Thursday, 5 June 2025

Thursday of the 7th Sunday of Pascha

46 days after Pascha · Tone 6 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Hieromartyr Boniface, archbishop of Mainz and enlightener of Germany

Saint Boniface, born Winfrid in Wessex about the year 675, was educated in the Anglo-Saxon monasteries of Exeter and Nursling and showed from early youth a vocation to the missionary life. After an unsuccessful first journey to Frisia he travelled to Rome in 718, where Pope Gregory II commissioned him to preach the Gospel to the pagan tribes east of the Rhine and gave him the name Boniface. He laboured for more than thirty years among the Hessians, Thuringians and Bavarians, founding the monastery of Fulda and the bishoprics of Wurzburg, Erfurt, Eichstatt and others, and reorganising the Frankish Church. His felling of the sacred oak of Thor at Geismar became a symbol of the conversion of the Germanic peoples. Returning at the end of his life to the still-pagan Frisians, he was attacked by a band of armed heathens at Dokkum on the eve of Pentecost, 5 June 754, and slain together with more than fifty of his clergy and companions while preparing to confirm a group of new Christians. His relics were translated to Fulda, of which he is the patron saint.

Hieromartyr Dorotheus, bishop of Tyre

Saint Dorotheus was bishop of Tyre in Phoenicia at the close of the third century, during the persecution of Diocletian. To escape arrest he retired to Odyssopolis on the Black Sea (modern Varna), where he laboured in obscurity for several years. With the peace of the Church under Constantine the Great he returned to Tyre, resumed his see and shepherded his flock for more than half a century, converting many pagans to the faith and writing several works on the Scriptures and on the lives of the prophets and apostles. When the persecution of Christians was renewed under Julian the Apostate, the aged Dorotheus, then more than a hundred years old, was seized at Odyssopolis to which he had again withdrawn, and was beaten to death for the name of Christ in 362.

Saint Constantine, metropolitan of Kiev

1159

In his day there was great disorder among the princes of Russia and in the Russian Church. One of the rival princes appointed a monk named Kim as Metropolitan of Kiev without seeking the blessing of the Patriarch of Constantinople, as was still done at that time. The Patriarch sent Metropolitan Constantine to investigate, and he deposed Kim and banished the priests whom Kim had ordained. This led to strife among the people, some of whom supported Constantine, some Kim. Finally, at the request of the princes, the Patriarch sent a third Metropolitan, and both Kim and Constantine were removed.

When Constantine died in 1159, his will ordered that he not be buried, but cast out to be eaten by dogs, since he felt that he was guilty of sowing discord in the Church. Horrified, but unwilling to go against his last wishes, the people threw his body outside as he had ordered. During the three days that it lay exposed, Kiev was wracked with thunderstorms and earth tremors, in which eight people were killed. Finally the Prince of Kiev ordered that the Metropolitan’s body be buried in the church, and the weather immediately became calm.

Saint Theodore the Wonderworker, metropolitan of Tobolsk

Saint Theodore (in the world Theodore Leshchinsky), metropolitan of Tobolsk and Siberia, was a Ukrainian by birth who entered the Kievan Caves Lavra and rose to high responsibility there. In 1715 he was consecrated bishop and sent to Siberia as successor to Saint John of Tobolsk. He governed the diocese of Tobolsk twice, first from 1715 until 1721, when he resigned to take up missionary labours in the far north, and again from 1721 to 1727. During his episcopacy he travelled tirelessly among the native peoples of Siberia, the Ostyaks, Voguls and Tungus, baptising many thousands and overseeing the destruction of the chief idols of the region. He also encouraged the foundation of new monasteries and parishes throughout his vast diocese. Returning at last to Tyumen, he reposed in peace in 1727 and was buried at the Tyumen Holy Trinity monastery, where his memory is kept with veneration.

Our Holy Father Theodore the Hermit and Wonderworker

583

He lived for many years as a hermit in the wilderness of the Jordan, and after long and hard ascetic struggle was granted the gift of wonderworking. Once he travelled by ship to Constantinople, and the ship went off course in a storm. The drinking water ran out, and the crew and passengers were near death from thirst. Theodore prayed to God, made the sign of the cross over the sea, and told the crew to drink the seawater. When they did so, they found to their astonishment that it was fresh and sweet. When the people began to honor him, he begged them only to thank God, who had worked the wonder. He reposed in peace.

Blessed Igor-George, tonsured Gabriel, great prince of Chernigov and Kiev

1147

“Persecuted by his kinsfolk, he left the world and became a monk. The citizens of Kiev, disgusted with the Olgovitch dynasty [of which he had been prince], determined to exterminate it. They hurried to the monastery, seized the young and innocent schema-monk and killed him. For this evil-doing, much misfortune fell on the inhabitants of Kiev, but candles were several times seen to light of themselves on the grave of this blessed monk, and a fiery column appeared over the church where he was buried.” (Prologue)

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 25.13-19

¹³And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Cæsarea to salute Festus.

¹³Now when certain days were passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Cæsarea, and saluted Festus. ¹⁴And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul’s cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: ¹⁴And as they tarried there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix; ¹⁵About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. ¹⁵about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, asking for sentence against him. ¹⁶To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. ¹⁶To whom I answered, that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man, before that the accused have the accusers face to face, and have had opportunity to make his defence concerning the matter laid against him. ¹⁷Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. ¹⁷When therefore they were come together here, I made no delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded the man to be brought. ¹⁸Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: ¹⁸Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such evil things as I supposed; ¹⁹But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. ¹⁹but had certain questions against him of their own religion, and of one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 16.23-33

²³And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. ²³And in that day ye shall ask me no question. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If ye shall ask anything of the Father, he will give it you in my name. ²⁴Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. ²⁴Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be made full. ²⁵These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

²⁵These things have I spoken unto you in dark sayings: the hour cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in dark sayings, but shall tell you plainly of the Father. ²⁶At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: ²⁶In that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you; ²⁷For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. ²⁷for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father. ²⁸I came out from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go unto the Father. ²⁸I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. ²⁹His disciples say, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no dark saying. ²⁹His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. ³⁰Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. ³⁰Now know we that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. ³¹Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? ³¹Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? ³²Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. ³²Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. ³³These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. ³³These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.