Tuesday, 9 January 2024

Tuesday of the 32nd week after Pentecost

268 days after Pascha · Tone 6 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Blessed Theosebia

Blessed Theosebia was a deaconess of the Orthodox Church, venerated for her service and spiritual devotion. She flourished around 395 and is remembered as a woman of piety who devoted herself to the work of the Church. In the early Church, deaconesses were ordained to assist in the liturgical life and pastoral care of the Christian community. Theosebia's commemoration on 9 January reflects the Church's recognition of faithful women servants who laboured in ministry and prayer.

Martyr Polyeuktos

Martyr Polyeuktos was an early Christian martyr venerated in the Orthodox Church. He suffered persecution for his faith in Christ during the early centuries of Christianity. His commemoration on 9 January reflects the Church's remembrance of those who witnessed to the Gospel through their martyrdom and sacrifice. Though detailed biographical information is limited in available sources, his memory is preserved in the liturgical calendar of the Orthodox Church as a faithful witness to Christ.

New Martyr Parthena

New Martyr Parthena is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on 9 January. She is numbered among the New Martyrs, those who suffered and died for their Orthodox faith during later periods of persecution, particularly under Ottoman rule or other adversarial regimes. Her memory is preserved in the Orthodox Church's calendar of saints who gave their lives in witness to Christ.

Righteous Eustratios

Righteous Eustratios is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on 9 January as a righteous soul who walked in holiness and virtue before God. The Orthodox liturgical tradition preserves his memory amongst the saints celebrated on this feast day. His life exemplified the Christian calling to righteousness and devotion to the Lord.

Saint Peter, Bishop of Sebaste

Saint Peter, Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia, was the brother of several renowned Church Fathers, including Saints Macrina the Younger, Basil the Great, Naucratius, and Gregory of Nyssa. Born in the fourth century, Peter was part of a remarkable family devoted to ascetic life and Christian service. Like his siblings, he was influenced by his mother, Saint Emmelia, and the spiritual environment of their household in Cappadocia. Saint Peter became a bishop and served the Church faithfully. He is commemorated on 9 January in the Orthodox Church calendar as a holy bishop and brother of the great Cappadocian Fathers, whose family produced some of the most influential theological and spiritual leaders of the early Church.

Venerable Eustratius the Wonderworker

9th c.

He was born to pious parents in Tarsia in Bithynia. At the age of twenty he entered monastic life at the Monastery of Agaures near his home. There he became a model of prayer, ascesis and zeal for holiness — he possessed nothing but the cloak he wore, and did not even have his own cell, choosing instead to sleep on the bare ground. When he slept he would not lie on his back or his left side, but always on his right side. In church, he stood repeating ‘Lord, have mercy!’ to himself throughout the services. He was ordained to the priesthood, and in time was made abbot of the community. But just at that time, Leo the Armenian became Emperor and revived the iconoclast heresy. The monks of Agaures, who held to the Orthodox Faith, scattered to caves and forests to escape persecution. Eustratius himself was imprisoned for a time, and was only able to re-gather the community and resume its direction when Leo died and Orthodoxy was restored in 842. As abbot, Eustratius continued to live as the humblest of the brethren, spending the day sharing in their manual labor, and most of the night in prayer and prostrations. He often traveled among the dependencies of his large monastery to offer counsel and encouragement to the brethren. While traveling he would often give his coat or even his horse to anyone in need whom he met on the way. Once he gave the monastery’s only ox to a peasant who had lost his own. Once, on a visit to Constantinople, he was given a large sum of money by the Emperor for the monastery; on the way back he distributed all of it to the poor. Once, on the road, he met a man who had despaired because of his sins and was about to hang himself. The Saint took the man’s hand and said ‘My child, may the weight of your sins lie on me from now on. On the day of Judgment, I will answer for them instead of you. Only throw away this rope and hope in God.’ During his own life, Saint Eustratius performed countless miracles by his prayers: healing the sick, quenching fires, raising the dead. He reposed in peace in Constantinople at the age of ninety-five, having spent seventy-five years in monastic life.

Saint Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow

1569

He was born in 1507 to a noble family, and served briefly in the royal court. At the age of thirteen he entered the Solovki Monastery on the White Sea, within the Arctic circle. Here he lived in great austerity and eventually became Abbot. Through his labors and prayers the monastery soon became a center of spirituality and culture throughout the region. His fame reached the attention of Tsar Ivan IV (“the Terrible”), who in 1566 made him Metropolitan of Moscow, much against the Abbot’s desire. Tsar Ivan revered Philip (“even as Herod had revered Saint John the Baptist,” says the Great Horologion), and had been a generous benefactor of Solovki Monastery. But no sooner was Metropolitan Philip installed than he began to reprimand the Tsar for the brutal reign that he had imposed upon the people. Despite many warnings and threats from the Tsar, the holy bishop refused to be silent in the face of massive injustice, telling Ivan that he had never sought to be Metropolitan, that he had desired only to live quietly in Solovki, but now that he was shepherd of his flock, he was unable to remain silent. “I cannot obey your command rather than God’s. I stand for what is true and right and shall continue to do so, even though I be deprived of my office and suffer the worst of torments; otherwise our faith would be vain, and in vain too would be the apostolic office.” Finally the Tsar gathered various false witnesses against the Metropolitan, and called a council against him in 1568. Saint Philip was condemned and imprisoned in Moscow, but soon the Tsar, fearful of the people’s love for their bishop, sent him to a monastery in Tver, where he lived confined and in great hardship. “On December 23, 1569, a royal messenger came, asking the Metropolitan’s blessing for the Tsar’s expedition to Novgorod. Saint Philip told him to do that which he came to do, then raised his hands in prayer to God. The Tsar’s messenger fell upon him and suffocated the holy hierarch with a pillow. In 1591 his relics were transferred to Solovki, and in 1652 to the Dormition Cathedral in Moscow; many miracles were wrought through his holy relics.” (Great Horologion)

Also commemorated: Martyr Polyeuctus of Melitene in Armenia

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

James — James 3.1-10

¹Be not many of you teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive heavier judgment.

¹My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. ²For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. ²For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. ³Now if we put the horses’ bridles into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also. ³Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. ⁴Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth. ⁴Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. ⁵Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! ⁵So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! ⁶And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. ⁶And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell. ⁷For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: ⁷For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind: ⁸but the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison. ⁸But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God: ⁹Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. ¹⁰out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 17.26-37

²⁶And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. ²⁶And as it came to pass in the days of Noah, even so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. ²⁷They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. ²⁷They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. ²⁸Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; ²⁸Likewise even as it came to pass in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; ²⁹But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. ²⁹but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all: ³⁰after the same manner shall it be in the day that the Son of man is revealed. ³⁰Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. ³¹In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. ³¹In that day, he that shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away: and let him that is in the field likewise not return back. ³²Remember Lot’s wife. ³²Remember Lot’s wife. ³³Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. ³³Whosoever shall seek to gain his life shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. ³⁴I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. ³⁴I say unto you, In that night there shall be two men on one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. ³⁵Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. ³⁵There shall be two women grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. ³⁶ ³⁶Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. ³⁷And they answering say unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Where the body is, thither will the eagles also be gathered together. ³⁷And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.