Friday, 2 May 2025

Trans. Rel. Boris and Gleb

Friday of the 2nd Sunday of Pascha

12 days after Pascha · Tone 1 · Red cross (polyeleos typikon symbol) · Fast (Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyrs Hesperus, Zoe, and their sons Cyriacus and Theodulus

The holy martyrs Hesperus and Zoe with their sons Cyriacus and Theodulus suffered for Christ at Attalia in Pamphylia under the emperor Hadrian (117 to 138). The family had been carried into slavery and sold to a wealthy pagan named Catallus. They served their master faithfully but refused to take part in the sacrifices and feasts offered to idols, secretly keeping the Christian faith and praying that their children might confess Christ openly.

When the two boys, now grown, declared that they could no longer eat food consecrated to idols, Catallus had them seized, beaten, and tortured. Hesperus and Zoe, brought before him in turn, encouraged their sons to endure to the end. The whole family was finally cast into a hot oven, where they gave up their souls together while singing psalms. Their bodies were found unburned, and their relics were honoured by the local Christians. Their witness is recorded in the Synaxarion of Constantinople and kept on this day across the Orthodox world.

Saint Athanasius the Great, Patriarch of Alexandria

Saint Athanasius the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria, was one of the greatest Fathers of the Church and the foremost defender of the divinity of Christ against the Arian heresy. Born around 297 in Alexandria into a pious Christian family, he was educated in classical letters and Holy Scripture and was noticed in his youth by the Patriarch Alexander, who ordained him deacon. As a young deacon he accompanied Alexander to the First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea in 325, where his clarity of argument helped formulate the Symbol of Faith confessing the Son to be of one essence with the Father.

On the death of Alexander in 328 Athanasius was elected to the throne of Saint Mark. For forty-six years he shepherded the Alexandrian Church, suffering five exiles totalling some seventeen years under successive emperors who supported the Arians. He spent his banishments among the desert fathers, befriending Saint Anthony and writing the Life that shaped Christian monasticism. His treatises On the Incarnation and Against the Arians remain pillars of Orthodox theology. He reposed in peace in 373. The 2 May commemoration honours the translation of his relics; his principal feast falls with that of Saint Cyril on 18 January.

Saint Boris-Michael, Tsar of Bulgaria

Saint Boris, who took the baptismal name Michael, was the ruler of Bulgaria from 852 to 889 and is honoured as the equal-to-the-apostles enlightener of the Bulgarian people. Coming to the throne as a pagan khan, he sought a path between the Frankish West and the Byzantine East. After military and political setbacks he turned to Constantinople, and around 864 he received holy baptism with his household, taking as his godfather the emperor Michael III, whose name he adopted.

Boris-Michael laboured to root the Christian faith in his realm. He suppressed a violent pagan uprising of the boyars, sent embassies to both Rome and Constantinople, and at last secured an autonomous archbishopric for Bulgaria from the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He welcomed the disciples of Saints Cyril and Methodius, especially Clement, Naum, and Angelarius, giving them refuge and the means to translate the Scriptures and services into Slavonic. In 889 he abdicated in favour of his son and withdrew to a monastery, returning briefly to depose his apostatising elder son and place the pious Symeon on the throne. He reposed as a monk on 2 May 907.

Saint Matrona of Moscow

1952

She was born in 1881 to a poor family in the village of Sebino-Epifaniskaya (now Kimovski). Though she was born blind — her eyes were without pupils — she showed a gift of spiritual insight from an early age, and by her prayers healed many who came to her. At about the age of fourteen she made a pilgrimage to several Russian holy sites. When she came to Kronstadt to receive the blessing of St John (20 Dec.), the holy priest, who had never met her, cried out “Matrona, come here!” and proclaimed “She will be my heir, the eighth pillar of Russia.” At the age of seventeen she was stricken with paralysis and was never able to walk again. For the rest of her life she lived in a room filled with icons, where she would sit cross-legged on her bed and receive visitors. She never bemoaned her blindness or paralysis; once she said “A day came when God opened my eyes, and I saw the light of the sun, the stars and all that exists in the world: the rivers, the forests, the sea and the whole creation.” In 1925 she settled in Moscow. After the death of her mother in 1945, she moved frequently, living secretly in the homes of the faithful. Despite this, throngs of believers found their way to her for counsel and healing. The Communist authorities, knowing her holy influence, sought many times to arrest her; but she always knew in advance when they were coming, and would be moved to a different secret location. She fasted much, slept rarely, and it is said that her forehead was dented by the countless signs of the Cross that she made. Of the persecution of the Church by the Communists, she simply said that this was due to the sins and lack of faith of the Christians, and added, “Difficult times are our lot, but we Christians must choose the Cross. Christ has placed us on His sleigh, and He will take us where He will.” Having foreseen the day of her death, she said, “Come close, all of you, and tell me of your troubles as though I were alive! I’ll see you; I’ll hear you, and I’ll come to your aid.” She reposed in peace on April 19, 1952 (May 2 on the new calendar). Many miracles occurred at her tomb. In 1998 her relics were moved to the women’s Monastery of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God, where thousands of Orthodox Christians come to venerate her and, as she asked, to bring her their problems and concerns as though she were alive on earth. She was glorified by the Church of Russia in 1999, for local veneration in the Diocese of Moscow.

Translation of the relics of the Holy Passion-Bearers Boris and Gleb

This day commemorates the translation of the incorrupt relics of the holy passion-bearers Boris and Gleb, princes of Russia, baptised Romanus and David. Sons of the equal-to-the-apostles Saint Vladimir, they were murdered in 1015 by their elder brother Sviatopolk the Accursed, who was seizing the Kievan throne. Each in turn, hearing of the plot, refused to lift a sword against his own brother, choosing martyrdom over civil war and so winning the Church's title of passion-bearer.

Their bodies, soon found incorrupt and working miracles, were first translated in 1072 by Saint Yaroslav and his sons, when a new wooden church was built for them at Vyshgorod. A second great translation took place in 1115 under Vladimir Monomakh and the princes of Rus into a stone church on the same site. The 2 May feast preserves the memory of these solemn translations, when bishops, monks, and people processed with the relics, and the brothers were established as the first canonised saints of the Russian Church and patrons of brotherly love and peacemaking.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 5.1-11

¹But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

¹But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, ²and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ²And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ³But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? ³But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? ⁴While it remained, did it not remain thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thy power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. ⁴Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. ⁵And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost: and great fear came upon all that heard it. ⁵And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. ⁶And the young men arose and wrapped him round, and they carried him out and buried him. ⁶And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. ⁷And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

⁷And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. ⁸And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. ⁸And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much. And she said, Yea, for so much. ⁹But Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to try the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them that have buried thy husband are at the door, and they shall carry thee out. ⁹Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. ¹⁰Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. ¹⁰And she fell down immediately at his feet, and gave up the ghost: and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband. ¹¹And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all that heard these things. ¹¹And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 5.30-6.2

³⁰I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

³⁰I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. ³¹If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. ³¹If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

³²There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. ³²It is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. ³³Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. ³³Ye have sent unto John, and he hath borne witness unto the truth. ³⁴But the witness which I receive is not from man: howbeit I say these things, that ye may be saved. ³⁴But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. ³⁵He was the lamp that burneth and shineth; and ye were willing to rejoice for a season in his light. ³⁵He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

³⁶But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. ³⁶But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. ³⁷And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. ³⁷And the Father that sent me, he hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form. ³⁸And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he sent, him ye believe not. ³⁸And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

³⁹Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. ³⁹Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me; ⁴⁰and ye will not come to me, that ye may have life. ⁴⁰And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. ⁴¹I receive not glory from men. ⁴¹I receive not honour from men. ⁴²But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. ⁴²But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in yourselves. ⁴³I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. ⁴³I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. ⁴⁴How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? ⁴⁴How can ye believe, who receive glory one of another, and the glory that cometh from the only God ye seek not? ⁴⁵Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. ⁴⁵Think not that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, on whom ye have set your hope. ⁴⁶For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. ⁴⁶For if ye believed Moses, ye would believe me; for he wrote of me. ⁴⁷But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? ⁴⁷But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

¹After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.

¹After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. ²And a great multitude followed him, because they beheld the signs which he did on them that were sick. ²And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.