Wednesday 16 April 2031

Bright Wednesday

No Fast — Fast Free Tone 4

Paschaltide, day 4 · 3 days since Pascha

About Kasperov Icon of the Mother of God →

Bright Wednesday
the panel 16th century (c. 1550), Balkan; shown under its later silver-gilt riza, Holy Spirit cathedral, Kherson · Wikimedia Commons · Stored on the age of the underlying work: a sixteenth-century panel under a pre-modern riza, photographed frontally as a flat reproduction. The Commons file additionally carries a public-domain tag for the photograph itself.

Saints commemorated

  • Virgin Martyrs Agape, Irene and Chionia

    Agape, Chionia and Irene were three Christian sisters of Thessalonica martyred in the persecution of Diocletian in 304. Refusing to eat food offered to idols, and found to possess the forbidden Christian Scriptures, they were condemned by the governor Dulcitius: Agape and Chionia were burned alive, and Irene, after being exposed to shame and standing firm, was put to death — by fire, or, in the fuller account, by an arrow. Their authentic Acts survive and are among the most reliable of the early martyr-records; the three are linked in tradition with St Anastasia the Deliverer-from-Bonds, who strengthened and buried them.

  • Leonidas of Corinth and Companions

    Leonidas and a company of Christian women with him — Chariessa, Nike, Galina, Kallis, Nunechia, Basilissa and Theodora — were martyred at Corinth in the mid-third century (under Decius, or, by another account, in the early fourth under the tetrarchy). After torture they were bound and cast into the sea, and received together the crown of martyrdom. They are honoured among the martyrs of Greece on April 16.

British Isles and Ireland

  • St. Padarn, Missionary and Wonderworker, founder of Llanbadarn Fawr (550)
  • St. Elias of Cologne (1042)

Troparia & kontakia

Kontakion — Tone 6

Protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the Creator unfailing: despise not the suppliant voices of sinners, but be quick to help us who cry to thee in faith; hasten to intercession and make speed to entreaty, O Theotokos, who dost ever protect them that honour thee.

Troparion — Tone 4

To the Theotokos let us now run in haste, we sinners and lowly ones, and let us fall down in repentance, crying from the depth of our soul: O Lady, help us, having compassion upon us; make haste, for we perish from the multitude of our transgressions; turn not thy servants away empty, for thee alone have we as our hope.

Troparion — Tone 4 (common of virgin-martyrs)

Thy lambs Agape, Chionia and Irene cry out with a loud voice, O Jesus: We love Thee, O our Bridegroom, and in seeking Thee we endure suffering; crucified with Thee and buried in Thy baptism, we suffer for Thy sake that we may reign with Thee; accept us who sacrifice ourselves in love for Thee, and by their prayers, O merciful One, save our souls.

Troparion — Tone 4 (common of several martyrs)

Thy martyrs Leonidas and those with him, O Lord, in their contest received incorruptible crowns from Thee, our God; for possessing Thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and shattered the feeble insolence of the demons. By their intercessions save our souls.

Readings

Epistle

Acts 2.22-36

22Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 25For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 29Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Gospel

John 1.35-51

35Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! 37And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? 39He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. 40One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 42And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. 43The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 44Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 48Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. 49Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. 50Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. 51And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.