Wednesday, 12 June 2024

Leavetaking of Pascha / Forefeast of Ascension

Wednesday of the 6th Sunday of Pascha

38 days after Pascha · Tone 5 · Black squigg (6-stich typikon symbol) · Fast (Fish, Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

★ Venerable Onuphrius the Great

They lived in different times and places, but are commemorated together.

Saint Onuphrios the Great (400). “This holy ascetic had been living a whole sixty years in the desert when the monk Paphnutius visited him. His hair and beard reached down to the ground, and long hair, as white as snow, had grown all overy his body during his years of nakedness. His appearance was cadaverous, unearthly and awe-inspiring. Seeing Paphnutius, he called him by name and then recounted to him his life in the desert. His guardian angel had appeared to him and taken him to that place. He had for a long time only eaten earth, which was hard to find in the desert, and, after that, when he had survived an intensive struggle with diabolical temptations and when his heart had become utterly established in love for God, an angel had brought him bread to eat. And besides that, through God’s gracious providence, a palm tree grew up at one side of his cell, that gave good dates, and a spring of water began to flow there. ‘But especially,’ said Onuphrios, ‘my food and drink are the sweet words of God.’ To Paphnutius’ question about his receiving of Communion, the hermit answered that the angel of God brought him Communion every Saturday. On the next day, the old man told Paphnutius that it was the day of his departure from this world; then he knelt down, prayed to God and gave his spirit into God’s hands. Then Paphnutius saw a heavenly light that illumined the body of the departed saint, and heard a choir of angelic hosts. He buried Onuphrios’ body with honour and returned to his own monastery, there as a living witness to narrate to the brethren, for their edification, the wonderful life of the man of God and the greatness of God’s providence towards those who give themselves wholly to His service.” (Prologue)

The Great Horologion adds that Paphnutius intended to stay in the place where Onuphrios died, but soon the palm tree withered and the spring dried up, which Paphnutius took as a sign that he was meant to leave that place and return to live with the brethren.

Saint Peter of Mt Athos (734). He was born to a noble family in Constantinople and became a soldier. He was taken captive by the Saracens and thrown into prison in chains, in Samarra of Syria. He spent his long imprisonment praying to God to free him and send him to some deserted place where he could devote the rest of his life to ascesis and prayer. One day St Nicholas appeared to him along with St Simeon the God-receiver; when they touched his chains they melted like wax, and Peter instantly found himself outside Samarra. He set out for Rome, where he was tonsured as a monk by the Pope, then set out by ship to return home. During the voyage, the Mother of God appeared to him along with St Nicholas, and Peter heard her tell St Nicholas that she had set Mt Athos apart for Peter to live in solitude. Peter had never heard of Mt Athos, but disembarked there and settled in a cave. There he spent fifty-three years in complete solitude, praying and struggling with the harshness of the elements and the attacks of demonic powers. After he had withstood fierce temptations for awhile, an angel of God began to bring him bread every forty days. Like St Onuphrios, his humble life might have passed completely unrecorded; but by God’s providence, one year before the Saint’s death a deer-hunter found him and heard the tale of Peter’s life, which he recorded. Saint Peter reposed in peace; his relics were taken to Macedonia.

Venerable Arsenius, Abbot of Konevits

Saint Arsenius was a native of Novgorod and a coppersmith by trade. From his youth he longed for the monastic life, and at length entered the monastery of Saint Nicholas at Lisitchya, near Novgorod, where he received the tonsure and laboured for eleven years. In 1373, seeking deeper instruction in the ascetic life, he sailed to Mount Athos and was received as a guest in the great Russian monastery of Saint Panteleimon. There for three years he combined his craft of metalworking, making copper vessels for the brethren, with the silent obedience taught by the Holy Mountain. The igumen of the monastery, by the prophetic word of God, foretold to him that he would establish a community in Russia and gave him an icon of the Mother of God to take with him as a blessing. This became the celebrated Konevskaya icon. Returning to Russia in 1393, Arsenius was led by signs and a calm voice on the waves to a small island called Konevets in Lake Ladoga, then thickly inhabited by pagan Karelians. He settled in a hollow at the foot of the great granite "horse-stone" where the natives offered sacrifices, and by his prayer and his preaching brought them to faith in Christ. About 1398, with the blessing of Archbishop John of Novgorod, he founded a cenobitic monastery dedicated to the Nativity of the Mother of God. When in 1421 the lake flooded the lower ground, he moved the monastery to higher land on the island, where it endures to this day. Saint Arsenius fell asleep in the Lord in 1447 and was buried in the monastery church. His Life was written in the sixteenth century by Igumen Barlaam of Konevits.

Venerable Peter of Mount Athos

Saint Peter the Athonite, the first hermit of the Holy Mountain, was born of noble Greek parents in the seventh century and served as a senior officer in the imperial guard at Constantinople. Although he had vowed in his youth to become a monk, the cares of military life caused him to delay. In a campaign against the Saracens in Syria he was taken prisoner and confined in chains in a fortress at Samara on the Euphrates, where he came to see his captivity as a chastisement for the broken vow. He gave himself wholly to fasting and unceasing prayer, calling upon Saint Nicholas to intercede for him. After a long time the holy hierarch appeared to him with the holy Symeon the God-receiver, and at the touch of Saint Nicholas's staff the chains melted from his limbs and he found himself free outside the walls. Peter made his way to Rome, where the pope tonsured him a monk at the tomb of the chief Apostle, and from there he set sail for the East. The Mother of God revealed to him in a dream that her chosen mountain was Athos, the place she had received from her Son as her own portion, and there he was to live out his struggle. Peter landed on the peninsula about the year 681 and entered a cave high on the Holy Mountain. He lived in this cave for fifty-three years, alone with God and the demons that opposed him, eating no human food but receiving each forty days a heavenly bread, his ragged clothes long since fallen from him and his hair grown to cover his body. There a hunter found him toward the end of his life and learned from him the way of solitary prayer. Saint Peter fell asleep in the Lord on 12 June 734 and is venerated as the founder of the eremitic life on Athos.

Venerable Stephen of Komel, Abbot of Ozersk Monastery

Saint Stephen was born in the second half of the fifteenth century in the Vologda lands of northern Russia, in a family attached to the court of the local prince. The mundane life of his father's house was uncongenial to his soul, and as a young man he left it to seek the ascetic life under the great northern fathers. He came to the monastery of Saint Dionysius of Glushitsa, who had been a disciple of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, and there received monastic tonsure. Trained in obedience and prayer, he afterwards travelled further north and entered the wilderness community of Saint Cornelius of Komel, where he submitted himself anew to a strict ascetic discipline. When Saint Cornelius blessed him to depart and seek deeper solitude, Stephen settled by Lake Komel, on the river that flows from it, in the dense forests of the Vologda territory. There, after years of solitary struggle, disciples gathered around him, and he founded the monastery of the Most Holy Trinity, which from its situation became known as the Ozersk or "Lake" monastery. He guided its brethren as their abbot in the strict ascetic tradition of the Glushitsa and Komel fathers, in poverty, fasting and unceasing prayer. He fell asleep in the Lord on 12 June 1542 and was buried in the monastery he had founded. His name is included among the saints of the Vologda region celebrated on this day.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 18.22-28

²²And when he had landed at Cæsarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.

²²And when he had landed at Cæsarea, he went up and saluted the church, and went down to Antioch. ²³And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples. ²³And having spent some time there, he departed, and went through the region of Galatia, and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples.

²⁴And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.

²⁴Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the scriptures. ²⁵This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. ²⁵This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spake and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, knowing only the baptism of John: ²⁶And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. ²⁶and he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more accurately. ²⁷And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: ²⁷And when he was minded to pass over into Achaia, the brethren encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him: and when he was come, he helped them much that had believed through grace; ²⁸For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ. ²⁸for he powerfully confuted the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 12.36-47

³⁶While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

³⁶While ye have the light, believe on the light, that ye may become sons of light. These things spake Jesus, and he departed and hid himself from them.

³⁷But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: ³⁷But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they believed not on him: ³⁸That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? ³⁸that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? ³⁹Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

³⁹For this cause they could not believe, for that Isaiah said again, ⁴⁰He hath blinded their eyes, and he hardened their heart; Lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, And should turn, And I should heal them. ⁴⁰He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. ⁴¹These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

⁴¹These things said Isaiah, because he saw his glory; and he spake of him. ⁴²Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

⁴²Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: ⁴³For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. ⁴³for they loved the glory that is of men more than the glory that is of God.

⁴⁴Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.

⁴⁴And Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. ⁴⁵And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. ⁴⁵And he that beholdeth me beholdeth him that sent me. ⁴⁶I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me may not abide in the darkness. ⁴⁶I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. ⁴⁷And if any man hear my sayings, and keep them not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁷And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.