Tuesday, 13 February 2024

Tuesday of the 37th week after Pentecost

303 days after Pascha · Tone 3 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Apostle Aquila of the Seventy

Aquila was one of the apostles of the Seventy chosen by our Lord Jesus Christ to preach the Gospel and establish His Church. He was a faithful disciple who travelled and preached the faith, bringing many souls to salvation through his witness and teaching. Aquila worked alongside his wife Priscilla, and together they served the Church with great devotion. They were known for their hospitality and their willingness to risk their lives for the Gospel. Aquila is remembered as a faithful apostle who laboured in the early Church to spread the Good News of salvation in Christ.

Apostle Priscilla of the Seventy

Priscilla was one of the apostles of the Seventy, a woman of great faith and learning who shared her faith with her husband Aquila. She was renowned for her knowledge of Scripture and her ability to explain the way of God more accurately to those she encountered. Priscilla exemplified the role of women in the early Church as teachers, witnesses, and evangelists. She risked her life for the Gospel and worked alongside her husband to establish Christian communities. She is remembered as a faithful apostle whose courage and faithfulness to Christ served as an inspiration to the early Church.

Saint Eulogius of Alexandria

Eulogius was a patriarch of Alexandria and one of the great Fathers of the Church in Egypt. He lived during the Islamic period and worked to preserve the Orthodox faith and the ecclesiastical tradition among the Coptic Christians. Eulogius was known for his theological writings, his pastoral wisdom, and his defence of Orthodox doctrine. He worked to maintain church discipline and to guide the faithful in holiness and righteousness. He is remembered as a great patriarch and theologian whose contributions to the Church continue to be valued in the Eastern Christian tradition.

Saint Martinian, Monk of Caesarea

“The life of this saint is wonderful beyond measure and is worth reading in full. What did he not endure to fulfil the Law of God? At the age of eighteen, he went off into a mountain in Cappadocia called the Ark and spent 25 years in fasting, vigils and prayer, and struggling with manifold temptations. When a woman came to tempt him and he saw that he would fall into sin with her, he leapt barefoot into the fire and stood in it until the pain brought forth tears from his eyes and he had killed all lust within himself. When other temptations arose, he fled to a lonely rock in the sea and lived there. When, though, in a shipwreck, a woman swam to the rock, he leapt into the sea intending to drown himself. But a dolphin took him upon its back and brought him, by God’s providence, to the shore. He then decided to make nowhere his permanent home but to travel incessantly. Thus he passed through 164 towns in two years, exhorting and advising the people. He finally arrived in Athens, where he died in 422.” (Prologue)

Saints Zoe and Photina

Zoe and Photina were holy women martyrs of the early Church who gave their lives in witness to Christ. According to tradition, they were imprisoned and endured severe tortures for refusing to deny their Christian faith and to participate in pagan sacrifices. Their commitment to Christ was so steadfast that they remained unmoved by the threats and suffering inflicted upon them. They eventually achieved martyrdom and entered into the Kingdom of Heaven. Their memory is venerated in the Orthodox Church as witnesses to the power of faith in Christ and the willingness of the faithful to endure all things for the sake of the Gospel.

Holy Apostles and Martyrs Priscilla and Aquila

Aquila and his wife Priscilla (or Prisca) were Jews from Pontus who settled in Rome, where they worked as tent-makers. When the Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from Rome in 49-50, they moved to Corinth. (They may already have been Christians; at that time the Empire made no distinction between Christians and Jews.) In Corinth they hosted the Apostle Paul, who lived and worked with them for awhile (Acts 18:1-3). They worked diligently with the Apostle, traveled with him, and were considered worthy to bring Apollos (December 8) to a full knowledge of the Faith (Acts 18:26) Priscilla and Aquila returned to Rome around 58, and later went to Ephesus; they were living there when St Paul asked his disciple Timothy, Bishop of Ephesus, to greet them (2 Tim. 4:19). It was probably in Ephesus that they were martyred by the pagans.

St Symeon the Myrrh-streamer, founder of the Chilandar Monastery

1200

He was born in 1114. In the world, he ruled the kingdom of Serbia as Stephen Nemanja; after ruling wisely and mercifully for many years, he renounced all worldly wealth and glory in 1196 to become a monk. Traveling to the Holy Mountain, he took for his spiritual father his own son Sava, who had preceded him in renouncing royal honor for a life of prayer. Together Symeon (as he was named in monastic life) and his son founded Hilandar monastery. His wife Anna became a nun, taking the name Anastasia; she is also commemorated as a saint of the Church. After his repose, St Symeon’s relics exuded a fragrant and healing myrrh. Saint Sava brought his father’s holy relics back to Serbia. The Synaxarion says “From Saint Symeon’s empty tomb at Chilandar, a vine miraculously sprang up whose dried grape seeds are to this day sent all over the world as a blessing for childless married couples.”

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

Mark — Mark 11.11-23

¹¹And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

¹¹And he entered into Jerusalem, into the temple; and when he had looked round about upon all things, it being now eventide, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

¹²And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

¹²And on the morrow, when they were come out from Bethany, he hungered. ¹³And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. ¹³And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season of figs. ¹⁴And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. ¹⁴And he answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit from thee henceforward for ever. And his disciples heard it.

¹⁵And they come to Jerusalem: and he entered into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and them that bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves;

¹⁵And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; ¹⁶and he would not suffer that any man should carry a vessel through the temple. ¹⁶And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. ¹⁷And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. ¹⁷And he taught, and said unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? but ye have made it a den of robbers. ¹⁸And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. ¹⁸And the chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, for all the multitude was astonished at his teaching. ¹⁹And when even was come, he went out of the city.

¹⁹And every evening he went forth out of the city.

²⁰And as they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots.

²⁰And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. ²¹And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. ²¹And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. ²²And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. ²²And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. ²³Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. ²³For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.