Saturday, 6 July 2024

Saturday of the 2nd week after Pentecost

62 days after Pascha · Tone 8 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Hieromartyr Astius, Bishop of Dyrrachium

Saint Astius was bishop of the city of Dyrrachium on the Adriatic coast at the beginning of the second century, during the reign of the emperor Trajan. He shepherded his flock with great love and instructed both Christians and pagans by the example of his ascetic life. Forewarned in a vision of his approaching martyrdom, he prepared himself by prayer and fasting, encouraging his clergy and people to remain steadfast in the faith. When the persecution of Trajan reached Dyrrachium, the saint was seized and brought before the prefect Agricolaus. He boldly confessed Christ as the true God, refusing to offer sacrifice to the idols. He was scourged, smeared with honey, and crucified outside the city, where the bees and flies tormented his wounded body. Hanging upon the cross he gave up his soul to the Lord. Christians from Italy who had witnessed his sufferings were also seized and drowned in the sea; their memory is kept the following day, on 7 July.

Holy martyrs Marinus, Martha and their sons Audifax and Abacus

The holy martyrs Marinus and Martha, with their sons Audifax and Abacus, were a noble Persian family who in the reign of the emperor Claudius II (268-270) journeyed from Persia to Rome to venerate the tombs of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. Arriving at the city, they found the Church under fierce persecution and at once gave themselves to the service of the imprisoned confessors of Christ, comforting them, ministering to their needs, and burying the bodies of the executed martyrs. For these labours of love they were arrested. Brought before the emperor and the prefect Marcian, they steadfastly confessed Christ and were subjected to many torments: stripes, the rack, fire, and the rending of their flesh by iron hooks. Finally Saint Marinus and his sons Audifax and Abacus were beheaded by the sword, while Saint Martha, after being tormented in various ways, was drowned in a place called Nymphae Catabassi about thirteen miles outside Rome. They suffered around the year 269, and their relics were gathered by the priest John and buried with honour, becoming a source of healings.

Holy virgin martyr Lucy of Campania and her companions

301

Saint Lucy was a virgin from the Italian district of Campania, who from her youth dedicated herself to God and lived in austerity and chastity. While still quite young she was taken captive and carried off into a foreign land by Rixius Varus, a Roman commander who held the office of vicarius, a deputy provincial governor. He at first attempted to compel her to sacrifice to idols, but moved by her purity and constancy he came to hold her in profound reverence, granting her and her servants the use of a separate house in which they lived in solitude and unceasing prayer. For twenty years she abode in this manner, and by her witness Rixius himself was won to Christ, accepting holy Baptism in secret. When he saw the persecution of Diocletian breaking out in the year 301, Saint Lucy entreated him that they might go together to Rome to suffer with their fellow Christians. Leaving behind his retinue and family, Rixius Varus set out with her and was at length condemned by the Roman prefect Aelius and beheaded with the sword. After them suffered the holy martyrs Antoninus, Lucian, Isidore, Dion, Diodorus, Cutonis, Arnosus, Capicus, and Satyrus, with others, twenty-four in all, who confessed Christ at the same time. They are not to be confused with the virgin martyr Lucy of Syracuse, whose memory is kept on 13 December.

Venerable Sisoes the Great

429

One of the greatest of the Desert Fathers, he lived in asceticism at Scetis in Egypt. After the death of St Anthony the great, Abba Sisoës became a hermit in Anthony’s cave, saying “Thus in the cave of a lion, a fox makes his dwelling.” In his own lifetime he was granted the grace to heal the sick, drive out unclean spirits, and even raise the dead.

As his death approached after a long life in the desert, his brethren gathered around him. His face began to shine, and he said, “See, Abba Anthony is here!” then, “See, the choir of the prophets is here!” Seeing that he seemed to be speaking with someone, his brethren asked him who it was. He replied, “The Angels are here, and I am asking them for time to repent.” Amazed, they asked him what he could have to repent of, to which he replied, “Brethren, I do not know if I have even begun to repent.” Finally, his face became as bright as the sun, and he said, “See, the Lord is here, and He says, ‘Bring Me the vessel of the desert.’” With this, he gave his soul up to God, and his entire dwelling was filled with light and sweet fragrance.

Some of his teaching, as told in the Prologue: “St Sisoës taught his monks: ‘When temptation comes to a man, that man must give himself over to the will of God, and acknowledge that the temptation comes upon him because of his sins. If something good comes to pass, he must acknowledge that it comes about by the providence of God.’ A monk asked him: ‘How can I please God and be saved?’ The saint replied: ‘If you desire to please God, withdraw from the world, separate yourself from the earth, leave aside creation and draw near to the Creator, unite yourself to God with prayers and tears, and you will find rest in this world and in the next.’ A monk asked Sisoes: ‘How can I acquire humility?’ The saint replied: ‘When a man learns to regard every man as better than himself, he thus acquires humility.’ Ammon complained to Sisoes that he could not memorise the wise sayings that he had read, to be able to quote them in conversation with others. The saint replied: ‘It is not necessary. That which is necessary is to acquire purity of mind and to speak from this purity, placing one’s hope in God.’”

Holy Martyrs Marinus and Martha, and those with them

269

Marinus and Martha were wealthy Persians; but they sold all their goods and traveled to Rome with their sons Audifax, Habakkuk, Valentine, and Cyrinus, in order to venerate the holy relics of the apostles and martyrs. When the Emperor Claudius asked them why they had come so far, at such cost, to seek the dead in Rome, they answered ‘We are servants of Christ, and are come to venerate the holy apostles whose immortal souls are alive with God, that they may be our intercessors with Christ our God.’ All of them were sentenced to interrogation and to death if they would not deny Christ. Valentine, who was a priest, was handed over to a General named Asterius. When Valentine healed Asterius’ daughter, who had been blind for two years, Asterius and his entire household accepted Christ and were baptised by Valentine. All of them, along with Marinus and Martha and their family, underwent torture and death for the sake of Christ.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Romans — Romans 3.19-26

¹⁹Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

¹⁹Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God: ²⁰Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. ²⁰because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin.

²¹But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

²¹But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; ²²Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: ²²even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction; ²³For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; ²³for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; ²⁴Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: ²⁴being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: ²⁵whom God set forth to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show his righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God; ²⁵Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; ²⁶To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. ²⁶for the showing, I say, of his righteousness at this present season: that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 7.1-8

¹Judge not, that ye be not judged.

¹Judge not, that ye be not judged. ²For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. ²For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you. ³And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? ³And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? ⁴Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? ⁴Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye? ⁵Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. ⁵Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

⁶Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

⁶Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you.

⁷Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

⁷Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: ⁸For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. ⁸for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.