Friday, 29 May 2026

Leavetaking of Ascension

Friday of the 7th Sunday of Pascha

47 days after Pascha · Tone 6 · Black squigg (6-stich typikon symbol) · Fast (Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

Holy Virgin Martyr Theodosia of Tyre

307

The Holy Virgin Martyr Theodosia of Tyre suffered for Christ in the year 307 or 308 during the persecution of the emperor Diocletian and his successors, when she was only seventeen years of age. On the day of Holy Pascha she went to the praetorium at Caesarea in Palestine, where Christians condemned for the faith were held in chains, and she greeted them and asked them, when they should stand before the throne of God, to remember her in their prayers. The soldiers, seeing her bow before the prisoners, seized her and brought her before the governor Urban, who urged her to offer sacrifice to the idols. Saint Theodosia firmly confessed Christ. She was subjected to dreadful tortures: her sides and breasts were torn with iron claws until her bones were laid bare, all of which she bore in silence with marvellous courage. Asked again to renounce Christ, she replied, "Madman, I have been counted worthy to join the company of God's martyrs," and was thereupon cast into the sea, where she received the crown of martyrdom. The translation of her relics first to Constantinople and afterwards to Venice is also commemorated on 29 May, while her actual repose is kept on 3 April.

Holy Virgin Martyr Theodosia the Nun of Constantinople

Saint Theodosia of Constantinople was born in the latter part of the seventh century in answer to the long prayers of her parents. Left an orphan in childhood, she was raised in the women's monastery of the holy Martyr Anastasia in Constantinople, and there received the angelic schema. With the inheritance left her by her parents she gave alms to the poor and commissioned gold and silver icons of the Saviour, of the Theotokos, and of Saint Anastasia, devoting her life to prayer and obedience. When the iconoclast emperor Leo the Isaurian (717 to 741) issued his decree against the holy icons, an officer of the imperial guard was sent in 730 to remove the great bronze icon of Christ which had stood for four hundred years above the Bronze Gate of the imperial palace. Saint Theodosia and other women rushed to defend the icon and overturned the ladder upon which the soldier was climbing, and the soldier fell to his death. Saint Theodosia and her companions were arrested. For seven days she was scourged with one hundred lashes daily; on the eighth she was led through the city while being beaten without mercy, and at last a soldier struck her in the throat with a ram's horn, by which blow she gave up her soul to God. The faithful buried her relics with honour at the monastery of Saint Euphemia, and afterwards in the church of Saint Theodosia at Dexiokratis, where many wonders were wrought.

Saint Alexander, Archbishop of Alexandria

320

Saint Alexander, Archbishop of Alexandria, was born about the year 250, probably at Alexandria, and ruled the great Egyptian see from 313 until his repose in 328. He guided the Church of Alexandria as it emerged from the long persecutions of Diocletian and Maximian into the new freedom of the reign of Constantine the Great. Two great trials marked his episcopate, the renewal of the question of the proper date of Pascha, and the rise of the heresy of Arius, a presbyter of his church who denied the eternal divinity of the Son and proclaimed that there was a time when the Son was not. Saint Alexander summoned a synod at Alexandria in the year 320 which condemned the teaching of Arius, and he wrote and circulated encyclical letters warning the bishops of the East against the new heresy. When the emperor Constantine convoked the First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea in 325, Saint Alexander was a leader of the Orthodox Fathers, and he brought with him as his deacon the youthful Athanasius, whom he afterwards designated as his successor. He reposed five months after the Council, on 17 April 328, and is commemorated by the Orthodox Church on 29 May together with Saints Cyril and other patriarchs of the Egyptian see.

Saint John the Russian, the New Confessor

Saint John the Russian, the New Confessor, was born about the year 1690 in Little Russia and raised in piety and love for the Church of God. He served as a simple soldier in the army of Peter the Great and was taken prisoner by the Tatars during the Pruth campaign of 1711, after which he was sold to a Turkish cavalry officer who carried him home to the village of Procopion in Cappadocia of Asia Minor. There the Turks tried by threats and bribes to make their Christian captives convert to Islam, and many gave way; but Saint John, refusing to be moved by the promise of earthly comforts or the terror of beatings, replied that he was a Christian and would die a Christian, and asked only that he be allowed to perform the labour required of him. Set to work in the master's stable, he slept upon straw beside the horses, fasted continually, and spent the nights at prayer. The Lord softened the heart of his master, who eventually offered him his liberty, but the saint chose to remain a slave for Christ's sake. He reposed in peace on 27 May 1730, and his relics were soon found incorrupt. They are venerated to this day on the island of Euboea in Greece, where they were brought by his Greek countrymen who fled Asia Minor in 1924, and where countless miracles have been wrought through his prayers.

Commemoration of the First Ecumenical Council

325

The council was called by the Emperor Constantine the Great and held in Nicea in 325. The teaching of the Alexandrian priest Arius — that Christ is not co-eternal with the Father, but is His divine creation — was attracting many followers throughout the empire, and the Emperor wished for a statement of correct doctrine from the Church. Present at the council were 318 holy hierarchs, including St Nicholas of Myra, St Athanasius the great, and St Spyridon. The council clearly condemned the Arian heresy, formulated the first version of the Symbol of Faith (often called the Nicene Creed), and propounded twenty canons. The Fathers of the Council are commemorated on the Sunday after Ascension.

The Fall of Constantinople; "Blessed Constantine XII, last of the Byzantine emperors, martyred by the Turks "

1453

On this date in 1453, Constantinople, the capital city of the Christian world, was sacked by the forces of Sultan Mehmet (Mohammed) II, bringing it under Turkish rule, where it remains to this day. Constantine XII, the last Byzantine Emperor, died defending the city. Sources are sharply divided as to whether he is to be counted as a Christian Martyr. The designation “Blessed Constantine”, above, is from the St Herman Calendar, whose compilers cite Russian martyrologies which list him as a saint. However, the Prologue cites the fall of Constantinople while pointedly omitting any praise of Constantine. He accepted (and never publicly renounced) the false “union” of Florence, and so is counted by some as a heretic. Many Orthodox Christians, including many of the people of Constantinople, saw the city’s fall as divine retribution for the Empire’s acceptance of the union. Before his death the Emperor donned soldier’s armor and helped to man the ramparts of the City; his body was never found. Though various legends abound, the most likely explanation is that he died with many other defenders and was cast with them into a common grave.

Also commemorated: Rep. Bl. John of Ustiug

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 27.1-44

¹And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band. ²And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. ³And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. ⁴And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. ⁵And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. ⁶And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. ⁷And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone; ⁸And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.

⁹Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, ¹⁰And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. ¹¹Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. ¹²And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west. ¹³And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. ¹⁴But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. ¹⁵And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. ¹⁶And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: ¹⁷Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. ¹⁸And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; ¹⁹And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. ²⁰And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. ²¹But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. ²²And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. ²³For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, ²⁴Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cæsar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. ²⁵Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. ²⁶Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. ²⁷But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; ²⁸And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. ²⁹Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. ³⁰And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, ³¹Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. ³²Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. ³³And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. ³⁴Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. ³⁵And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. ³⁶Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. ³⁷And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. ³⁸And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. ³⁹And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. ⁴⁰And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. ⁴¹And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. ⁴²And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. ⁴³But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: ⁴⁴And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.

Gospel

weekly cycle

John — John 17.18-26

¹⁸As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. ¹⁹And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. ²⁰Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; ²¹That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. ²²And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: ²³I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. ²⁴Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. ²⁶And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.