Monday, 2 December 2024

Monday of the 24th week after Pentecost

211 days after Pascha · Tone 6 · Liturgy · Nativity Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyr Myrope of Chios

251

The Holy Martyr Myrope was born in the city of Ephesus at the beginning of the third century. She lost her father at an early age, and her mother raised her in the Christian faith. Saint Myrope frequently visited the grave of the Martyr Hermione, daughter of the holy Apostle Philip, took myrrh from her relics, and healed the sick with it. During the persecution under Decius (249-251), Myrope went with her mother to the island of Chios, where they spent their time in fasting and prayer. By order of the cruel governor of the island, the soldier Isidore, a man of deep faith and great piety, was martyred. Saint Myrope secretly removed the body of the martyr and buried it. The soldiers who had been ordered not to allow the Christians to take Isidore's body were sentenced to death. Saint Myrope, taking pity on the condemned men, came forward and confessed what she had done, and at her trial she also confessed herself a Christian. For this she was fiercely beaten and cast into prison. At midnight as she prayed, a light shone in the prison; Saint Isidore appeared surrounded by angels, and Saint Myrope surrendered her soul to God. The prison was filled with a sweet fragrance. The pagan guard, trembling at the vision, told it to a priest; he later accepted Baptism and a martyric death for the confession of Christ.

Holy Prophet Habakkuk

The Holy Prophet Habakkuk, the eighth of the Twelve Minor Prophets, was descended from the tribe of Simeon and prophesied around 650 BC. The Prophet Habakkuk foresaw the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, the Babylonian Captivity, and the later return of the captives to their native land. During the war with the Babylonians the prophet withdrew to Arabia, where a remarkable miracle occurred. As he was bringing dinner to the reapers, he met an angel of the Lord, and instantly, by the strength of the spirit, he was transported to Babylon, where the Prophet Daniel was languishing in the lions' den. The food intended for the reapers thus assuaged the hunger of the holy Prophet Daniel. After the end of the war Habakkuk returned to his homeland and reposed at a great old age. His relics were discovered during the reign of the Emperor Theodosius the Younger together with the relics of the Prophet Micah. The book of Habakkuk gives us the song "O Lord, I have heard Thy report and was afraid," which forms the basis of the fourth ode of the canon at Matins.

Saint Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia

Saint Porphyrios (in the world Evangelos Bairaktaris) was born in 1906 in the village of Saint John of Karystia on the island of Euboea, the son of pious peasant parents. From his earliest years he longed for the monastic life, and at the age of twelve he secretly left for the Holy Mountain of Athos, where he was received as a novice at the skete of Kavsokalyvia. Under his elders Panteleimon and Ioannikios he advanced quickly in obedience and prayer, and was tonsured a monk with the name Niketas, later called Porphyrios. While still very young he received the rare gift of clairvoyance, perceiving the inner state of souls and the unseen realities of nature. Forced by illness to leave Athos, he was ordained priest and for many decades served as chaplain at the Polyclinic Hospital of Athens, where he became spiritual father to thousands. With great love and discernment he counselled the simple and the learned alike, healing the sick by his prayers and bringing the despairing back to faith. In his last years he founded the Holy Convent of the Transfiguration at Milesi in Attica, and finally returned to his beloved Kavsokalyvia, where he reposed in peace on 2 December 1991. He was glorified by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on 27 November 2013, and his memory is kept on 2 December.

Saint Solomon, Archbishop of Ephesus

Saint Solomon was an archbishop of the great see of Ephesus, succeeding the line of holy hierarchs that began with the Apostle Timothy. Little detail of his life has come down to us, but he is remembered as a confessor of the Orthodox faith and a faithful shepherd of his flock, ruling the Church of Ephesus with wisdom and pastoral care. He reposed in peace and is named together with the other saints of Ephesus among the commemorations of 2 December.

Venerable Athanasius the Recluse of the Kiev Caves

Saint Athanasius, called "the Resurrected," was a hermit of the Near Caves of Kiev and a contemporary of the holy archimandrite Polycarp of the Caves in the twelfth century. He was grievously ill for a long time, and when at last he died, the brethren prepared his body for burial. On the third day, when the abbot came to bury him, they all beheld the dead man alive, sitting up and weeping. He answered no questions and spoke only to instruct his brethren: "Cherish obedience above all; repent every hour; pray to the Lord Jesus Christ, His All-Pure Mother and to Saints Anthony and Theodosius, that you may end your life here, and be made worthy to be buried with the holy fathers in the Caves." After this he lived twelve more years in solitude in a cave, never speaking another word, weeping day and night, eating only a little dry bread and drinking only a little water. He reposed in peace and was buried in the Near Caves. A second saint of the same name, Athanasius the Recluse of the Far Caves, is also commemorated on this day; according to the tradition the cave needed no candle, for a heavenly light shone for him, and he grants healing to all who approach his relics with faith.

Saint Uroš, King of Serbia

1367

“The son of King Dušan, he ruled during the difficult time of the fall of the Kindom of Serbia. Humble, pious and gentle, he refused to attempt to restrain the power of the powerful nobles by force. Amongst these was Vukašin, who brought about his death. Good King Uroš suffered a martyr’s death on December 2nd, 1367, at the age of thirty-one. Killed by men, he was glorified by God. His wonderworking relics were preserved in the monastery of Jazak in the Fruška Gora, whence they were taken to Belgrade in 1942, during the Second World War, and placed in the Cathedral beside the bodies of Prince Lazar and Despot Stephen Štiljanovic. During the reign of this benevolent king, the monastery of St Nahum was built beside Lake Ochrid by one of Uroš’s nobles, Grgur.” (Prologue)

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

1 Thessalonians — 1 Thessalonians 2.20-3.8

²⁰For ye are our glory and our joy. ²⁰For ye are our glory and joy.

¹Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone;

¹Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; ²and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s minister in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith; ²And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: ³that no man be moved by these afflictions; for yourselves know that hereunto we are appointed. ³That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. ⁴For verily, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction; even as it came to pass, and ye know. ⁴For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know. ⁵For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain. ⁵For this cause I also, when I could no longer forbear, sent that I might know your faith, lest by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor should be in vain. ⁶But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you: ⁶But when Timothy came even now unto us from you, and brought us glad tidings of your faith and love, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, longing to see us, even as we also to see you; ⁷for this cause, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith: ⁷Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: ⁸for now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. ⁸For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 20.27-44

²⁷Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,

²⁷And there came to him certain of the Sadducees, they that say that there is no resurrection; ²⁸Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. ²⁸and they asked him, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, that if a man’s brother die, having a wife, and he be childless, his brother should take the wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. ²⁹There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children. ²⁹There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died childless; ³⁰And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. ³⁰and the second: ³¹and the third took her; and likewise the seven also left no children, and died. ³¹And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died. ³²Afterward the woman also died. ³²Last of all the woman died also. ³³Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife. ³³In the resurrection therefore whose wife of them shall she be? for the seven had her to wife. ³⁴And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: ³⁴And Jesus said unto them, The sons of this world marry, and are given in marriage: ³⁵but they that are accounted worthy to attain to that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: ³⁵But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: ³⁶for neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. ³⁶Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. ³⁷But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the place concerning the Bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ³⁷Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ³⁸Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. ³⁸For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

³⁹Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said. ³⁹And certain of the scribes answering said, Teacher, thou hast well said. ⁴⁰And after that they durst not ask him any question at all. ⁴⁰For they durst not any more ask him any question. ⁴¹And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David’s son?

⁴¹And he said unto them, How say they that the Christ is David’s son? ⁴²And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, ⁴²For David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, ⁴³Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. ⁴³Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet. ⁴⁴David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?

⁴⁴David therefore calleth him Lord, and how is he his son?