Ven. Gerasimus of the Jordan; Rt. Blv. Prince Daniel of Moscow

Saints commemorated

Saint of the day

Ven. Gerasimus of the Jordan

Gerasimus of the Jordan (early 5th century – 475) is one of the great fathers of the Palestinian desert, the founder of a celebrated lavra in the wilderness by the River Jordan and a contemporary and associate of Euthymius the Great. A native of Lycia in Asia Minor, he was formed as a monk in Egypt and the Thebaid before settling near the Jordan about the middle of the fifth century. Briefly drawn, in the turmoil that followed the Council of Chalcedon, into the Eutychian (Monophysite) error, he was recovered to the orthodox faith by Euthymius, whom he thereafter revered as his father in the desert. His lavra combined a coenobium for beginners with cells for the more advanced, under a rule of extreme austerity — five days a week in silent solitude on bread, dates and water, without fire or cooked food. He is loved above all for the lion he healed of a thorn and tamed, which served the monastery, was falsely suspected of theft and did penance, recovered the stolen donkey, and at last, finding its master dead, mourned and died upon his grave. He reposed in 475, shortly after Euthymius.
Saint of the day

Rt. Blv. Prince Daniel of Moscow

Daniel of Moscow (1261–1303) was the first prince of Moscow and the progenitor of the line — the house of Daniel — from which came the Grand Princes and Tsars who gathered the Russian lands into a single realm. Youngest son of Alexander Nevsky, he received while still a child the small and obscure appanage of Moscow, the least of the principalities, and by a reign of rare peaceableness made it the seed of a kingdom. In an age of fratricidal wars among the Russian princes he shed as little blood as any ruler of his time, refusing to seize lands by force even in victory, and yet enlarging his inheritance — by the peaceful bequest of Pereslavl-Zalessky from a childless nephew, and by the annexation of Kolomna — so that Moscow rose from nothing to the first rank. He founded on the Moscow River the Danilov Monastery, the first monastery of the city, with its church of his patron Daniel the Stylite; took the great schema before his death; and reposed on March 4, 1303, asking in humility to be buried in the common monastery cemetery. His incorrupt relics were uncovered in 1652, and he is honoured as a heavenly protector of Moscow.
St James the Faster of Phoenecia (6th c.)

James the Ascetic (6th century), also called James the Faster, was a hermit near Porphyreon on the Phoenician coast whose life the Church holds up as one of her great examples of the power of repentance. After long years of ascetic labour, in which he received a gift of healing, he fell — tempted, he violated a young woman brought to him for her cure, and then, to conceal the deed, took her life. Cast into despair by the double sin, he was drawn back from the brink by the counsel of an experienced elder and gave himself to a repentance so profound — years enclosed in a tomb, weeping without ceasing — that God, in token of his forgiveness, answered his prayer for rain in a time of drought. He reposed in peace. His memory teaches that no fall is beyond the mercy of God for the soul that truly repents. He is commemorated on January 28.
Gerasim of Vologda

Gerasim of Vologda (early 12th century – 1178) is honoured as the first monastic founder and wonderworker of the Vologda land in the Russian north. A monk of the Gnilets (Dormition) Monastery near Kiev, he came north about the middle of the twelfth century to the small riverside settlement that would become the city of Vologda, and there, in the forest by the Kaisarov brook, built a church and monastery of the Holy Trinity — the earliest religious house of that whole region. Tradition remembers his prophecy that the obscure settlement would grow into a great city, and honours him as its heavenly founder. He reposed on March 4, 1178, the same day of the year on which, long before, he had received the monastic tonsure. He is not to be confused with the desert father Gerasimus of the Jordan, who is commemorated on this very same day.
Paul and Juliana of Ptolemais

Paul and Juliana were a brother and sister martyred at Ptolemais (Akko/Acre) on the coast of Phoenicia under the emperor Aurelian (270–275), about the year 273. When the emperor came to the city, Paul openly made the sign of the Cross at the passing of the pagan procession, and was seized; his sister Juliana, seeing him tortured, cried out against the judge and confessed Christ at his side. After cruel torments — in the course of which, the tradition holds, several of the soldiers set to torture them were themselves converted by the constancy of the martyrs and put to death — Paul and Juliana were beheaded, receiving together the crown of martyrdom. They are commemorated on March 4.
Wenceslaus of Bohemia

Wenceslaus (Václav, in the Russian books Viacheslav; c. 907–935) was the prince of the Czechs, grandson and pupil of the martyr Ludmila of Bohemia. Raised by her in the faith and educated in Slavonic, Latin and Greek letters, he ruled Bohemia with a mildness his nobles read as weakness — building churches, ransoming enslaved children, and founding the church of Saint Vitus in Prague — until his younger brother Boleslav, drawn into a conspiracy of the discontented, invited him to a church feast and cut him down at the church door of Stará Boleslav on the morning of September 28, 935. The first of the Slavic princes to accept death in Christ-like meekness, he is venerated among the passion-bearers as the heavenly patron of the Czech lands, and his cultus in Kievan Rus' prepared the way for Boris and Gleb.

British Isles and Ireland

St. Owen (Owin) of Lichfield, hermit (c.670)
Hieromartyr Adrian and Companions, bishop of the Isle of May in Scotland (c.875)

Troparia & kontakia

Kontakion — Tone 4

Chosen by God from thy parents' loins, and reared from infancy in the law of the Lord unto a perfect man, and receiving by the Providence of the Most High the princely inheritance of the renowned city of Moscow, thou wast shown a faithful steward to thy godly people, O God-blessed Daniel; guiding them by thine own example and ever teaching them the commandments of the Lord, and walking without ceasing the road that leads to life eternal, thou didst attain the Heavenly Kingdom, where, dwelling among the choirs of angels, thou singest to God: Alleluia.

Kontakion — Tone 4

Having caught fire with love for the things on high, thou didst prefer the harshness of the Jordan wilderness above all the sweet things of the world; wherefore the wild beast was made subject to thee even unto death, O father, and in obedience and grief gave up its life upon thy grave — for so had God glorified thee. Praying to Him, remember us also, O father Gerasimus.

Kontakion — Tone 1

Standing with the choirs of angels, O blessed prince Viacheslav, thou delightest in the divine and ineffable beauty, and drawing thence the gifts of grace and wonders, thou pourest out the gift of healing upon all who with faith have recourse to thy shrine.

Troparion — Tone 4

Having laid aside the glory of thy princedom and been illumined by divine grace, O God-wise prince Daniel, thou didst set thy whole mind and heart, turned away from this vain world, unswervingly upon the Creator; and thou didst shine as a star in the east of the Russian realm. Finishing a good course in chastity and a life like the angels', thou didst keep the faith undefiled; wherefore God glorified thee after death with wonders, that thou mightest pour forth healings on them that faithfully draw near to thy honoured shrine. Therefore today we thy people keep the feast of thy repose. But thou, as one having boldness before Christ, pray that our fatherland be saved and our land be kept in peace.

Troparion — Tone 1

A citizen of the wilderness and an angel in the body wast thou shown to be, and a wonderworker, O our God-bearing father Gerasimus. By fasting and vigil and prayer thou didst receive gifts from heaven, and thou healest the sick and the souls of them that run to thee in faith. Glory to Him that gave thee strength; glory to Him that crowned thee; glory to Him that worketh healings for all through thee.

Troparion — Tone 8

In thee, O Father, was preserved unimpaired that which is according to God's image; 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, O venerable James, thy spirit rejoiceth with the Angels.

Troparion — Tone 4

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 demons. By their supplications, O Christ God, save our souls.

Troparion — Tone 4

Today the angels rejoice with men in common gladness; heaven and earth keep radiant festival in thy memory, O holy one. And we sinners cry to thee with fervour: pray to the Master for us, that we be delivered from the assaults of enemies visible and invisible, who honour thy most radiant memory.

Readings

Epistle

3 John 1.1-14

¹The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. ²Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. ³For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. ⁴I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. ⁵Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; ⁶Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: ⁷Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. ⁸We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth. ⁹I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. ¹⁰Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. ¹¹Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God. ¹²Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true. ¹³I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee: ¹⁴But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.

Gospel

Luke 19.29-40, 22.7-39

²⁹And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, ³⁰Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. ³¹And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. ³²And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. ³³And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? ³⁴And they said, The Lord hath need of him. ³⁵And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. ³⁶And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. ³⁷And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; ³⁸Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. ³⁹And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. ⁴⁰And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. ⁷Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. ⁸And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. ⁹And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? ¹⁰And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. ¹¹And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? ¹²And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. ¹³And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. ¹⁴And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. ¹⁵And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: ¹⁶For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. ¹⁷And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: ¹⁸For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. ¹⁹And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. ²⁰Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. ²¹But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. ²²And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! ²³And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. ²⁴And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. ²⁵And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. ²⁶But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. ²⁷For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. ²⁸Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. ²⁹And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; ³⁰That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ³¹And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: ³²But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. ³³And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. ³⁴And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. ³⁵And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. ³⁶Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. ³⁷For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. ³⁸And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough. ³⁹And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.

Saints commemorated