Tuesday, 14 January 2025

Leavetaking of Theophany

Tuesday of the 30th week after Pentecost

254 days after Pascha · Tone 4 · Red cross (polyeleos typikon symbol) · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Saint Felix of Nola

Saint Felix of Nola was a Confessor and Christian martyr of Nola in Italy who lived around the third century. During a time of persecution, Felix was arrested for his faith and subjected to torture and imprisonment for refusing to renounce Christ. Though he survived his initial persecution, his steadfastness and refusal to deny the Lord earned him the veneration of the faithful as a holy confessor. He continued to minister to Christians in hiding and suffered greatly for his faith. He is commemorated on 14 January in the Orthodox Church calendar as a confessor and faithful witness to Christ.

Saint Nina, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Enlightener of Georgia

She is called “Nino” in many accounts. This holy maiden was a Cappadocian, the only daughter of Zabullon, a kinsman of the Great Martyr George. She was captured and enslaved by the Iberians (later called the Georgians) and taken away to their homeland. In captivity, she lived a sober and pious life, devoting every free moment day and night to prayer. Her exceptional virtue attracted the attention of many, especially those hungry for Truth, and she simply and boldly proclaimed the Gospel to all who inquired of her.

Once she healed a woman’s sick child by her prayers, and the report of this wonder reached the Queen of Georgia, who was herself suffering from an incurable disease. She asked the slave to come to her, but Nina refused out of humility, so the Queen had her servants take her to Nina’s dwelling. The Saint prayed and the Queen was healed instantly. Returning home in joy, the Queen praised Nina and her faith to the King, whose name was Mirian. The king payed her little heed, but later, while hunting, he was suddenly engulfed by a dark cloud, so that he lost his way and was stricken by fear. Remembering his wife’s report, he prayed “to the god whom Nina worships,” and vowed that if he were delivered he would worship Him alone. Immediately the cloud vanished and the King received the light of faith. Hastening home, he found Nina and, King though he was, cast himself at the feet of the slave and told her that he had resolved that he and his whole nation should be baptized. He sent emissaries to Constantine the Great, who quickly dispatched bishops and priests to the barbarian kingdom.

When the conversion of the country was well under way, Nina, though now freed, determined to stay in Georgia, where she withdrew to the wilderness and prayed fervently that the people would be confirmed in the Faith of Christ. Saint Nina reposed in peace, surrounded by the King, his court and the clergy. Thus did a powerless slave woman, by the power of God, convert an entire nation.

Saint Sava I, Enlightener and First Archbishop of Serbia

This best-loved Saint of the Serbian people was born in 1169, the son of Stephen Nemanja, Grand Prince of Serbia. He was named Rastko by his parents. At the age of fifteen he was appointed governor of the province of Herzegovina, but worldly power was of no interest to him, and he began to wish to give himself more fully to God. He secretly left home and traveled to Mount Athos, where he became a novice at the Monastery of St Panteleimon. His father learned where he had gone and sent soldiers to bring him back, but before the soldiers could claim him, he was tonsured a monk with the name of Sabbas (Sava), after St Sabbas the Sanctified (December 5).

In time, under the influence of his son, Stephen Nemanja abdicated his kingship, and in 1196 he became a monk under the name of Symeon, traveling to the Holy Mountain to join his son. Symeon was quite old, and unable to endure all the ascetic labors of long-time monks, so his son redoubled his own ascetical struggle, telling his father, “I am your ascesis.” The two monks together founded the Chilander Monastery, which became the center of Serbian piety and culture. Saint Symeon reposed in 1200, and his body soon began to exude a miracle-working myrrh; thus he is commemorated as St Symeon the Myrrh-streaming (February 13).

Saint Sava retired to a hermit’s life in a cell on the Holy Mountain, but was compelled to return to the world: his two brothers were at war with one another, causing much bloodshed in Serbia. The Saint returned home with his father’s holy relics, mediated between his brothers, and persuaded them to make peace with one another over their father’s tomb, restoring peace the Serbian land. At the pleas of the people, St Sava remained in Serbia thereafter. He persuaded the Emperor and the Patriarch of Constantinople to grant autocephaly to the Church in Serbia. Against his will, he was ordained first Archbishop of his land in 1219. He labored tirelessly to establish the Orthodox Faith, for, though his father had been a Christian, many of the people were still pagan. In old age he resigned the episcopal throne and went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. While returning from his pilgrimage, he fell asleep in peace in 1236.

Virgin Martyr Agnes

Virgin Martyr Agnes was an early Christian martyr venerated in the Orthodox Church. According to tradition, she was a young virgin who suffered persecution for her faith and steadfast refusal to renounce Christ during times of severe trial. Though details of her life vary in different sources, Orthodox tradition holds that she endured torment in dark and solitary confinement rather than abandon her faith. She remained faithful unto death and is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on 14 January as a virgin martyr and holy witness to Christ.

The Holy Fathers slain at Sinai and Raithu

4th – 5th c.

The Holy Fathers at Mount Sinai lived in the wilderness around the holy mountain before the Emperor Justinian built the famous Monastery there in 527. The brethren were attacked by a band of Saracen barbarians who massacred Doulas, the superior of the community, and most of the other monks. They only stopped when a pillar of fire rose to the sky from the summit of Sinai, causing them to flee in fear. The Forty-three Holy Fathers at Raithu were massacred on December 22, but are commemorated together with the fathers of Sinai. They lived the monastic life on the shores of the Red Sea. One day about three hundred Ethiopian barbarians raided the area, killing many Christians and enslaving their wives and children. They attacked the church at Raithu, where forty-three fathers had taken shelter. Their abbot Paul enjoined them to persist in prayer to the end, putting no stock in the passing life of this world, which they had renounced when they came to the desert. No sooner had he finished his prayer than the barbarians broke in, slaughtering all the monks but one, who escaped to bring news of the attack to Mt Sinai. When the barbarians returned to their ships they found that the Christians had run their vessels onto the rocks. Enraged, they killed all their prisoners. They themselves were massacred by a band of armed Christians who arrived soon afterward.

Also commemorated: St Nino of Georgia

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Hebrews — Hebrews 9.8-10, 15-23

⁸the Holy Spirit this signifying, that the way into the holy place hath not yet been made manifest, while the first tabernacle is yet standing; ⁸The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: ⁹which is a figure for the time present; according to which are offered both gifts and sacrifices that cannot, as touching the conscience, make the worshipper perfect, ⁹Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; ¹⁰being only (with meats and drinks and divers washings) carnal ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation. ¹⁰Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. ¹⁵And for this cause he is the mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. ¹⁵And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. ¹⁶For where a testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him that made it. ¹⁶For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. ¹⁷For a testament is of force where there hath been death: for it doth never avail while he that made it liveth. ¹⁷For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. ¹⁸Wherefore even the first covenant hath not been dedicated without blood. ¹⁸Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. ¹⁹For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses unto all the people according to the law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ¹⁹For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, ²⁰Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. ²⁰saying, This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded to you-ward. ²¹Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. ²¹Moreover the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry he sprinkled in like manner with the blood. ²²And according to the law, I may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission. ²²And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

²³It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²³It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 8.22-26

²²And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.

²²And they come unto Bethsaida. And they bring to him a blind man, and beseech him to touch him. ²³And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. ²³And he took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, Seest thou aught? ²⁴And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. ²⁴And he looked up, and said, I see men; for I behold them as trees, walking. ²⁵Then again he laid his hands upon his eyes; and he looked stedfastly, and was restored, and saw all things clearly. ²⁵After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. ²⁶And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. ²⁶And he sent him away to his home, saying, Do not even enter into the village.