Monday, 22 January 2024

Monday of the 34th week after Pentecost

281 days after Pascha · Tone 8 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Apostle Timothy of the Seventy

Timothy was from the Lycaonian city of Lystra in Asia Minor, born of a Jewish mother named Eunice and a Greek father. His mother and grandmother, Lois, are noted in Scripture for their piety and Christian faith. The Apostle Paul met Timothy during his second missionary journey and he became Paul's faithful companion and co-worker in spreading the Gospel. Timothy accompanied Paul and Silas on their journey to Macedonia around the year 52. The Apostle Paul loved Timothy deeply and in his Epistles called him his beloved son, addressing the First and Second Epistles to Timothy to him directly as the recipient.

Paul appointed Timothy as Bishop of Ephesus, where the saint remained as bishop for fifteen years. His ministry was marked by dedication to the spreading of the Christian faith and the correction of heresy. According to Orthodox tradition, Timothy was martyred in Ephesus around the year 93. The pagans of Ephesus celebrated a festival in honour of their idols, carrying them through the city accompanied by impious ceremonies and songs. Timothy, zealous for the glory of God, attempted to halt the procession and reason with the people, preaching the true faith in Christ. The pagan crowd, angered by his boldness, fell upon him, beat him, dragged him along the ground, and finally stoned him to death. Timothy is venerated as an apostle, saint, and martyr by the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Bishop Ioasaph Bolotov, enlightener of Alaska

Bishop Joasaph (Ivan Ilyich Bolotov) was born in 1761 and became a dedicated Russian Orthodox missionary and bishop. Because of his exemplary monastic life and piety, he was raised to the dignity of archimandrite in 1793. He was known for his zeal in advancing the Orthodox faith and his commitment to spiritual discipline. In 1794, Archimandrite Joasaph was chosen to lead a group of missionaries from Valaam Monastery on a historic journey to Alaska. This expedition, covering over 12,000 kilometres and lasting more than ten months of travel on foot, horseback, and by boat, became one of the longest missionary journeys in history. Notwithstanding the adverse conditions and physical hardships, Father Joasaph and his party of monks proved very successful in evangelising the native peoples and in expanding their preaching and missionary efforts to the mainland. In 1796, the Most Holy Synod established an auxiliary episcopal see in Alaska and appointed Archimandrite Joasaph to become the Bishop of Kodiak. The formal service of his election as bishop took place in Irkutsk on 3 April 1799. However, the saint was not long for this world. Whilst returning to Alaska aboard the ship Phoenix, Bishop Ioasaph Bolotov perished at sea during a severe storm that raged from 21 to 24 May 1799. The ship was sunk near the Alaskan coast, and all those aboard, including the bishop, were lost. He is remembered as an enlightener of Alaska and the American lands.

Monastic martyr Anastasius the Persian

614

Saint Anastasius was born in the city of Ray, Persia, in the early part of the seventh century. His native name was Magundat, and he was the son of a Zoroastrian magus named Bavi. He served as a soldier in the army of the Sasanian King Chosroes II during the reign of the Roman Emperor Heraclius. In the year 614, King Chosroes II ravaged the city of Jerusalem and carried away the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord to Persia. The heart of the young soldier Magundat was inflamed with a desire to learn more about this sacred object. Questioning everyone about the Holy Cross, he learned that the Lord Himself was crucified upon it for the salvation of mankind. This knowledge awakened him to the true faith. Withdrawing from his military service, Magundat went to the Holy City where he was baptized by Saint Modestus, Patriarch of Jerusalem, receiving the new name Anastasius. He became a monk and devoted himself to ascetical struggles. He went secretly from the monastery to Caesarea in Palestine, but there he was arrested for being a Christian. He was strangled on 22 January 628 and subsequently beheaded so that the executioners could prove to the king that he was killed. A monk who had accompanied him acquired his body and buried it at the Monastery of Saint Sergios, later known as Sergiopolis. His holy relics were later translated to Palestine, Rome, and Constantinople, and are honoured by the Church. The translation of his holy relics is commemorated on 24 January.

Saint Dominic of Sora, abbot and founder of monasteries

Saint Dominic was born in 951 in Foligno, Etruria, in the Tuscany region of what is now Italy. From his youth he was drawn to the monastic life and devoted himself to the ascetical struggle. He was renowned for his holiness and his gift of working miracles. Throughout his monastic career, Dominic established nine monasteries in the Kingdom of Naples, becoming a great spiritual father to many monks. Among the monasteries he founded were San Salvatore at Scandriglia in 986, establishments on Mount Pizzi, San Pietro del Lago, and San Pietro di Avellana. He later transferred his monastic activities to the area of lower Lazio, where he built monasteries at Trisulti and at Sora. At Sora, Dominic became abbot of the monastic community he had established. Throughout his long life he was known for his wisdom, his fatherly care for the brothers in his charge, and the many miracles wrought through his intercession. He reposed in the Lord on 22 January 1031 in his monastery at Sora. Saint Dominic became the patron saint against fever, toothache, poisonous snakes and snake bites, rabid dogs, and is invoked for protection from storms and hail. His legacy as a monastic founder and spiritual guide has been preserved in the Orthodox tradition.

Saint Vincent of Saragossa, deacon and martyr

Saint Vincent was born at Huesca, near Zaragoza, in Spain, during the latter part of the third century. His father was Eutricius and his mother was Enola, a native of Osca. From a young age he was entrusted to the care of Bishop Valerius of Saragossa, who ordained him archdeacon. Bishop Valerius had a speech impediment and appointed the well-spoken Vincent to assist him in his pastoral duties and to preach on his behalf. During the reign of Emperor Diocletian around the year 304, the Roman governor Dacian ruthlessly enforced Diocletian's edict compelling Christians to renounce their faith by burning incense to Roman gods. Dacian had both the elderly bishop and his deacon arrested and imprisoned. Vincent's bold and outspoken manner of confessing Christ so angered the governor that Dacian inflicted every sort of torture upon him. Vincent was stretched on the rack and his flesh was torn with iron hooks. His wounds were rubbed with salt and he was burned alive upon a red-hot gridiron. Finally, he was cast into prison and laid upon a floor scattered with broken pottery, where he suffered greatly before his death. Though the Roman authorities threw his dead body into the sea in a sack, it was later recovered by Christians. His veneration immediately spread throughout the Church and beyond. Saint Vincent is considered a protomartyr of Spain and is the patron saint of Lisbon, Algarve, and Valencia. The Eastern Orthodox Church honours his feast day on 22 January.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Hebrews — Hebrews 3.5-11, 17-19

⁵And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken; ⁵And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; ⁶but Christ as a son, over his house; whose house are we, if we hold fast our boldness and the glorying of our hope firm unto the end. ⁶But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. ⁷Wherefore, even as the Holy Spirit saith, To-day if ye shall hear his voice, ⁷Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, ⁸Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, Like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness, ⁸Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: ⁹Where your fathers tried me by proving me, And saw my works forty years. ⁹When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. ¹⁰Wherefore I was displeased with this generation, And said, They do always err in their heart: But they did not know my ways; ¹⁰Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. ¹¹As I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest. ¹¹So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) ¹⁷But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? ¹⁷And with whom was he displeased forty years? was it not with them that sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? ¹⁸And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that were disobedient? ¹⁹So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. ¹⁹And we see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 20.27-44

²⁷Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,

²⁷And there came to him certain of the Sadducees, they that say that there is no resurrection; ²⁸Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. ²⁸and they asked him, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, that if a man’s brother die, having a wife, and he be childless, his brother should take the wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. ²⁹There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children. ²⁹There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died childless; ³⁰And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. ³⁰and the second: ³¹and the third took her; and likewise the seven also left no children, and died. ³¹And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died. ³²Afterward the woman also died. ³²Last of all the woman died also. ³³Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife. ³³In the resurrection therefore whose wife of them shall she be? for the seven had her to wife. ³⁴And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: ³⁴And Jesus said unto them, The sons of this world marry, and are given in marriage: ³⁵but they that are accounted worthy to attain to that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: ³⁵But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: ³⁶for neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. ³⁶Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. ³⁷But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the place concerning the Bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ³⁷Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ³⁸Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. ³⁸For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

³⁹Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said. ³⁹And certain of the scribes answering said, Teacher, thou hast well said. ⁴⁰And after that they durst not ask him any question at all. ⁴⁰For they durst not any more ask him any question. ⁴¹And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David’s son?

⁴¹And he said unto them, How say they that the Christ is David’s son? ⁴²And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, ⁴²For David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, ⁴³Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. ⁴³Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet. ⁴⁴David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?

⁴⁴David therefore calleth him Lord, and how is he his son?