Saturday, 20 April 2024

Saturday of the Akathist to the Most-Holy Theotokos

Fifth Saturday of Lent

15 days before Pascha · Tone 4 · Liturgy · Lenten Fast (Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

Saint Athanasios, founder of the Great Meteoron

Saint Athanasios was born in 1302 at Hypate, the well-known medieval town of New Patras in central Greece, the son of wealthy parents who named him Andronikos at his baptism. His mother died in childbirth and his father shortly afterwards, so that the boy lost both parents in his earliest years. He was reared by relatives and showed a precocious love of learning and prayer. As a young man he came under the influence of the hesychast movement, and after a period at Thessalonica he made his way to Mount Athos, where in 1332 he was received as a novice and tonsured by Hieromonk Gregory of Sinai with the name Anthony. Later, at his tonsure into the Great Schema, he was given the name Athanasios. Seeking still greater stillness he left the Holy Mountain with two companions and was directed by a disciple of Gregory of Sinai, who had become a bishop, to travel to Thessaly. There, on the towering pinnacles of rock at Meteora, he ascended one of the highest peaks, the great rock now called the Great Meteoron, and built a small church and cells. About the year 1356 he organised the brotherhood with a strict cenobitic rule modelled on the Athonite typikon and dedicated the principal church to the Transfiguration of the Lord. He thereby became the first founder of the famous monastic confederation of Meteora. He reposed peacefully, after a short illness, about the year 1380, at the age of seventy-eight.

Saints Gregory and Anastasius, patriarchs of Antioch

593

Saints Gregory and Anastasius were patriarchs of Antioch in succession during the late sixth century. Saint Anastasius I, called the Sinaite from his sojourn on Mount Sinai before his elevation, occupied the throne of Antioch from 559 and was a vigorous defender of the faith of Chalcedon against the Monophysite party then dominant in Syria. He was deposed and exiled in 570 by the emperor Justin II for his bold opposition to a tract of crypto-Monophysite tendency which the emperor wished to impose. During his exile his place was taken by Saint Gregory, a learned monk who had been raised in Cilicia and had served as superior of the monastery of the Byzantines on Sinai before his consecration. Gregory shepherded the see through years of war, plague and earthquake, was renowned for his almsgiving and for his eloquence, and even succeeded in winning back many adherents of Monophysitism by his patient preaching. He died in 593, having drunk a draught intended to relieve gout. Anastasius was then recalled from exile by the holy emperor Maurice, at the urging of Pope Saint Gregory the Great of Rome, who was his close friend and correspondent, and he occupied the throne of Antioch a second time until his repose in 599. The two are commemorated together on this day as faithful shepherds of the apostolic see of Antioch.

St Theodore Trichinas, hermit near Constantinople

400

He was born in Constantinople to well-off and pious parents. He became a monastic in Thrace, and subjected himself to many ascetic labors, one of which was always to dress in a hair-shirt, from which he was called “Trichinas” (meaning “hairy”). He was granted the gift of working miracles, both during his lifetime and after his repose. His relics exuded a healing myrrh.

Venerable Anastasius, abbot of Sinai

Saint Anastasius of Sinai was a seventh-century monk, priest and theologian renowned for his scriptural commentaries and his defences of the doctrines of the Church. Born in the East, perhaps in Cyprus, he made a pilgrimage to the holy places of Jerusalem and afterwards took up residence as a monk at the monastery on Mount Sinai about the middle of the seventh century. He lived for an extended period under the guidance of the abbot Saint John Climacus, the author of the Ladder of Divine Ascent, and after John's repose he was himself raised to the office of abbot of the monastery of the Burning Bush, later known as the monastery of Saint Catherine. Besides being a great ascetic he was an eloquent author, leaving behind lives of saints, instructional and doctrinal writings, and a famous work known as the Hodegos, or Guide, in which he argued against the heretical Acephali and Monophysites, who rejected the decisions of the Fourth Ecumenical Council held at Chalcedon in 451. He travelled widely through Egypt, Syria and Arabia, debating with the heterodox and confirming the faithful in Orthodoxy. His preaching, his writings and his austere life made him one of the most respected teachers of the eastern Church in his age. He reposed in great old age, having served the Lord faithfully, about the year 700.

Venerable Theodore Trichinas, the hair-shirt wearer

Saint Theodore was born in Constantinople of wealthy and pious parents. From childhood he was inclined to the monastic life, and in due course he abandoned his family, his inheritance and the worldly path that lay open before him in order to enter a monastery in Thrace. There he embraced the strictest possible asceticism. He wore a coarse hair shirt next to his skin, from which he received the surname Trichinas, the "hair-shirt wearer." Spurning all bodily comfort, he slept on a hard stone instead of any bed, both to mortify the flesh and to keep himself from sleeping over much. He kept long fasts, watched through the nights in prayer and laboured in silence, conversing only with God. By his unceasing struggles against the flesh and the devil he attained great purity of heart and was granted by the Lord the gifts of healing and of casting out demons. Even after his repose, towards the end of the fourth or the beginning of the fifth century, his tomb continued to pour forth healings, and a fragrant myrrh flowed from his relics, so that his memory remained green among the faithful of Constantinople for many generations. The Orthodox Church keeps his memory on this day as a model of strict ascetic struggle.

Holy Apostle Zaccheus

This is the tax-collector Zaccheus whom Jesus called down from the tree in Jericho (Luke ch. 19). He became a faithful disciple and, after the Resurrection, a companion of the Apostle Peter. He became Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, where he served faithfully and reposed in peace.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Hebrews — Hebrews 9.24-28

²⁴For Christ entered not into a holy place made with hands, like in pattern to the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us: ²⁴For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: ²⁵nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place year by year with blood not his own; ²⁵Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; ²⁶else must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once at the end of the ages hath he been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁶For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: ²⁷And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment; ²⁸so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him, unto salvation. ²⁸So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Epistle

— Theotokos

Hebrews — Hebrews 9.1-7

¹Now even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service, and its sanctuary, a sanctuary of this world.

¹Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. ²For there was a tabernacle prepared, the first, wherein were the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the Holy place. ²For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. ³And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holy of holies; ³And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; ⁴having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was a golden pot holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; ⁴Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; ⁵and above it cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy-seat; of which things we cannot now speak severally. ⁵And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. ⁶Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services; ⁶Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. ⁷but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offereth for himself, and for the errors of the people: ⁷But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 8.27-31

²⁷And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Cæsarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?

²⁷And Jesus went forth, and his disciples, into the villages of Cæsarea Philippi: and on the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Who do men say that I am? ²⁸And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. ²⁸And they told him, saying, John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but others, One of the prophets. ²⁹And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. ²⁹And he asked them, But who say ye that I am? Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. ³⁰And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. ³⁰And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. ³¹And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

³¹And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, and the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Gospel

— Theotokos

Luke — Luke 10.38-42, 11.27-28

³⁸Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

³⁸Now as they went on their way, he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet, and heard his word. ⁴⁰But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. ⁴⁰But Martha was cumbered about much serving; and she came up to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister did leave me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. ⁴¹But the Lord answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things: ⁴¹And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: ⁴²But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. ⁴²but one thing is needful: for Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

²⁷And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

²⁷And it came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts which thou didst suck. ²⁸But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. ²⁸But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.