Thursday, 27 June 2024

Thursday of the 1st week after Pentecost

53 days after Pascha · Tone 7 · Liturgy · No Fast (Fast Free)

Saints commemorated

★ Saint Sampson the Hospitable of Constantinople

He is counted as one of the Holy Unmercenary Physicians. “This saint was born of rich and eminent parents in ancient Rome, where he studied all the secular wisdom of that time, devoting himself in particular to the study of medicine. Sampson was a compassionate and liberal physician, and gave the sick medicine for both soul and body, counselling each man to fulfil the requirements of the Christian faith. He moved to Constantinople, where he lived in a tiny house from which he distributed alms, comfort, advice, hope, medicine and all possible aid to those suffering in spirit and in body. The Patriarch heard of Sampson’s great virtue and ordained him priest. At that time the Emperor Justinian the Great became ill with what his doctors believed to be an incurable disease. The Emperor prayed with great fervor, and God revealed to him in his sleep that Sampson would heal him. When the Emperor summoned Sampson to court, the old man had only to put his hand on the diseased place and the Emperor was healed. When Justinian offered him an immense sum of money, Sampson thanked him but would accept nothing, saying to the Emperor: ‘O Emperor, I had silver and gold and other riches, but I left it all for the sake of Christ, that I might gain heavenly and eternal wealth.’ When the Emperor insisted on doing something for him, Sampson asked him to build a house for the poor. In that home, Sampson cared for the poor as a father cares for his children. His compassion for the poor and weak was second nature to him. This holy man, filled with heavenly power and goodness, entered peacefully into rest on June 27th, 530. He was buried in the Church of the Holy Martyr Mocius, his kinsman. After his death, Sampson appeared many times to those who called upon him for aid.” (Prologue)

Holy Martyr Anectus of Caesarea

The Holy Martyr Anectus contested for Christ in Caesarea of Cappadocia during the persecution of Diocletian, when Urban was governor, near the year 298. Seeing the faithful dispirited by the violence of the persecution, he went among them and exhorted them not to fear the threats of men but to stand firm in their confession and so to die for the truth. He was denounced before the governor for this teaching, and when brought to the tribunal he refused to offer sacrifice and is said to have caused the idols to fall down by his prayer alone. He was bound and stretched out by four soldiers who beat him with rods; afterwards he was hung on a wooden post, the fingers of his hands were cut away with a razor, and his body was scraped to the bone with iron claws. At the last he was beheaded, and tradition relates that from the wound, in place of blood, milk flowed forth as a sign of his purity, sealing the witness of one who had encouraged so many others to martyrdom.

Saint Martin the Faster of Turov

Saint Martin lived in the twelfth century in the town of Turov in western Russia, where for many years he served as cook in the bishop's house under three successive bishops, Simeon, Ignatius and Joachim. After many years of toil and quiet obedience, he was permitted in his old age to receive the monastic tonsure at the city's Saints Boris and Gleb Monastery, where he gave himself to the strict labour of fasting and prayer. Already broken in body by his earlier service, he was tormented by an illness which kept him bedridden, but the saintly princes Boris and Gleb appeared to him in his cell, brought him water and gently restored his health. He continued his ascetic life with renewed strength and reposed in the Lord about the year 1146, his memory honoured among the holy ascetics of the Russian land.

Translation of the relics of Saint Cyril, Abbot of White Lake

Saint Cyril of White Lake, called also Cyril of Beloezersk, was born at Moscow in 1337 of well-born parents, and after their death received the tonsure at the Simonov Monastery from the hand of Saint Theodore, nephew and disciple of Saint Sergius of Radonezh. He was guided in monastic obedience by Saint Sergius himself when he visited the monastery, and rose to be archimandrite, but he renounced the office to seek deeper solitude. Following a vision in which the Mother of God showed him a place beside Lake Siverskoye in the wild north, he set out about 1397 with his fellow monk Therapon and there, on the shores of the lake near the town of Belozersk, dug a cell in the side of a hill. As disciples gathered to him he raised a wooden church to the Dormition of the Mother of God, and from this beginning grew the great Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, which became one of the chief cradles of Russian monasticism in the Far North. Living to the great age of ninety, he reposed on 9 June 1427, leaving a tradition of strict cenobitic life with absolute non-acquisitiveness. The 9 June commemoration marks his repose, while the translation of his holy relics, found incorrupt and wonder-working, is kept on this day with the customary prayers for his intercession.

St Severus the Priest

6th c.

“He lived in central Italy. A man of rare holiness, he was once called to hear the confession of, and give Communion to, a man at the point of death. He tarried, working in his vineyard, and the news was brought to him there that the sick man had died. Stricken with grief, as if he had himself killed the man, he wept bitter tears over the corpse, and God raised the dead man to life again in response to his fervent prayer. Then Severus confessed him and gave him Communion, preparing him for a Christian leaving of this world, and on the eighth day the man died again.” (Prologue)

St Joanna the Myrrh-bearer

1st c.

This is Joanna the wife of Chuza, a servant in Herod’s household (Luke 8:3). When Herod had John the Baptist beheaded, it was Joanna who recovered the head and buried it on the Mount of Olives. She reposed in peace.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Romans — Romans 1.28-2.9

²⁸And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

²⁸And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, ²⁹being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers, ³⁰Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³⁰backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: ³¹without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful: ³²who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them. ³²Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

¹Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost practise the same things.

¹Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. ²But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. ²And we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against them that practise such things. ³And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? ³And reckonest thou this, O man, who judgest them that practise such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? ⁴Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? ⁴Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? ⁵but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; ⁵But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; ⁶who will render to every man according to his works: ⁶Who will render to every man according to his deeds: ⁷to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life: ⁷To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: ⁸But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, ⁸but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation, ⁹tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; ⁹Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

Gospel

weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 5.27-32

²⁷Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

²⁷Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery: ²⁸But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. ²⁸but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. ²⁹And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. ²⁹And if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell. ³⁰And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. ³⁰And if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell. ³¹It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: ³¹It was said also, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: ³²But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. ³²but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery.