Tuesday, 17 September 2024

Tuesday of the 13th week after Pentecost

135 days after Pascha · Tone 3 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Hieromartyr Heraclides, Bishop of Tamasos in Cyprus

The hieromartyr Heraclides was a native of the village of Lambadistos on the island of Cyprus, the son of a pagan priest. When the holy apostles Paul, Barnabas and Mark came to Cyprus on their first missionary journey, the young man's father, although a pagan, gladly received them and offered them hospitality. The apostles however would not dine in a house where sacrifices were made to idols, and asked for a guide who could show them the way through the island. Heraclides' father offered them his son, then bearing the name Heracleon. Travelling with the apostles, the youth was instructed in the Christian faith and was baptised by Saint Paul, who at his baptism gave him the name Heraclides. On his second visit to Cyprus, the apostle Barnabas consecrated him bishop and set him over the city of Tamasos. With apostolic zeal Heraclides preached the Gospel through the surrounding villages, working many miracles and converting great multitudes from paganism. Together with his disciple Myron, who succeeded him in the see of Tamasos, he was at last seized by pagan persecutors. After being beaten and tortured he was cast into a fire, in which he gave up his soul to God and received the crown of martyrdom. Over his tomb a great monastery rose in later centuries, the Monastery of Saint Heraclides, which remains a place of pilgrimage in Cyprus.

Holy Martyr Agathokleia

The holy martyr Agathokleia was a servant in the household of a certain Christian named Nicholas, whose wife Paulina was a pagan. For eight years Agathokleia endured continual abuse at the hands of her mistress because of her faith. Paulina beat her fiercely and forced her to walk barefoot over sharp stones. In one fit of cruelty she struck the saint with a hammer and broke her rib, and on another occasion she cut out her tongue. Yet nothing could compel Agathokleia to deny Christ or to worship idols. Paulina then locked the martyr in prison and tried to break her by hunger, but birds brought her food each day and she did not perish. Finally, enraged by the saint's invincible patience, her mistress poured red-hot coals upon her head, and so the holy martyr surrendered her soul to God. Her commemoration has been kept in the Orthodox Church on 17 September from ancient times.

Holy Martyrs Sophia and her three daughters Faith, Hope and Love

The Holy Martyrs Sophia and her three daughters Faith, Hope and Love were born in Italy in the early second century. Their mother was a pious Christian widow who, having received a special love for Christ from her own family, named her three little girls after the three Christian virtues. The family lived openly as Christians during the reign of the emperor Hadrian (117 to 138). Brought to Rome and accused before the emperor, they refused to offer sacrifice to the goddess Artemis. The eldest, Faith, twelve years old, was scourged, her breasts cut off and she was cast into boiling pitch from which she emerged unhurt; she was then beheaded. The second, Hope, ten years old, was tortured and finally beheaded. The youngest, Love, only nine, was tied to a wheel and beaten with rods until her body was covered with bloody welts, then she too was beheaded. To intensify her inner suffering Sophia was forced to watch her daughters die one by one, urging each in turn to bear their torments for the Heavenly Bridegroom. The emperor permitted her to take their bodies; she carried them beyond the city walls in a wagon and buried them on a high hill. Sitting by their graves in unceasing prayer, after three days she gave up her soul to the Lord and was buried with her children.

Our Holy Father Lambert, Bishop of Maastricht

705

He was born to a noble family in Maastricht (in modern-day Netherlands). When his spiritual father Bishop Theodard was killed in 671, St Lambert was elected Bishop of Maastricht despite his youth. He was loved by his flock for his holiness, ascetic labors and almsgiving, but was driven from his see in 675 after his patron King Childeric II was assasinated. He withdrew to the Monastery of Stavelot where he lived for seven years as one of the brethren, claiming no privileges despite his office. Once, getting up to pray during the night, he accidentally disturbed the monastic silence. The Abbot called out for whoever was responsible to do penance by standing barefoot in the snow before a cross outside the monastery church. In the morning the Abbot was dismayed to see the Bishop standing barefoot, covered with snow, before the cross, his face shining. The Abbot sought to apologize, but Lambert replied that he was honored to serve God like the Apostles, in cold and nakedness. When King Pepin of Heristal took power in 681, he restored Lambert to his see, despite the Saint’s desire to remain in obscurity. The holy bishop renewed his pastoral labors with vigor, visiting the most distant parishes and preaching the Gospel to the pagans who still inhabited the area, despite danger and threats. But when King Pepin put away his wife and replaced her with his concubine Alpais, St Lambert was the only Bishop who dared to rebuke him. For this he incurred the wrath of Alpais, who ordered his death. His assassins carried out their evil commission, even though they found a cross shining above the humble dwelling where he was staying. Saint Lambert is one of the best-loved Saints of the Netherlands and Belgium, where many parish churches are dedicated to him. His relics are now in the Belgian city of Liège.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

2 Corinthians — 2 Corinthians 8.16-9.5

¹⁶But thanks be to God, who putteth the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. ¹⁶But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you. ¹⁷For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you. ¹⁷For he accepted indeed our exhortation; but being himself very earnest, he went forth unto you of his own accord. ¹⁸And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches; ¹⁸And we have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the gospel is spread through all the churches; ¹⁹and not only so, but who was also appointed by the churches to travel with us in the matter of this grace, which is ministered by us to the glory of the Lord, and to show our readiness: ¹⁹And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind: ²⁰avoiding this, that any man should blame us in the matter of this bounty which is ministered by us: ²⁰Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us: ²¹Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. ²¹for we take thought for things honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. ²²And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence which he hath in you. ²²And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you. ²³Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ. ²³Whether any inquire about Titus, he is my partner and my fellow-worker to you-ward; or our brethren, they are the messengers of the churches, they are the glory of Christ. ²⁴Show ye therefore unto them in the face of the churches the proof of your love, and of our glorying on your behalf. ²⁴Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.

¹For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:

¹For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: ²For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. ²for I know your readiness, of which I glory on your behalf to them of Macedonia, that Achaia hath been prepared for a year past; and your zeal hath stirred up very many of them. ³But I have sent the brethren, that our glorying on your behalf may not be made void in this respect; that, even as I said, ye may be prepared: ³Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready: ⁴lest by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be put to shame in this confidence. ⁴Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting. ⁵Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. ⁵I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your aforepromised bounty, that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty, and not of extortion.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 3.23-4.1

²³And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

²³And Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, ²⁴Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, ²⁴the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, ²⁵Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, ²⁵the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, ²⁶Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, ²⁶the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, ²⁷the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, ²⁷Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, ²⁸the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, ²⁸Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, ²⁹Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, ²⁹the son of Jesus, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, ³⁰Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, ³⁰the son of Symeon, the son of Judas, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, ³¹Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, ³¹the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, ³²Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, ³²the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, ³³Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, ³³the son of Amminadab, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, ³⁴the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, ³⁴Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, ³⁵the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, ³⁵Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, ³⁶Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, ³⁶the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, ³⁷Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, ³⁷the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, ³⁸Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. ³⁸the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

¹And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

¹And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led in the Spirit in the wilderness