Friday, 14 March 2025

Friday of the Second Week of Lent

37 days before Pascha · Tone 4 · Presanctified · Lenten Fast

Presanctified Liturgy

Saints commemorated

Saint Euschemon the Confessor, Bishop of Lampsacus

Saint Euschemon lived in the ninth century in Asia Minor, on the Hellespont coast where the city of Lampsacus stood on the eastern shore of the Dardanelles. From his youth he embraced the ascetic life, training himself in fasting, vigil, and unceasing prayer, and his virtues so shone forth that the people of Lampsacus chose him as their bishop. Established on that throne, he proved himself a true shepherd, instructing his flock in the Orthodox faith, distributing his goods to the poor, and adorning his teaching by a life of evangelical simplicity. His episcopate fell during the second outbreak of the iconoclast heresy under the emperor Theophilus, when the holy icons were once again cast down from the churches and those who venerated them suffered persecution. Saint Euschemon stood firmly with the Orthodox party, refusing to surrender the ancient tradition of the Church or to deny the honour due to the sacred images. For this confession he was seized, brought before the emperor, and after enduring imprisonment was driven into exile. Worn down by the rigours of confinement and banishment, the holy bishop reposed in his place of exile, having sealed by his sufferings the office of a confessor of the faith. The Orthodox Church commemorates Saint Euschemon, Bishop of Lampsacus, on 14 March, numbering him with those holy fathers who in their own day defended the veneration of the holy icons against the iconoclasts.

Saint Theognostus, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia

1328

Saint Theognostus, called "the Greek" because of his Byzantine origin, was born at Constantinople and was renowned for his learning, especially in the sacred canons of the Church. In the year 1328, after the repose of Saint Peter the wonderworker, he was sent by the Patriarch of Constantinople to occupy the metropolitan throne of Kiev and All Russia. Following the example of his predecessor, he fixed his actual residence at Moscow, thereby further confirming that city as the spiritual centre of the Russian land.

For twenty-five years Saint Theognostus shepherded the Russian Church amid great difficulties. He travelled extensively through the dioceses, consecrated bishops, opposed simony, settled disputes, and built and adorned churches. Under his blessing the great cathedral of the Dormition in the Moscow Kremlin was completed and the holy Prince Ivan Kalita was supported in his peaceful labours for the gathering of Russia.

When the Tatars of the Golden Horde sought to extort tribute from the Russian clergy, Saint Theognostus was summoned to the Khan Janibeg and pressed to render payment for his episcopal office. With apostolic boldness he replied: "Christ our God has redeemed His Church with His own precious Blood from the bondage of the heathen; for what cause then, and on what ground, should I render tribute to the heathen?" Though he was beaten and tormented for his answer, by the grace of God he was at length set free and returned to his see. He blessed the youth Alexis as his successor, foretold his own departure, and reposed in peace on 14 March in the year 1353.

Venerable Benedict of Nursia

His name, Benedictus, means “Blessed” in Latin. He was born in 480 in Nursia, a small town northeast of Rome. He had only rudimentary schooling: he wrote later of his fear that through book-learning he might ‘lose the great understanding of my soul.’ At an early age he fled to a monastery where he was tonsured; he then withdrew to a remote mountain, where he lived or several years in a cave, perfecting himself in prayer. His only food was some bread brought to him by Romanus, the monk who had tonsured him. When he became known in the area, he fled his cave to escape the attentions of the pious; but flight proved useless, and in time a community of monks formed around him. He was granted many spiritual gifts: he healed the sick and drove out evil spirits, raised the dead, and appeared in visions to others many miles away.

Benedict founded twelve monasteries, most famously that at Monte Cassino. Initially, each monastic house had twelve monks, to imitate the number of the Twelve Apostles. The Rule that he established for his monks was based on the works of St John Cassian and St Basil the Great, and became a standard for western monasteries. Thus he is sometimes called the first teacher of monks in the West.

Six days before his death, the Saint ordered that his grave be opened, gathered all his monks together, gave them counsel, then gave his soul back to God on the day that he had predicted. At the moment of his death, two monks in different places had the same vision: they saw a path from earth to heaven, richly adorned and lined on either side with ranks of people. At the top of the path stood a man, clothed in light and unspeakably beautiful, who told them that the path was prepared for Benedict, the beloved of God. In this way, the monks learned that their abbot had gone to his rest.

Daily readings

6th Hour

weekly cycle

Isaiah — Isaiah 7.1-14

¹And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

¹And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. ²And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind. ²And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.

³Then said Jehovah unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, in the highway of the fuller’s field; ³Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field; ⁴And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. ⁴and say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither let thy heart be faint, because of these two tails of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. ⁵Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, ⁵Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have purposed evil against thee, saying, ⁶Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal: ⁶Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set up a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeel; ⁷thus saith the Lord Jehovah, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. ⁷Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. ⁸For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. ⁸For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken in pieces, so that it shall not be a people: ⁹And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. ⁹and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.

¹⁰And Jehovah spake again unto Ahaz, saying,

¹⁰Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, ¹¹Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. ¹¹Ask thee a sign of Jehovah thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. ¹²But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. ¹²But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt Jehovah. ¹³And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? ¹³And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to weary men, that ye will weary my God also? ¹⁴Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ¹⁴Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Vespers

weekly cycle

Genesis — Genesis 5.32-6.8

³²And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

³²And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

¹And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

¹And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born unto them, ²That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. ²that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they chose. ³And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. ³And Jehovah said, My Spirit shall not strive with man for ever, for that he also is flesh: yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty years.

⁴There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. ⁴The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them: the same were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown.

⁵And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

⁵And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

⁶And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. ⁷And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. ⁷And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground; both man, and beast, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

⁸But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. ⁸But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah.

Vespers

weekly cycle

Proverbs — Proverbs 6.20-7.1

²⁰My son, keep the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother:

²⁰My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: ²¹Bind them continually upon thy heart; Tie them about thy neck. ²¹Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. ²²When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. ²²When thou walkest, it shall lead thee; When thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee; And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. ²³For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: ²³For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; And reproofs of instruction are the way of life: ²⁴To keep thee from the evil woman, From the flattery of the foreigner’s tongue. ²⁴To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. ²⁵Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. ²⁵Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; Neither let her take thee with her eyelids. ²⁶For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. ²⁶For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a piece of bread; And the adulteress hunteth for the precious life. ²⁷Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? ²⁷Can a man take fire in his bosom, And his clothes not be burned? ²⁸Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? ²⁸Or can one walk upon hot coals, And his feet not be scorched? ²⁹So he that goeth in to his neighbor’s wife; Whosoever toucheth her shall not be unpunished. ²⁹So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. ³⁰Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; ³⁰Men do not despise a thief, if he steal To satisfy himself when he is hungry: ³¹But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. ³¹But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; He shall give all the substance of his house. ³²He that committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding: He doeth it who would destroy his own soul. ³²But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. ³³A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. ³³Wounds and dishonor shall he get; And his reproach shall not be wiped away. ³⁴For jealousy is the rage of a man; And he will not spare in the day of vengeance. ³⁴For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. ³⁵He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts. ³⁵He will not regard any ransom; Neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

¹My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. ¹My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.