Sunday, 5 May 2024

The Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Holy Pascha

Pascha · Tone 1 · Major feast Lord · No Fast (Fast Free)

Saints commemorated

★ Holy Great Martyr Irene

The holy Great Martyr Irene was born in the city of Magedon in Persia in the fourth century, daughter of the local pagan king Licinius and his wife Licinia. At her birth her parents named her Penelope. Locked in a tower by her father with thirteen handmaids and a tutor named Apellian, who was secretly a Christian, she heard the gospel from him and from a dove, an eagle, and a raven that brought to her window an olive branch, a wreath, and a serpent, signs interpreted by Apellian of her baptism, her crowns of virginity and martyrdom, and the devil's wrath. She received baptism from the priest Timothy, who renamed her Irene, that is, Peace. Refusing the marriage her father had arranged, Irene confessed Christ before him. She was tied beneath wild horses, but one broke loose and trampled the king instead, and she raised him by prayer. He was converted with his household, and Irene went on to preach and work miracles in the cities of Persia and beyond, suffering torments many times: cast into a pit of vipers, sawn with iron saws, set on a flaming gridiron, dragged behind a horse, and each time delivered. She is said to have brought five thousand souls to baptism. At Ephesus, after a final mock-burial, she came forth alive to the people and reposed in peace, hidden by Christ from her enemies. Her tomb was found empty four days later. Greek tradition keeps her as patroness of policemen and those seeking marriage.

Great-martyr Irene of Thessalonica

4th c.

“Saint Irene was the daughter of a princelet called Licinius; named Penelope by her parents, through a divine revelation she was brought to faith in Christ and at Baptism was renamed Irene. In her zeal for piety she broke in pieces all the idols of her father, who commanded that she be trampled underfoot by horses. But while she remained unharmed, one of the horses rose up and cast down her father, killing him. By her prayer she raised him to life again, and he believed and was baptized. Afterwards, in many journeyings, Saint Irene suffered torments and punishments for her faith, but was preserved by the power of God, while working dread miracles and converting many thousands of souls. At last she came to Ephesus, where she fell asleep in peace, in the first half of the fourth century. Two days after her death, her gravestone was found lifted off, and her grave empty. At least two churches were dedicated to St Irene in Constantinople, and she is the patroness of the Aegean island of Thera, which is commonly called Santorini, a corruption of “Saint Irene.” (Great Horologion) Note: The most famous Agia Irene church in Constantinople is not named after her, but for the Holy Peace (Greek Irene) of God, which is Christ. The Prologue’s account differs in several details. St Nikolai places St Irene in the Balkans in the town of Magedon, in apostolic times rather than the 3rd-4th century. In his account Irene learned the Christian faith from her teacher, Appelianus, and was baptised by the Apostle Timothy himself. He attributes the anger of Irene’s father to her refusal to marry rather than her smashing the family idols (though of course she might have done both).

Saint Ephraim the New Martyr and Wonderworker

Saint Ephraim the Great Martyr and Wonderworker, also called Ephraim of Nea Makri, was born in Greece on 14 September 1384. Orphaned of his father at a young age, he entered as a youth the monastery of the Annunciation on the wooded hill of Amomon in Attica, where he gave himself wholly to obedience, fasting, and prayer. He was ordained to the priesthood and lived for many years on that mountain, unknown to the world. In 1425, when Ottoman pirates raided the monastery, Saint Ephraim was the only one left within its walls. They seized him and dragged him before their commander. For nine months he was tortured to make him deny Christ; he was hung upside down from a mulberry tree and a burning stake driven through his body, and on 5 May 1426 he gave up his soul to the Lord. The monastery fell into ruin, and his memory was forgotten until 1950, when the abbess Makaria, restoring the site, uncovered his fragrant relics in answer to her prayer. Saint Ephraim then appeared to her and to many others, made known the manner of his martyrdom, and began to work countless miracles of healing and protection that continue to draw pilgrims to Nea Makri to this day.

Venerable Adrian of Monza

Saint Adrian of Monza was a Russian abbot and monastic founder of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Born Amos in the town of Kostroma to pious parents, he fell gravely ill in his youth and vowed, if healed, to take up the monastic life. After his recovery he secretly left his home and was tonsured at the Tolga Monastery near Yaroslavl, taking the name Adrian. Seeking deeper solitude he passed through several monasteries until a vision directed him to a place by the river Monza in the wilderness of Galich. There, with the elder Theraponte and a small brotherhood, he built a chapel and cells, founding the Annunciation Monastery on the Monza. He served as its abbot with great gentleness, sharing the labours of the brethren, fasting strictly, and pouring out his goods on the poor of the surrounding villages, who flocked to him in years of famine. After ruling the community in piety for many years, Saint Adrian reposed in peace on 5 May 1619 and was buried in the church he had built.

Also commemorated: Beginning of the Pentecostarion

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 1.1-8

¹The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

¹The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, ²Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: ²until the day in which he was received up, after that he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen: ³To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: ³to whom he also showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God: ⁴And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. ⁴and, being assembled together with them, he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, ye heard from me: ⁵For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. ⁵for John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence. ⁶When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

⁶They therefore, when they were come together, asked him, saying, Lord, dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? ⁷And he said unto them, It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father hath set within his own authority. ⁷And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. ⁸But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. ⁸But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 1.1-17

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²The same was in the beginning with God. ²The same was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ³All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. ⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men. ⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men. ⁵And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not. ⁵And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. ⁶There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.

⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. ⁷The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ⁸He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. ⁹That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. ⁹There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not. ¹¹He came unto his own, and his own received him not. ¹¹He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not. ¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹³who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ¹³Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. ¹⁴And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.

¹⁵John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. ¹⁵John beareth witness of him, and crieth, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is become before me: for he was before me. ¹⁶And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. ¹⁶For of his fulness we all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.