Monday, 1 July 2024

Monday of the 2nd week after Pentecost

57 days after Pascha · Tone 8 · Black squigg (6-stich typikon symbol) · No Fast

Saints commemorated

★ Holy wonderworking unmercenary physicians Cosmas and Damian at Rome

Saints Cosmas and Damian were born at Rome, brothers by birth and physicians by profession, who suffered martyrdom during the reign of the emperor Carinus (283-284). Brought up by their parents in the rules of piety, they led strict and chaste lives and were granted by God the gift of healing the sick. By their generosity and exceptional kindness to all, the brothers converted many to Christ. Since they accepted no payment for their treatment of the infirm, they were called the unmercenary physicians.

Their active service and their great spiritual influence on the people drew many into the Church and so attracted the attention of the Roman authorities. Soldiers were sent in search of them, but the holy brothers came out of hiding and surrendered, asking that those who had been arrested on their account be released. Brought before the emperor, they were ordered to deny Christ and offer sacrifice to idols. Through the prayer of the saints, God suddenly struck Carinus blind. The people and the emperor himself implored the saints to heal him, and after his confession of Christ they restored his sight.

Their former teacher, however, envying their renown, lured them into the mountains under the pretext of gathering medicinal herbs and there murdered them, throwing their bodies into a river. They are distinguished from the unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian of Asia Minor (1 November) and of Arabia (17 October).

Holy martyr Potitus of Sardinia

Saint Potitus suffered for Christ in the second century during the reign of the emperor Antoninus Pius. From his earliest youth he was instructed in the Christian faith, and although his father was a pagan, the boy refused to renounce Christ. Tried, scourged and imprisoned, Potitus remained firm and was granted by God the gift of working miracles. He cured Cyriake, a woman afflicted with leprosy, after she accepted holy Baptism and believed in Christ; healed the daughter of the emperor who was tormented by an unclean spirit; and confounded those who tried to persuade him to offer sacrifice to idols. After many torments he was beheaded at a place called Valeriana while still a young boy of about thirteen, and so received the unfading crown of martyrdom.

Saint Leontius of Radauti

Saint Leontius was born at Radauti in Moldavia in the fourteenth century. He received the monastic tonsure with the name Laurence and in time was found worthy of ordination to the holy priesthood. He founded a monastery near Radauti, which later became known as Saint Laurence's Monastery, and there he laboured as abbot, gathering a brotherhood and guiding them in the ascetic life. He became renowned throughout Moldavia for his gentleness, his gift of healing, and his protection of the suffering and the poor. Towards the end of his life he received the great schema with the name Leontius, and upon his repose he was buried in his monastery, where his relics worked many miracles. He was glorified by the Orthodox Church of Romania in 1992.

Venerable Peter the Patrician of Constantinople

854

Saint Peter was born into a patrician family at Constantinople at the end of the eighth century. During the reign of the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros (802-811) he was commissioned as an officer and took part in the campaigns of the Greek army against Bulgaria. Captured in battle, he spent many years in confinement, calling continually upon the saints to deliver him. One night, while he was praying, the holy Evangelist John the Theologian appeared to him in a vision together with Saint Joannicius the Great, and released him from captivity. Having returned to Constantinople, Peter renounced the world and withdrew to a monastery on Mount Olympus in Asia Minor, where he was tonsured a monk under the guidance of Saint Joannicius. There he passed thirty-four years in constant ascetic effort, observing strict fasting and unceasing vigil, wearing a prickly hair shirt and going barefoot. Towards the end of his life he settled in a quiet cell in Constantinople, where he reposed in 854 in the seventieth year of his life and was buried in his monastery.

Also commemorated: Unmercenary Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Romans — Romans 2.28-3.18

²⁸For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: ²⁸For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: ²⁹but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. ²⁹But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

¹What advantage then hath the Jew? or what is the profit of circumcision?

¹What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? ²Much every way: first of all, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God. ²Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. ³For what if some were without faith? shall their want of faith make of none effect the faithfulness of God? ³For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? ⁴God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. ⁴God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment. ⁵But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)

⁵But if our unrighteousness commendeth the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who visiteth with wrath? (I speak after the manner of men.) ⁶God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? ⁶God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? ⁷For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? ⁷But if the truth of God through my lie abounded unto his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? ⁸and why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil, that good may come? whose condemnation is just. ⁸And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

⁹What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we before laid to the charge both of Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin;

⁹What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; ¹⁰As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: ¹⁰as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one; ¹¹There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. ¹¹There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God; ¹²They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. ¹²They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not so much as one: ¹³Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: ¹³Their throat is an open sepulchre; With their tongues they have used deceit: The poison of asps is under their lips: ¹⁴Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: ¹⁴Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: ¹⁵Their feet are swift to shed blood: ¹⁵Their feet are swift to shed blood; ¹⁶Destruction and misery are in their ways; ¹⁶Destruction and misery are in their ways: ¹⁷And the way of peace have they not known: ¹⁷And the way of peace have they not known: ¹⁸There is no fear of God before their eyes. ¹⁸There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 6.31-34, 7.9-11

³¹Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ³¹Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ³²For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. ³²(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. ³³But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ³³But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ³⁴Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. ³⁴Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. ⁹Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? ⁹Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone; ¹⁰Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? ¹⁰or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent? ¹¹If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? ¹¹If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?