Thursday, 6 June 2024

Thursday of the 5th Sunday of Pascha

32 days after Pascha · Tone 4 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy Virgin Martyrs Archelais, Thecla and Susanna

293

“As pure and virginal nuns, they lived the ascetic life in an unknown monastery near Rome. When a persecution of Christians arose under the wicked Emperor Diocletian, they fled to Campania and settled near the town of Nola. Their holy life could not be concealed, and people from nearby began to come to them for counsel, instruction and help in various trials and sicknesses, and they were finally seized by the pagans and taken for trial. They publicly and freely confessed their faith in Christ. When the judge, Leontius, questioned the holy Archelaïs about the Christian faith, she replied: ‘It is by the power of Christ that I overcome the power of the devil and teach the people understanding and knowledge of the one, true God. By the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, it is given that, through me His servant, the sick find healing.’ All three maidens were whipped, flogged with heavy staves, left to languish in prison and finally beheaded. When they were led out to the scaffold, angels appeared to them, which were seen by some of the executioners and inspired such fear in them that they dared not lift up their swords against the holy maidens. They, however, urged the executioners to finish their task. And thus, as lambs, were they beheaded in the year 293, and went to the Kingdom of Christ to rest in eternity and delight in beholding the face of God.” (Prologue)

Saint Hilarion the New, abbot of the Dalmaton monastery

Saint Hilarion the New was born of pious parents Peter and Theodosia. At the age of twelve he was tonsured at the Hesychius monastery near Constantinople, and afterwards transferred to the Dalmaton monastery in the capital, where he received the great schema and became a disciple of Saint Gregory the Decapolite. After the death of his abbot he was chosen, against his will, to take charge of the monastery. During the second wave of iconoclasm under the emperor Leo V the Armenian (813 to 820) he refused to dishonour the holy icons and openly accused the emperor of heresy, for which he was deposed, imprisoned and tortured. He continued to suffer under Michael II and Theophilus, spending nearly twenty years in various dungeons and places of exile. With the restoration of the icons under the empress Theodora in 843 he returned to his monastery, governed it for a few more years, and reposed in peace in 845. He was called "the New" to distinguish him from the elder Hilarion the Great of Palestine.

Venerable Attalus of Tabbenisi

Saint Attalus was an Egyptian monk of the cenobitic monastery of Tabbenisi founded by Saint Pachomius the Great. After many years under the guidance of Saint Pachomius and his successor Saint Theodore, he became one of the elders of the great community, distinguished by his humility, simplicity and obedience. The sayings of the desert fathers preserve several anecdotes of his ascetic struggle and quiet wisdom. He reposed in peace in the fifth century, and is commemorated in the Eastern synaxaria together with Saint Bessarion and the other great Egyptian ascetics on this day.

Venerable Bessarion the wonderworker of Egypt

Saint Bessarion was an Egyptian who was baptised in his youth and from his earliest years strove to preserve the grace given him in the laver of regeneration. He visited Saint Anthony the Great and Saint Macarius of Egypt, then placed himself under the guidance of Saint Isidore of Pelusium, by whom he was tonsured a monk. Receiving from his elder a vow of silence, he tasted food only once a week. Through unceasing prayer he obtained from the Lord the gift of wonderworking. He once made the salt water of the sea fresh for a thirsty disciple, called down rain in time of drought, walked across the river Chrysoroas dryshod, and stopped the sun in its course until he had reached his destination. His humility was no less than his power: when a brother was put out of the church for a fault, Bessarion rose and went out with him, saying, "I too am a sinner." He spent his long life as a wandering ascetic in the deserts of Egypt without a fixed dwelling, and reposed in peace in the fifth century.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 14.20-27

²⁰Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. ²⁰But as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and entered into the city: and on the morrow he went forth with Barnabas to Derbe. ²¹And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch, ²¹And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, ²²Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. ²²confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. ²³And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed. ²³And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. ²⁴And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. ²⁴And they passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. ²⁵And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia: ²⁵And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia; ²⁶And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. ²⁶and thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. ²⁷And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith unto the Gentiles. ²⁷And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 9.39-10.9

³⁹And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. ³⁹And Jesus said, For judgment came I into this world, that they that see not may see; and that they that see may become blind. ⁴⁰And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? ⁴⁰Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said unto him, Are we also blind? ⁴¹Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. ⁴¹Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye would have no sin: but now ye say, We see: your sin remaineth.

¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ²But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ²But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. ³To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. ⁴When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. ⁴And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. ⁵And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. ⁵And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. ⁶This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. ⁶This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. ⁷Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

⁷Jesus therefore said unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. ⁸All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture. ⁹I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.