Wednesday, 19 March 2025

Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

32 days before Pascha · Tone 5 · Presanctified · Lenten Fast

Presanctified Liturgy

Saints commemorated

The Holy Martyr Pancharius of Nicomedia

The Holy Martyr Pancharius was a friend of Emperor Diocletian who had abandoned the Christian faith and become a pagan. His mother and sister, remaining devoted to Christ, sent him a letter in which they urged the apostate to fear God and remember the dread Last Judgment. Being ashamed of himself and moved by their fervent prayers, Saint Pancharius accepted the counsel of his mother. He confessed his faith in Christ before the emperor and declared himself a Christian. For his bold testimony to the Orthodox faith, he was subjected to terrible torments and ultimately died a martyr's death for Christ in order to live with Him eternally. His story emphasises the power of maternal faith, family intercession, and the possibility of repentance and redemption through Christ, even after apostasy. Saint Pancharius is commemorated on 19 March in the Orthodox Church calendar as a holy martyr.

The Holy Martyrs Chrysanthus and Daria

Chrysanthos was the only son of Polemon, a prominent pagan in Rome. As befit his status, he was given every opportunity for secular learning, but seemed unable to acquire worldly wisdom. By God’s providence, copies of the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles came into his possession and, reading them avidly, he was enlightened and desired above all to be a Christian. He found a priest, Carpophorus, who instructed him in the Faith and baptised him. When his father discovered Chrysanthos’ conversion, he was angry and did everything he could to turn his son back to paganism, using even threats and imprisonment. When none of these measures worked, Polemon arranged for his son to be married to a beautiful and learned young pagan woman named Daria, hoping that affection for her would draw his son away from Christ. But instead, Chrysanthus persuaded Daria of the truth of Christianity, and she was secretly baptised.

When his father died, Chrysanthus and his wife began to confess Christ openly and to live publicly as Christians. They were soon arrested and grievously tortured for their faith. The torturer, whose name was Claudius, was so moved by their endurance and patience that he himself embraced the Faith, along with his whole household. For this they were executed: Claudius by drowning, his two sons by beheading, and his wife by hanging. Finally Chrysanthus and Daria were buried alive in a pit and covered with stones. This was during the reign of the Emperor Numerian.

Venerable Innocent of Komel and Vologda

1491

Saint Innocent was born at Moscow of the noble princely family of Okhlyabinin, descended from the princes of Russia. Forsaking the world while still young, he received the monastic tonsure at the Monastery of Saint Cyril of White Lake (Kirillo-Belozersk), where he was placed under the guidance of Saint Nilus of Sora, the great teacher of inward prayer and non-possession. Together with his elder, Saint Innocent journeyed to the East, visiting Palestine, Constantinople, and the Holy Mountain of Athos, where they remained for several years, gathering the wisdom of the holy fathers concerning the contemplative life. Returning to Russia and seeking deeper solitude, the two withdrew into the trackless forest by the river Sora, some fifteen versts from the Monastery of Saint Cyril. There they erected a cross, dug a well, and built separate cells in the manner of the ancient sketes, where Saint Nilus established his celebrated rule of prayer. After the repose of his elder, Saint Innocent withdrew further north into the Vologda hinterland, and in the year 1491 he built a hermitage at the river Eda, where it flows into the Nurma, in the wilderness of Komel. There he laboured for thirty years, gathering disciples and forming a brotherhood that observed the rule of Saint Nilus. Foreseeing his end, he gave his community careful instructions and reposed in peace on 19 March in the year 1521. In accordance with his last wish he was buried humbly in the corner of the monastery near the marsh, and over his grave was placed a stone inscribed with the date of his repose.

Daily readings

6th Hour

weekly cycle

Isaiah — Isaiah 10.12-20

¹²Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.

¹²Wherefore it shall come to pass, that, when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. ¹³For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: ¹³For he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I have understanding: and I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures, and like a valiant man I have brought down them that sit on thrones: ¹⁴And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. ¹⁴and my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the peoples; and as one gathereth eggs that are forsaken, have I gathered all the earth: and there was none that moved the wing, or that opened the mouth, or chirped. ¹⁵Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.

¹⁵Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? shall the saw magnify itself against him that wieldeth it? as if a rod should wield them that lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up him that is not wood. ¹⁶Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. ¹⁶Therefore will the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory there shall be kindled a burning like the burning of fire. ¹⁷And the light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day. ¹⁷And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day; ¹⁸And he will consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and it shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth. ¹⁸And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth. ¹⁹And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them. ¹⁹And the remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child may write them.

²⁰And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

²⁰And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again lean upon him that smote them, but shall lean upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

Vespers

weekly cycle

Genesis — Genesis 7.6-9

⁶And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.

⁶And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. ⁷And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

⁷And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. ⁸Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, ⁸Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creepeth upon the ground, ⁹There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. ⁹there went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah.

Vespers

weekly cycle

Proverbs — Proverbs 9.12-18 (LXX)

¹²If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it. ¹²If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself; And if thou scoffest, thou alone shalt bear it.

¹³A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. ¹³The foolish woman is clamorous; She is simple, and knoweth nothing. ¹⁴For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, ¹⁴And she sitteth at the door of her house, On a seat in the high places of the city, ¹⁵To call passengers who go right on their ways: ¹⁵To call to them that pass by, Who go right on their ways: ¹⁶Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, ¹⁶Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither; And as for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him, ¹⁷Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. ¹⁷Stolen waters are sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant. ¹⁸But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell. ¹⁸But he knoweth not that the dead are there; That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.