Tuesday, 6 May 2025

Tuesday of the 3rd Sunday of Pascha

16 days after Pascha · Tone 2 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyrs Barbara, Bakchos, Kallimachos, and Dionysios

The holy martyrs Barbara, Bakchos, Kallimachos, and Dionysios are commemorated on this day in many Orthodox calendars. According to the Synaxarion they suffered for Christ during one of the persecutions of the Roman period. Barbara was a converted brigand who, hearing the gospel, gave up his way of life, sought baptism, and embraced ascetic struggle in repentance for his former crimes. Bakchos, Kallimachos, and Dionysios were Christians of his region who shared his confession of Christ. Brought before the pagan authorities and exhorted to sacrifice to the gods, they refused with one voice. After being tortured to break their faith they were beheaded and so received the crown of martyrdom. Their names are kept among the company of early martyrs whose memory the Church preserves on 6 May, even where the details of their passion have not been handed down at length.

Holy and Righteous Job the Long-Suffering

The holy and righteous Job is the saint of the Old Testament book that bears his name, a man of the land of Uz whom Scripture calls blameless and upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. Tradition identifies him with Jobab, a descendant of Esau, who lived perhaps in the second millennium before Christ. He was rich in flocks and herds and was the father of seven sons and three daughters, and he offered sacrifice continually for his children, lest they had sinned.

When Satan obtained leave from God to test him, Job lost in a single day his wealth, his servants, and all his children, and was struck shortly afterwards with painful sores from head to foot. Sitting on the ash heap, scraping himself with a potsherd, urged by his wife to curse God and die, and pressed by three friends to admit hidden sin, he held fast to his integrity and his faith: 'The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.' Out of the whirlwind God answered him, and he was restored with twice his former wealth and given seven new sons and three daughters of surpassing beauty. The Church reads the book of Job in Holy Week, seeing in him a type of Christ, the truly righteous one who suffered without cause.

Venerable Seraphim of Domvou

Saint Seraphim of Domvou, also known as Saint Seraphim of Levadeia, was a sixteenth-century Greek ascetic and wonderworker. He was born in 1527 in the village of Zeli in Boeotia, in central Greece, and named Sotirios at his baptism. Orphaned in childhood, he entered the monastery of the Saviour at Sagmata as a young boy and was tonsured at the age of about fifteen, taking the name Seraphim. After many years of obedience and ascetic struggle, longing for greater stillness, he withdrew to the rugged mountain of Domvou, near Levadeia, where he founded a small monastery dedicated to the Holy Trinity. There he lived as a strict ascetic, building churches and cells with his own hands, healing the sick, and bringing many souls to repentance, including bandits who had haunted the mountain. Foreseeing his end, he received Holy Communion on the feast of Mid-Pentecost and reposed at six o'clock that evening, on 6 May 1602, at the age of seventy-five. His relics, found incorrupt and fragrant, remain at the monastery he founded and continue to work miracles for those who venerate them.

St Job, abbot and wonderworker of Pochaev

1651

“Saint Job of Pochaev was born about 1551 in southwest Galicia of a pious Orthodox family. In his tenth year the Saint departed for the Ugornitsky Monastery of our Savior in the Carpathian Mountains. Tonsured after two years, he was ordained hieromonk about 1580. Renowned for his meekness and humility, Job was invited by the great zealot for Holy Orthodoxy in Carpatho-Russia, Prince Constantine Ostrozhky, to be Abbot of the Monastery of the Cross in Dubno. In his zeal for the preservation and propagation of the Orthodox Faith, and to counteract the propaganda of the Uniates, he printed and widely disseminated Orthodox spiritual and liturgical books. About 1600 he removed to the Mountain of Pochaev where at the insistence of the brethren, he became Abbot of the Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos, which he enlarged and made to flourish. Through his labours, a large printing works was founded at Pochaev and greatly assisted in the nurture of the Orthodox faithful in that region. His monastery became the center of the Orthodox Church in western Ukraine. The Saint reposed, having taken the schema with the name of John, in 1651, at the advanced age of one hundred.” (Great Horologion)

Holy Martyr Barbarus the Soldier, with Bacchus, Callimachus and Dionysius

362

He was a soldier in the Roman army during the reign of Julian the Apostate. Like many soldiers, he was a secret Christian, serving under the Imperial commander Bacchus when his troops battled the Franks. A mighty Frankish soldier, like Goliath, challenged the Romans to send one of their company out to do single combat with him. The commander sent Barbarus, who prayed to the Lord and overcame the Frankish giant, after which the Frankish army was easily vanquished. The commander then ordered a triumph in celebration of victory, including a public sacrifice to the Roman idols. At the sacrifice, the commander noticed that Barbarus was standing aside and asked him why: Barbarus revealed that he was a Christian and could not make sacrifice to the idols. The commander reported this to the unbelieving Emperor, who ordered that Barbarus be put to torture. Barbarus endured many cruel torments with serenity and courage. During his tortures, many wonders were seen, and many of his fellow-soldiers embraced the Christian faith. Three of these were Bacchus, Barbarus’ commander; Callimachus; and Dionysius. All three were beheaded for confessing Christ, then Barbarus himself attained the Martyr’s crown through beheading.

St. Sophia the Righteous

1974

This holy ascetic, newly glorified in 2011, was born as Sophia Saoulidi in 1883 in Trebizond, Turkey. In 1907 she married, but her husband disappeared seven years later, leaving her with a newborn son. Not long afterward her beloved only son also died. Turning from the world, she placed all her trust in God, spending her time in solitary prayer on a mountain near her town. In 1919 she arrived in Greece as part of the “exchange of populations” between Turkey and Greece. Not long after her arrival the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to her in a vision and said “Come to my house.” When Sophia asked her where to find her house, the Virgin replied “I am in Kleisoura.” Heeding these holy instructions, Sophia moved to the Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Kleisoura in northern Greece, where she remained for the rest of her life. She never took monastic tonsure, but lived in the monastery kitchen. She slept only two hours a night, giving over the rest of the night to prayer. She dressed in old, tattered clothes, but if anyone tried to give her better clothing she would give it away to the poor. Similarly, if anyone gave her money, she would hide it until she could give it to someone in need. She ate very little and showed no interest in food. Worldly people called her “Crazy Sophia,” but those with discernment saw her as a living saint. She was endowed with gifts of healing and prophecy: when visitors would come to her she would greet them by name even if she had never met them before, and would describe their family problems, offering counsel. In 1967 she was healed of a painful, life-threatening illness through a vision of the Holy Theotokos, the Archangel Gabriel and St. George. She fell asleep in the Lord on May 6 (New Calendar) 1974, after a long life given over to prayer, asceticism and utter poverty. Her relics are enshrined in the monastery where she spent most of her life.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 8.5-17

⁵Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. ⁵And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ. ⁶And the multitudes gave heed with one accord unto the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard, and saw the signs which he did. ⁶And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. ⁷For from many of those that had unclean spirits, they came out, crying with a loud voice: and many that were palsied, and that were lame, were healed. ⁷For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. ⁸And there was great joy in that city. ⁸And there was much joy in that city.

⁹But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who beforetime in the city used sorcery, and amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: ⁹But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: ¹⁰To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. ¹⁰to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is that power of God which is called Great. ¹¹And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. ¹¹And they gave heed to him, because that of long time he had amazed them with his sorceries. ¹²But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ¹²But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ¹³And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and beholding signs and great miracles wrought, he was amazed. ¹³Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. ¹⁴Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

¹⁴Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: ¹⁵who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: ¹⁵Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: ¹⁶(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) ¹⁶for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. ¹⁷Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 6.27-33

²⁷Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. ²⁷Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God, hath sealed. ²⁸Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? ²⁸They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God? ²⁹Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. ²⁹Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. ³⁰They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? ³⁰They said therefore unto him, What then doest thou for a sign, that we may see, and believe thee? what workest thou? ³¹Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. ³¹Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat. ³²Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. ³²Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, It was not Moses that gave you the bread out of heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread out of heaven. ³³For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. ³³For the bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven, and giveth life unto the world.