Wednesday, 7 February 2024

Wednesday of the 36th week after Pentecost

297 days after Pascha · Tone 2 · Liturgy · Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy 1003 martyrs of Nicomedia

303

The 1003 martyrs of Nicomedia suffered together with their masters during the great persecution of the emperor Diocletian. Their lords were the four senators Bassus, Eusebius, Eutychius and Basilides, who had come to faith in Christ after witnessing the courage of the hieromartyr Theopemptus of Nicomedia and were martyred with their wives in the year 303 (commemorated 20 January). When the household servants and dependents of these four senators saw the steadfast confession of their masters, they took counsel among themselves and resolved to die for Christ rather than serve idols. Coming forward boldly, they declared themselves Christians before the emperor. Diocletian sought to win them over by promises and threats and to make them deny the faith, but neither rewards nor torments could move them. The emperor then ordered soldiers to surround the whole company, and the men, women and small children, one thousand and three souls in all, were cut down where they stood. The bodies of the holy martyrs were taken up by the faithful and given honourable burial. They are commemorated together on this day, sealed by their masters in the confession of Christ.

Saint Parthenius, Bishop of Lampsacus

325

The Holy Father Parthenius was a native of the city of Melitoupolis, located in northwestern Asia Minor. He was born into a Christian family; his father Christopher served as a deacon in the Church. Though Parthenius did not receive formal schooling in the usual sense, he was educated in the faith through faithful attendance at church services and through his parents' instruction in the holy tradition. His heart was filled with love for God and compassion for others, and as a young man he worked as a fisherman to support himself and his family.

From the age of eighteen, Saint Parthenius manifested remarkable spiritual gifts. Filled with the grace of God, he began to heal the sick in the name of Christ, to cast out demons that possessed the afflicted, and to perform other miracles that testified to the power of the Gospel. His fame spread throughout the region as word of his healings and miraculous deeds became known. Many came to him seeking relief from their infirmities and spiritual bondage.

In the year 325, during the reign of the Emperor Constantine the Great, the Archbishop of Cyzicus, named Achilles, recognized the holiness and spiritual gifts of Parthenius and ordained him as Bishop of the city of Lampsacus in Asia Minor. Through this appointment, Saint Parthenius was given authority to shepherd the flock of Christ in that important city and to establish and strengthen the Church's presence there.

Saint Parthenius went before the Emperor Constantine the Great with a petition to allow him to demolish the pagan temple that stood in Lampsacus and to build a Christian church in its place. The pious emperor received the holy bishop with great honour, was moved by his request, and issued a decree authorizing the destruction of the pagan temple. Moreover, Constantine provided Saint Parthenius with the imperial resources and support necessary to construct a beautiful church dedicated to God in Lampsacus.

Returning to Lampsacus with the imperial decree, Saint Parthenius proceeded with the demolition of the pagan temple and the construction of a magnificent Christian church. This edifice became not only a place of worship, but also a powerful witness to the triumph of Christ over paganism and a beacon of the Orthodox faith in the city.

Saint Parthenius served as bishop of Lampsacus for many years, shepherding his flock with wisdom and pastoral care. He continued his work of healing and miracle-working, always directing people to faith in Christ and the grace of the Gospel. He peacefully departed this life and was solemnly buried in the cathedral church of Lampsacus that he had built, where his holy relics became a place of pilgrimage and veneration for the faithful.

Venerable Luke of Hellas

The Venerable Luke of Hellas was a native of the Greek village of Kastorion. He was born into a poor family of farmers and from his earliest years was engaged in labour in the fields and in shepherding sheep. From childhood, he learned the virtue of hard work and manual labour, and he grew in holiness through patient acceptance of his humble station. He was filled with deep obedience to his parents and lived with great temperance in eating and drinking. Saint Luke manifested a remarkable virtue from his youth: a heart overflowing with compassion and charity toward the poor and suffering. He would give away his own food and clothing to those in need, often depriving himself of necessities in order to help others. His generosity and selfless love, which reflected the love of Christ, sometimes drew reproach from his parents, who were concerned about his need for sustenance. Yet the Lord rewarded his faithfulness and trust. One striking account from his youth demonstrates the Lord's care for His faithful servant. On one occasion, Saint Luke gave away nearly all the seed grain that was needed for planting in the fields that year. His parents were greatly distressed at this seemingly reckless act of charity. Yet the Lord, seeing his faith and love for the poor, miraculously blessed the remaining seed, and the harvest gathered that year was far greater than any previously obtained. After the death of his earthly father, Saint Luke felt called to pursue a more intense monastic life. With his mother's blessing, though not without her concern, he departed for Athens, where he entered a monastery and began his formal ascetical training. However, through the prayers of his widowed mother, who grieved deeply for her son's absence, the Lord miraculously returned Luke to his parental home after a short time. He spent four months with his mother, comforting her and assisting her before her own repose. Following his mother's death and with her blessing from beyond the grave, Saint Luke departed once again, this time to a solitary place on a mountain called Ioannou (or Ioannitsa) in the Greek countryside. Here, on this remote mountain, there stood a church dedicated to the holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian. Saint Luke made this place his dwelling and spent the remainder of his life in constant prayer and fasting, in ascetical struggle against the passions, and in unceasing intercession for the salvation of the world. The Lord granted to Saint Luke the gift of wonderworking, and he became known throughout the region as a healer and a holy man. Many came to him seeking his prayers and his counsel. Saint Luke fell asleep in the Lord on 7 February 946, having spent decades in hidden monastic struggle and prayer on the mountain. After his death, a church was built over his tomb as a place of pilgrimage and veneration. From his holy relics, myrrh flowed abundantly, and many healings and miracles were granted through his intercession to those who approached his shrine with faith.

Venerable Mastridia of Jerusalem

Saint Mastridia of Jerusalem was a holy ascetic of the sixth century who lived in the holy city in great austerity, devoting herself to fasting, prayer and the work of her own hands. From childhood she had given herself wholly to Christ, preserving her chastity and her thoughts pure. While she was still living in the city, a certain young man was inflamed with passion for her and began to trouble her with his unwelcome attentions. Mastridia, unwilling either to yield to the temptation or to be the cause of harm to the young man, asked him what feature of her face had so captivated him. When he answered that it was the beauty of her eyes, she withdrew at once, fearing for his soul. Rather than disfigure herself, she took up a small basket of moistened berries and silently went out into the wilderness, leaving the city behind. There she lived alone for seventeen years, never returning to the company of men. By the providence of God her supply of berries was not exhausted and her clothing did not wear out, and she was preserved from every harm. Her labours of fasting, vigil and unceasing prayer surpassed those of many male ascetics of her day. About the year 580 she reposed in peace, and her life is recorded among the desert mothers of the Christian east.

Our Venerable Father Luke the New of Mount Stirion

c. 950

Is there such a thing as a natural monk? Saint Luke was born in 896 to pious parents who came from Aegina but were forced to settle on the Greek mainland due to Saracen raids. From his earliest years, he showed a desire for a life of ascesis and contemplation usually only found in seasoned elders. He abstained from all flesh, cheese, eggs, and delicacies, drank only water, and kept a total fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. While herding cattle or tilling the family fields, he would often give away his food and even his clothing to the poor, returning home naked. When his father died, he abandoned farm work to devote himself entirely to prayer, making such progress that he was often lifted above the ground while praying. After a time he secretly left home and entered a monastery in Athens (he was now only fourteen years old), but the abbot sent him home after seeing his mother every night in dream, tearfully calling for her son. He returned home for a while, but when he had obtained her permission to leave once again set out upon the monastic life. He traveled widely, living as a hermit in various places, sometimes attached to a monastery and sometimes not. Often he would be forced to move by the number of visitors who learned of his holiness, no matter how secretly he tried to live, and came to him for prayer or a word of counsel or prophecy. Once he lived for three years on the island of Ampelon; his sister would occasionally bring him some bread, but he gave much of it away to the needy or to passing sailors. Finally, his health damaged, he returned to the mainland at the entreaties of his disciples and settled at a place called Stirion (which may be a corruption of Soterion), where he built a hermitage. Saint Luke fell ill in his seventh year at Stirion. Embracing his disciples, he asked them to pray for him, prophesying that the place where he died would someday be the site of a great church and monastery; he then reposed in peace and joy. His tomb exuded a fragrant oil which was collected and burned in a lamp, and many miracles and healings were wrought at the tomb. As the Saint had predicted, two churches and a monastery were built there, and the monastery of Hosios Lukas became a great place of pilgrimage, as it remains to this day.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

James — James 1.1-18

¹James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion, greeting.

¹James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

²Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations;

²My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; ³knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. ³Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. ⁴And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. ⁴But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. ⁵If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

⁵But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. ⁶But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. ⁶But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. ⁷For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; ⁷For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. ⁸a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways. ⁸A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. ⁹Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

⁹But let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate: ¹⁰But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. ¹⁰and the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. ¹¹For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. ¹¹For the sun ariseth with the scorching wind, and withereth the grass; and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his goings. ¹²Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

¹²Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to them that love him. ¹³Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man: ¹³Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: ¹⁴but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. ¹⁴But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. ¹⁵Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death. ¹⁵Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. ¹⁶Be not deceived, my beloved brethren. ¹⁶Do not err, my beloved brethren. ¹⁷Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning. ¹⁷Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. ¹⁸Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. ¹⁸Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 10.11-16

¹¹And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. ¹¹And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her: ¹²And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. ¹²and if she herself shall put away her husband, and marry another, she committeth adultery.

¹³And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

¹³And they were bringing unto him little children, that he should touch them: and the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁴But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me; forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God. ¹⁵Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. ¹⁵Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein. ¹⁶And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. ¹⁶And he took them in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.