Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Tuesday of the 5th Sunday of Pascha

30 days after Pascha · Tone 4 · Red squigg (doxology typikon symbol) · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyr Thalelaeus the Unmercenary

Saint Thalelaeus was born in Lebanon to a Christian family, his father Berucius being an army officer and his mother Romila a pious Christian. From his youth he applied himself to the study of medicine under the physician Macarius, but, in the spirit of the unmercenary saints, he treated the sick freely without payment, for which the Church reckons him among the holy unmercenary physicians. He was eighteen years of age and living in Aegae in Cilicia at the time when the prefect Theodore was sent thither by the emperor Numerian, in the years 283 to 284, to root out the Christians. Thalelaeus was sought out and seized. Brought before the prefect, he confessed Christ openly. He was bound and the executioners Alexander and Asterius were ordered to cut him in pieces with axes; but, by the grace of God, when they raised their tools they found themselves unable to harm him. Confessing Christ themselves and rebuking the prefect for cruelty, the two were at once beheaded and so received their crowns. Saint Thalelaeus was then cast to wild beasts, but they came up and licked his feet; he was thrown into the sea, but stepped out unharmed; he was tied to a board and tortured, yet remained joyful. At last he was beheaded and so completed his course about the year 284. His relics were enshrined in the church of Saint Agathonicus in Constantinople, where many miracles took place.

Martyr Thalelaeus at Aegae in Cilicia and those with him

327

The holy Thalelaeus is counted as one of the Unmercenary Physicians. He was a physician, born in Lebanon to a Berucius (a bishop) and Romylia. During the persecutions by the Emperor Numerian, he fled to Cilicia, but was captured and brought before Theodore, the governor. When Thalelaeus boldly confessed Christ, the cruel governor ordered two soldiers, Alexander and Asterius, to bore holes through his leg-bones, pass a rope through them, and hang him from a tree. But the executioners, by the power of God, were momentarily deprived of their wits and bored through a wooden plank instead, which they hung in the tree. The governor angrily ordered that the soldiers be flogged; during their flogging they cried out: ‘The Lord is alive to us; from now on, we are become Christians. We believe in Christ, and suffer for Him.’ Hearing these words, the governor ordered that both be beheaded. He then seized their awl and attempted to bore through Thalelaeus’ legs himself; but his hand suddenly became paralyzed. The compassionate physician prayed to Christ and healed his persecutor’ hand. His heart still hardened, the governor next ordered that the Saint be thrown into water and drowned; but he survived. Next he was thrown to wild beasts, but they licked his feet and rubbed tamely against him. Finally the holy Martyr was beheaded.

Uncovering of the relics of Saint Alexis, metropolitan of Moscow and wonderworker of all Russia

Saint Alexis, metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia, was born about the year 1304 to the boyar Bingo of Chernigov family who had moved to Moscow. He was tonsured a monk in his early manhood, became metropolitan of all Russia in 1354, and for nearly a quarter of a century guided the Russian Church through the difficult years of the Tatar yoke, also playing the part of regent during the minority of Saint Demetrius of the Don. Famous for his healing of the Khan's mother Taidula, the founder of monasteries and a reformer of liturgical books, he reposed on 12 February 1378 and was buried in the Chudov Monastery within the Moscow Kremlin which he had founded. Sixty years after his repose, on 20 May 1431, the wooden floor of the church in which he lay collapsed from age, and during the rebuilding of the church his holy relics were uncovered, found incorrupt with even his vestments preserved. A council of Russian hierarchs established that henceforth Saint Alexis should be commemorated both on the day of his repose, 12 February, and on the day of the uncovering of his relics, 20 May. In 1485 the relics were translated into a new church dedicated to him, and after various removals in the twentieth century they now rest in the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Theophany at Yelokhovo in Moscow, where countless miracles have been wrought through them.

Venerable Stephen of Piperi

Saint Stephen was born in the village of Kuti in the region of Zupa, in the lands of the Niksic clan, to poor but devout parents named Radoje and Jacima Krulanovic. From his youth he was drawn to the monastic life and entered the great Serbian monastery of Moraca, founded in the thirteenth century, where he was tonsured, served as deacon and priest, and in due course became hegumen of the brotherhood. The Turkish authorities, in their hostility to Orthodox monasticism, drove him out of Moraca, and he settled for a time at Turmanj in the region of Rovca, in the place still called Celiste. In 1660 he withdrew further into the mountains and built himself a small cell at Piperi in present-day Montenegro, where he laboured in fasting, vigil and unceasing prayer until his repose in 1697. The Lord glorified him both in his lifetime and after his death with the gift of working miracles, and his relics, which remain incorrupt, became a source of healing. In June 2010 they were enclosed by the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral in a new silver-clad reliquary for the veneration of the faithful. He is honoured among the more recent saints of Serbia and Montenegro.

Our Father among the Saints Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow

1378

He was born in Moscow in 1292. In 1354 he was ordained Metropolitan of Moscow by Philotheus, Patriarch of Constantinople. He founded several monasteries, including the first women’s monastery in Moscow. He translated the Holy Gospel from Greek into Slavonic. At that time Russia was under the rule of the Tartars, and St Alexis twice visited the Tartar Khan to plead with him to ease the oppression of the Russian people. On one of these visits he healed Taidula, the Khan’s wife. He founded the Chudov Monastery in Moscow on land given him by the Khan and his wife in thanksgiving for this miraculous healing; the Saint’s relics are enshrined at this same monastery. This is the feast of the uncovering of his holy relics in 1431.

Also commemorated: Unc. Rel. St Aleksy, Metropolitan of Kiev

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 12.25-13.12

²⁵And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

²⁵And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministration, taking with them John whose surname was Mark.

¹Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

¹Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ²As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. ²And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. ³And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. ³Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

⁴So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

⁴So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵And when they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John as their attendant. ⁵And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister. ⁶And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus: ⁶And when they had gone through the whole island unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus; ⁷Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. ⁷who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. The same called unto him Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God. ⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. ⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith. ⁹But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him, ⁹Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, ¹⁰and said, O full of all guile and all villany, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? ¹⁰And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? ¹¹And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. ¹¹And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. ¹²Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. ¹²Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 8.51-59

⁵¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. ⁵¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my word, he shall never see death. ⁵²Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. ⁵²The Jews said unto him, Now we know that thou hast a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my word, he shall never taste of death. ⁵³Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? ⁵³Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who died? and the prophets died: whom makest thou thyself? ⁵⁴Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: ⁵⁴Jesus answered, If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing: it is my Father that glorifieth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God; ⁵⁵Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. ⁵⁵and ye have not known him: but I know him; and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be like unto you, a liar: but I know him, and keep his word. ⁵⁶Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad. ⁵⁶Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. ⁵⁷The Jews therefore said unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? ⁵⁷Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? ⁵⁸Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. ⁵⁸Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was born, I am. ⁵⁹Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. ⁵⁹They took up stones therefore to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.