Wednesday, 8 January 2025

Wednesday of the 29th week after Pentecost

248 days after Pascha · Tone 3 · Liturgy · Fast

Saints commemorated

Our Venerable Mother Domnica

c. 474

She was born in Rome and reared in the love of Christ. She secretly left her parents’ house and traveled by ship to Alexandria, where she found lodging with four virtuous pagan maidens. By her example and counsel these four were in time led to abandon idolatry and embrace Domnica’s faith. The five then sailed to Constantinople, where it is said that the Patriarch Nectarius (October 11) was notified of their coming by an angel and met them at the dock. The Patriarch baptized the four maidens himself, giving them the names Dorothea, Evanthia, Nonna and Timothea, then settled them and Domnica in a monastery. Soon the fame of Domnica’s pure life, wise teaching, and wondrous healings spread throughout the city, and even the Emperor Theodosius, with the Empress and his court, came to see her. Soon the crowds made it impossible for her and her sisters to live the heavenly life for which they had entered the monastery; so they relocated the monastery to a remote, demon-haunted location where executions had once commonly been performed, since everyone avoided the area. Here a new monastery was built by order of the Emperor, and the sisters found peace. Saint Domnica’s fame continued, and she became not only a healer but an oracle for the city of Constantinople, prophesying the death of the Emperor Theodosius and the unrest which followed it. She reposed in peace, having first entrusted the care of the monastery to Dorothea. At the moment of her death, the whole monastery was shaken, and those present saw Saint Domnica dressed as a bride, being borne heavenward escorted by a company of white-clad monks and nuns.

Righteous Domnica

Righteous Domnica was a pious woman venerated in the Orthodox Church for her virtue and spiritual devotion. Limited historical records survive regarding her life, but she is commemorated on 8 January as a righteous soul who lived in holiness and served the Church. She is included among the saints celebrated on this feast day in the Orthodox liturgical calendar.

Saint George the Chozebite

Saint George of Chozeba was a Cypriot monk who spent his monastic life at the Choziba monastery in the Wadi Qelt near Jericho in Palestine. After residing for many years within the monastic community, he withdrew from the monastery and lived as a hermit in the surrounding desert, maintaining the monastic discipline of prayer and fasting. He came out from his hermitage only on Sundays to attend the liturgical services with the community and to engage in spiritual counsel with his brother monks. Through his ascetic labour and prayer, Saint George became known as a holy man whose intercession was sought by the faithful. He reposed in peace and is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on this feast day.

Saint Theophilos

Saint Theophilos is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on 8 January. Information about this particular saint is limited in widely available sources, but he is venerated as a faithful servant of Christ. Saint Theophilos appears in the Orthodox liturgical calendar as one of the saints celebrated on this feast day.

Saint Atticus, Patriarch of Constantinople

425

Born in Sebaste in Armenia, he was reared by monks who held to the heresy of Macedonius, which denied the uncreated divinity of the Holy Spirit; but when he came of age he rejected this error and embraced the Orthodox faith. He settled in Constantinople and became a priest in the Great Church. Though he had little formal education, his amazing memory, his zeal for Christ, and his powerful sermons recommended him to all, and he was elected Patriarch in 406, during the reign of the Emperor Arcadius. He served as shepherd to the Church for twenty years, ruling always with wisdom and moderation. Though he was unbending in upholding the Faith exactly, he took a conciliatory, persuasive approach to heretics and schismatics; in this way he was able to restore many to the Church rather than driving them away. His best-known single act is his restoration of the name of St John Chrysostom to the diptychs. Saint John had been unjustly denied commemoration in the Patriarchate since his exile, which had led to a schism; restoration of his commemoration not only corrected a grave injustice but healed a schism. Saint Atticus also presided over the rededication of the Agia Sophia, which had been burned in 404 in the rioting that followed St John Chrysostom’s exile. He reposed in peace in 425.

Saint Severinus

482

St. Severinus came to the borderland of present-day Gemany and Austria from the east — possibly the Egyptian desert — to care for the Roman Christians who were endangered by invading barbarians during the collapse of the Roman Empire. He remained there until the end of his life. While he was there he advised both common people and kings to put eternal life first, and taught them to be generous to one another and to lead a true Christian life. He built a monastery and protected from harm those who gathered around him. As he foretold, the monks and other Christians who had followed him escaped to safety in Italy, taking St. Severinus’ incorrupt relics with them. His relics are still honored in Frattamaggiore, Italy (near Naples). —from the 2006 Saint Herman Calendar

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Hebrews — Hebrews 5.11-6.8

¹¹Of whom we have many things to say, and hard of interpretation, seeing ye are become dull of hearing.

¹¹Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. ¹²For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. ¹²For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. ¹³For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. ¹³For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. ¹⁴But solid food is for fullgrown men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. ¹⁴But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

¹Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

¹Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, ²of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. ²Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. ³And this will we do, if God permit. ³And this will we do, if God permit. ⁴For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁴For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, ⁵and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, ⁵And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, ⁶and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. ⁶If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. ⁷For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: ⁷For the land which hath drunk the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God: ⁸But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. ⁸but if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is rejected and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 21.5-7, 10-11, 20-24

⁵And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,

⁵And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and offerings, he said, ⁶As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. ⁶As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in which there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. ⁷And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? ⁷And they asked him, saying, Teacher, when therefore shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when these things are about to come to pass? ¹⁰Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

¹⁰Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; ¹¹And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. ¹¹and there shall be great earthquakes, and in divers places famines and pestilences; and there shall be terrors and great signs from heaven. ²⁰And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

²⁰But when ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that her desolation is at hand. ²¹Then let them which are in Judæa flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. ²¹Then let them that are in Judæa flee unto the mountains; and let them that are in the midst of her depart out; and let not them that are in the country enter therein. ²²For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. ²²For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. ²³Woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! for there shall be great distress upon the land, and wrath unto this people. ²³But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. ²⁴And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. ²⁴And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all the nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.