Saturday, 17 August 2024

Saturday of the 8th week after Pentecost

104 days after Pascha · Tone 6 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyr Myron the Presbyter of Cyzicus

250

The Holy Martyr Myron was a presbyter in Achaia in Greece and lived in the third century. He suffered for Christ in the year 250 under the emperor Decius. The presbyter was gentle and kind to the people of his flock and a generous benefactor to the poor, but he was also courageous in the defence of his spiritual children when they were threatened.

On the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, while Saint Myron was celebrating the Divine Liturgy, the local governor Antipater entered the church with soldiers in order to arrest the worshippers and subject them to torture for the name of Christ. Saint Myron began to plead with him for his flock, openly accusing the governor of cruelty and impiety. For this fearless witness he was himself seized and delivered up to torture.

The torturers struck his body with iron rods and cast him into a red-hot oven, but the Lord preserved His martyr unharmed, while about one hundred and fifty men standing nearby were scorched by the flames that issued forth. The governor, infuriated by this miracle, ordered Saint Myron to be lashed with leather straps and his skin to be flayed in long strips. Bearing every torment with patience, the saint cast a strip of his own flayed skin into Antipater's face, rebuking his blasphemy.

Crazed with rage, Antipater took up a sword and ran himself through, dying by his own hand. The soldiers then took Saint Myron to the city of Cyzicus on the southern shore of the Propontis, where he was beheaded by the sword and received the crown of martyrdom.

Holy Martyr Patroclus of Troyes

The Holy Martyr Patroclus lived during the third century in the city of Tricassinum, now Troyes in Gaul. He suffered for Christ during the reign of the emperor Aurelian (270 to 275). From his youth he led a pious Christian life: he loved to pray, to read the Holy Scriptures, to fast and to give alms to the poor. The Lord, well-pleased with him, bestowed upon him the gift of working wonders for the consolation of the faithful. When Aurelian came to Tricassinum during one of his campaigns, he summoned Saint Patroclus before him and demanded that he offer sacrifice to the gods. Patroclus refused, openly confessing Christ as the only true God. The emperor at first sought to win him over with promises of wealth and honour, and when these failed, with threats of torture, but the saint remained immovable. He was condemned to death and led out to be executed. The soldiers led him toward the bank of the river Sequana (the Seine). As they prepared to behead him, their eyes were suddenly clouded by a divine mist, and Saint Patroclus walked across the river upon the waters, ascending a hill on the further bank where he stood and gave thanks in prayer. A pagan woman who had been gathering wood saw him and pointed him out to the soldiers; they crossed the river and there put him to death by the sword. The body of the holy martyr was taken up by night by the priest Eusebius and the deacon Liberius and buried with reverence. Saint Patroclus is honoured as one of the early martyrs of Gaul, and his memory is kept by the Orthodox Church on 17 August.

Holy Martyrs Straton, Philip, Eutychian and Cyprian of Nicomedia

The Holy Martyrs Straton, Philip, Eutychian and Cyprian suffered for Christ at Nicomedia about the year 303 under the emperor Diocletian. They were friends bound together by faith in Christ and a common zeal to bring their pagan neighbours to the knowledge of the true God. Observing how the people of Nicomedia flocked to the theatre and the circus to watch impious spectacles, the saints went into the great theatre and began to preach the Gospel to the assembled crowds. They taught the people to abandon idol worship, exposed the emptiness of the pagan myths, and proclaimed Christ Jesus as the only Saviour. By their bold preaching and winsome lives they converted many of the spectators, so that the theatre stood empty and the pagan festivities lost their attraction. When the ruler of Nicomedia learned the cause of the empty theatre, he summoned the four Christians and demanded that they sacrifice to the gods. They steadfastly refused. The governor ordered them to be cruelly beaten, their bodies torn with iron hooks, and their flesh roasted upon red-hot grates, but the wondrous endurance of the Lord's confessors could not be broken. They were then thrown to wild beasts in the arena, but the animals would not touch them. After all manner of tortures had failed to overcome them, the holy martyrs were finally cast into a great fire, and there together they yielded up their souls to God, receiving the unfading crowns of martyrdom. The Christians of Nicomedia gathered their honourable remains and buried them with reverence.

Venerable Alypius the Iconographer of the Kiev Caves

1114

Saint Alypius was one of the first and finest of Russian iconographers, a disciple of Saint Nicon and a monk of the Monastery of the Caves at Kiev. From his youth he embraced a life of asceticism within the holy monastery and was instructed in the sacred art of iconography by the Greek masters who came to Kiev in the time of Saints Anthony and Theodosius. From the year 1083 he laboured at the adornment of the great church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Caves Monastery. Saint Alypius painted icons not for gain but for the glory of God, distributing whatever payment he received in three parts: one for the supplies of his craft, one for himself, and the third given freely to the poor. He was ordained a hieromonk and was vouchsafed by God the gift of working miracles even during his lifetime. On one occasion he healed a man of Kiev suffering from leprosy by anointing his sores with the very paints he used for sacred images. It is recorded that when the saint was once unable to complete an icon because of illness, an angel of the Lord descended in his stead and finished the work in a single night. Many of the wonderworking icons preserved in the lands of Rus' are traced by tradition to his hand, including the Sven Icon of the Mother of God. In the year 1114, having lived a long life of prayer, fasting and labour for the beauty of God's house, Saint Alypius reposed peacefully in the Lord. According to the chronicle, an angel was seen by his side at the moment of his repose. He was buried in the Near Caves of the Kiev Lavra, where his incorrupt relics rest to this day, and his memory is kept on 17 August.

Holy Martyr Patroclus

late 3rd c.

He was born to wealthy parents in Trychasia (now Troyes) in Gaul. Despite his high station he used his wealth to give daily alms to the poor and ate only once a day after sunset. Such was his holiness that he became a wonderworker, known widely for his healing power. When the Emperor Aurelian visited Gaul, he ordered Patroclus brought before him. The Saint freely confessed Christ and told the Emperor: ‘If, O King, you desire some of my goods, I will give them to you, for I can see your wretchedness.’ The astonished Emperor asked how he could call the ruler of the entire Empire wretched. Patroclus replied, ‘You have earthly, transitory riches, but you are wretched, for you do not possess yourself, since you have no faith in Christ in your heart.’ The saint was condemned to death and beheaded. Two beggars, to whom he had given alms, found his body and gave it honorable burial.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Romans — Romans 13.1-10

¹Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

¹Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God. ²Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. ²Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment. ³For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: ³For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And wouldest thou have no fear of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same: ⁴For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. ⁴for he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him that doeth evil. ⁵Wherefore ye must needs be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. ⁵Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. ⁶For for this cause ye pay tribute also; for they are ministers of God’s service, attending continually upon this very thing. ⁶For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. ⁷Render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. ⁷Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. ⁸Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

⁸Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law. ⁹For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ⁹For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. ¹⁰Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. ¹⁰Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love therefore is the fulfilment of the law.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 12.30-37

³⁰He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. ³⁰He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

³¹Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. ³¹Therefore I say unto you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. ³²And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. ³²And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come. ³³Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. ³³Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. ³⁴Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. ³⁵A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. ³⁵The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. ³⁶And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. ³⁶But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. ³⁷For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. ³⁷For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.