Tuesday, 22 April 2025

Bright Tuesday

2 days after Pascha · Tone 3 · Liturgy · No Fast (Fast Free)

Saints commemorated

Holy Apostle Nathaniel of the Seventy

The Holy Apostle Nathaniel is commemorated on this day together with Apostles Luke (not the Evangelist) and Clement, all of whom are numbered among the Seventy. The Synaxarion of the Menaion identifies the Nathaniel commemorated on 22 April with Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, whom the Lord called a true Israelite in whom there is no guile, when Philip first brought him to Christ. Many Fathers of the Church, including Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Cyril of Alexandria and Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus, regard this Nathanael as the same person as the Apostle Bartholomew, son of Tholomai, who is numbered among the Twelve. After Pentecost he preached the Gospel together with Philip and laboured in many lands, suffering greatly for the name of Christ. The Apostles Luke and Clement, his companions in this commemoration, are also reckoned among the Seventy whom the Lord sent out two by two before His face. The Church honours them as fellow workers of the Twelve and as preachers of the Gospel to the nations.

Our Holy Father Theodore of Sykeon

613

He was born in Sykeon in Galatia in Asia Minor. (The Great Horologion says that he was born out of wedlock; the Prologue that his mother, Maria, was a rich widow; in either case, he was reared by his mother alone). At the age of ten, Theodore took up a life of strict asceticism, devoting himself to prayer, fasting and vigils. His mother planned for him to enter the military; but St George appeared to her in a dream, telling her that Theodore was to serve the King of Heaven rather than any earthly king. After this, Saint George appeared to Theodore many times, sometimes instructing him, sometimes saving him from danger. After a trip to the Holy Land, Theodore became a monk in Galatia — we should say “officially became a monk,” since he had been living as a monk from the age of ten. Once he had taken monastic vows, Theodore redoubled his ascetical labors, which exceeded those of any other monk of his time: for his asceticism, he was sometimes called the “Iron-eater.” Around 584 was ordained Bishop of Anastasiopolis in Galatia, much against his will. He served his flock faithfully for ten years, then begged to be relieved of his episcopal duties so that he might return to his beloved monastic life. Even during his lifetime, he was famed for his miracles and his authority to cast out demons. He departed this life in peace in 613.

Venerable Theodore the Sykeote, bishop of Anastasiopolis

613

Saint Theodore was born in the mid-sixth century in the village of Sykeon in Galatia in Asia Minor, into a pious family. When his mother Maria conceived him she had a vision of a bright star shining over her womb, and a clairvoyant elder explained this as the grace of God descending upon her child. When Theodore reached the age of six his mother gave him a golden belt, intending him for a military career, but the Holy Great Martyr George appeared to her in a dream and told her not to seek soldiering for the boy because he was destined to serve God. From childhood Theodore lived ascetically, fasting, praying and devoting himself to the Scriptures. He withdrew to a cave near a chapel of Saint George, who continued to guide and protect him through the years of his struggle. After receiving the gift of healing he was sought out by the sick and oppressed, and many were freed from sickness and from demonic possession by his prayers. About the year 584 he was reluctantly ordained Bishop of Anastasiopolis in Galatia, and shepherded that flock for some ten years before being permitted to return to a life of solitary prayer. He reposed in the year 613. The Church remembers him as a wonderworker, hierarch and faithful imitator of Saint George.

Venerable Vitalius the hermit, monk of Gaza

Saint Vitalius was a monk of the monastery of Abba Seridus near Gaza in Palestine. At the age of sixty he travelled to Alexandria during the patriarchate of Saint John the Merciful, and there he undertook an extraordinary and hidden ascetic struggle for the salvation of the city's prostitutes. He wrote down from memory the names of all the harlots of Alexandria and prayed for each of them by name. Working as a hired labourer by day, he gave the small wages he earned each evening to one of the women, saying, I beg you, take this money and do not sin with anyone tonight. He would remain in her room while she slept, spending the whole night reading the Psalms and praying for her conversion, and quietly leaving at dawn. He bound each woman by an oath not to reveal the purpose of his visits. The townspeople, ignorant of his secret labour, slandered him as a debaucher, but he bore the reproach in silence. By his prayers and example many women were rescued from sin: some entered monasteries, some married honestly, others found respectable work. Only after his death, when one of these women publicly testified to his holiness, did the city understand the saint's hidden charity. He is commemorated on 22 April and also on 11 January.

Holy Martyr Leonidas

202

He was the father of Origen, the great early Christian writer. For his constant faith in Christ, he was first deprived of all his property, then condemned to death. Origen wrote to his father in prison: “Father, do not worry about us, and do not flee from martyrdom on our account.”

Our Holy Father, the monk Vitalis

See his main commemoration on January 11.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 2.14-21

¹⁴But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judæa, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

¹⁴But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spake forth unto them, saying, Ye men of Judæa, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and give ear unto my words. ¹⁵For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. ¹⁵For these are not drunken, as ye suppose; seeing it is but the third hour of the day; ¹⁶But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; ¹⁶but this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel: ¹⁷And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: ¹⁷And it shall be in the last days, saith God, I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all flesh: And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams: ¹⁸And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: ¹⁸Yea and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days Will I pour forth of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. ¹⁹And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: ¹⁹And I will show wonders in the heaven above, And signs on the earth beneath; Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: ²⁰The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the day of the Lord come, That great and notable day: ²⁰The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: ²¹And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. ²¹And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 24.12-35

¹²But Peter arose, and ran unto the tomb; and stooping and looking in, he seeth the linen cloths by themselves; and he departed to his home, wondering at that which was come to pass. ¹²Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

¹³And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was threescore furlongs from Jerusalem.

¹³And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. ¹⁴And they talked together of all these things which had happened. ¹⁴And they communed with each other of all these things which had happened. ¹⁵And it came to pass, while they communed and questioned together, that Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. ¹⁵And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. ¹⁶But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. ¹⁶But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. ¹⁷And he said unto them, What communications are these that ye have one with another, as ye walk? And they stood still, looking sad. ¹⁷And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? ¹⁸And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? ¹⁸And one of them, named Cleopas, answering said unto him, Dost thou alone sojourn in Jerusalem and not know the things which are come to pass there in these days? ¹⁹And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: ¹⁹And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: ²⁰And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. ²⁰and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. ²¹But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. ²¹But we hoped that it was he who should redeem Israel. Yea and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things came to pass. ²²Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; ²²Moreover certain women of our company amazed us, having been early at the tomb; ²³and when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. ²³And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. ²⁴And certain of them that were with us went to the tomb, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. ²⁴And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. ²⁵Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ²⁵And he said unto them, O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶Behooved it not the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into his glory? ²⁶Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? ²⁷And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. ²⁷And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. ²⁸And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they were going: and he made as though he would go further. ²⁸And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. ²⁹But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. ²⁹And they constrained him, saying, Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent. And he went in to abide with them. ³⁰And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. ³⁰And it came to pass, when he had sat down with them to meat, he took the bread and blessed; and breaking it he gave to them. ³¹And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. ³¹And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. ³²And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? ³²And they said one to another, Was not our heart burning within us, while he spake to us in the way, while he opened to us the scriptures? ³³And they rose up that very hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, ³³And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, ³⁴Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. ³⁴saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. ³⁵And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. ³⁵And they rehearsed the things that happened in the way, and how he was known of them in the breaking of the bread.