Saturday, 16 May 2026

Ven. Theodore the Sanctified; Trans. Rel. Ephraim, Abbot of Perekop

Saturday of the 5th Sunday of Pascha

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

Saints commemorated

Blessed Musa, child of Rome

The blessed child Musa lived at Rome in the fifth century. Her short life is recorded by Saint Gregory the Dialogist, pope of Rome, who heard the account from Musa's own brother Probus. From her earliest years she was distinguished by her purity and her love for prayer. One night the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to her in a dream, surrounded by maidens robed in white, and asked her whether she wished to dwell with them in her court. The child answered that she did, and from that hour her life was wholly changed. She withdrew from childish amusements, gave herself to prayer and fasting, and lived with great strictness for twenty-five days. On the twenty-fifth day she was seized by a fever; on the thirtieth day the Mother of God appeared to her again with the same maidens, calling her to come to them. Musa answered, "I am coming, I am coming to you, my Lady," and surrendered her pure soul to God. She is honoured among the saints as a model of childhood holiness.

Holy Martyrs Vitus, Modestus, and Crescentia

The Holy Martyrs Vitus, Modestus, and Crescentia suffered for Christ in the reign of the emperor Diocletian about the year 303. Saint Vitus was the son of Gelas, a noble pagan in Sicily. He was secretly baptised in childhood by his tutor Modestus and his nurse Crescentia, both of whom were Christians, and from the age of about twelve gave himself to a life of prayer, fasting and works of mercy, and received from God the gift of healing the sick. When his father discovered his Christian faith and could not turn him from it, his love changed to hatred and he sought to kill the boy. To save his life, Modestus and Crescentia secretly bore him away in a small boat down the river, an angel guiding them to the region of Lucania in southern Italy. There they lived in hiding, but the holy youth could not be silent about Christ, and many were healed and converted through him. His fame at length reached Rome, and Diocletian summoned him to the capital, where he healed the emperor's son of an evil spirit. When Vitus refused to offer sacrifice to the idols, the three saints were tortured: cast into a cauldron of boiling pitch and lead, exposed to a lion and to other torments, but were preserved unharmed. At last, after a voice from heaven assured them that their prayer was heard, they joyfully gave up their souls to God.

Saint Brendan the Navigator, abbot of Clonfert

Saint Brendan, one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland, was born in the kingdom of Munster about the year 484, near the present town of Tralee in County Kerry. As a child he was entrusted to the holy abbess Ita of Killeedy, who reared and taught him for several years; afterwards he studied under Bishop Erc and the abbot Jarlath of Tuam, and is said also to have visited Wales to learn from Saint Gildas. He was ordained to the priesthood about the year 512.

Saint Brendan founded a number of monasteries in Ireland, of which the chief was Clonfert in County Galway, established about 557, where he gathered a community said to have numbered some three thousand monks. His other foundations included Ardfert in Kerry, Annaghdown in Galway, and Inishdadroum in Clare. He is best remembered, however, for the great seven-year voyage by which, with a small group of fellow monks in a hide-bound boat, he set out across the western ocean in search of the promised land of the saints. The story of this voyage, recorded in the Navigatio Sancti Brendani, made his name famous throughout medieval Europe and led some later writers to suppose that he had reached the shores of America. Saint Brendan reposed about the year 577 at Annaghdown while visiting his sister Briga, and was buried at Clonfert. He is patron of mariners and travellers.

Venerable Theodore the Sanctified, disciple of Saint Pachomius the Great

368

Saint Theodore was born about the year 314 in Egypt to wealthy and illustrious Christian parents. From his childhood he was drawn to the ascetic life, and at the age of fourteen he secretly left his home and entered a monastery near his birthplace. Hearing of the great Pachomius and his community at Tabennisi, the young Theodore burned with desire to see him. Saint Pachomius, forewarned by God of his coming, received him with love and admitted him to the brotherhood.

Theodore advanced quickly in the monastic life, distinguished above all by his perfect obedience to his elder and his compassion towards his fellow monks, and Saint Pachomius came to regard him almost as a second self. He was appointed overseer of the monastery of Tabennisi while his teacher withdrew to greater solitude. After the repose of Pachomius, Saint Theodore took up the direction of all the houses of the Pachomian federation, holding the brotherhood together at a moment when it was in danger of disintegration. He was renowned for the gift of clairvoyance and of working miracles, and was honoured as a friend of Saint Athanasius the Great, patriarch of Alexandria, who held him in high esteem. Because of the abundance of grace which rested upon him he received the title "the Sanctified". He reposed in old age in the year 368.

St Nicholas Mystikos, Patriarch of Constantinople

930

He was known for the purity and austerity of his life. When the Emperor Leo VI married a fourth time (his three previous wives having died), the Patriarch barred him from the church. The Emperor sent the Patriarch into exile and had his marriage approved by delegates of the Roman Pope. When the Emperor died, Nicholas was restored to the Patriarchal throne, and called a Council in 925, at which fourth marriages were forbidded in the Church under any circumstance. He died peacefully. The title Mystikos was given to some high-ranking members of the Imperial council (perhaps because they met in secret). The Patriarch was a courtier with this title before he forsook the world and was tonsured a monk. Note: From early times, the Eastern and Latin churches have differed in their views on marriage. The Latin church held, and still holds, that marriage is dissolved by death, so in theory any number of re-marriages is permissible (a view that the Emperor Leo sought to exploit). The Eastern Church has traditionally been uncomfortable with any second marriage — some of the Fathers even call the re-marriage of widows or widowers “bigamy”. Still the Eastern church tolerates re-marriage (even after divorce) as a concession for the salvation of those who cannot sustain the single state.

Blessed Musa the Maiden

5th c.

“St Gregory the Dialogist relates of her that she was a mere nine years old when the most holy Mother of God appeared to her on two occasions, surrounded by virgins bathed in light. When Musa expressed her desire to be included in the resplendent company of the Queen of heaven, the Mother of God told her that she would come for her and take her within a month, outlining for her how she should spend those thirty days. On the twenty-fifth day, Musa took to her bed and on the thirtieth day the most pure and holy Mother again appeared to her, calling to her in a quiet voice, to which Musa replied: ‘Here I am waiting, my Lady! I’m ready!’, and she breathed forth her spirit. She passed from this life to life eternal in the fifth century.” (Prologue)

Also commemorated: Trans. Rel. Ephraim, Abbot of Perekop

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 15.35-41

³⁵Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

³⁶And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. ³⁷And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. ³⁸But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. ³⁹And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; ⁴⁰And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. ⁴¹And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 10.27-38

²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: ²⁸And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰I and my Father are one. ³¹Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. ³²Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? ³³The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. ³⁴Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? ³⁵If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; ³⁶Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? ³⁷If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. ³⁸But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.