Ven. Melania the Younger of Rome

Saints commemorated

Saint of the day

Ven. Melania the Younger of Rome

Melania the Younger (c. 383 – 439) was a Roman noblewoman of one of the greatest senatorial fortunes of the late empire who, with her husband Pinian, renounced the whole of it for Christ. Married against her will at fourteen and bereaved of both her children, she persuaded Pinian to a life of continence, and together they freed thousands of slaves and sold estates scattered across Italy, Sicily, Spain, Gaul, Britain, and North Africa — a renunciation so vast it entangled the Senate and the imperial court. Fleeing the Gothic sack of Rome, they passed through Sicily and Campania to North Africa, where they knew Augustine of Hippo, and thence to the Holy Land. At Jerusalem Melania founded a convent of ninety virgins on the Mount of Olives, and later a men's monastery near the place of the Ascension. A staunch opponent of Nestorius, she won her pagan uncle Volusianus to baptism at Constantinople and was honoured by the empress Eudocia. She reposed at Jerusalem on December 31, 439. She is not to be confused with her grandmother, Melania the Elder (†c. 410, kept June 8), who likewise renounced a Roman fortune and likewise founded a monastery on the Mount of Olives, and who returned to Rome in old age expressly to bring her granddaughter out of the world.
Saint of the day

Our Holy Mother Melania the Younger of Rome (439)
Saint Zoticus, Cherisher of the Poor and Servant of Lepers (4th c)
St Theophylact, Archbishop of Ochrid (ca. 1126)

Troparia & kontakia

Troparion — Tone 8

In thee, O Mother, was the image of God preserved with exactness; for thou didst take up the Cross and follow 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. Therefore doth thy spirit, O venerable Melania, rejoice together with the Angels.

Readings

Epistle

James 2.14-26

¹⁴What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ¹⁵If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? ¹⁷Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. ¹⁸Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. ¹⁹Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. ²⁰But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? ²¹Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? ²²Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? ²³And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. ²⁴Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. ²⁵Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? ²⁶For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Gospel

Mark 12.13-17

¹³And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. ¹⁴And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Cæsar, or not? ¹⁵Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. ¹⁶And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Cæsar’s. ¹⁷And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.

Saints commemorated