Monday, 23 December 2024

Monday of the 27th week after Pentecost

232 days after Pascha · Tone 1 · Liturgy · Nativity Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy Ten Martyrs of Crete

The Holy Ten Martyrs of Crete suffered for Christ during the third century in the persecution unleashed by the emperor Decius (249 to 251). Their names are Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician, Zoticus, Pompius, Agathopus, Basilides and Evaristus. They were drawn from various towns of Crete, but all bore witness with one heart and one confession.

Brought before the governor of the island, who likewise bore the name Decius, they boldly refused to offer sacrifice to the gods of Rome or to the deified emperor. Subjected to many torments over thirty days of imprisonment, they were finally led outside the city of Gortyna and beheaded. Their bodies were taken up by Christians and buried, and a church was raised over their tomb. The relics of these martyrs have ever since been honoured as the chief patrons of the Church of Crete.

Saint Naum of Ohrid the Wonderworker

Saint Naum was one of the chief disciples of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, the Equals-to-the-Apostles and Enlighteners of the Slavs. Together with Saints Clement, Angelarius, Sava and Gorazd he laboured in the mission to the Slavic peoples, helping to translate the Scriptures and liturgical books into the Slavonic tongue. After the death of Methodius and the persecution of his disciples in Moravia, Naum found refuge in Bulgaria. Welcomed by Prince Boris and later by Tsar Symeon, he taught and preached at Pliska and Preslav, training a great number of clergy and translators. Around the year 893 he withdrew to the region of Lake Ohrid, where in 905 he founded the monastery on the southern shore that still bears his name, dedicated to the Holy Archangels. There he ended his earthly course in great holiness around 910 and was buried in the church of his monastery, which became one of the most beloved centres of pilgrimage in the Balkans. Many miracles of healing, especially from mental afflictions, have been wrought at his tomb. His original feast on 23 December is still observed in many places, while a second commemoration on 20 June was added in 1727 by the Archbishop of Ohrid.

Saint Niphon, Bishop of Constantia in Cyprus

Saint Niphon was born in Paphlagonia in the fourth century and was sent in his youth to be educated in Constantinople. As a child he was gentle and devout, but in his youth he fell into a wild and dissolute life. By the prayers of a holy elder named Nicodemus, who saw the dark face of Niphon's soul, he came to deep repentance, weeping bitterly for his sins and crying out to the Most Holy Theotokos until an icon of the Mother of God smiled upon him as a sign of his forgiveness. After many years of struggle and great spiritual gifts, including unceasing prayer, vision of demons and the sight of angels assisting souls at the hour of death, the now elderly Niphon journeyed to Alexandria. A delegation from Constantia in Cyprus had come there to ask Patriarch Alexander to consecrate a new bishop for them. The Apostle Paul appeared in a vision to the patriarch and instructed him to consecrate one who resembled Paul, save that he was bald. Niphon was thus ordained deacon, then priest, and finally bishop of Constantia. He governed his flock for only a short time, foreseeing his repose three days in advance. On his deathbed he was granted to behold martyrs, prophets, monastics and the Most Holy Theotokos herself before giving up his soul to God in the mid fourth century.

Saint Paul, Bishop of Neocaesarea

This holy bishop was so revered that he was summoned by the Emperor Licinius himself, who attempted to turn him from the Faith. When this failed, the Emperor ordered that molten metal be poured on the bishop’s hands, which left them paralyzed and horribly disfigured. Years went by, Christianity was legalized by Constantine the Great and, when the Council of Nicaea was summoned, St Paul was among those bishops who were called to attend. Many of the bishops who attended bore in their bodies the marks of the Lord Jesus (Gal. 6:17): noses, ears or eyes lost, scars and burns from their trials for Christ. At the Council, the Emperor Constantine knelt before St Paul and kissed his hands as holy relics, saying ‘I will never tire of kissing these hands which have lost their life for the sake of my Christ.’ After the Council, the holy bishop served in Neocaesarea for several more years, then reposed in peace.

Our Holy Father Nahum of Ochrid, Wonderworker and Enlightener of the Slavs

c. 900

He was a disciple of Saints Cyril and Methodius (May 11), and traveled with them on their missionary journey to the Slavs. With them and their other companions, he endured many trials, including several imprisonments at the hands of the Latin Franks, who were seeking to seize control of the region of Moravia in order to impose the Latin language and to spread the heresy of the filioque. For a time their troubles were relieved by Pope Hadrian II, who supported the mission and made St Methodius Archbishop of Pannonia, with jurisdiction over the Eastern European Slav lands. But when St Methodius died, St Nahum and his companions were imprisoned once more, then sent into exile, where they finally found shelter in the Orthodox Kingdom of Bulgaria. There they were able to continue their work of evangelization in the Slavonic language. Saint Nahum founded the Monastery that bears his name on the shore of Lake Ochrid. After his repose his relics were brought there for burial, and are venerated there today.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

1 Timothy — 1 Timothy 5.1-10

¹Rebuke not an elder, but exhort him as a father; the younger men as brethren:

¹Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; ²the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, in all purity. ²The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity. ³Honor widows that are widows indeed. ³Honour widows that are widows indeed. ⁴But if any widow hath children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety towards their own family, and to requite their parents: for this is acceptable in the sight of God. ⁴But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. ⁵Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. ⁵Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, hath her hope set on God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. ⁶But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. ⁶But she that giveth herself to pleasure is dead while she liveth. ⁷And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless. ⁷These things also command, that they may be without reproach. ⁸But if any provideth not for his own, and specially his own household, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever. ⁸But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. ⁹Let none be enrolled as a widow under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, ⁹Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, ¹⁰well reported of for good works; if she hath brought up children, if she hath used hospitality to strangers, if she hath washed the saints’ feet, if she hath relieved the afflicted, if she hath diligently followed every good work. ¹⁰Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 10.46-52

⁴⁶And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimæus, the son of Timæus, sat by the highway side begging.

⁴⁶And they come to Jericho: and as he went out from Jericho, with his disciples and a great multitude, the son of Timæus, Bartimæus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the way side. ⁴⁷And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁷And when he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁸And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁸And many rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁹And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. ⁴⁹And Jesus stood still, and said, Call ye him. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good cheer: rise, he calleth thee. ⁵⁰And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. ⁵⁰And he, casting away his garment, sprang up, and came to Jesus. ⁵¹And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. ⁵¹And Jesus answered him, and said, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And the blind man said unto him, Rabboni, that I may receive my sight. ⁵²And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. ⁵²And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And straightway he received his sight, and followed him in the way.