Monday, 12 February 2024

Monday of the 37th week after Pentecost

302 days after Pascha · Tone 3 · Red cross (polyeleos typikon symbol) · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyr Christos

Christos was a Christian martyr of the early Church who gave his life in witness to Christ. He steadfastly refused to deny his faith or to offer sacrifice to idols, remaining firm in his confession of Christ despite persecution and torture. His unwavering commitment to the Gospel and his willingness to die for his faith made him a powerful witness to the redemptive power of Christ. Christos exemplified the virtues of faithfulness and courage in the face of suffering. He is remembered in the Orthodox Church as a holy martyr whose blood cried out as a testimony to Christ's victory over sin and death.

Saint Alexis of Moscow, Wonderworker

Alexis was a Metropolitan of Moscow and one of the most venerated saints of the Russian Church. He lived in the fourteenth century and was renowned for his holiness, his spiritual discernment, and his miraculous powers of healing and intercession. Alexis served the Church with great devotion and was instrumental in strengthening the Orthodox faith among the Russian peoples. He was known for his ascetic life, his pastoral care, and his miraculous deeds. According to tradition, Alexis was healed of blindness through prayer and intercession of the Mother of God. He spent his later years in the Simonov Monastery, where he continued his spiritual labours. He is deeply venerated in the Russian Church and is invoked for healing and protection.

Saint Anthony II of Constantinople

Anthony II was a patriarch of Constantinople and a prominent ecclesiastical figure of the Byzantine Church. He was known for his theological learning, his pastoral care, and his leadership of the Church during a significant period of Byzantine history. Anthony served faithfully as patriarch, guiding the flock entrusted to him and maintaining Orthodox doctrine against heretical threats. He is remembered as a devoted servant of the Church and an upholder of the apostolic traditions.

Saint Meletius of Antioch, Patriarch of Antioch

Meletius was a patriarch of Antioch and one of the great theologians of the fourth century. He served as bishop during a complex period of theological controversy and ecclesiastical division. Known for his Orthodox theology and pastoral wisdom, Meletius worked to maintain the integrity of the Nicene Faith against the Arian heresy. He was twice exiled from his see due to his unwavering commitment to Orthodox doctrine. Despite the difficulties of his episcopate, he remained steadfast in his faith and served faithfully as a shepherd of his people. He is remembered for his theological contributions and his commitment to guiding the Church through a period of theological turmoil.

St Meletios, archbishop of Antioch

381

Our holy father Meletios, an Armenian by birth, became archbishop of Antioch at the height of the Arian controversy. Though he was appointed by influential Arians who thought that he shared their views, as soon as he was raised to the throne he began to preach the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father. “At this, the archdeacon, an Arian, put his hand over the bishop’s mouth; Meletios then extended three fingers towards the people, closed them, and extended one only, showing by signs the equality and unity of the Trinity. The embarrassed archdeacon then seized his hand, but released his mouth, and Meletios spoke out even more forcibly in defense of the Council of Nicea” (Great Horologion). It was St Meletios who ordained St John Chrysostom reader and deacon in Antioch. He presided at the Second Ecumenical Council in 381. At his repose, St Gregory of Nyssa gave his funeral oration, lamenting: “Our Elijah has been caught up, and no Elisha is left behind in his place.”

St Alexis, metropolitan of Moscow and wonder-worker of all Russia

1378

He was born early in the 14th century to a family of court dignitaries in Moscow. Despite a fine education, he was not drawn to worldly success and became a monk at the age of twenty. In time Alexis was consecrated Bishop of Vladimir, then Metropolitan of Moscow, at that time the highest rank in the Russian church (which was still under the Patriarchate of Constantinople). Russia was then under the cruel domination of the Tatars. Saint Alexis traveled twice to the Golden Horde, where the Tatar Khan kept court. On his first visit (1359), he healed the Khan’s wife of a blindness which had afflicted her for three years — a miracle that did much to soften the Tatars’ treatment of their Russian vassals, and to preserve the liberty of the Church. His ceaseless labors in the world did not deprive the Saint of his love for monasticism: he conferred with holy monks at every opportunity, and founded many new monasteries. As he neared the end of his life he tried without success to persuade his friend St Sergius of Radonezh (September 25) to succeed him. He reposed in peace in 1378. His incorrupt relics are venerated in the Cathedral of the Theophany in Moscow.

Also commemorated: St Aleksy, Metr. of All Russia

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

James — James 2.14-26

¹⁴What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him? ¹⁴What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ¹⁵If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, ¹⁵If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit? ¹⁶And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? ¹⁷Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. ¹⁷Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. ¹⁸Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. ¹⁸Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith. ¹⁹Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. ¹⁹Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder. ²⁰But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? ²⁰But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? ²¹Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? ²¹Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? ²²Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect; ²²Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? ²³And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. ²³and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God. ²⁴Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. ²⁴Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith. ²⁵And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? ²⁵Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? ²⁶For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. ²⁶For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 10.46-52

⁴⁶And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimæus, the son of Timæus, sat by the highway side begging.

⁴⁶And they come to Jericho: and as he went out from Jericho, with his disciples and a great multitude, the son of Timæus, Bartimæus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the way side. ⁴⁷And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁷And when he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁸And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁸And many rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁹And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. ⁴⁹And Jesus stood still, and said, Call ye him. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good cheer: rise, he calleth thee. ⁵⁰And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. ⁵⁰And he, casting away his garment, sprang up, and came to Jesus. ⁵¹And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. ⁵¹And Jesus answered him, and said, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And the blind man said unto him, Rabboni, that I may receive my sight. ⁵²And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. ⁵²And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And straightway he received his sight, and followed him in the way.