Wednesday, 29 April 2026

Nine Martyrs at Cyzicus

Wednesday of the 3rd Sunday of Pascha

17 days after Pascha · Tone 2 · Liturgy · Fast (Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

Holy Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus

324

The Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus, namely Theognes, Rufus, Antipater, Theostichus, Artemas, Magnus, Theodotus, Thaumasius and Philemon, suffered for Christ in the city of Cyzicus on the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara during the great persecutions which lasted from the reign of Diocletian into that of Maximian and Galerius, between the years 286 and 299. Cyzicus had received the seed of the Gospel from the preaching of the Apostle Paul, who passed through that region, and there had been Christians in the city from apostolic times. The nine saints came from various places and walks of life: some were soldiers, some farmers, some men of substance, but all confessed Christ openly when the heathen sacrifices were demanded of them. They were arrested and taken before the governor, who tried by promises of honour and threats of torment to make them deny the faith. The saints stood firm, encouraging one another by Scripture and prayer, and after enduring beatings, imprisonment and many cruel tortures over a number of days they were all beheaded with the sword and their bodies were hastily buried near the city. After the peace of the Church under Saint Constantine the Great in the year 324, the Christians of Cyzicus uncovered the bodies of the saints and found them incorrupt. They were placed in a church built in their honour, where many sick were healed and those troubled by unclean spirits were restored to their right minds.

Saint Basil of Ostrog, metropolitan of Zahumlje and Herzegovina

Saint Basil was born on 28 December 1610 in the village of Mrkonjic in Popovo Polje in Herzegovina, the son of Peter and Anastasia Jovanovic. From his earliest years he was inclined to prayer and to the spiritual life. As a youth he was sent to the monastery of the Dormition at Trebinje, where his pious uncle was abbot, and there he was tonsured a monk and ordained to the diaconate and the priesthood. He served the Serbian Orthodox flock under the heavy yoke of the Ottomans and afterwards travelled to Mount Athos and to Russia to seek aid for the suffering Christians of his land. On his return he was consecrated metropolitan of Zahumlje and Herzegovina and laboured to encourage the people, to repair churches and monasteries, and to defend the faithful against the violence of the Turks and the proselytising efforts of the Latins. When his enemies pressed him too closely and the monastery of Tvrdos was destroyed by the Turks, he withdrew with thirty monks to the steep cliffs of Ostrog in Montenegro, where he founded the monastery now famous throughout the Orthodox world. There he lived in a cave-cell, devoting himself to prayer, fasting and the writing of letters to his suffering people. He reposed in peace on 29 April 1671. His incorrupt relics, treasured at Ostrog, work miracles to this day for all who come in faith, both Orthodox and other Christians and even Muslims, and the monastery is the most visited shrine of the Serbian Church.

Venerable Memnon the wonderworker of Egypt

Saint Memnon was an Egyptian by birth who from his youth withdrew into the Egyptian desert and embraced the monastic life. By the strictness of his fasting, his constant prayer and the great labour of his obedience he attained victory of spirit over the flesh and was found worthy by God of many spiritual gifts, including discernment, prophecy and the working of miracles. After many years of struggle in solitude he was made hegumen of a monastery, where he guided the brethren with patience and wise counsel, leading them by his own example more than by speech. The Synaxarion records that by his prayers he drove a great plague of locusts from the fields of the monastery, sweetened bitter water into drinking water, calmed storms at sea for those who called on his name, and saved sailors from shipwreck. The brothers loved him as a true father, and even after his peaceful repose his tomb continued to work miracles, healing the sick and assisting those who came to him in faith. The Greek Synaxarion places his memory on 28 April and the Slavic on 29 April.

St Basil, bishop of Ostrog in Montenegro

1671

As a monk, he was known for his very severe asceticism. Against his will, he was made Bishop of Zahum, where he served his flock faithfully for many years, “keeping it from the cruelty of the Turks and the guile of the Latins” (Prologue). When his monastery was destroyed by the Turks he moved to Ostrog, where he reposed. His body has remained whole, incorrupt, healing and wonderworking to this day. Innumerable miracles have been worked at his grave; both Christians and Muslims seek out his relics for healing from sicknesses and sufferings. (A story heard from a parishioner at St Basil of Ostrog Church in Illinois: while the Saint’s relics remain intact, reputedly his shoes wear out from time to time and need to be replaced.)

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 8.18-25

¹⁸And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, ¹⁹Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. ²⁰But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. ²¹Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. ²²Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. ²³For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. ²⁴Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. ²⁵And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 6.35-39

³⁵And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. ³⁶But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. ³⁷All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. ³⁸For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. ³⁹And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.