Wednesday, 5 June 2024

Leavetaking of Mid-Pentecost

Wednesday of the 5th Sunday of Pascha

31 days after Pascha · Tone 4 · Liturgy · Fast (Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

Hieromartyr Boniface, archbishop of Mainz and enlightener of Germany

Saint Boniface, born Winfrid in Wessex about the year 675, was educated in the Anglo-Saxon monasteries of Exeter and Nursling and showed from early youth a vocation to the missionary life. After an unsuccessful first journey to Frisia he travelled to Rome in 718, where Pope Gregory II commissioned him to preach the Gospel to the pagan tribes east of the Rhine and gave him the name Boniface. He laboured for more than thirty years among the Hessians, Thuringians and Bavarians, founding the monastery of Fulda and the bishoprics of Wurzburg, Erfurt, Eichstatt and others, and reorganising the Frankish Church. His felling of the sacred oak of Thor at Geismar became a symbol of the conversion of the Germanic peoples. Returning at the end of his life to the still-pagan Frisians, he was attacked by a band of armed heathens at Dokkum on the eve of Pentecost, 5 June 754, and slain together with more than fifty of his clergy and companions while preparing to confirm a group of new Christians. His relics were translated to Fulda, of which he is the patron saint.

Hieromartyr Dorotheus, bishop of Tyre

Saint Dorotheus was bishop of Tyre in Phoenicia at the close of the third century, during the persecution of Diocletian. To escape arrest he retired to Odyssopolis on the Black Sea (modern Varna), where he laboured in obscurity for several years. With the peace of the Church under Constantine the Great he returned to Tyre, resumed his see and shepherded his flock for more than half a century, converting many pagans to the faith and writing several works on the Scriptures and on the lives of the prophets and apostles. When the persecution of Christians was renewed under Julian the Apostate, the aged Dorotheus, then more than a hundred years old, was seized at Odyssopolis to which he had again withdrawn, and was beaten to death for the name of Christ in 362.

Saint Constantine, metropolitan of Kiev

1159

In his day there was great disorder among the princes of Russia and in the Russian Church. One of the rival princes appointed a monk named Kim as Metropolitan of Kiev without seeking the blessing of the Patriarch of Constantinople, as was still done at that time. The Patriarch sent Metropolitan Constantine to investigate, and he deposed Kim and banished the priests whom Kim had ordained. This led to strife among the people, some of whom supported Constantine, some Kim. Finally, at the request of the princes, the Patriarch sent a third Metropolitan, and both Kim and Constantine were removed.

When Constantine died in 1159, his will ordered that he not be buried, but cast out to be eaten by dogs, since he felt that he was guilty of sowing discord in the Church. Horrified, but unwilling to go against his last wishes, the people threw his body outside as he had ordered. During the three days that it lay exposed, Kiev was wracked with thunderstorms and earth tremors, in which eight people were killed. Finally the Prince of Kiev ordered that the Metropolitan’s body be buried in the church, and the weather immediately became calm.

Saint Theodore the Wonderworker, metropolitan of Tobolsk

Saint Theodore (in the world Theodore Leshchinsky), metropolitan of Tobolsk and Siberia, was a Ukrainian by birth who entered the Kievan Caves Lavra and rose to high responsibility there. In 1715 he was consecrated bishop and sent to Siberia as successor to Saint John of Tobolsk. He governed the diocese of Tobolsk twice, first from 1715 until 1721, when he resigned to take up missionary labours in the far north, and again from 1721 to 1727. During his episcopacy he travelled tirelessly among the native peoples of Siberia, the Ostyaks, Voguls and Tungus, baptising many thousands and overseeing the destruction of the chief idols of the region. He also encouraged the foundation of new monasteries and parishes throughout his vast diocese. Returning at last to Tyumen, he reposed in peace in 1727 and was buried at the Tyumen Holy Trinity monastery, where his memory is kept with veneration.

Our Holy Father Theodore the Hermit and Wonderworker

583

He lived for many years as a hermit in the wilderness of the Jordan, and after long and hard ascetic struggle was granted the gift of wonderworking. Once he travelled by ship to Constantinople, and the ship went off course in a storm. The drinking water ran out, and the crew and passengers were near death from thirst. Theodore prayed to God, made the sign of the cross over the sea, and told the crew to drink the seawater. When they did so, they found to their astonishment that it was fresh and sweet. When the people began to honor him, he begged them only to thank God, who had worked the wonder. He reposed in peace.

Blessed Igor-George, tonsured Gabriel, great prince of Chernigov and Kiev

1147

“Persecuted by his kinsfolk, he left the world and became a monk. The citizens of Kiev, disgusted with the Olgovitch dynasty [of which he had been prince], determined to exterminate it. They hurried to the monastery, seized the young and innocent schema-monk and killed him. For this evil-doing, much misfortune fell on the inhabitants of Kiev, but candles were several times seen to light of themselves on the grave of this blessed monk, and a fiery column appeared over the church where he was buried.” (Prologue)

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 13.13-24

¹³Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

¹³Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.

¹⁴But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. ¹⁴But they, passing through from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia; and they went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. ¹⁵And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. ¹⁵And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. ¹⁶Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

¹⁶And Paul stood up, and beckoning with the hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, hearken: ¹⁷The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they sojourned in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm led he them forth out of it. ¹⁷The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it. ¹⁸And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. ¹⁸And for about the time of forty years as a nursing-father bare he them in the wilderness. ¹⁹And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred and fifty years: ¹⁹And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. ²⁰And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. ²⁰and after these things he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. ²¹And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. ²¹And afterward they asked for a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for the space of forty years. ²²And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. ²²And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; to whom also he bare witness and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who shall do all my will. ²³Of this man’s seed hath God according to promise brought unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus; ²³Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus: ²⁴when John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. ²⁴When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 6.5-14

⁵When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? ⁵Jesus therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude cometh unto him, saith unto Philip, Whence are we to buy bread, that these may eat? ⁶And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. ⁶And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. ⁷Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. ⁷Philip answered him, Two hundred shillings’ worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little. ⁸One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, ⁸One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, ⁹There is a lad here, who hath five barley loaves, and two fishes: but what are these among so many? ⁹There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? ¹⁰Jesus said, Make the people sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. ¹⁰And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. ¹¹Jesus therefore took the loaves; and having given thanks, he distributed to them that were set down; likewise also of the fishes as much as they would. ¹¹And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. ¹²When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. ¹²And when they were filled, he saith unto his disciples, Gather up the broken pieces which remain over, that nothing be lost. ¹³Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. ¹³So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which remained over unto them that had eaten. ¹⁴Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. ¹⁴When therefore the people saw the sign which he did, they said, This is of a truth the prophet that cometh into the world.