Monday, 12 May 2025

Monday of the 4th Sunday of Pascha

22 days after Pascha · Tone 3 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

★ Our Fathers among the Saints Epiphanios, bishop of Cyprus and Germanos, Archbishop of Constantinople

740

Saint Epiphanios was born a Jew in Palestine, but he and his sister came to faith in Christ and were baptized together. Epiphanios gave all his possessions to the poor and became a monk. He knew St Hilarion the great (October 31), and traveled among the monks of Egypt to learn their ways and wisdom. The fame of his virtue spread so widely that several attempts were made to make him bishop, first in Egypt, then in Cyprus. Whenever Epiphanios heard of these plans, he fled the area. He was finally made bishop by means of a storm: told to go to Cyprus, he took ship instead for Gaza, but a contrary wind blew his ship directly to Cyprus, where “Epiphanios fell into the hands of bishops who had come together to elect a successor to the newly-departed Bishop of Constantia, and the venerable Epiphanios was at last constrained to be consecrated, about the year 367.” (Great Horologion). He guarded his flock faithfully for the remainder of his life, working many miracles, defending the Church against the Arian heresy, and composing several books, of which the best-loved is the Panarion (from the Latin for ‘bread-box’), an exposition of the Faith and an examination of eighty heresies. He was sometimes called the ‘Five-tongued’ because he was fluent in Hebrew, Egyptian, Syriac, Greek, and Latin. Saint Germanos was the son of a prominent family, in Constantinople. He became Metropolitan of Cyzicus, then was elevated to the throne at Constantinople in 715. It was he who baptized the infant Constantine, who for his whole life was nicknamed “Copronymos” because he defecated in the baptismal font (though he was neither the first nor the last infant to do so). At this incident, Patriarch Germanos is said to have prophesied that the child would one day bring some foul heresy upon the Church, which he did, becoming a notorious iconoclast as emperor. Germanos openly opposed the decree of the Emperor Leo the Isaurian which began the persecution of the holy icons. For this he was deposed and driven into exile in 730. He lived the rest of his life in peace. Saint Germanos is the composer of many of the Church’s hymns, notably those for the Feast of the Meeting in the Temple. These two Saints are always commemorated together.

Holy martyr Pancras of Rome

Saint Pancras was born about the year 289 in the region of Synnada in Phrygia, of noble Roman parents. His mother Cyriada died in giving him birth, and his father followed her to the grave not long after. The orphan was entrusted to the care of his uncle Dionysius, with whom he came to Rome and lived in a villa on the Caelian Hill. There uncle and nephew were both converted to Christ and instructed in the faith by a presbyter named Marcellinus, and the boy received holy Baptism. When the persecution of Diocletian broke out around the year 303 and the edict was promulgated demanding sacrifice to the gods, the young Pancras was brought before the emperor and confessed Christ openly. Diocletian, struck by the courage and beauty of so young a boy, sought by promises of wealth and honour to turn him from the faith, but he answered, "I am a child only in body; in heart I am old in Christ." He was condemned to be beheaded on the Aurelian Way at the age of fourteen, about the year 304. His body was buried by the Christian matron Octavilla in the cemetery on the Via Aurelia, where afterwards Pope Symmachus built a basilica in his honour. The relics and the veneration of Saint Pancras spread widely, and Saint Gregory the Great gave them to Saint Augustine for the mission to England, so that he is honoured both in East and West.

Saint Epiphanius, bishop of Cyprus

Saint Epiphanius was born about the year 310 in the village of Besanduk in Palestine, of Jewish parentage. Left an orphan, he was brought to the Christian faith after seeing the monk Lucian give away his own clothing to a poor man, and after his baptism he entered upon the monastic life in Egypt under the guidance of Saint Hilarion the Great. He gained mastery of Hebrew, Syriac, Egyptian, Greek and Latin, and on his return to Palestine founded a monastery in the region of Eleutheropolis, where he was ordained presbyter and became the superior. So great was the fame of his sanctity, learning and zeal for orthodoxy that in 367 he was elected bishop of Constantia (Salamis) on the island of Cyprus, and metropolitan of all Cyprus, an office he held until his repose. He was renowned for his extraordinary almsgiving, simplicity of life and openness to all who sought him, and for his vigorous defence of the faith against the heresies of his day. His chief written work, the Panarion or Medicine Chest (374 to 377), gives an account of eighty heresies and their refutations, ending with a confession of orthodox doctrine; he also composed the Ancoratus and other treatises. In old age he was drawn into the controversy over Saint John Chrysostom by Theophilus of Alexandria, but realising that he had been deceived he set sail back to Cyprus, and reposed at sea on the way home in 403. On 12 May he was buried in a new church which he himself had built.

Saint Germanus, patriarch of Constantinople

Saint Germanus was born at Constantinople in the seventh century. His father, a senator, was put to death by order of the Emperor Constantine Pogonatos, and the young Germanus was forcibly made a eunuch and committed to the clergy of the Great Church, where he excelled in the study of the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the fathers. For the holiness of his life he was raised to the see of Cyzicus, and on 11 August 715 he was elected to the patriarchal throne of Constantinople. He presided at the council that condemned the Monothelite revival in 712. The chief trial of his episcopate came with the rise of iconoclasm under the Emperor Leo the Isaurian. The patriarch defended the holy icons by his preaching and writings, sending three letters on their veneration which were afterwards read at the Seventh Ecumenical Council. When Leo demanded that he sign the iconoclast decree of 730, Saint Germanus refused, declaring, "If I am a Jonas, cast me into the sea, but without an ecumenical council I cannot innovate in the faith." He laid down his omophorion at the holy altar and withdrew to the family estate of Platanion, where he spent the rest of his days in monastic stillness. He composed many liturgical hymns, including those for the feast of the Entry of the Theotokos. He reposed in peace about the year 740 at the age of about ninety-five and was buried in the monastery of Chora. His name was inscribed in the diptychs of the saints at the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787.

Saint Theodore the wonderworker, bishop of Cyrene

Saint Theodore lived in the third century and was bishop of Cyrene in Libya. By his learning and his pen he laboured greatly in the service of the Church, and is said to have been a notable copyist of the divine books, transcribing many sacred texts with his own hand. During the persecution under the Emperor Diocletian the pagans of Cyrene seized him and demanded that he hand over the books which he had copied. When he refused they beat him cruelly, hung him up, scraped his sides with iron combs and broke his teeth with stones, but he gave glory to God amidst the torments. Through his prayers many were converted to Christ, including a number of women who were also martyred. At length, exhausted by his sufferings, he commended his spirit to the Lord and received the crown of martyrdom about the year 310. The Church reckons him among the wonderworkers because of the miracles wrought through his intercession.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 10.1-16

¹Now there was a certain man in Cæsarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

¹There was a certain man in Cæsarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, ²A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. ²a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always. ³He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. ³He saw in a vision openly, as it were about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in unto him, and saying to him, Cornelius. ⁴And he, fastening his eyes upon him, and being affrighted, said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are gone up for a memorial before God. ⁴And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. ⁵And now send men to Joppa, and fetch one Simon, who is surnamed Peter: ⁵And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: ⁶He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. ⁶he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side. ⁷And when the angel that spake unto him was departed, he called two of his household-servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; ⁷And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; ⁸And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa. ⁸and having rehearsed all things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

⁹Now on the morrow, as they were on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour:

⁹On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: ¹⁰and he became hungry, and desired to eat: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance; ¹⁰And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, ¹¹and he beholdeth the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth: ¹¹And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: ¹²wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts and creeping things of the earth and birds of the heaven. ¹²Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. ¹³And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. ¹³And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill and eat. ¹⁴But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. ¹⁴But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unclean. ¹⁵And a voice came unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common. ¹⁵And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. ¹⁶This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. ¹⁶And this was done thrice: and straightway the vessel was received up into heaven.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 6.56-69

⁵⁶He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. ⁵⁶He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. ⁵⁷As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me. ⁵⁸This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. ⁵⁸This is the bread which came down out of heaven: not as the fathers ate, and died; he that eateth this bread shall live for ever. ⁵⁹These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. ⁵⁹These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

⁶⁰Many therefore of his disciples, when they heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it? ⁶⁰Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? ⁶¹But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said unto them, Doth this cause you to stumble? ⁶¹When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? ⁶²What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? ⁶²What then if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where he was before? ⁶³It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. ⁶³It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life. ⁶⁴But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who it was that should betray him. ⁶⁴But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. ⁶⁵And he said, For this cause have I said unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it be given unto him of the Father. ⁶⁵And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

⁶⁶Upon this many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

⁶⁶From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. ⁶⁷Jesus said therefore unto the twelve, Would ye also go away? ⁶⁷Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? ⁶⁸Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. ⁶⁸Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God. ⁶⁹And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.