Thursday, 22 May 2025

Thursday of the 5th Sunday of Pascha

32 days after Pascha · Tone 4 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy Fathers of the Second Ecumenical Council

381

The Second Ecumenical Council was convened in Constantinople in the year 381, in the reign of the emperor Theodosius the Great. The Council met from May to July in the Church of Hagia Irene with one hundred and fifty Orthodox bishops in attendance, among whom were Saints Gregory the Theologian, who presided over a portion of its sessions, Gregory of Nyssa, Meletius of Antioch, Cyril of Jerusalem, and Amphilochius of Iconium. The Council consolidated the victory of Orthodoxy attained at the First Ecumenical Council in 325 by condemning the heresies of Macedonius, who denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit, of Apollinarius, who denied the full humanity of Christ, and of the followers of Eunomius and Sabellius. The Fathers expanded the Symbol of Faith of Nicaea by adding the articles concerning the Holy Spirit, producing the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed which the Orthodox Church confesses to this day. They also issued seven canons regulating the order of the Church, including the canon establishing the See of Constantinople as second in honour after Rome. The Holy Fathers of this Council are commemorated each year on 22 May.

Holy Martyr Basiliscus, Bishop of Comana

He was from Amasea on the Black Sea, and was a nephew of St Theodore the Tyro (February 17). He was a fellow-martyr of Eutropius and Cleonicus (March 3), but is commemorated because, after they were crucified, he was shut in prison. A new governor replaced the one who had killed Basiliscus’ companions, and Basiliscus prayed in tears that he not be deprived of a martyr’s death. The Lord Jesus appeared to him, promised that his prayer would be answered, and told him to go to his village to say farewell to his mother and brothers. The new governor, Agrippa, sent soldiers to the village and had Basiliscus brought back to him. On the way to Amasea, many wonders were worked throught the Saint, and many were brought to Christ. Brought before the governor, Basiliscus again refused to worship the idols or deny Christ: he was beheaded in Comana and his body thrown into the river. Upon the holy Saint’s execution, Agrippa instantly went mad, remaining so until he smeared himself with some of the Martyr’s blood, which immediately healed him. Convinced by this wonder of the truth of the Faith, Agrippa was baptised. All of this happened during the reign of Diocletian.

Holy Martyrs Marcellus and Codratus

The Holy Martyrs Marcellus and Codratus suffered for Christ during the persecutions of the early Church and are commemorated together on 22 May. Saint Marcellus was put to death by being placed in molten lead, which the pagan persecutors poured upon him so that he might apostatise; refusing to deny Christ, he gave up his soul to the Lord under this most cruel torment. Saint Codratus, also called Quadratus, was bound to wild horses and dragged across rough ground until he expired, his body torn and broken for the sake of his Saviour. Both martyrs are remembered together with the Holy Martyr Basiliscus of Comana on this day, their names preserved in the synaxaria of the Greek and Slavonic Churches. Their courage in the face of these terrible torments made them a pattern of patience and faith for the early Christians and confirmed the witness of those martyrs whose blood became, in the words of Tertullian, the seed of the Church.

Saint John-Vladimir, Prince of Serbia

Saint John-Vladimir, also known as Jovan Vladimir, was born around 990 and ruled Duklja, the most powerful Serbian principality of his time, from about the year 1000 until his martyric death in 1015. He came of a princely family from Zahumlje, his grandfather Hvalimir and his father Petrislav having ruled before him. Tradition remembers him as a wise and merciful ruler, meek, chaste and courageous, fervent in prayer, and a devoted builder and benefactor of churches. When Tsar Samuel of Bulgaria conquered Duklja around 1010, John-Vladimir was taken prisoner. According to a medieval chronicle, Samuel's daughter Theodora Kosara fell in love with him and begged her father for his hand; the Tsar consented to the marriage and restored Duklja to John-Vladimir, who ruled thereafter as Samuel's son-in-law. After Samuel's death he was summoned for talks with the new Bulgarian Tsar John-Vladislav and, having received a guarantee of safe conduct sealed by an Orthodox bishop with a wooden cross, he travelled to meet him. He was treacherously murdered at the entrance to a church on 22 May 1015 and was soon recognised as a martyr and saint, the first Serbian saint and the patron of Bar in Montenegro.

Righteous Melchizedek, king of Salem.

He was a “priest of the most high God” (Genesis 14:18-20), who blessed our Forefather Abraham and “brought forth bread and wine,” prefiguring the Holy Eucharist, centuries before the Law was given to Moses or Christ became incarnate. The Epistle to the Hebrews (ch. 7) reveals Melchizedek, the Priest-King, to be a type of Christ.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 14.20-27

²⁰Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. ²⁰But as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and entered into the city: and on the morrow he went forth with Barnabas to Derbe. ²¹And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch, ²¹And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, ²²Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. ²²confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. ²³And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed. ²³And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. ²⁴And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. ²⁴And they passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. ²⁵And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia: ²⁵And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia; ²⁶And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. ²⁶and thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. ²⁷And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith unto the Gentiles. ²⁷And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 9.39-10.9

³⁹And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. ³⁹And Jesus said, For judgment came I into this world, that they that see not may see; and that they that see may become blind. ⁴⁰And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? ⁴⁰Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said unto him, Are we also blind? ⁴¹Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. ⁴¹Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye would have no sin: but now ye say, We see: your sin remaineth.

¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ²But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ²But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. ³To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. ⁴When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. ⁴And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. ⁵And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. ⁵And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. ⁶This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. ⁶This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. ⁷Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

⁷Jesus therefore said unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. ⁸All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture. ⁹I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.