The nine holy martyrs of Cyzice burned with a love for Christ. These martyrs refused to offer sacrifice to idols or deny Christ as their Lord. They were cruelly tortured and finally beheaded in the third century.
Our venerable father Memnon the Wonderworker was from early days devoted to fasting and prayer, and became a great wonder-worker for his people. He was a Roman centurion, converted to the faith by St. Severus, and was martyred in the days of Diocletian and Maximian in the third century.
Troparion for the martyrs
O Lord our God, your holy martyrs have deserved the crown of immortality on account of their good fight. Armed with your strength, they have vanquished their persecutors and crushed Satan’s dreadful might. Through their supplications, O Christ our God, save our souls.
Troparion for Memnon
In you, O holy father Memnon, the faithful image of God shone forth, for you carried your cross and swallowed Christ. You taught by your deeds how to spurn the body, for it passes away; and how to value the soul, for it is immortal. Therefore, your soul is forever in happiness with the angels.
Kontakion for the martyrs
See the strong and glorious choir of nine martyrs, the men who professed the Trinity of triple glory. As their trial began they exclaimed: We offer You our bodies and souls as a sacrifice poured out in our blood, O Master. Since You are merciful, O Master, number us among the saints.
Kontakion for Memnon
We praise you as a brilliant star, O blessed Memnon. You brighten the world by your virtue and miracles. You approached the Unapproachable, and so we praise the Savior as we keep your memory.
Epistle
Acts 12: 12-17
In those days [after Peter had been miraculously freed from prison], he went to the house of Mary the mother of John (also known as Mark), where many others gathered in prayer. Peter knocked at the door and a maid named Rhoda came to answer it. On recognizing his voice she was so overjoyed that she did not stop to open the door, but ran in and announced that Peter was outside. “You’re out of your wits,” they said to her, but she insisted it was true. All they could say was, “It must be his angel.” Through all this, Peter kept on knocking. They finally opened the door and were astonished to see him. He motioned to them to be quiet, and explained how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Report this to James and the brothers,” he said, then left them to go off to another place.
Gospel
John 8: 42-51
The Lord said to the people coming to him: “Were God your father you would love me, for I came forth from God, and am here. I did not come of my own will; it was he who sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. The father you spring from is the devil, and willingly you carry out his wishes. He brought death to man from the beginning, and has never based himself on truth; the truth is not in him. Lying speech is his native tongue; he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I deal in the truth, you give me no credence. Can any one of you convict me of sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears every word God speaks. The reason you do not hear is that you are not of God.”
The Jews answered, “Are we not right, after all, in saying you are a Samaritan, and possessed besides?” Jesus replied: “I am not possessed. However, I revere my Father, while you fail to respect me. I seek no glory for myself; there is one who seeks it, and it is he who judges. I solemnly assure you, if a man is true to my word he shall never see death.”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Sunday, April 28 –
