Saturday, 13 April 2024

Memorial Saturday

Fourth Saturday of Lent

22 days before Pascha · Tone 3 · Liturgy · Lenten Fast (Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

Hieromartyr Artemon, Presbyter of Laodicea

303

Saint Artemon was born of Christian parents in Laodicea of Syria in the third century. Devoted to the service of the Church from his earliest years, he served first as Reader for sixteen years, then as Deacon for twenty-eight years, and finally as Priest for thirty years, having attained extreme old age in unbroken faithfulness when the great persecution of Diocletian fell upon the Church. Saint Artemon laboured to confirm the faithful and preached the Gospel boldly throughout Asia Minor. When the imperial edict ordered the destruction of churches and the offering of sacrifices to the idols, the bishop Saint Sisinius of Laodicea, foreseeing the coming storm, blessed the relics and the sacred vessels and entrusted them to the hands of his elderly presbyter. Saint Artemon, with the help of the local Christians, broke the idols of the temple of Asclepius, and, calling on the Name of Jesus Christ, drove out the snakes that had been kept there as objects of worship, killing them by his very breath. The pagan priest Vitalius witnessed this miracle, believed in Christ and was baptised by Saint Artemon, who later consecrated him bishop in Palestine. The governor Patricius then arrested Saint Artemon and had him brought to Caesarea. After many tortures, in which the saint was preserved by the visible help of God, he was finally beheaded by the sword in the year 303 and so received the crown of martyrdom.

Holy Martyr Crescens of Myra

The holy martyr Crescens lived in Myra of Lycia and was descended from an illustrious family. A man of position and standing in his city, he was nevertheless a fervent Christian, and seeing one day a great crowd of his fellow citizens making their way to a pagan temple to offer sacrifice to the idols, he stepped forward and began to plead with them to forsake their dumb gods and to come to the worship of the true Christ. Word of his preaching reached the local prefect, who had him arrested and brought to trial. Asked who he was and from what family, the saint answered only, "I am a Christian." When the prefect, sparing his rank and age, suggested that he merely make a pretence of offering sacrifice to the idols while secretly retaining his Christian faith, the holy martyr replied, "It is impossible for the body not to do what the soul thinks, since the soul governs and moves the body." For this confession he was beaten and torn with iron claws, then condemned to be cast into a great fire, in which he gave up his soul to God. After the flames had subsided his body was found unharmed by the fire, and the faithful gathered it for honourable burial. Saint Andrew of Crete mentions Saint Crescens in his sermon on Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, who was also from the same city of Myra in Lycia.

Saint Martin the Confessor, Pope of Rome

“Martin became Pope on July 5th, 649, at the time of a furious quarrel between the Orthodox and the Monothelite heretics. Constans the Second, Heraclius’ grandson, was on the throne at the time, and Paul was Patriarch of Constantinople. To restore peace in the Church, the Emperor himself wrote a dogmatic decree, the Typos, which leaned heavily towards heresy. Pope Martin summoned a Council of 105 bishops, at which the Emperor’s statement was condemned. At the same time, the Pope wrote a letter to Patriarch Paul, begging him to uphold the purity of the Orthodox faith and to counsel the Emperor to reject the theories of the heretics. This letter infuriated both the Patriarch and the Emperor. The Emperor sent one of his generals, Olympius, to take the Pope to Constantinople in bonds. The general did not dare to bind the Pope with his own hands, but instructed one of his soldiers to kill him with the sword in church. But, when the soldier entered the church with his sword concealed, he was instantly blinded. So, by the providence of God, Martin escaped death. At that time, the Saracens fell upon Sicily, and Olympius went off there, where he died. Then, by the intrigues of the heretic Patriarch Paul, the Emperor sent a second general, Theodore, to bind and take the Pope on the charge that he, the Pope, was in collusion with the Saracens and that he did not reverence the most holy Mother of God. [!!] When the general arrived in Rome and read the accusation against the Pope, he replied that it was a libel; that he had no contact of any sort with the Saracens, the opponents of Christianity, ‘and whoever does not confess the most holy Mother of God and do her reverence, let him be damned in this age and in that which is to come.’ But this did not affect the general’s decision. The Pope was bound and taken to Constantinople, where he lay long in prison in great sickness, tortured by both anxiety and hunger, until he was finally sentenced to exile in Cherson, where he lived for two years before his death. He gave his soul into the hands of the Lord, for whom he had suffered so greatly, in 655. The evil Patriarch, Paul,died two years before him and, when the Emperor visited him on his deathbed, he smote his head against the wall, confessing with tears that he had greatly sinned against Pope Martin and asking the Emperor to set Martin free.’ (Prologue)

In some menaia he is commemorated on April 14.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Hebrews — Hebrews 6.9-12

⁹But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak: ⁹But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. ¹⁰For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. ¹⁰for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love which ye showed toward his name, in that ye ministered unto the saints, and still do minister. ¹¹And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: ¹¹And we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence unto the fulness of hope even to the end: ¹²that ye be not sluggish, but imitators of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. ¹²That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Epistle

— Departed

1 Corinthians — 1 Corinthians 15.47-57

⁴⁷The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven. ⁴⁷The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. ⁴⁸As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. ⁴⁹And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. ⁴⁹And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

⁵⁰Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵⁰Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵¹Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵²In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵³For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. ⁵⁴So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. ⁵⁵O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? ⁵⁵O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? ⁵⁶The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law: ⁵⁶The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁷But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 7.31-37

³¹And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.

³¹And again he went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis. ³²And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. ³²And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. ³³And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; ³³And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; ³⁴And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. ³⁴and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. ³⁵And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. ³⁵And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. ³⁶And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; ³⁶And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. ³⁷And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak. ³⁷And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

Gospel

— Departed

John — John 5.24-30

²⁴Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. ²⁴Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life. ²⁵Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. ²⁵Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. ²⁶For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; ²⁶For as the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son also to have life in himself: ²⁷And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. ²⁷and he gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. ²⁸Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, ²⁸Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, ²⁹And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. ²⁹and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment. ³⁰I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

³⁰I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.