The Hieromartyr Dorotheus was bishop of the Phoenician city of Tyre during the time of persecution against Christians under the emperor Diocletian (284-305). Heeding the words of the Gospel (Mt. 10:23), the saint withdrew from Tyre and hid from persecutors. He returned to Tyre during the reign of St. Constantine the Great (306-337), again occupying the bishop’s throne he guided his flock for more than fifty years, and converted many pagans to Christianity. When the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363) began to openly persecute Christians, St. Dorotheus was already over 100 years old. He withdrew from Tyre to the Myzean city of Udum (present day Bulgarian Varna). Delegates of the emperor arrested him there for his refusal to offer sacrifice to idols. They began to torture the holy elder, and under torture he surrendered his soul to the Lord at the age of 107.
Resplendent with heavenly belief, you made a sacrifice of yourself to God. Suffering martyrdom for the immortal King, you have inherited the heavenly palace. O venerable father Dorotheus, in your joy pray to Christ to have mercy on all of us.
More radiant than the sun because of your good works, your heavenly teaching, and your suffering, you shed light on the world, O blessed Dorotheus. You burnt off the stubborn mist of the worship of idols and the fog of every trace of heresy. Therefore, we now rejoice in your memory.
Acts 25: 13-19
In those days, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid Festus a courtesy call. Since they were to spend several days there, Festus referred Paul’s case to the king. “There is a prisoner here,” he said, “whom Felix left behind in custody. While I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case against this man and demanded his condemnation. I replied that it was not the Roman practice to hand an accused man over before he had been confronted with his accusers and given a chance to defend himself against their charges. When they came here with me, I did not delay the matter. The very next day I took my seat on the bench and ordered the man brought in. His accusers surrounded him but they did not charge him with any of the crimes I expected. Instead they differed with him over issues in their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died but who Paul claimed is alive.”
John 16: 23-33
The Lord said to his disciples: “I give you my assurance, whatever you ask the Father, he will give you in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full. I have spoken these things to you in veiled language. A time will come when I shall no longer do so, but shall tell you about the Father in plain speech. On that day you will ask in my name and I do not say that I will petition the Father for you. The Father already loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I did indeed come from the Father; I came into the world. Now I am leaving the world to go to the Father.”
His disciples exclaimed: “At last you are speaking plainly without talking in veiled language! We are convinced that you know everything. There is no need for anyone to ask you questions. We do indeed believe you came from God.”
Jesus answered them: “Do you really believe? An hour is coming–has indeed already come–when you will be scattered and each will go his way, leaving me quite alone. Yet I can never be alone; the Father is with me. I tell you all this that in me you may find peace.”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Wednesday, June 4 –
