simonopetra — "Simon's Rock" — one of the great houses of the Holy Mountain, built upon a sheer pinnacle of rock above the sea. After years of solitary struggle in a cave, he was granted, on the eve of the Nativity, the vision of a star that came to rest over a neighbouring crag, and the voice of the Mother of God bidding him raise a monastery there; he named it New Bethlehem, and dedicated its church to the Nativity of Christ. His masons faltered before the terrifying site until a miracle — a workman who fell from the cliff yet rose unhurt — confirmed the Mother of God's protection. Renowned as a wonderworker in life, Simon after his repose was glorified by the myrrh that flowed from his tomb, whence his surname. He is commemorated on December 28.
-
Ignatius of Lomsk
Ignatius of Lomsk (†1591) was a Russian ascetic of the Vologda–Yaroslavl wilderness who, after monastic struggle in two of the great northern monasteries, withdrew into the forests to live in silence and founded a hermitage on the Lom river, from which he is named. Of his origins nothing is transmitted; the tradition places him first at the Priluki monastery near Vologda and then at the monastery of Saint Cyril of White Lake, before he sought the deeper solitude of the wilds. He reposed at his hermitage on December 28, 1591, and is numbered among the saints of Rostov and Yaroslavl.
-
Nicanor the Deacon
Nicanor was one of the seven deacons chosen by the Apostles in the first days of the Church at Jerusalem — the "seven men of good repute, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom" set over the daily ministry to the widows (Acts 6:1–6) — and is numbered by the tradition among the Seventy Apostles. The received account holds that he was among the great company of Christians put to death in the persecution that broke out at the stoning of the Protomartyr Stephen, his fellow deacon, and so won a martyr's crown about the year 34. He is commemorated on December 28, and again on July 28 in the joint feast of the deacons Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, and Parmenas.
Troparia & kontakia
Kontakion — Tone 1
An army twenty thousand strong of martyrs rises like a sun that never sets, enlightening with the faith the hearts and minds of the devout; therefore we honour you, who were crowned in the fire for Christ.
Kontakion — Tone 8
As a chosen branch of the venerable fathers and a follower of the Apostles, equal to them in honour, we hymn thee, O Simon; for thou wast shown a citizen of heaven and a founder upon the rock, pouring forth myrrh and healings. Wherefore we cry to thee: Rejoice, O father Simon, boast of the Holy Mountain.
Troparion — Tone 8 (common of a venerable)
By a flood of tears thou didst make the barren wilderness fruitful, and by thy deep sighing thou didst bring forth fruit a hundredfold in labours; and thou becamest a luminary, shining by thy wonders upon the world, O Ignatius our father. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.
Troparion — Tone 3
A holy army, a consecrated city, a people set apart for the Lord: such were you shown to be, O Twenty Thousand Martyrs; for having finished your contest in the fire, you were led as an offering to him who was born of the Virgin. Entreat him to grant us his great mercy.
Troparion — Tone 3 (common of an apostle)
O holy Apostle Nicanor, intercede with the merciful God that he may grant to our souls the forgiveness of our sins.
Troparion — Tone 4
Let us the faithful praise the far-renowned Myrrh-gusher, the all-precious pearl of Christ and glory of monastics, Simon our God-bearing father, who upon the rock founded a house to the honour of the Master's Nativity; for he pours out healings and streams of myrrh on those who cry: Glory to Christ who glorified thee; glory to him who made thee wondrous; glory to him who through thee works healings for all.
Readings
Epistle
James 2.1-13
1My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? 8If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
Gospel
Mark 12.1-12
1And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. 2And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. 3And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. 4And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. 5And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some. 6Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. 7But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. 8And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. 10And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: 11This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 12And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.