The holy martyrs Galaction and Episteme were husband and wife who joined nearby monasteries immediately after their marriage. They did not see each other for many years, until the persecution of Christians which brought them both to court and saw them die on the same day in the year 253. 

 

Troparion

Your martyrs, O Lord our God, in their struggles received incorruptible crowns from You. With Your strength, they brought down the tyrants and broke the cowardly valor of demons. Through their prayers, O Christ our God, save our souls.

 

Kontakion

O glorious Galaction, you and your honorable wife and fellow-sufferer, Episteme, were numbered among the martyrs of Christ because you fought the good fight in radiant ascetical struggles. Therefore, pray unceasingly to the only God for all of us.

 

Epistle

Ephesians 2: 4-10

Brothers and sisters: God is rich in mercy; because of his great love for us he brought us to life with Christ when we were dead in sin. By this favor you were saved. Both with and in Christ Jesus he raised us up and gave us a place in the heavens, that in the ages to come he might display the great wealth of his favor, manifested by his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. I repeat, it is owing to his favor that salvation is yours through faith. This is not your own doing, it is God’s gift; neither is it a reward for anything you have accomplished, so let no one pride himself on it. We are truly his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to lead the life of good deeds which God prepared for us in advance. 

 

Gospel

Luke 8: 41-56

At that time a man named Jairus, who was chief of the synagogue, came up and fell at the feet of Jesus, begging that he come to his home because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus went, the crowds almost crushed him. A woman with a hemorrhage of twelve years’ duration, incurable at any doctor’s hands, came up behind him and touched the tassel of his cloak. Immediately her bleeding stopped. Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” Everyone disclaimed doing it, while Peter said, “Lord, the crowds are milling and pressing around you!” Jesus insisted, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone forth from me.” When the woman saw that her act had not gone unnoticed, she came forward trembling. Falling at his feet, she related before the whole assemblage why she had touched him and how she had been instantly cured. Jesus said to her, “Daughter, it is your faith that has cured you. Now go in peace.”

He was still speaking when a man came from the ruler’s house with the announcement, “Your daughter is dead; do not bother the Teacher further.” Jesus heard this, and his response was: “Fear is useless; what is needed is trust and her life will be spared.” Once he had arrived at the house, he permitted no one to enter with him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s parents. While everyone wept and lamented her, Jesus said, “ Stop crying for she is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him, being certain she was dead. Jesus took her by the hand and spoke these words: “Get up, child.” The breath of life returned to her and she got up immediately; whereupon he told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astounded, but Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

Our venerable father Joannicus the Great left the military after more than twenty years in arms to live as a monk and pursue solitary life in different forests of Mt. Olympus. He was accustomed to end his prayer with these words: “God my hope, Christ my refuge, Holy Spirit my protector. He fell asleep in the Lord in the coenobium of the Antidium in Bithynia in the year 846. 

The holy martyr Nicander, bishop of Myra, and the priest Hermas were both ordained by the Apostle Titus. They were distinguished by a great zeal for the Faith and for their great labors in winning pagans for Christ. Because of this, they were tortured in various ways and eventually were buried alive during the first century.

 

Troparion – Joannicus

You fought like a brave soldier against the hostile flesh, and you battled spiritual enemies by deep fasting. You vanquished legions of devils by humility and in the end have shown yourself a great conqueror. You received power to work wonders from God. O venerable Joannicus, now pray to Him to save our souls.

 

Troparion – Martyrs

Your martyrs, O Lord our God, in their struggles received incorruptible crowns from You. With Your strength, they brought down the tyrants and broke the cowardly valor of demons. Through their prayers, O Christ our God, save our souls. 

 

Kontakion – Joannius

You became a brilliant star over the earth, guiding those in the fog of passions. You became the mightiest physician, for you received the grace to heal. Grant the grace of healing to us who petition you, that we may ever sing to you: Rejoice, O Father Joannicus.

 

Kontakion – Martyrs

You were enlightened with the anointing of truth, and you were illumined by the blood of martyrdom. With joy you have taken up your place among the angels, O glorious ones. Therefore, we celebrate your precious memory today O holy ones, praying to obtain purification through your prayers. 

 

Epistle

2 Corinthians 8: 1-5

Brothers and sisters, I should like you to know of the grace of God conferred on the churches of Macedonia. In the midst of severe trial their overflowing joy and deep poverty have produced an abundant generosity. According to their means – indeed I can testify even beyond their means – and voluntarily, they begged us insistently for the favor of sharing in this service to members of the church. Beyond our hopes they first gave themselves to God and then to us by the will of God. 

 

Gospel

Luke 9: 1-6

At that time Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them the power and authority to overcome all demons and to cure diseases. He sent them forth to proclaim the reign of God and heal the afflicted. Jesus advised them: “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking staff nor traveling bag; no bread, no money. No one is to have two coats. Stay at whatever house you enter and proceed from there. When people will not receive you, leave that town and shake its dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” So they set out and went from village to village, spreading the good news everywhere and curing diseases. 

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

The holy martyrs Akindynos, Pegasius, Apthonius, Elpidiphor, and Anempodistus, and very many companions in Persia were martyred under the emperor Licinius and suffered under King Shapur II. The first three were servants at the court of King Shapur II but secretly served Christ their Lord. When they were accused and brought to trial before the king, he asked them where they came from. To this they replied: “Our fatherland and our life is the Most-holy Trinity, One in Essence and undivided, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God.” Elpidiphor was one of the king’s nobles. When he revealed that he was a Christian and denounced the king for his slaughter of innocent Christians, the king condemned him to death and Elpidiphor was beheaded along with seven thousand other Christians in the year 335. 

 

Troparion

O passion-bearers of the Lord, blessed is the earth which has drunk your blood, and holy are the tombs which have received your bodies. In the furnace you conquered the foe and preached Christ. Intercede with the gracious Lord to save our souls.

 

Kontakion

The pious and God-bearing martyrs, who gave up all things on earth – Akindynos, Pegasius and Anempodistus, and with them Apthonius and Elpidiphorus – you delightfully received good things of God and into rest, O You Who alone are all-good.

 

Epistle

1 Thessalonians 2: 9-14

Brothers and sisters, you must recall our efforts and our toil: how we worked day and night all the time we preached God’s good tidings to you in order not to impose on you in any way. You are witnesses, as is God himself, of how upright, just, and irreproachable our conduct was toward you who are believers. You likewise know how we exhorted everyone of you, as a father does his children — how we encouraged and pleased with you to make your lives worthy of the God who calls you to his kingship and glory. That is why we thank God constantly that in receiving his message from us you took it, not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God at work within you who believe. Brethren, you have been made like the churches of God in Judea which are in Christ Jesus. 

 

Gospel

Luke 11: 47-54

The Lord said to the lawyers: “Woe to you! You build the tombs of the prophets, but it was your fathers who murdered them. You show that you stand behind the deeds of your fathers: they committed the murders and you erect the tombs. That is why the wisdom of God has said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of these they will persecute and kill’; so that this generation will have to account for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world. Their guilt stretches from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who met his death between the altar and the sanctuary! Yes, I tell you, this generation will have to account for it. Woe to you lawyers! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves have not gained access, yet you have stopped those who wished to enter!” After he had left this gathering, the scribes and Pharisees began to manifest fierce hostility to him and to make him speak on a multitude of questions, setting traps to catch him in his speech.

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

The holy martyr Zenobius was a priest who, in the severity of the persecution under the emperor Diocletian, urged others to martyrdom and himself was crowned with martyrdom. The holy martyr Zenobia, his sister, voluntarily joined Zenobius in his martyrdom in 285.

Troparion

Your martyrs, O Lord our God, in their struggles received incorruptible crowns from You. With Your strength, they brought down the tyrants and broke the cowardly valor of demons. Through their prayers, O Christ our God, save our souls. 

Kontakion

Let us honor with inspired hymns the two martyrs for truth and preachers of true devotion, Zenobius and wise Zenobia, brother and sister who lived and suffered together, and together received the incorruptible crown of martyrdom.

Epistle

1 Thessalonians 1: 1-5

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be yours.

We keep thanking God for all of you and we remember you in our prayers, for we constantly are mindful before our God and Father of the way you are proving your faith, and laboring in love, and showing constancy of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. We know, too, brothers beloved of God, how you were chosen. Our preaching of the gospel proved not a mere matter of words for you but one of power; it was carried on in the Holy Spirit and out of complete conviction. You know as well as we do what we proved to be like when, while still among you, we acted on your behalf.

Gospel

Luke 11: 29-33

At that time while the crowds pressed around him, Jesus began to speak to them in these words: “This is an evil age. It seeks a sign. But no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah was a sign for the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be a sign for the present age. The queen of the South will rise at the judgment along with the men of this generation, and she will condemn them. She came from the farthest corner of the world to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, but you have a great Solomon here. At the judgment, the citizens of Nineveh will rise along with the present generation, and they will condemn it. For at the preaching of Jonah they reformed, but you have a greater than Jonah here. One who lights a lamp does not put it in the cellar or under a bushel basket, but rather on a lampstand, so that they who come in may see the light.”

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com