Monday, 13 May 2024

Monday of the 2nd Sunday of Pascha

8 days after Pascha · Tone 1 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy virgin-martyr Glyceria of Heraclea

Saint Glyceria suffered as a martyr for the name of Christ in the second century, during the persecution under the Emperor Antoninus (138 to 161). She came of an illustrious family; her father Macarius had been a high-ranking Roman official, and the family afterwards moved to the Thracian city of Trajanopolis. Left an orphan in early life, Glyceria fell in with Christians and was converted to the true faith, visiting the church every day. When the prefect Sabinus received the imperial edict commanding all to sacrifice to Zeus, the saint resolved openly to confess Christ. She came forward in the temple wearing the sign of the cross upon her brow, called upon the name of the Lord, and at her prayer the idol of Zeus was thrown to the ground and broken in pieces. Sabinus commanded the people to stone her, but the stones did not touch her. She was scourged, hung by her hair, her flesh was scraped, and she was cast into prison, where angels brought her food and healed her wounds. Taken to Heraclea, she was thrown into a red-hot furnace, but the flame was at once quenched. The skin was torn from her head; the jailer Laodicius, beholding the miracles wrought for her, confessed Christ and was beheaded for the name of the Lord. At last Saint Glyceria prayed that the Lord would receive her, and a lioness was loosed upon her in the arena, which killed her without tearing her body. Bishop Dometius and the Christians of Heraclea reverently buried the holy martyr about the year 177, and her relics gave forth healing myrrh.

Saint Sergius the confessor

Saint Sergius the confessor lived in the ninth century at Constantinople and was a leading defender of the holy icons during the second iconoclast persecution under the Emperor Theophilus. He was descended from a noble family and was a kinsman of the holy Patriarch Tarasius (commemorated on 25 February). He was married to a pious and virtuous woman named Irene, the sister of the patrician Sergius whose wife was sister to the iconophile Empress Theodora. Saint Sergius and Saint Irene had five sons, of whom one, Photius, would later become the great Patriarch of Constantinople. They especially loved and honoured the holy monks who suffered for the icons, supporting them in their imprisonment and exile and providing for the persecuted faithful. Saint Sergius himself wrote an anti-iconoclast history, a defence of the orthodox veneration of images, which he left unfinished at his repose about the year 835. For his open confession of the truth he was banished and suffered many afflictions, and is therefore numbered among the confessors of the holy faith.

Venerable Pausicacus, bishop of Synada

606

Saint Pausicacus lived at the end of the sixth century. He was born in the Syrian city of Apamea, and was raised in the Christian faith by pious parents. From his youth he gave himself up to the labours of prayer, vigil and fasting, leading an ascetic life in the world even before entering upon the priesthood. The Lord granted him the gift of healing both the sicknesses of the body and the passions of the soul. Patriarch Cyriacus of Constantinople (591 to 606) consecrated him bishop of Synada in Phrygia. As a hierarch he would tolerate neither heretics nor those who lived dissolutely in his flock, and constantly taught his people the way of virtue with discourse always powerful and lively. Travelling to Constantinople on the affairs of his church, he healed the Emperor Maurice of a grievous sickness; on his return journey, when his companions were faint with thirst, at his prayer a spring of pure water issued from the ground. He reposed in peace in the year 606.

Holy Martyr Alexander of Rome

298

He was an eighteen-year-old soldier in the army of the Emperor Maximian. When a public sacrifice was made to the Roman idols, Alexander refused to take part, for which he was brought before the Captain Tiberian, who told him he must either deny Christ or die. When he stood fast for Christ, he was arrested and taken through Macedonia to Byzantium, being cruelly tortured at every stop along the way. But everywhere he went, the Christians flocked to him, encouraging him and asking his blessing. His mother, Pimenia, travelled with him for the entire journey. In all his sufferings, Alexander was visited many times by an angel of God, who relieved his pain and encouraged him. As his Lord had commanded, Alexander loved and prayed for his enemies: At a place called Carasura, when the soldiers guarding him were suffering from thirst, he prayed, and a spring of cold water burst out of a dry place. Finally, on the bank of the river Ergina, Tiberian ordered that Alexander be beheaded. As the executioner raised his sword, he saw radiant angels of God all around the holy Martyr, and was afraid to strike. Alexander asked the executioner why he had stayed his hand and, hearing the answer, prayed to God that he might send the angels away so that the executioner would not be afraid. The angels vanished, and Alexander received his crown of martyrdom. Pimenia, his mother, buried her son’s body, and many miracles of healing were worked at his grave. Some time later, Alexander appeared to his mother and told her of her approaching death, which occurred not long afterward.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 3.19-26

¹⁹Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; ¹⁹Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord; ²⁰And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: ²⁰and that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus: ²¹Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. ²¹whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old. ²²For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. ²²Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me; to him shall ye hearken in all things whatsoever he shall speak unto you. ²³And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. ²³And it shall be, that every soul that shall not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. ²⁴Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. ²⁴Yea and all the prophets from Samuel and them that followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days. ²⁵Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. ²⁵Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. ²⁶Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. ²⁶Unto you first God, having raised up his Servant, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 2.1-11

¹And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

¹And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: ²And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. ²and Jesus also was bidden, and his disciples, to the marriage. ³And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. ³And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. ⁴Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. ⁴And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. ⁵His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. ⁵His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. ⁶Now there were six waterpots of stone set there after the Jews’ manner of purifying, containing two or three firkins apiece. ⁶And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. ⁷Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. ⁷Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. ⁸And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the ruler of the feast. And they bare it. ⁹When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, ⁹And when the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and knew not whence it was (but the servants that had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast calleth the bridegroom, ¹⁰And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. ¹⁰and saith unto him, Every man setteth on first the good wine; and when men have drunk freely, then that which is worse: thou hast kept the good wine until now. ¹¹This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. ¹¹This beginning of his signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him.