Saturday, 18 January 2025

Saturday of the 30th week after Pentecost

258 days after Pascha · Tone 4 · Black squigg (6-stich typikon symbol) · No Fast

Saints commemorated

★ Saint Athanasius the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria

Saint Athanasius, pillar of Orthodoxy and Father of the Church, was born in Alexandria in 275, to pious Christian parents. Even as a child, his piety and devotion to the Faith were so notable that Alexander, the Patriarch of the city, took Athanasius under his protection. As a student, he acquired a thorough education, but was more interested in the things of God than in secular learning, and withdrew for a time into the desert to sit at the feet of Saint Anthony (January 17), whose disciple he became and whose biography he later wrote. On returning to Alexandria, he was ordained to the diaconate and began his public labors for the Church. He wrote his treatise On the Incarnation, when he was only twenty. (It contains a phrase, still often quoted today, that express in a few words some of the depths of the Mystery of the Incarnation: God became man that man might become god.)

Just at this time Arius, a priest in Alexandria, was promoting his enticing view that the Son and Word of God is not of one essence with the Father, but a divine creation of the Father. This view, which (as Athanasius realized) strikes at the very possibility of mankind’s salvation, gained wide acceptance and seemed for a time to threaten the Christian Faith itself. In 325, the Emperor Constantine the Great convoked a Council of the Church at Nicaea to settle the turmoil that the Arian teaching had spread through the Church. Athanasius attended the Council, and defended the Orthodox view so powerfully that he won the admiration of the Orthodox and the undying enmity of the Arians. From that time forth his life was founded on the defense of the true consubstantiality (homoousia) of the Son with the Father.

In 326, not long before his death, Patriarch Alexander appointed Athanasius to be his successor, and Athanasius was duly elevated to the patriarchal throne. He was active in his pastoral role, traveling throughout Egypt, visiting churches and monasteries, and working tirelessly not only to put down the Arian heresy, but to resolve various schisms and moral declines that affected his territory.

Though the Arian heresy had apparently been condemned once and for all at Nicea, Arius had many powerful allies throughout the Empire, even in the Imperial court, and Athanasius was soon subjected to many kinds of persecution, some local, some coming from the Imperial throne itself. Though he was Patriarch of Alexandria for more than forty years, a large amount of that time was spent in hiding from powerful enemies who threatened him with imprisonment or death. Twice he fled to Rome for protection by the Pope, who in the early centuries of the Church was a consistent champion of Orthodoxy against its various enemies. From his various hiding places, Athanasius issued tracts, treatises and epistles which helped to rally the faithful throughout Christendom to the Orthodox cause.

In 366, the Emperor Valens, fearing a revolt of the Egyptians on behalf of their beloved Archbishop, officially restored Athanasius to favor, and he was able to spend the last seven years of his life in peace. Of his forty-seven years as Patriarch, about seventeen were spent in hiding or exile. He reposed in peace in 373, having given his entire adult life, at great suffering, to the defense of the Faith of Christ.

With St Athanasius, the Church commemorates St Cyril (Kyrillos), also Archbishop of Alexandria (412-44). His lot was to defend the Faith against the heretic Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, who denied that Christ in his Incarnation truly united the divine with the human nature. Cyril attempted in private correspondence to restore Nestorius to the Christian faith, and when this failed he, along with Pope Celestine of Rome, led the defense of Orthodoxy against Nestorius’ teaching. Saint Cyril presided at the Third Ecumenical Council in 431, at which the Nestorian error was officially overthrown. After guiding his flock for thirty-two years, he reposed in 444.

Empress Theodora

Empress Theodora (500 – 28 June 548) was the wife of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I and one of the most influential and capable women in the history of the Eastern Roman Empire. Born into humble circumstances as the daughter of a circus performer, Theodora rose to prominence through her intelligence, political acumen, and beauty, eventually becoming one of the most powerful women in Byzantine history. During the famous Nika riots of 532, when political unrest threatened to topple the imperial government, Theodora demonstrated extraordinary courage and political insight. She urged Justinian to resist those counselling retreat, reportedly declaring that she would remain in the capital rather than flee to safety. Her resolute stance and influence over Justinian strengthened his resolve, and the crisis was successfully contained. Throughout her reign as Empress, Theodora exercised considerable political influence, advocating for the welfare of the poor, particularly women and girls. She was also deeply involved in ecclesiastical matters and displayed strong commitment to the defence of the Orthodox faith against heretical movements, particularly Monophysitism. She demonstrated remarkable intelligence in navigating complex theological and political controversies affecting the Empire and the Church. Theodora was a generous patron of monasteries and charitable works. She used her imperial position to advance causes she believed would serve the Church and protect the welfare of her subjects, especially the vulnerable. She bore a son, John, though he did not survive to adulthood, and maintained her authority and dignity throughout her life. Theodora reposed in the Lord on 28 June 548, leaving a legacy as a woman of exceptional virtue, intelligence, and commitment to the faith. The Orthodox Church commemorates her on 18 January as a saint whose example demonstrates that imperial power, properly wielded, can serve the cause of Christ and the welfare of His people.

Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria

Saint Cyril of Alexandria (376 – 27 June 444) was born around 376 AD into an aristocratic Alexandrian family. He was the nephew of Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, who himself was a distinguished ecclesiastical figure and provided Cyril with expert instruction in his youth. Following Theophilus's repose on 15 October 412, Cyril was elevated to the patriarchate on 18 October 412, becoming the Pope of Alexandria at a time of great theological controversy and ecclesiastical challenge. Saint Cyril is most celebrated for his central role in presiding over the Third Ecumenical Council at Ephesus in 431. At this council, he led the Orthodox Church's defence of the Most Holy Theotokos (Mother of God) against the Nestorian heresy, which denied the reality of Mary's role as the Mother of God and attempted to divide Christ's nature into two separate persons. Through his doctrinal clarity and pastoral conviction, Cyril guided the council to condemn the Nestorian teachings and affirm the Orthodox understanding of the Incarnation and the Theotokos. Cyril's theological writings, particularly his commentaries on Scripture and his treatises defending Christological doctrine, are of immense significance in Orthodox theology. He is honoured as one of the great Patristic fathers and has received the title "Seal of all the Fathers" within the Orthodox Christian tradition, a designation reflecting the Orthodox Church's recognition of his comprehensive theological contribution to the articulation of Christian doctrine. Saint Cyril's feast day on 18 January commemorates the occasion of his restoration to his See in Alexandria following a brief exile caused by Nestorian opposition. His repose occurred on 27 June 444. His legacy continues to inspire Orthodox theologians and faithful alike.

Venerable Maximus the Confessor

Venerable Maximus the Confessor (580 – 13 August 662) was one of the most brilliant theologians and spiritual figures of the Eastern Orthodox Church, revered for his profound mystical theology and steadfast defence of Orthodox Christology. Born around 580 into a noble family in Constantinople, Maximus received an excellent classical education and began his career in imperial administration, serving as a secretary to the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius. However, Maximus soon abandoned his worldly position to pursue monastic life, withdrawing to the monastery of Chrysopolis in Asia Minor. There he devoted himself to prayer, theological study, and the contemplative life. His spiritual gifts and theological brilliance quickly became evident, and he emerged as a leading defender of Orthodox doctrine during the turbulent period of the Monothelite controversy, which threatened to compromise the Church's understanding of Christ's two wills. Maximus composed numerous theological works, particularly his Ambigua and other mystical writings exploring the nature of Christ, the deification (theosis) of humanity, and the apophatic knowledge of God. His theology bridges mystical and speculative dimensions, offering a profound vision of Christian spirituality centred on union with God through Christ. He articulated the doctrine that Christ possessed two distinct wills—divine and human—operating in perfect harmony, a position ultimately vindicated at the Sixth Ecumenical Council in 680. For his unwavering defence of Orthodox Christology against imperial pressure to accept Monothelitism, Maximus endured torture, imprisonment, and mutilation. He was exiled from Constantinople and suffered greatly, yet never compromised his confession of the true faith. He reposed on 13 August 662, having given his entire life—body and soul—to the defence of Christ's full humanity and divinity and to the pursuit of deification through grace. The Orthodox Church reveres Maximus as a pillar of Orthodoxy, and his feast day is celebrated on 18 January, honouring his theological brilliance and his steadfast martyrdom in defence of the faith.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Ephesians — Ephesians 5.1-8

¹Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children;

¹Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; ²and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell. ²And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

³But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints; ³But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; ⁴nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, or jesting, which are not befitting: but rather giving of thanks. ⁴Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. ⁵For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. ⁵For this ye know of a surety, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience. ⁶Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. ⁷Be not ye therefore partakers with them; ⁷Be not ye therefore partakers with them. ⁸For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: ⁸for ye were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord: walk as children of light

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 14.1-11

¹And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.

¹And it came to pass, when he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching him. ²And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. ²And behold, there was before him a certain man that had the dropsy. ³And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? ³And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath, or not? ⁴And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; ⁴But they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go. ⁵And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? ⁵And he said unto them, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a well, and will not straightway draw him up on a sabbath day? ⁶And they could not answer again unto these things. ⁶And they could not answer him again to these things.

⁷And he spake a parable unto those that were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them,

⁷And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, ⁸When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; ⁸When thou art bidden of any man to a marriage feast, sit not down in the chief seat; lest haply a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him, ⁹And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. ⁹and he that bade thee and him shall come and say to thee, Give this man place; and then thou shalt begin with shame to take the lowest place. ¹⁰But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. ¹⁰But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that hath bidden thee cometh, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have glory in the presence of all that sit at meat with thee. ¹¹For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. ¹¹For every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.