Saturday 22 March 2031

Memorial Saturday

Fourth Saturday of Lent

Great Lent, day 27 · 22 days until Pascha

Memorial Saturday

Saints commemorated

  • Hieromartyr Basil of Ancyra

    Basil of Ancyra (†c. 362) was a martyr of Ancyra in Galatia who suffered under the emperor Julian the Apostate. A zealous confessor of the Nicene faith — the tradition remembers him as a presbyter of the church of Ancyra — he had contended in earlier years against both the Arians and the pagans, and when Julian's restoration of paganism emboldened the idolaters of Galatia, Basil went openly through the city strengthening the faithful and denouncing the worship of the gods. Arrested and brought before the imperial officers, he refused every inducement to sacrifice, was subjected to prolonged and savage torture — the Acts describe strips of flesh cut from his body — and was at last put to death, about the year 362, sealing his confession with his blood. He is commemorated on January 1, together with the Circumcision of Christ and Basil the Great; several calendars keep a martyr Basil of Ancyra also on March 22.

  • Martyr Drosida of Antioch, and five nuns (104)

    Drosis (Drosida) was a young woman of Antioch, honoured by tradition as a daughter of the emperor Trajan, who with a company of companions secretly gathered and buried the bodies of the martyrs that the persecutors had cast out unburied, and who was herself put to death for Christ in the early second century. Her memory was already famous at Antioch in the fourth century, when John Chrysostom preached a homily in her praise, holding her up before his people as a pattern of hidden love for the martyrs and of fearless confession.

British Isles and Ireland

  • St. Darerca, sister of St. Patrick (5th C)
  • St. Failbhe, abbot of Iona (7th C)
  • St. Trien, abbot of Killelga (5th C)

Troparia & kontakia

Kontakion — Tone 4

In the divine meadows of the faith the Master found thee a plant of paradise, and reaped thee, a fair sheaf, by thy martyrdom; wherefore we honour thy struggles, O all-blessed Basil.

Troparion — Tone 4

Thy martyr Basil, O Lord, in his contest received an incorruptible crown from thee our God; for, possessed of thy might, he cast down the tyrants and broke the feeble insolence of the demons. By his prayers, O Christ God, save our souls.

Troparion — Tone 4 (common of a woman-martyr)

Thy lamb, O Jesus, crieth with a loud voice: Thee, O my Bridegroom, do I love, and seeking Thee I pass through many sufferings; 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. Accept me as a spotless sacrifice, offered in love. By her prayers, O merciful One, save our souls.

Readings

Epistle

Hebrews 6.9-12

9But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. 10For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

1 Corinthians 15.47-57 (Departed)

47The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel

Mark 7.31-37

31And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 32And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. 36And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; 37And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

John 5.24-30 (Departed)

24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 30I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.