Friday, 14 February 2025

65 days before Pascha · Tone 8 · Red cross (polyeleos typikon symbol) · No Fast (Fast Free)

Saints commemorated

★ Saint Cyril, Equal-of-the-Apostles, Teacher of the Slavs

Cyril, along with his brother Methodius, was an apostle to the Slavic peoples and is venerated as one of the greatest missionaries in the history of the Church. Born in the ninth century, he was a learned and pious man who possessed great linguistic gifts. Cyril and Methodius were sent by the Patriarch of Constantinople to bring the Orthodox faith to the Slavic lands. To accomplish this mission, Cyril created the Glagolitic alphabet to allow the translation of the liturgical texts into the Slavonic language, making the divine services comprehensible to the Slavic peoples. Through his tireless labour and missionary zeal, Cyril brought countless souls to the knowledge of Christ and established the Orthodox Church among the Slavs. He endured many hardships and opposition but remained steadfast in his apostolic mission. His legacy continues through the Church's liturgical life among the Slavic peoples, and he is commemorated as one of the most important figures in the mission and Christianization of Eastern Europe.

Hieromartyr Philemon of Gaza

Philemon was a hieromartyr and priest of Gaza in the early Christian era. He was arrested for his Christian faith and refused to renounce Christ or offer sacrifice to idols. Despite severe tortures and imprisonment, Philemon remained steadfast in his confession of Christ. He was eventually martyred for his unwavering commitment to the Gospel and his refusal to deny the God he served. His martyrdom strengthened the faith of the Christian community in Gaza and testified to the power of Christ's redemption. He is remembered as a faithful priest and confessor whose life and death witnessed to the truth of the Christian faith.

Our Holy Father Auxentius

470

He was of Persian origin, born in Syria. As a young man, he distinguished himself as a member of the court of the Emperor Theodosius the Younger. Seeing the vanity of the world’s honors and pleasures, he became a monk in Constantinople; but when the people began to praise his holiness, he fled to Mount Oxeia near Chalcedon, which later became known as Auxentius’ Mountain. There he built a small hut and lived in reclusion; but in time he was discovered by some shepherds, and the faithful began to come in increasing numbers for his teaching, blessing, prayers and healing. He performed countless miracles, but such was his humility that he always sought to avoid their being attributed to him. When he was asked to pray for someone’s healing, he would try to refuse, saying “I too am a sinful man.” But, when he was prevailed on by the pleas of the people, he would call on all of them to pray together for the healing; or he would remind them that God would give according to their faith; or he would say to the sick person “The Lord Jesus Christ heals you.” When the Emperor Marcian summoned the Fourth Ecumenical Council to Chalcedon, he ordered that the hermit join the assembly of holy Fathers. Auxentius refused, saying that doctrinal teaching was the province of bishops, not monks. The Emperor’s envoys took him by force. He was greeted with honor by the Emperor, and affirmed all the decisions of the Council. He never returned to Mount Oxeia, but settled in an even wilder and more remote spot on Mount Skopa, which later came to be called Mount St Auxentius. His disciples built him a tiny wooden hut with one small window through which he could converse with his steady stream of visitors. He reposed in peace in 470. A great crowd gathered for his funeral, and his holy relics were taken into the care of a women’s monastery whose spiritual Father he had been. Mount St Auxentius soon became a center of hesychastic life, with seven monasteries.

Saint Auxentius of Bithynia

Auxentius was a holy ascetic and venerable monk of Bithynia who lived a life of great spiritual discipline and devotion to God. He withdrew from the distractions of worldly life to pursue monasticism and the perfection of the Christian virtue. Through his prayers, fasting, and unwavering commitment to God, Auxentius became a vessel of God's grace and was granted gifts of spiritual discernment and wisdom. He served as a spiritual father to many who sought his guidance, and his words of wisdom continue to inspire the faithful. He is remembered for his profound holiness and his dedication to the monastic life.

Venerable Maron the Hermit

Maron was a venerable hermit and ascetic monk of the fourth century known for his life of extreme asceticism and his powerful miracles of healing and deliverance. He withdrew from the world and devoted himself entirely to prayer and the pursuit of spiritual perfection. Through his unceasing prayers and intercession, Maron became a channel of divine grace and power, working wonders in the name of Christ. He was known for his great humility and his unwavering commitment to the monastic life. Maron's prayers were sought by the sick and afflicted, and many were healed through his intercession. He is remembered as one of the greatest ascetics of the Eastern Church and remains widely venerated for his holiness and miraculous powers.

What Happened to Valentine's Day?

On February 14 the Roman church commemorates two Saints named Valentinus, both martyred in Rome at different times (one was a bishop in Italy). Both are also saints of the Orthodox Church, but are commemorated on July 30 and October 24. As for chocolates, flowers, cards, etc., the Encyclopedia Britannica says: “St Valentine’s day as a lovers’ festival… has no relation to the saint or to any incident in his life. These customs seem rather to be connected either with the pagan Roman festival of the Lupercalia which took place in the middle of February, or with the spring season in general.”

Venerable Maron the Hermit of Syria

c. 423

This ascetic and wonderworker was a friend of St John Chrysostom. Read his life here.

Also commemorated: St Cyril, Teacher of the Slavs

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

1 John — 1 John 2.7-17

⁷Beloved, no new commandment write I unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning: the old commandment is the word which ye heard.

⁷Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. ⁸Again, a new commandment write I unto you, which thing is true in him and in you; because the darkness is passing away, and the true light already shineth. ⁸Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. ⁹He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now. ⁹He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. ¹⁰He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. ¹⁰He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. ¹¹But he that hateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes. ¹¹But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. ¹²I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

¹²I write unto you, my little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. ¹³I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. ¹³I write unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one. I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father. ¹⁴I have written unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the evil one. ¹⁴I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. ¹⁵Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁵Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ¹⁶For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ¹⁷And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. ¹⁷And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 14.3-9

³And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

³And while he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster cruse of ointment of pure nard very costly; and she brake the cruse, and poured it over his head. ⁴And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? ⁴But there were some that had indignation among themselves, saying, To what purpose hath this waste of the ointment been made? ⁵For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. ⁵For this ointment might have been sold for above three hundred shillings, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her. ⁶And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. ⁶But Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. ⁷For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. ⁷For ye have the poor always with you, and whensoever ye will ye can do them good: but me ye have not always. ⁸She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. ⁸She hath done what she could; she hath anointed my body beforehand for the burying. ⁹Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. ⁹And verily I say unto you, Wheresoever the gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, that also which this woman hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.