Sunday, 27 April 2025

St Thomas Sunday

Antipascha: 2nd Sunday of Pascha

7 days after Pascha · Tone 1 · Black squigg (6-stich typikon symbol) · No Fast

Saints commemorated

★ Hieromartyr Symeon the Kinsman of the Lord

107

He was the nephew of Joseph the Betrothed, and one of the Seventy. When the Apostle James, first Bishop of Jerusalem, was martyred, St Symeon was named to replace him. As second Bishop of Jerusalem he governed the Church there to a very great age. In the time of the Emperor Trajan a persecution broke out in Palestine against both Christians and Jews; Symeon was condemned on both counts, and was privileged to die, like his Lord, by crucifixion. He was 120 years old.

Hieromartyr Symeon, kinsman of the Lord, second bishop of Jerusalem

Saint Symeon was the son of Cleopas, who was the younger brother of Saint Joseph the Betrothed, and is therefore reckoned among the kinsmen of the Lord according to the flesh. As a young man he beheld with his own eyes the miracles of Christ, believed in him and joined himself to the company of the disciples; he is numbered among the Seventy Apostles. After the martyrdom of Saint James the Brother of the Lord, who was the first Bishop of Jerusalem, the Christians in the Holy City chose Symeon to succeed him on the apostolic throne, and he shepherded the Mother of the Churches with great wisdom for many decades. By his counsel the Christians of Jerusalem withdrew to Pella beyond the Jordan before the Roman armies destroyed the city in the year seventy, in obedience to a divine warning, and so were preserved alive. He governed the Church for about forty years more after the city's destruction. In the time of the Emperor Trajan a renewed search was made for the descendants of King David, and certain heretics denounced Saint Symeon both as of the royal line and as a Christian. Brought before the proconsul Atticus when he was already more than one hundred and twenty years old, he confessed Christ steadfastly and was tortured for many days, astonishing all by his patience. At last he was crucified and so received the crown of martyrdom about the year 107.

Saint Eulogius the Hospitable, the stonecutter

Saint Eulogius lived in the sixth century in the Thebaid in Egypt and earned his bread as a stonecutter, breaking stone in the quarries by day. Although his work was hard and his earnings small he kept little for himself and gave the rest to the poor and to pilgrims passing through his region. After labouring all day he would go in the evening into the marketplace, in winter carrying a lantern, and search for strangers and travellers who had nowhere to stay; these he led home, washed their feet, gave them food and a place to rest, and only then took his own meal. For this love of strangers he was called the Xenodochos, the receiver of strangers. The Lord rewarded his hospitality with abundance of grace, and his charity grew the more he gave away. According to the account preserved by the holy Fathers Daniel of Sketis and others, Eulogius lived more than one hundred years, sheltering the poor to the very end of his life, and reposed in peace. He is set forth by the Church as a model of mercy and almsgiving.

Venerable Stephen the Confessor, abbot of the Kiev Caves and bishop of Vladimir in Volhynia

Saint Stephen was a disciple of Saint Theodosius of the Kiev Caves, the great founder of cenobitic monasticism in Russia, who took him into the brotherhood while still a youth and trained him in obedience and prayer. After the repose of Saint Theodosius, Stephen was chosen to be abbot of the Caves Monastery and laboured to maintain the strict typikon left by his teacher. He completed the building of the great church of the Dormition of the Mother of God which Theodosius had begun, and he was present at the translation of the relics of his master. On account of disturbances within the brotherhood he was for a time obliged to leave the monastery; he founded the new Klov Monastery in honour of the Mother of God outside the walls of Kiev. In 1091 he was consecrated bishop of Vladimir in Volhynia, where he laboured to convert the inhabitants of the region from paganism to Christ, founded churches and monasteries, and was renowned for his gentleness and meekness. He reposed in peace on the night of 27 April 1094 and is honoured among the saints of the Caves and the saints of Volhynia.

Burning of the relics of St Sava I of Serbia by the Turks

1594

At the time of the Turkish occupation, so many Serbian Christians gathered around the relics of St Sava (at Mileseva), pleading for his intercession, that the Ottoman ruler, Sinan Pasha, feared that the relics would become the focus of a popular rebellion. He therefore had the relics brought to Belgrade and burned. The Pasha is long gone; the Saint continues to intercede for his people and for the world.

Daily readings

1st Matins Gospel

Matthew — Matthew 28.16-20

¹⁶Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

¹⁶But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them. ¹⁷And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. ¹⁷And when they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. ¹⁸And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:

¹⁹Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: ²⁰Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. ²⁰teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 5.12-20

¹²And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.

¹²And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people: and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. ¹³And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. ¹³But of the rest durst no man join himself to them: howbeit the people magnified them; ¹⁴And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) ¹⁴and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women: ¹⁵Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. ¹⁵insomuch that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that, as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might overshadow some one of them. ¹⁶There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. ¹⁶And there also came together the multitude from the cities round about Jerusalem, bringing sick folk, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

¹⁷But the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy,

¹⁷Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, ¹⁸and laid hands on the apostles, and put them in public ward. ¹⁸And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. ¹⁹But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, ¹⁹But an angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them out, and said, ²⁰Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. ²⁰Go ye, and stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this Life.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 20.19-31

¹⁹Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

¹⁹When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. ²⁰And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. ²⁰And when he had said this, he showed unto them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. ²¹Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. ²¹Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. ²²And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: ²²And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit: ²³whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. ²³Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

²⁴But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

²⁴But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. ²⁵The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.

²⁶And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

²⁶And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. ²⁷Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. ²⁷Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. ²⁸Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. ²⁸And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. ²⁹Jesus saith unto him, Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. ²⁹Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

³⁰And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

³⁰Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book: ³¹but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name. ³¹But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.