Monday, 1 April 2024

Monday of the Third Week of Lent

34 days before Pascha · Tone 2 · Red squigg (doxology typikon symbol) · Lenten Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyr Abraham the Bulgarian

The Holy Martyr Abraham of Bulgaria (died 1 April 1229) was a Christian convert from Islam who suffered martyrdom on the banks of the Volga. He was born among the Volga Bulgars, in what is now Tatarstan in Russia, and grew up to become a wealthy Muslim merchant noted for his kindness and generosity to the destitute. The exact circumstances of his conversion are not preserved, but having embraced Christ he received the name Abraham at his baptism. Travelling in the course of his trade to the city of Bolgar (Bulgar) on the lower reaches of the Volga, then capital of Volga Bulgaria, Abraham began to preach openly to his countrymen the faith of Christ, calling them to abandon Islam and to seek salvation in the God-Man Jesus Christ. The townspeople grew angry and pressed him repeatedly to deny Christ. He refused. Finding that he was not a subject of the prince of Vladimir-Suzdal and so enjoyed no protection, they arrested him. After a long detention and many tortures, on 1 April 1229 he was hewn limb from limb with the sword and beheaded on the bank of the Volga. His body was gathered up by Russian merchants who buried him in the Christian cemetery at Bolgar. Healings began at his tomb, and Grand Prince George (Yury) Vsevolodovich of Vladimir, hearing of the miracles, in 1230 ordered the relics to be translated to the Cathedral of the Mother of God in Vladimir, where they were placed in the convent founded by his sister, the Princess Theodulia. He was glorified by the Russian Church and is honoured as one of the holy martyrs of Old Russia.

Our Holy Mother Mary of Egypt

4th-6th c.

Her radiant life is also commemorated on the Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast. The Life of St Mary of Egypt, written by St Sophronios of Jerusalem, is read in its entirety on the Thursday of the Great Canon during Lent. Click on the link to read it. The date of her repose is very unclear: it is given variously as 378, 437, and 522.

Venerable Euthymius of Suzdal

Saint Euthymius of Suzdal was born at Nizhni-Novgorod in 1316 to pious parents. From childhood he was drawn to the church, and as a young man he received monastic tonsure at the Caves Monastery of Nizhni-Novgorod under its founder, Saint Dionysius (later Archbishop of Suzdal). There he led a strict life of obedience, vigil and prayer. In 1352 Prince Boris Konstantinovich of Suzdal asked the Caves community to send a monk capable of founding a monastery in his city. The choice fell upon Saint Euthymius. With the blessing of Saint Dionysius and Bishop John of Suzdal, he founded the Spaso-Evfimiev (Saviour-Euthymius) Monastery of the Transfiguration on the bank of the river Kamenka. Soon more than three hundred monks gathered around him, and Euthymius became the first archimandrite of the new house. He was a strict ascetic and a man of unceasing prayer; in cell, refectory and in the labour of the brethren he laboured alongside them, and the spiritual writings record that he loved silence and tears. Saint Euthymius was a close friend of Saint Sergius of Radonezh and of Saint Dionysius of Suzdal, with whom he kept correspondence. He guided the brotherhood for fifty-two years, reposing in peace at Suzdal on 1 April 1404. On 4 July 1507, while a foundation trench was being dug for a new cathedral church in his monastery, his relics were uncovered incorrupt, and he was glorified at the Council of 1549 under Saint Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow.

Venerable Macarius the Confessor of Pelekete

Saint Macarius (Makarios), born Christophoros at Constantinople around the year 750, was orphaned in infancy and raised by an uncle, who saw to his sacred education. Drawn to monastic life, he left the imperial city for the Pelekete monastery on the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara in Bithynia, where he received the angelic schema and the new name Macarius. After serving in many of the obediences of the community and acquiring the virtues, especially humility, he was chosen abbot of the brotherhood and was ordained priest. Numerous miracles of healing are attributed to him, for which reason he is also styled the Wonderworker. During the second iconoclast persecution under Leo V the Armenian (813 to 820), Saint Macarius was seized for venerating the holy icons. He was tortured and imprisoned. Released by Michael II the Stammerer (820 to 829), who attempted by flattery to persuade him to deny the veneration of icons, Macarius refused. He was then exiled to the small island of Aphousia in the Sea of Marmara near Alona, where he lived in privation, working miracles and giving thanks to God to the end of his days. He reposed in exile, traditionally on 18 August around 840; his memory is kept on 1 April in the Greek synaxaria, the day of his name in the calendar of the Pelekete brotherhood.

Venerable Mary of Egypt

522

Saint Mary of Egypt is one of the most revered desert ascetics of the Eastern Christian tradition. According to the Life composed by Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem (634 to 638), and based on oral tradition received from the monks of Palestine, Mary was born in Egypt and at the age of twelve ran away from her parents to Alexandria, where she lived for seventeen years in unrestrained debauchery, supporting herself by begging and the work of her hands so that her sin might be the more abundant. Drawn by curiosity rather than devotion, she boarded a ship of pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem for the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. At the church of the Holy Sepulchre an unseen force prevented her from entering until, beholding an icon of the Mother of God in the courtyard, she repented with tears and was permitted to venerate the Wood of the Cross. Following a voice that bade her cross the Jordan, Mary withdrew into the desert beyond, where she lived in solitude for forty-seven years with no human contact, no shelter and only three small loaves of bread, sustained thereafter by the wild plants of the wilderness. Her clothing rotted away and her hair grew white. After many years of struggle against the passions, she received the gift of dispassion and the grace of clairvoyance. Toward the end of her life she was discovered by the hieromonk Zosimas, who had withdrawn into the wilderness during Great Lent. She told him her life and asked him to bring her Holy Communion the following year on Holy Thursday at the banks of the Jordan. He did so, and saw her cross the river by walking upon the water. The next year, returning, he found her body undecayed with an inscription in the sand giving her name and asking that she be buried. According to the Life she reposed on the night of the saving Passion of Christ, on or about 1 April in the year 522, having received the Mystical Supper from Saint Zosimas. Her Life is read in its entirety at Matins of the Thursday of the fifth week of Great Lent (the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete), and the fifth Sunday of Great Lent is dedicated to her memory. The Life was cited at the Second Council of Nicaea (787) in defence of the veneration of holy icons.

Daily readings

6th Hour

weekly cycle

Isaiah — Isaiah 8.13-9.7

¹³Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. ¹³Jehovah of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. ¹⁴And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁴And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁵And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. ¹⁵And many shall stumble thereon, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

¹⁶Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

¹⁶Bind thou up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. ¹⁷And I will wait for Jehovah, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. ¹⁷And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. ¹⁸Behold, I and the children whom Jehovah hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Jehovah of hosts, who dwelleth in mount Zion. ¹⁸Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.

¹⁹And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

¹⁹And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto the wizards, that chirp and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? on behalf of the living should they seek unto the dead? ²⁰To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. ²⁰To the law and to the testimony! if they speak not according to this word, surely there is no morning for them. ²¹And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. ²¹And they shall pass through it, sore distressed and hungry; and it shall come to pass that, when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse by their king and by their God, and turn their faces upward: ²²And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness. ²²and they shall look unto the earth, and, behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and into thick darkness they shall be driven away.

¹Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.

¹But there shall be no gloom to her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time hath he made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. ²The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. ²The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. ³Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased their joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. ³Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. ⁴For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. ⁴For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as in the day of Midian. ⁵For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. ⁵For all the armor of the armed man in the tumult, and the garments rolled in blood, shall be for burning, for fuel of fire. ⁶For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. ⁶For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. ⁷Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.

Vespers

weekly cycle

Genesis — Genesis 6.9-22

⁹These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

⁹These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God. ¹⁰And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. ¹⁰And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

¹¹The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. ¹¹And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. ¹²And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. ¹²And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.

¹³And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

¹³And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. ¹⁴Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

¹⁴Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. ¹⁵And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. ¹⁵And this is how thou shalt make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. ¹⁶A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. ¹⁶A light shalt thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou finish it upward; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. ¹⁷And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die. ¹⁷And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. ¹⁸But I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee. ¹⁸But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee. ¹⁹And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. ¹⁹And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. ²⁰Of the birds after their kind, and of the cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. ²⁰Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. ²¹And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. ²¹And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. ²²Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. ²²Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

Vespers

weekly cycle

Proverbs — Proverbs 8.1-21

¹Doth not wisdom cry, And understanding put forth her voice?

¹Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? ²On the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she standeth; ²She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. ³She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. ³Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud: ⁴Unto you, O men, I call; And my voice is to the sons of men. ⁴Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. ⁵O ye simple, understand prudence; And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart. ⁵O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. ⁶Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. ⁶Hear, for I will speak excellent things; And the opening of my lips shall be right things. ⁷For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. ⁷For my mouth shall utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips. ⁸All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. ⁸All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverse in them. ⁹They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. ⁹They are all plain to him that understandeth, And right to them that find knowledge. ¹⁰Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. ¹⁰Receive my instruction, and not silver; And knowledge rather than choice gold. ¹¹For wisdom is better than rubies; And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto it. ¹¹For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

¹²I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. ¹²I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling, And find out knowledge and discretion. ¹³The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. ¹³The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate. ¹⁴Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. ¹⁴Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge: I am understanding; I have might. ¹⁵By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. ¹⁵By me kings reign, And princes decree justice. ¹⁶By me princes rule, And nobles, even all the judges of the earth. ¹⁶By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. ¹⁷I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me. ¹⁷I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. ¹⁸Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. ¹⁸Riches and honor are with me; Yea, durable wealth and righteousness. ¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my revenue than choice silver. ¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. ²⁰I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: ²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice; ²¹That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. ²¹That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries.