Friday, 17 May 2024

Friday of the 2nd Sunday of Pascha

12 days after Pascha · Tone 1 · Liturgy · Fast (Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

Holy Apostle Andronicus of the Seventy and his fellow labourer Junia

The holy Apostle Andronicus is numbered among the Seventy disciples sent forth by the Lord. Together with Saint Junia, his kinswoman and fellow worker, he is greeted by name in the Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Romans, where Paul calls them his kinsmen and fellow prisoners and says that they are "of note among the apostles" and were in Christ before him (Romans 16:7).

The two laboured tirelessly in the preaching of the Gospel, journeying from place to place, suffering imprisonments and many afflictions for the sake of Christ. By their preaching the faith was strengthened, multitudes of pagans were brought to the knowledge of the true God, idolatrous shrines were closed, and Christian churches arose in their place. Saint Andronicus was appointed bishop of Pannonia, but neither he nor Junia confined their labours to that region; they travelled widely, healing the sick and casting out demons. The service in their honour testifies that both crowned their apostolic ministry with a martyr's death. In the fifth century, in the reign of the emperors Arcadius and Honorius, their holy relics were miraculously discovered on the outskirts of Constantinople, together with the relics of other martyrs.

Holy Martyr Solokhon and his companions Pamphamer and Pamphalon

Saint Solokhon was a native of Egypt who served as a soldier in the imperial army during the reign of the emperor Maximian (284-305). He had been a pagan from his birth but came to know Christ through fellow soldiers and was secretly baptised. He was sent with his regiment to Chalcedon, where the commander of the Roman forces ordered all the troops to offer sacrifice to the idols. Solokhon stepped forward with two of his comrades, Pamphamer and Pamphalon, and openly confessed himself a Christian, declaring that he would not offer incense to demons. The three were seized and tortured. Pamphamer and Pamphalon were beheaded and gave up their souls to God. Saint Solokhon was beaten without mercy and dragged over sharp stones; when his torturers tried to force him to swallow blood from the idol sacrifices, he clenched his teeth so firmly that the iron used to prise them apart bent and the sword broke. He was hung up by one hand with a heavy stone tied to his foot and left for some hours. Released and carried at last to a Christian widow's house, he ate a little bread, encouraged the faithful to remain steadfast, and quietly surrendered his soul to Christ.

Saint Stephen the First, patriarch of Constantinople

Saint Stephen, patriarch of Constantinople, was the younger son of the emperor Basil the Macedonian and the brother of the emperor Leo the Wise. From his youth he was set apart for the service of the Church, and was tonsured a monk and ordained to the priesthood. After the deposition of the patriarch Photius, he was raised to the patriarchal throne of Constantinople, governing the Church of God from 886 to 893. Saint Stephen was distinguished by his deep piety, his meekness, and his almsgiving. Once when he had fallen seriously ill he was healed after applying to himself the holy water from the spring of the Life-giving Source (Zoodochos Pigi). Making use of his royal kinship for the good of his flock, he constantly came to the help of the poor, of widows, of orphans, and of those who were unjustly accused. After only seven years on the patriarchal throne, while still young, he reposed in May of the year 893 at the age of about twenty-six, and was buried in the monastery of Saint George of Sykeon.

Venerable Nektarios and Theophanes of Ioannina, founders of the Varlaam Monastery at Meteora

Saints Nektarios and Theophanes were brothers, born in the second half of the fifteenth century in Ioannina to a pious family of the Apsaras line. From their childhood they were drawn to the monastic life and, while still young, renounced the world together. In 1495 they received the great schema from the elder Savvas in the Hermitage of the Honourable Forerunner on the island of Ioannina. After the repose of their elder, the brothers sought greater solitude and made their way to Meteora. With the blessing of Metropolitan Bessarion of Larissa and the abbot of the Great Meteoron, they ascended in 1517 the lofty rock of Varlaam, where the elder Varlaam had once dwelt. There they restored the ruined chapel of the Three Hierarchs, raised a new church in honour of All Saints in 1542, and gathered a small brotherhood, drawing up a rule of strict ascetic life. Saint Theophanes reposed first, on 17 May 1544, after foretelling his own death. Saint Nektarios reposed shortly afterwards, on 7 April 1550. Their incorrupt relics rest in the monastery they founded, which to this day is one of the great houses of Meteora.

Holy Martyr Solochon

298

He was a Roman soldier, Egyptian by birth, during the reign of the Emperor Maximian. When Solochon refused an imperial command that all soldiers offer sacrifice to the idols, he was was arrested along with two friends and fellow-Christians, Pamphamir and Pamphylon. All three were put to harsh torture, under which Solochon’s two friends died. The commander ordered that Solochon’s mouth be pried open with a sword, so that he could be force-fed food sacrificed to idols; but the Saint broke the blade with his teeth. After further torture he was left to die. Christians took him to the home of a widow, where he recovered somewhat and counseled the faithful to hold firm in their faith under torture and persecution. Soon afterward, he reposed, giving thanks to God.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 5.1-11

¹But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

¹But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, ²and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ²And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ³But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? ³But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? ⁴While it remained, did it not remain thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thy power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. ⁴Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. ⁵And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost: and great fear came upon all that heard it. ⁵And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. ⁶And the young men arose and wrapped him round, and they carried him out and buried him. ⁶And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. ⁷And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

⁷And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. ⁸And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. ⁸And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much. And she said, Yea, for so much. ⁹But Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to try the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them that have buried thy husband are at the door, and they shall carry thee out. ⁹Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. ¹⁰Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. ¹⁰And she fell down immediately at his feet, and gave up the ghost: and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband. ¹¹And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all that heard these things. ¹¹And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 5.30-6.2

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. ³¹If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. ³¹If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

³²There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. ³²It is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. ³³Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. ³³Ye have sent unto John, and he hath borne witness unto the truth. ³⁴But the witness which I receive is not from man: howbeit I say these things, that ye may be saved. ³⁴But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. ³⁵He was the lamp that burneth and shineth; and ye were willing to rejoice for a season in his light. ³⁵He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

³⁶But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. ³⁶But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. ³⁷And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. ³⁷And the Father that sent me, he hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form. ³⁸And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he sent, him ye believe not. ³⁸And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

³⁹Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. ³⁹Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me; ⁴⁰and ye will not come to me, that ye may have life. ⁴⁰And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. ⁴¹I receive not glory from men. ⁴¹I receive not honour from men. ⁴²But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. ⁴²But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in yourselves. ⁴³I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. ⁴³I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. ⁴⁴How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? ⁴⁴How can ye believe, who receive glory one of another, and the glory that cometh from the only God ye seek not? ⁴⁵Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. ⁴⁵Think not that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, on whom ye have set your hope. ⁴⁶For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. ⁴⁶For if ye believed Moses, ye would believe me; for he wrote of me. ⁴⁷But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? ⁴⁷But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

¹After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.

¹After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. ²And a great multitude followed him, because they beheld the signs which he did on them that were sick. ²And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.