Saturday, 8 June 2024

Saturday of the 5th Sunday of Pascha

34 days after Pascha · Tone 4 · Black squigg (6-stich typikon symbol) · No Fast

Saints commemorated

★ Translation of the relics of the Holy Greatmartyr Theodore the Stratelates

The Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates suffered for Christ at Heraclea Pontica on 8 February 319, during the persecution under Emperor Licinius. Of Greek origin, Theodore had been appointed military commander, or stratelates, of the city of Heraclea on account of his bravery, and from that office he openly confessed his faith in Christ. After enduring crucifixion and miraculous preservation, he refused to flee a martyr's death and was beheaded by the sword. Before his passion he charged his servant Varus to bury his body on the family estate at Euchaita in Asia Minor, the city of his birth.

The translation of his relics from Heraclea to Euchaita took place on 8 June 319, and from that time the saint's tomb at Euchaita became a centre of pilgrimage and miracles. On this day the Church also recalls a celebrated miracle of his icon at Karsat near Damascus, where during the early Muslim incursions an arrow loosed at the painted face of the saint caused blood to flow from the image, after which judgement fell upon the assailants. Theodore is venerated together with Theodore the Tyro as a great patron of Christian armies and is depicted as a soldier on horseback transfixing a serpent.

Saint Ephraim, Patriarch of Antioch

545

“During the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius, Ephraim was governor of the eastern regions. He was famed for his great piety and compassion, and was much esteemed for these virtues. When the rebuilding of Antioch, which had been destroyed by earthquake and fire, was put in hand, the Emperor ordered Ephraim to oversee the work. Ephraim performed this work with dilegence and love. There was among the ordinary workers a certain bishop who had left his see for unknown reasons and was working as a labourer. Not a soul knew that the man was a bishop. One day he lay down to take a rest from the exhausting work with the other labourers, and fell asleep. Ephraim glanced at him, and saw a flaming pillar rising above the man and reaching up to heaven. Amazed and frightened, Ephraim summoned him and bound him under oath to reveal who he was. The man hesitated a long time, but finally admitted that he was a bishop and foretold that Ephraim whould shortly be consecrated Patriarch of Antioch (the patriarchal throne having been empty since the old Patriarch, Euphrasius, perished in the earthquake). Ephraim was indeed elected and consecrated as Patriarch. For his goodness, purity and zeal for Orthodoxy, a great gift of wonderworking was given him by God. Once, in order to convince some heretic that Orthodoxy is the true Faith, he placed his omophor in the flames and prayed to God. The omophor remained unharmed in the fire for three hours. When the heretic saw this, he was afraid and cast his heresy aside. Ephraim entered peacefully into rest in 546.” (Prologue)

Saint Naucratius the Monk, brother of Saint Basil the Great

Naucratius was the son of Basil the Elder and the holy Emmelia of Caesarea, the younger brother of Macrina the Younger and Basil the Great, and the elder brother of Gregory of Nyssa and Peter of Sebaste. Among Basil's siblings, four are venerated as saints: Macrina, Naucratius, Peter and Gregory. Naucratius excelled in natural endowments and physical beauty, and when he reached his twenty-first year, having demonstrated his scholarly abilities publicly in Caesarea, he was drawn by divine providence to despise the prospects of worldly advancement. Renouncing all that lay within his reach, he withdrew to a life of solitude and poverty in the wilderness near the river Iris in Pontus, taking with him only his faithful servant Chrysapius. There he supported in his hut a number of aged people who were sick or destitute, providing for them by hunting and fishing and serving them with his own hands. About the year 357, on one of these expeditions made to feed the poor, Naucratius and Chrysapius perished in a hunting accident. The depth of his sister Macrina's grief for him, recorded in Saint Gregory of Nyssa's Life of Macrina, marked a turning point in the conversion of the family, and his brother Basil dated the beginning of his own serious turn to the ascetic life from this loss.

Venerable Melania the Elder of Rome

Melania the Elder was a Roman noblewoman of the Antonine gens, born about 350 and a member of one of the wealthiest senatorial families of her age. Married young to the patrician Valerius Maximus, she was widowed at twenty-two and lost two of her three sons soon after. Reading her bereavement as a divine summons, she gave herself to the ascetic life. Around 372 she sailed to Alexandria with her remaining son entrusted to a guardian and visited the desert fathers of Nitria and the Cells, sitting at the feet of Pambo, Macarius and Isidore. When the Arian persecution under Valens scattered the orthodox monks, Melania accompanied many of them into exile in Palestine, ministering to the confessors at her own expense. Settling on the Mount of Olives about 378, she founded with Rufinus of Aquileia a double monastery, one for fifty virgins under her own rule and another for monks under his. There she received pilgrims, ransomed captives, and copied and circulated the works of Origen and the Cappadocian fathers. After twenty-seven years on the Mount of Olives she returned to Italy in 400 to recall her granddaughter, the younger Melania, and her family to the ascetic life. Driven once more from Italy by the Gothic invasions, she returned to Jerusalem and reposed there about 410. Her life is preserved in Palladius's Lausiac History, of which she was a principal benefactress.

Our Holy Mother Melania the Elder

410

She was a wealthy and noble lady, born in Spain. Her husband and two of her children died and, seeing the vanity of worldly things, she travelled to Egypt to visit the monks at Nitria. She gave away most of her great wealth to the needy, and to Egyptian Christians being persecuted by the Arians. It is said that in three days she fed some 5,000 people. When the Orthodox in Egypt were exiled to Palestine, she went with them to Jerusalem, where she built a convent for virgins; she entered the convent herself, and reposed there in 410. Her grand-daughter, Melania the Younger, is commemorated on December 31.

St Zosimas, monk, of Phoenicia

6th c.

He labored in asceticism at a monastery near Tyre. Through his exceptional purity of life, he was granted the gift of prophecy. He foresaw the destruction of Antioch by earthquake and, like Abraham pleading for Sodom, prostrated himself on the ground and prayed that the city not be completely destroyed. Once he was traveling in a remote place and a lion attacked and killed his mule. He commanded the lion to serve him in the mule’s place; the lion immediately took up Zosimas’ pack and carried it to Caesarea, where Zosimas released it. St Zosimas reposed in peace.

Also commemorated: Trans. Rel. Theodore Stratelates

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 15.35-41

³⁵Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. ³⁵But Paul and Barnabas tarried in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

³⁶And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.

³⁶And after some days Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us return now and visit the brethren in every city wherein we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they fare. ³⁷And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. ³⁷And Barnabas was minded to take with them John also, who was called Mark. ³⁸But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. ³⁸But Paul thought not good to take with them him who withdrew from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. ³⁹And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; ³⁹And there arose a sharp contention, so that they parted asunder one from the other, and Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away unto Cyprus: ⁴⁰And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. ⁴⁰but Paul chose Silas, and went forth, being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches. ⁴¹And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 10.27-38

²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: ²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: ²⁸And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. ²⁸and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. ²⁹My Father, who hath given them unto me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰I and my Father are one. ³⁰I and the Father are one. ³¹The Jews took up stones again to stone him. ³¹Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. ³²Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? ³²Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from the Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? ³³The Jews answered him, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. ³³The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. ³⁴Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? ³⁴Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? ³⁵If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; ³⁵If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken), ³⁶Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? ³⁶say ye of him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? ³⁷If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. ³⁷If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. ³⁸But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father. ³⁸But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.