Thursday, 28 November 2024

Thursday of the 23rd week after Pentecost

207 days after Pascha · Tone 5 · Black squigg (6-stich typikon symbol) · Nativity Fast (Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyr Irenarchus of Sebaste

303

Saint Irenarchus was a young man of Sebaste in Armenia who lived during the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian (284 to 305). Although still a pagan, he was endowed with a noble heart and pitied the Christians who were being tortured for their faith, and he ministered to them in prison after they had been racked by the executioners. One day he saw seven holy women being tortured for Christ, and he marvelled at the courage with which they, weak by nature, endured their torments. Asking them how they could bear such things, he received the answer that the love of Christ made all suffering light, and through this confession he himself believed. The persecutors discovered his change of heart and brought him before the governor Maximus, where he openly confessed Christ. He was first cast into a fire, but the flames did not harm him, and then plunged into icy water, but he came forth unhurt. Together with the priest Acacius, who had baptised the seven women, and with the women themselves, he was at last beheaded for the name of Christ in the year 303. Their relics were honoured in the city of Sebaste, and their memory passed into the calendar of the universal Church.

Holy Venerable Martyr and Confessor Stephen the New

715

He was born in Constantinople in 715 to pious parents named John and Anna. His mother had prayed often to the most holy Theotokos to be granted a son, and received a revelation from our Lady that she would conceive the son she desired. When the child was born, she named him Stephen, following a prophecy of the Patriarch St Germanos (commemorated May 12). Stephen entered monastic life as a youth, and so distinguished himself in asceticism and virtue that the hermits of Mt Auxentius appointed him their leader at a young age. ‘During the reign of Constantine V (741-775), Stephen showed his love of Orthodoxy in contending for the Faith… Besides being a fierce Iconoclast, Constantine raised up a ruthless persecution of monasticism. He held a council in 754 that anathematized the holy icons. Because Saint Stephen rejected this council, the Emperor framed false accusations against him and exiled him. But while in exile Saint Stephen performed healings with holy icons and turned many away from Iconoclasm. When he was brought before the Emperor again, he showed him a coin and asked whose image the coin bore. “Mine,” said the tyrant. “If any man trample upon thine image, is he liable to punishment?” asked the Saint. When they that stood by answered yes, the Saint groaned because of their blindness, and said if they thought dishonouring the image of a corruptible king worthy of punishment, what torment would they receive who trampled upon the image of the Master Christ and of the Mother of God? Then he threw the coin to the ground and trampled on it. He was condemned to eleven months in bonds and imprisonment. Later, he was dragged over the earth and was stoned, like Stephen the First Martyr; wherefore he is called Stephen the New. Finally, he was struck with a wooden club on the temple and his head was shattered, and thus he gave up his spirit in the year 767.’ (Great Horologion)

Saint Theodore, Archbishop of Rostov

Saint Theodore, in the world Ioann (John), was the son of Stephen, the elder brother of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, and of Stephen's pious wife. When Theodore was twelve years old his father, who had occupied an important post under Prince Andrew of Radonezh, embraced the monastic life and brought his young son with him to the Trinity Monastery, into the care of his uncle Saint Sergius. The great elder, foreseeing the boy's future ascetical life, himself tonsured him with the name Theodore on the feast of Saint Theodore the Hair-Shirt Wearer, and trained him in the ways of monastic obedience. Endowed with a clear mind and a deep love for the divine services, Theodore advanced rapidly in spiritual struggles, and in due time was ordained presbyter. With the blessing of Saint Sergius he founded a monastery on the banks of the Moskva River at the place called Simonovo, in honour of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, and he became its first abbot. As a friend and counsellor of Saint Demetrius Donskoi he was sent on important missions to Constantinople. In 1387 he was consecrated Archbishop of Rostov, and there he built another monastery in honour of the Nativity of the Theotokos and adorned many churches with icons painted by his own hand, for he was also a skilled iconographer. He reposed in the Lord on 28 November 1394 and his relics rest in the Dormition cathedral of Rostov.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

1 Thessalonians — 1 Thessalonians 2.9-14

⁹For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. ⁹For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. ¹⁰Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and righteously and unblamably we behaved ourselves toward you that believe: ¹⁰Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: ¹¹as ye know how we dealt with each one of you, as a father with his own children, exhorting you, and encouraging you, and testifying, ¹¹As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, ¹²to the end that ye should walk worthily of God, who calleth you into his own kingdom and glory. ¹²That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

¹³And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when ye received from us the word of the message, even the word of God, ye accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe.

¹³For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. ¹⁴For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judæa in Christ Jesus: for ye also suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews; ¹⁴For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 20.9-18

⁹Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.

⁹And he began to speak unto the people this parable: A man planted a vineyard, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country for a long time. ¹⁰And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. ¹⁰And at the season he sent unto the husbandmen a servant, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. ¹¹And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. ¹¹And he sent yet another servant: and him also they beat, and handled him shamefully, and sent him away empty. ¹²And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out. ¹²And he sent yet a third: and him also they wounded, and cast him forth. ¹³And the lord of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it may be they will reverence him. ¹³Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him. ¹⁴But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned one with another, saying, This is the heir; let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. ¹⁴But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. ¹⁵And they cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do unto them? ¹⁵So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them? ¹⁶He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid. ¹⁶He will come and destroy these husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid. ¹⁷And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? ¹⁷But he looked upon them, and said, What then is this that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner? ¹⁸Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

¹⁸Every one that falleth on that stone shall be broken to pieces; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust.