Saturday, 4 January 2025

Forefeast of Theophany; Saturday before Theophany

Saturday of the 28th week after Pentecost

Forefeast of Theophany
Saturday before Theophany

244 days after Pascha · Tone 2 · Liturgy · No Fast (Fast Free)

Saints commemorated

Hieromartyr Zosimas

Hieromartyr Zosimas was a holy priest and martyr of the early Church who suffered persecution and death for his unwavering confession of the Christian faith. He endured torment at the hands of pagan persecutors and sealed his witness with the shedding of his blood. The title "hieromartyr" signifies his status as both a priest and a martyr, one who had been ordained to serve the holy liturgy of the Church and yet was called to lay down his life in testimony to Christ. Saint Zosimas stands in the communion of the holy martyrs who "conquered the kingdoms, wrought righteousness, and obtained the promises".

Holy Martyrs Chrysanthus and Euphemia

Saints Chrysanthus and Euphemia were holy martyrs who suffered for their confession of Christ. According to tradition, they were persecuted during the age of pagan emperors and sealed their faith through martyrdom. Chrysanthus, a young man of noble birth and exceptional learning, was converted to the Christian faith and became fervent in his love of God. His companion Euphemia shared his steadfast devotion and together they endured trials and tribulations for the sake of Christ. Their memory is venerated in the Orthodox Church as a witness to the saving power of faith in the face of suffering.

Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles

The Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles is a feast day established by the Orthodox Church to honour and glorify the seventy disciples whom Jesus Christ Himself chose and commissioned for the work of the Gospel. These seventy apostles are distinct from the Twelve Apostles who remained with Christ constantly. According to the Gospel of Saint Luke, our Lord Jesus Christ chose seventy more disciples and sent them forth two by two before His face into every city and place whither He Himself would come. He commissioned them to announce the coming Kingdom of God and to heal the sick, saying, "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest." Following the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Seventy Apostles went forth into all lands, preaching the Gospel to every creature. Some accompanied the Twelve Apostles in their missionary journeys; others became evangelists in their own right. Among them were the holy Evangelists Mark and Luke, the disciple Timothy who was a companion of the Apostle Paul, and Prochorus, a disciple of the holy Evangelist John. Many of the Seventy suffered imprisonment, torture, and martyrdom for Christ's sake. The Church commemorates them collectively on 4 January to indicate the equal honour and dignity of each. The Canon for this synaxis was composed in the ninth century by Saint Joseph the Hymnographer.

Venerable Theoctistus, Abbot of Cucomo in Sicily

800

The Venerable Theoctistus was an abbot and founder of the Cucomo (also known as Coucouma or Coucoumis) Monastery on the island of Sicily. He lived in the second half of the eighth century, during a period of widespread iconoclastic heresy when the Orthodox faith was under severe persecution by iconoclastic emperors in the Byzantine Empire. During this turbulent time, many monks fled the Empire to escape the persecution of those who opposed the veneration of holy icons. The Venerable Theoctistus founded his monastery as a refuge where Greek monks fleeing the iconoclastic persecutions could come to pray undisturbed and preserve the Orthodox tradition and the veneration of sacred icons. As the founder and Igoumen (Abbot) of the Cucomo Monastery, he provided spiritual guidance and stability to the monks who gathered under his leadership. His monastery became a centre of Orthodox monastic life and spiritual witness during a dark period in the Church's history. The Venerable Theoctistus laboured faithfully in his abbatial ministry, guiding his monks in prayer, ascetical practice, and the preservation of Orthodox doctrine and piety. He reposed in the Lord in the year 800, having spent his life in service to God and His Church. The Venerable Theoctistus of Sicily should not be confused with another Venerable Theoctistus of Palestine (commemorated on 3 September), the companion of the great ascetic Saint Euthymios the Great.

The Ethiopian Eunuch of Queen Candace

His baptism by the holy Apostle Philip is told in Acts ch. 8. He was already seeking out the things of God — the story shows him reading the Book of Isaiah, and specifies that he was going to Jerusalem to worship. He returned home (“rejoicing”, say the scriptures) and proclaimed the Gospel of Christ in his native land; the ancient Church of Ethiopia traces its beginnings to his mission. He died a martyr’s death.

Venerable Apollinaria

5th c.

She was a maiden of high rank, the daughter of a magistrate named Anthimus in the city of Rome. Filled with love for Christ, she prevailed on her parents to allow her to travel on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In Jerusalem she dismissed most of her attendants, gave her jewels, fine clothes and money to the poor, and went on to Egypt accompanied only by two trusted servants. Near Alexandria she slipped away from them and fled to a forest, where she lived in ascesis for many years. She then made her way to Sketis, the famous desert monastic colony, and presented herself as a eunuch named Dorotheos. In this guise she was accepted as a monk. Anthimus, having lost his elder daughter, was visited with another grief: his younger daughter was afflicted by a demon. He sent this daughter to Sketis, asking the holy fathers there to aid her by their prayers. They put her under the care of “Dorotheos”, who after days of constant prayer effected the complete cure of her (unknowing) sister. When the girl got back home it was discovered that she was pregnant, and Anthimus angrily ordered that the monk who had cared for her be sent to him. He was astonished to find that “Dorotheos” was his own daughter Apollinaria, whom he had abandoned hope of seeing again. After some days the holy woman returned to Sketis, still keeping her identity secret from her fellow-monks. Only at her death was her true story discovered.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Ephesians — Ephesians 1.16-23

¹⁶cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; ¹⁶Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; ¹⁷that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; ¹⁷That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: ¹⁸having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, ¹⁸The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹and what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might ¹⁹And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, ²⁰which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²⁰Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: ²¹Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: ²²And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, ²²and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, ²³which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. ²³Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Epistle

— Saturday before Theophany

1 Timothy — 1 Timothy 3.14-4.5

¹⁴These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly; ¹⁴These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: ¹⁵but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. ¹⁵But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. ¹⁶And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; He who was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the spirit, Seen of angels, Preached among the nations, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. ¹⁶And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

¹But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,

¹Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; ²through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; ²Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; ³forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth. ³Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. ⁴For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: ⁴For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving: ⁵for it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer. ⁵For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 18.2-8

²Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: ²saying, There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man: ³And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. ³and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. ⁴And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; ⁴And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; ⁵Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. ⁵yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest she wear me out by her continual coming. ⁶And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. ⁶And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge saith. ⁷And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? ⁷And shall not God avenge his elect, that cry to him day and night, and yet he is longsuffering over them? ⁸I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? ⁸I say unto you, that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Gospel

— Saturday before Theophany

Matthew — Matthew 3.1-11

¹In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

¹And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa, saying, ²And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ²Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ³For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. ³For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight. ⁴And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

⁴Now John himself had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, ⁵Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judæa, and all the region round about the Jordan; ⁶and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: ⁸Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: ⁹And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. ⁹and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. ¹⁰And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. ¹⁰And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. ¹¹I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: ¹¹I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire: