Monday, 26 February 2024

69 days before Pascha · Tone 5 · Liturgy · No Fast (Fast Free)

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyr Photina, the Samaritan Woman

Holy Martyr Photina was the woman whom our Lord Jesus Christ encountered at the well in Samaria, as recorded in the Gospel of Saint John. When Christ asked her for water, he revealed to her that he knew the secrets of her heart and her sinful past. Rather than condemning her, the Lord offered her forgiveness and the grace of salvation. The woman responded with genuine repentance, cast off her former life of sin, and became a devoted follower of Christ, accepting baptism into the Christian faith and taking the name Photina, which means "the enlightened one." Following Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Church, Saint Photina received baptism together with her five sisters, Anatole, Photo, Photida, Paraskeve and Kyriake, and her two sons, Photinus (also known as Victor) and Joseph. She then embarked upon an apostolic mission, travelling throughout the Mediterranean world preaching the Gospel of Christ, proclaiming his incarnation, his redemptive death and his glorious resurrection. Wherever she went, she witnessed fearlessly to her encounter with the living Christ and called people to repentance and faith. During the reign of the Roman emperor Nero (54-68 AD), whilst Photina dwelt in Carthage with her younger son Joses, she continued her bold evangelistic labours, undaunted by the hostility of pagan authorities. In an impotent rage at her refusal to acknowledge the gods of Rome, the emperor Nero issued a cruel edict condemning her to martyrdom. She was flayed of her skin and subsequently cast into a well, thereby consummating her witness with the shedding of her blood. The Orthodox Church venerates her as a Great-Martyr and Apostle-Equal, commemorating her memory on three occasions throughout the liturgical year.

New martyr John Kalphes the apprentice

1575

The holy new martyr John, called Kalphes ("the apprentice"), lived in the suburb of Galata at Constantinople in the sixteenth century, when the city was under Ottoman rule. He was a cabinetmaker by trade and had become so skilled in carpentry and woodwork that the great men of the empire entrusted to him important commissions, and he was even called upon to adorn the inner chambers of the sultan's palace. Saint John was distinguished for his Christian charity, providing for orphans and widows and visiting prisoners. A certain Turkish dignitary, struck by his integrity, asked the saint to take his nephew on as an apprentice. John consented and treated the young man as his own. The youth, perceiving John's faith, often pressed him with questions about Christ and about Mahomet. At last, on the youth's persistent demands, John spoke openly of the truth of Christianity and the falsehood of Islam. Denounced to the authorities, Saint John was brought before the judges and commanded to deny Christ. He refused, confessing the Lord boldly. After enduring tortures and imprisonment without yielding, he was led on 26 February in the year 1575 to the public square known as Ergat-Bazara near the Bezstan, where he was beheaded for the name of Christ. Pious Christians gathered up his relics and gave them honourable burial.

Saint Porphyrius, Bishop of Gaza

395

He was born to a wealthy, noble family in Thessalonica around 347. Filled more and more with a yearning for God, he abandoned his worldly possessions and traveled to Egypt, living for five years as a monk at Sketis. From there he went to Palestine, where he lived for another five years in a cave in the Jordan desert. Suffering from a severe ailment, he was forced to move to Jerusalem; there he was suddenly and completely cured following a vision on Golgotha, in which he saw the Good Thief come down from the cross to lead him to Christ, who gave the Cross into his keeping.

Porphyrius took up the trade of a shoemaker in Jerusalem to provide for his few needs. His humility and charity became so well-known that the Bishop of Jerusalem ordained him to the priesthood at the age of forty-five, and made him Stavrophylax, keeper of the True Cross of the Savior — thus fulfilling Porphyrius’ vision on Golgotha. Three years later, much against his will, he was elected Bishop of Gaza.

Throughout his episcopate he was persecuted by the pagans who still dominated the life of that city — though he was able to convert many of them by his own example of holiness, and by the many miracles that were wrought through his intercessions. Once, when the city was suffering from a long drought, the Saint gathered the city’s Christians (who numbered no more than 280), told them to fast, and celebrated an all-night vigil. The next morning, as the Bishop and his entire flock went in procession through the city it began to rain. At this, 127 pagans were converted. When the pagans’ violent attacks continued, Porphyrius appealed to the Emperor Arcadius for an edict closing of the pagan temples in Gaza. With the support of St John Chrysostom the edict was issued. When the Imperial representatives entered Gaza, accompanied by Bishop Porphyrius bearing the Cross, the statue of Aphrodite in the city’s main temple shattered into pieces. Eight temples were destroyed, and a Church was built on the site of the largest. Hundreds of pagans embraced the Faith and, after instruction, were baptized by the Saint.

After twenty-five years as bishop, during which he had seen his see transformed from a small flock of beleaguered Christians into a Christian territory, Saint Porphyrius reposed in peace in 420.

Venerable Sebastian, abbot of Poshekhonye

Saint Sebastian of Poshekhonye, also called Sebastian of Sokhota, was a Russian ascetic of the fifteenth century. He was tonsured at one of the monasteries of the north and after some years sought the deeper solitude of the dense forests of Poshekhonye, on the river Sokhota, about ninety versts from the town of Romanov in the diocese of Yaroslavl. There, in a small hut amid the woods, he gave himself to unceasing prayer, fasting and manual labour. Other monks soon found their way to him, and against his desire for hidden solitude a community gathered round him. With their help he raised a small wooden church in honour of the Transfiguration of the Lord, and a monastery grew up under his direction, called the Sokhotsk Transfiguration monastery. The brethren lived under a strict cenobitic rule. Saint Sebastian himself, though abbot, was the first in every menial task. He carried water, chopped wood, kneaded the dough, baked the bread and wove ropes by night. He continued in these labours until his repose, which is placed about the year 1492. His relics were laid to rest in the church he had built. Although in 1764 the monastery was closed and reduced to the status of a parish church, the memory of its founder has been preserved among the saints of the Russian Church.

St Photini the Samaritan Woman, and those with her

She was the Samaritan Woman who met Christ at Jacob’s Well (John ch. 4). She repented, and told her townsmen that she had met the Christ, for which she is sometimes called the first to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. She converted her four sisters (Phota, Photis,Parasceva, and Cyriaca), and her sons (Victor and Joses), and all of them became tireless evangelists for Christ. After the martyrdom of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, she traveled to Carthage to proclaim the Gospel there. She, with her Christian sisters and sons, all met martyrdom under the persecutions of Nero. She is also commemorated on the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman during the Paschal season.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

2 Peter — 2 Peter 1.20-2.9

²⁰knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation. ²⁰Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. ²¹For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit. ²¹For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

¹But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

¹But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. ²And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of. ²And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. ³And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not. ³And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. ⁴For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; ⁴For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; ⁵And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; ⁵and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; ⁶and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly; ⁶And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; ⁷and delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked ⁷And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: ⁸(for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds): ⁸(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) ⁹the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment; ⁹The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 13.9-13

⁹But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

⁹But take ye heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in synagogues shall ye be beaten; and before governors and kings shall ye stand for my sake, for a testimony unto them. ¹⁰And the gospel must first be published among all nations. ¹⁰And the gospel must first be preached unto all the nations. ¹¹But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. ¹¹And when they lead you to judgment, and deliver you up, be not anxious beforehand what ye shall speak: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye; for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit. ¹²And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. ¹²Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. ¹³And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. ¹³And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.