The holy martyr Julian was of noble and senatorial origin. He lived in Tarsus in Cilicia and suffered during the reign of Diocletian. Even though he was only eighteen years old when he was subjected to torture for the Faith, St. Julian was sufficiently educated and strengthened in Christian piety. The imperial deputy led him from town to town for an entire year, torturing him and all the while trying to persuade him to deny Christ. Julian’s mother followed her son at a distance. When the deputy seized Julian’s mother and sent her to counsel her son to deny Christ, she spoke to him for three days in prison, giving him the opposite advice, teaching him and encouraging him not to lose heart but to go to his death with thanksgiving and courage. The torturers then sewed Julian in a sack with sand, scorpions, and serpents and cast the sack into the sea. Julian’s mother also died under torture. St. Julian’s relics were thrown onto the shore by the waves, and the faithful translated them to Alexandria and buried them honorably in the year 290. 

Troparion

O Lord our God, your martyr Julian has deserved the crown of immortality on account of his good fight. Armed with your strength, he has vanquished his persecutors and crushed Satan’s dreadful might. Through his supplications, O Christ our God, save our souls. 

Kontakion

Today let us praise Julian, an invincible warrior in holiness, the herald and soldier of truth. Let us cry out to him: Intercede with Christ our God for our salvation.

Epistle

Romans 16: 1-16

Brothers and sisters: I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deaconess of the church of Cenchreae. Please welcome her in the Lord, as saints should. If she needs help in anything, give it to her, for she herself has been of help to many, including myself.

Give greetings to Prisca and Aquila; they were my fellow workers in the service of Christ Jesus and even risked their lives for the sake of mine. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Remember me also to the congregation that meets in their house. Greetings to my beloved Epaenetus; he is the first offering that Asia made to Christ. My greetings to Mary, who has worked hard for you, and to Andronicus and Junias, my kinsman and fellow prisoners; they were outstanding apostles, and they were in Christ even before I was. Greetings to Ampliatus who is dear to me in the Lord; to Urbanus, our fellow worker in service of Christ; and to my beloved Stachys. Greetings to Apelles, who proved himself in Christ’s service, and to all who belong to the household of Aristobulus. Greetings to my kinsman Herodion and to the members of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Greetings too, to Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who have worked hard for the Lord; and also to dear Persis, who has labored long in the Lord’s service. Greetings to Rufus, a chosen servant of the Lord, and to his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. Greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them; to Philologus and Julia, to Nereus and his sister, to Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send you greetings.

Gospel

Matthew 13: 3-9

The Lord addressed the people at length in parables, speaking in this fashion: “One day a farmer went out sowing. Part of what he sowed landed on a footpath, where birds came and ate it up. Part of it fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprouted at once since the soil had no depth, but when the sun rose and scorched it, it began to wither for the lack of roots. Again, part of the seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked it. Part of it, finally, landed on good soil and yielded grain a hundred – or sixty – or thirtyfold. Let everyone heed what he hears!”

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

The Hieromartyr Methodius, bishop of Patara (Lycia in Asia Minor), was distinguished for his genuine monastic humility. Calmly and with mildness he instructed his flock, but he firmly  defended the purity of Orthodoxy and he energetically contended against heresies, especially the widespread heresy of the Origenists. He left behind a rich literary legacy: works in defense of Christianity against paganism, explications of Orthodox dogmas against the heresy of Origen, moral discourses, and explanations of Holy Scripture. St. Methodius was arrested by pagans, steadfastly confessed before them his faith in Christ, and he was sentenced to death by beheading in the year 312. 

Troparion

Your blood cries out from the earth like that of Abel, O wise saint, for you preached the Incarnation with fearsome boldness. You shamed the lies of Origen, O father Methodius, and now you have been admitted to the court of heaven. Beg Christ our God to save our souls. 

Kontakion

You were a priest and a mystic of the Holy Trinity. You preached divine decrees which surpass comprehension. You are strength for the faithful, O Methodius. You prevailed against evil plots, becoming a martyred priest in your blood for the faith. As you stand before Christ, pray for our salvation. 

Epistle 

Romans 15: 17-29

Brothers and sisters: This means I can take glory in Christ Jesus for the work I have done for God. I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has done through me to win the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, with mighty signs and marvels, by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have completed preaching the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyria. It has been a point of honor with me never to preach in places where Christ’s name was already known, for I did not want to build on a foundation laid by another but rather to fulfill the words of Scripture, “They who received no word of him will see him, and they who have never heard will understand.” 

That is why I have so often been hindered from visiting you. Now I have no more work to do in these regions, and I continue to cherish the desire to visit you which I have had for many years. As soon as I can set out for Spain, I hope to see you in passing; I trust that you will send me on my journey only after I have had the joy of being with you for a little while. Just now I am leaving for Jerusalem to bring assistance to the saints. Macedonia and Achaia have kindly decided to make a contribution for those in need among the saints in Jerusalem. They did so of their own accord, yet they are also under obligation. For if the Gentiles have shared in the spiritual blessings of the Jews, they ought to contribute to their temporal needs in return. When I have finished my task and have safely handed over this contribution to them, I shall set out for Spain, passing through your midst on the way. I am certain that when I do visit you, I shall come with Christ’s full blessing. 

Gospel

Matthew 12:46 – 13:3

At that time while Jesus was still addressing the crowds his mother and his brothers appeared outside to speak with him. Someone said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing out there and they wish to speak to you.” Jesus said to the one who had told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then, extending his hand toward his disciples, he said, “There are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is brother and sister and mother to me.”‘

That same day, on leaving the house, Jesus sat down by the lakeshore. Such great crowds gathered around him that he went and took his seat in a boat while the crowd stood along the shore. He addressed them at length in parables.

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

The holy apostle Jude was one of the Twelve apostles of Christ and descended from King David and Solomon, and was the son of Righteous Joseph the Betrothed by his first wife. Tradition says that when St. Joseph returned from Egypt, he began to divide his possessions among his sons. He wanted to allot a share to Christ the Savior, born miraculously and incorruptibly from the All-Pure Virgin Mary. Joseph’s other sons were opposed to this because Jesus was born of another mother. Only James, later called “The Brother of God,” offered to share his portion with Him. Later, Jude came to believe in Christ the Savior as the awaited Messiah, and he followed Him and was chosen as one of the twelve apostles. Mindful of his sin, the Apostle Jude considered himself unworthy to be called the Lord’s brother, and in his Epistle he calls himself merely the brother of James. The holy apostle Jude died as a martyr around the year 80 near Mt. Ararat in Armenia, where he was crucified and pierced by arrows. 

Troparion

We recognize that you are one of the Lord’s relatives and a strong martyr who for the faith trampled on lies. We have come to praise you in a sacred manner, O Jude, as we celebrate your holy memory and make our plea; Forgive our sins by the might of your prayers. 

Kontakion

You were a chosen disciple with a firm purpose, an invincible pillar of the Church of Christ. You preached the word about Christ to the pagans, telling them to believe in the one God. Therefore, you have been exalted by Him and graced with the gift of healing. You cure the ills of those who hasten to you, O praiseworthy apostle Jude. 

Readings for the saint

Epistle 

Jude 1: 1-10

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who have been called by God; who have found love in God the Father and have been guarded safely in Jesus Christ. May mercy, peace, and love be yours in ever greater measure. 

I was already fully intent on writing you, beloved, about the salvation we share. But now I feel obliged to write and encourage you to fight hard for the faith delivered once for all to the saints. Certain individuals have recently wormed their way into your midst, godless types, long ago destined for the condemnation I shall describe. They pervert the gracious gift of our God to sexual excess and deny Jesus Christ, our only master and Lord. 

I wish to remind you of certain things, even though you may already be very well aware of them. The Lord first rescued his people from the land of Egypt but later destroyed those who refused to believe. There were angels, too, who did not keep to their own domain, who deserted their dwelling place. These the Lord has kept in perpetual bondage, shrouded in murky darkness against the judgment of the great day Sodom, Gomorrah, and the towns there abouts indulged in lust, just as those angels did; they practiced unnatural vice. They are set before us to dissuade us, as they undergo a punishment of eternal fire. 

Similarly, these visionaries pollute the flesh; they spurn God’s dominion and revile the angelic beings. Even the archangel Michael, when his case with the devil was being judged – a dispute over Moses’ body– did not venture to charge him with blasphemy. He simply said, “May the Lord punish you.” These people, however, not only revile what they have no knowledge of but are corrupted through the very things they know by instinct, like brute animals. 

Gospel 

John 14: 21-24

The Lord said to his disciples: “He who obeys the commandments he has from  me is the man who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father. I too will love him and reveal myself to him.”

Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said to Jesus, “Lord, why is it that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered: “Anyone who loves me will be true to my word, and my Father will love him; we will come to him and make our dwelling place with him. He who does not love me does not keep my words. Yet the word you hear is not mine; it comes from the Father who sent me.”

Readings for the day

Epistle

Romans 15: 7-16

Brothers and sisters: Accept one another, then, as Christ accepted you, for the glory of God. Yes, I affirm that Christ became the servant of the Jews because of God’s faithfulness in fulfilling the promises to the patriarchs, whereas the Gentiles glorify God because of his mercy. As Scripture has it, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles and I will sing to your name.” Again, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” And, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles and sing his glory, all you peoples.” Once more, Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will appear, he who will rise up to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles will find hope.” So may God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that through the power of the Holy Spirit you may have hope in abundance. 

I am convinced, my brothers, that you are filled with goodness, that you have complete knowledge, and that you are able to give advice to one another. Yet I have written to you rather boldly in parts of this letter by way of reminder. I take this liberty because God has given me the grace to be a minister of Christ Jesus among the Gentiles, with the priestly duty of preaching the gospel of God so that the Gentiles may be offered up as a pleasing sacrifice, consecrated by the Holy Spirit. 

Gospel

Matthew 12: 38-45

At that time some of the scribes and Pharisees spoke up, saying, “Teacher, we want to see you work some signs.” Jesus answered: “An evil and unfaithful age is eager for a sign! No sign will be given it but that of the prophet Jonah. Just as Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the bowels of the earth. At the judgment, the citizens of Nineveh will rise with the present generation and be the ones to condemn it. At the preaching of Jonah they reformed their lives; but you have a greater than Jonah here. At the judgment, the queen of the South will rise with the present generation and be the one to condemn it. She came from the farthest corner of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; but you have a greater than Solomon here.

“When the unclean spirit departs from a man, it roams through arid wastes searching for a place of rest and finding none. Then it says, ‘I will go back where I came from,’ and returns to find the dwelling unoccupied, though swept and tidied now. Off it goes again to bring back with it this time seven spirits more evil than itself. They move in and settle there. Thus the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. And that is how it will be with this evil generation.”

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

The holy martyr Leontius, a Greek by origin, served as a military chief in the imperial army of the Phoenician city of Tripoli during the reign of Vespasian (70-79). Leontius was distinguished for his bravery and good sense, and the people of Tripoli held him in deep respect because of his virtue. The emperor appointed the Roman senator Adrian as governor of the Phoenician district, with full powers to hunt out Christians, and in case of their refusal to offer sacrifice to the Roman gods, to give them over to torture and death. And on his way to Phoenicia, Adrian received a report that St. Leontius had turned many away from worshiping the pagan gods toward Christ. Learning what had happened, he ordered St. Leontius, Hypatius, and Theodulus to be brought to him. After threatening them with torture and death, he demanded that they renounce Christ and offer sacrifice to the Roman gods. Having suffered patiently harsh tortures in prison, the death of the holy martyrs occurred between the years 70 and 79. 

Troparion

O Lord our God, your holy martyr Leontius has deserved the crown of immortality on account of his good works. Armed with your strength, he has vanquished his persecutors and crushed Satan’s dreadful might. Through his supplications, O Christ our God, save our souls. 

Kontakion

You shamed the evil treachery of the torturers, and you prevailed against the false worship of the Greeks. You presented the knowledge of God in piety to all people. For all of this we honor you with love, O wise Leontius. 

Epistle

Romans 14: 9-18

Brothers and sisters: Christ died and came to life again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But you, how can you sit in judgment on your brother? Or you, how can you look down on your brother? We shall all have to appear before the judgment seat of God. It is written, “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me and every tongue shall give praise to God.”

Everyone of us will have to give an account of himself before God. Therefore we must no longer pass judgment on one another. Instead you should resolve to put no stumbling block or hindrance in your brother’s way. I know with certainty on the authority of the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; it is only when a man thinks something unclean that it becomes so for him. If, then, your brother feels remorse for the food he has eaten, you have ceased to follow the rule of love. You must not let the food you eat bring to ruin him for whom Christ died; neither may you allow your privilege to become an occasion for blasphemy. The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of justice, peace, and the joy that is given by the Holy Spirit. Whoever serves Christ in this way pleases God and wins the esteem of men. 

Gospel

Matthew 12: 14-16, 22-30

At that time the Pharisees began to plot against Jesus to find a way to destroy him. Jesus was aware of this, and so he withdrew from that place.

Many people followed him and he cured them all, though he sternly ordered them not to make public what he had done. 

Then a possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus. Jesus cured the man so that he could speak and see. All in the crowd were astonished. “Might this not be David’s son?” they asked. When the Pharisees heard this, they charged, “This man can expel demons only with the help of Beelzebub, the prince of demons.” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them; “A kingdom torn by strife is headed for a downfall. A town or household split into factions cannot last for long. If Satan is expelling Satan, he must be torn by dissension. How, then, can his dominion last? If I expel demons with Beelzebub’s help, by whose help do your people expel them? Let them be the ones who judge you. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I expel demons, then the reign of God has overtaken you. How can anyone enter a strong man’s house and make off with his property unless he first ties him securely? Only then can he rob his house. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.”

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

The holy martyrs Manuel, Sabel, and Ishmael were brothers from an illustrious Persian family in the 7th century. Their father was a pagan, but their mother was a Christian who baptized them and raised them with firm faith in Christ the Savior. The brothers received their crowns of martyrdom after refusing to worship pagan gods during their service in the imperial army. 

Troparion

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.

Kontakion

O blessed martyrs, because of your perfect faith in Christ, you drank the cup of sufferings with generous hearts. You renounced the idols of Persia and proclaimed your belief in the Holy Trinity. O trinity of martyrs, intercede for us at all times.

Epistle

Romans 12: 4-5, 15-21

Brothers and sisters: Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all the members have the same function, so too we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually one of another. 

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Have the same attitude toward all. Put away ambitious thoughts and associate with those who are lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never repay injury with injury. See that your conduct is honorable in the eyes of all. If possible, live peacefully with everyone. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves; leave that to God’s wrath, for it is written: “‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” But “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; by doing this you will heap burning coals upon his head.” Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.  

Gospel

Matthew 12: 9-13

At that time Jesus went into their synagogue. A man with a shriveled hand happened to be there, and they put this request to Jesus, hoping to bring an accusation against him: “Is it lawful to work a cure on the sabbath?” Jesus said in response: “Suppose one you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath. Will he not take hold of it and pull it out? Well, think how much more precious a human being is than a sheep. Clearly, good deeds may be performed on the sabbath.” To the man he said: “Stretch out your hand.” The man did so, and the hand was perfectly restored; it became as sound as the other.

Our venerable father Tychon was bishop of Amathis on Cyprus. He labored zealously to eradicate the remnants of paganism on Cyprus; he destroyed a pagan temple and spread the Christian Faith. St. Tychon was generous, his doors were open to all, and he listened to and lovingly fulfilled the request of each person who came to him. Fearing neither threats nor tortures, he firmly and fearlessly confessed his faith before pagans. He died peacefully in the year 425.

Troparion

You first crucified yourself to the world by becoming poor among the living. Then like a true shepherd, you put your life at the disposal of your flock. Enriching your sheep with miracles, you became a bright light for the Church of Amathis. By shedding light on it, you saved it from the fog of deceit, O father Tychon. By your prayers enlighten us today as we praise you.

Kontakion

You preserved in fasting through your love for God, and heaven sent you the power to expose the lies of idols, to save the people and cast out devils, to heal illness by the power of the Comforter.

Epistle

Romans 6: 18-23

Brothers and sisters: Freed from your sin, you became slaves of justice. (I use the following example from human affairs because of your weak human nature.) Just as formerly you enslaved your bodies to impurity and licentiousness for their degradation, make them now the servants of justice for their sanctification. When you were slaves of sin, you had freedom from justice. What benefit did you then enjoy? Things you are now ashamed of, all of them tending toward death. But now that you are freed from sin and have become slaves of God, your benefit is sanctification as you tend toward eternal life. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Gospel

Matthew 8: 5-13

At that time as Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him with this request: “Sir, my serving boy is at home in bed paralyzed, suffering painfully.” Jesus said to the centurion, “I will come and cure him.” “Sir,” the centurion said in reply, “I am not worthy to have you under my roof. Just give an order and my boy will get better. I am a man under authority myself and I have troops assigned to me. If I give one man the order, ‘Dismissed,’ off he goes. If I say to another, ‘Come here,’ he comes. If I tell my slave, ‘Do this,’ he does it.” Jesus showed amazement on hearing this and remarked to his followers, “I assure you, I have never found this much faith in Israel. Mark what I say! Many will come from the east and the west and will find a place at the banquet in the kingdom of God with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, while the natural heirs of the kingdom will be driven out into the dark. Wailing will be heard there, and the grinding of teeth.” To the centurion Jesus said, “Go home. It shall be done because you trusted.” That very moment the boy got better. 

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

The Lord sent the holy prophet Amos to the sons of Israel. He was a herdsman of Tekoa and a dresser of sycamores, and his preaching was to defend the Lord’s righteousness and holiness against the transgressions of the children of Israel. 

The venerable Jerome, priest of Stridon, who, born in Dalmatia, was an exceptional laborer. He pursued the studies of all literature in Rome and was baptized there. Then, seized by the power of contemplative life and having embraced the ascetic life, he proceeded to the East and was ordained a priest. When he returned to Rome, he stayed in a retreat of Pope Damasus, and then left for Bethlehem in Judea. There he founded a monastery. The notable teacher escaped the world by translating and explaining the Holy Scriptures. In a marvelous way he was a worker fulfilling very many of the needs of the Church. Finally, when he had lived to an advanced age, he reposed in peace in the early 5th century. 

Troparion – Amos

Celebrating the memory of your prophet Amos, O Lord, we beg You to save our souls through his intercession. 

Troparion – Jerome

O guide of the true faith, mirror of piety and commendable behavior, bright star of the universe, and adornment of pontiffs, you enlightened us all by your teachings. O wise Jerome, inspired by God and lyre of the Holy Spirit, intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls. 

Kontakion – Amos

Purifying your heart by the Spirit, you accepted the gift of prophecy. You stood up and shouted your message. This is our God, and you shall have none before Him. 

Kontakion – Jerome

Delighting in purity, O wise in God, you repressed the urges to the flesh. You glowed with faith and bloomed like an orchard in paradise, O priest and father Jerome. 

Epistle

Romans 6: 11-17

Brothers and sisters: You must consider yourself dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus. Do not, therefore, let sin rule your mortal body and make you obey its lusts; no more shall you offer the members of your body to sin as weapons for evil. Rather, offer yourselves to God as men who have come back from the dead to life, and your bodies to God as weapons for justice. Sin will no longer have power over you; you are now under grace, not under the law. 

What does all this lead to? Just because we are not under the law but under grace, are we free to sin? By no means! You must realize that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are the slaves of the one you obey, whether yours is the slavery of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to justice. Thanks be to God, though once you were slaves of sin, you sincerely obeyed that rule of teaching which was imparted to you. 

Gospel

Matthew 8: 14-23

At that time Jesus entered Peter’s house and found Peter’s mother-in-law in bed with a fever. He took her by the hand and the fever left her. She got up at once and began to wait on him. As evening drew on, they brought him many who were possessed. He expelled the spirits by a simple command and cured all who were afflicted thereby fulfilling what had been said through Isaiah the prophet: “It was our infirmities he bore, our sufferings he endured.”

Seeing the people crowd around him, Jesus gave orders to cross to the other shore. A scribe approached him and said, “Teacher, wherever you go I will come after you.” Jesus said to him, “The foxes have lairs, the birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another, a disciple to him, “Lord, let me go and bury my father first.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.” Jesus got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 

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

The holy prophet Elisha was a disciple of the prophet Elijah, and was himself a prophet in Israel from the time of King Joram to the days of Jehoash. Though his oracles do not remain, he nevertheless, by working miracles for foreigners, announced the coming of salvation for all people. 

Our holy father Methodius, patriarch of Constantinople. While he was a monk, he betook himself to Rome to Pope St. Paschal the First in defense of the holy icons. Elevated to the episcopate, he solemnly celebrated the triumph of the orthodox faith with the restoration of the holy icons. 

Troparion – Elisha

The glorious Elijah, an angel in the flesh, the greatest of the prophets and second forerunner of Christ’s coming, dispels diseases, purifies lepers, and showers all kinds of healing upon those who honor him, by sending a blessing from heaven upon Elisha. 

Troparion – Methodius

Burning with zeal for the holy icons, O most wise saint, you boldly opposed the malice of the king. You were locked in a tomb and suffered torment, and for your labors you were exiled. Do not forget us who sing of your fame, O most blessed pastor Methodius. 

Kontakion – Elisha

O blessed Elisha, you lived the life of a prophet of God. You received an abundance of graces, and now together with Elijah, you intercede fervently with Christ our God for all of us. 

Kontakion – Methodius

You fought like an angel on earth and inherited heaven for a reward, O Methodius. Having clearly revealed the reverence that was due icons, you were subjected to agonies and terrible hardships. But this did not deter you from your path of truth as you condemned those who cast out the icons of Christ. 

Epistle

Romans 11: 25-36

Brothers and sisters: I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery lest you be conceited: blindness has come upon part of Israel until the full number of Gentiles enter in, and then all Israel will be saved. As Scripture says: “Out of Zion will come the deliverer who shall remove all impiety from Jacob; and this is the covenant I will make with them when I take away their sins.” In respect to the gospel, the Jews are enemies of God for your sake; in respect to the election, they are beloved by him because of the patriarchs. God’s gift and his call are irrevocable. 

Just as you were once disobedient to God and now have received mercy through their disobedience, so they have become disobedient – since God wished to show you mercy – that they too may receive mercy. God has imprisoned all in disobedience that he might have mercy on all.

How deep are the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How inscrutable his judgments, how unsearchable his ways! For, [Scripture says:] who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has given him anything so as to deserve return? For from him and through him and for him all things are. To him be glory forever. Amen. 

Gospel

Matthew 12: 1-8

Once on the sabbath Jesus walked through the standing grain. His disciples felt hungry, so they began to pull off the heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees spied this, they protested: “See here! Your disciples are doing what is not permitted on the sabbath.” Jesus replied: “Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry, how he entered God’s house and ate the holy bread, a thing forbidden to him and his men to anyone other than priests? Have you not read in the law how the priests on temple duty can break the sabbath rest without incurring guilt? I assure you, there is something greater than the temple here. If you understood the meaning of the text, ‘It is mercy I desire and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned these innocent men. The Son of Man is indeed Lord of the sabbath.”

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

The holy  martyr Aquilina was twelve years old when she was brutally martyred under the emperor Trajan in the late third century. After converting one of her pagan friends to Christianity, she was arrested and tortured. Believing Aquilina dead after her tortures, her captors left her body outside the city to be eaten by wild beasts. However the saint was still alive, and during the night an angel came to her and healed her. She returned to denounce the pagan governor. She was taken into prison again, denounced as a sorceress, and ordered to be executed by beheading. St. Aquilina was taken by the Lord before her execution, but the executioner, fearing for his own safety, beheaded the body of the saint even though she was dead. Her relics were later taken to Constantinople and placed in a church named for her. 

Our holy father Triphyllus, Bishop of Leucosia in Cyprus, ardently defended the orthodox Nicene faith. He was the most eloquent speaker of his time, and a marvelous commentator in the Song of Songs, as St. Jerome relates. 

Troparion – Aquilina

O Jesus, your lamb Aquilina cries out to You with great love: O my Bridegroom, I long for You in great pain. I am crucified with You, and in baptism I am buried with You. I suffer for your sake in order to reign with You. I die for You in order to live with You. Accept me as an immaculate victim since I am immolated for your love. Through her intercession, O merciful One, save our souls. 

Troparion – Triphyllus

The sincerity of your deeds has revealed you to your people as a teacher of moderation, a model of faith, and as an example of virtue. Therefore, you attained greatness through humility, and wealth through poverty. O father and archbishop Triphyllus, ask Christ our God to save our souls.

Kontakion – Aquilina

Purifying your soul by the balm of virginity, you soared to heaven in a flight of martyrdom. You languished with love of Christ, O precious saint, and now you can stand before Him, O Aquilina. Join the angels in unceasing prayer for us on earth. 

Kontakion – Triphyllus

You perfected virginal chastity in a wonderful life, and you proved yourself a bishop of Leucosia. You became a prophet and a guide for those seeking God, O Triphyllus. For this reason we bless you in song, O glory of pastors. 

Epistle

Romans 11: 13-24

Brothers and sisters: I say this now to you Gentiles: Inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry, trying to rouse my fellow Jews to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection has meant reconciliation for the world, what will their acceptance mean? Nothing less than life from the dead! If the first fruits are consecrated, so too is the whole mass of dough, and if the root is consecrated, so too are the branches. If some of the branches were cut off and you, a branch of the wild olive tree, have been grafted in among the others and have come to share in the rich root of the olive, do not boast against the branches. If you do boast, remember that you do not support the root; the root supports you. You will say, “Branches were cut off that I might be grafted in.” Well and good. They were cut off because of unbelief and you are there because of faith. Do not be haughty on that account, but fearful. If God did not spare the natural branches, he will certainly not spare you.

Consider the kindness and the severity of God – severity toward those who fell, kindness toward you, provided you remain in his kindness; if you do not, you too will be cut off. And if the Jews do not remain in their unbelief they will be grafted back on, for God is able to do this. If you were cut off from the natural wild olive and, contrary to nature, were grafted into the cultivated olive, so much the more will they who belong to it by nature be grafted into their own olive tree. 

Gospel

Matthew 11: 27-30

The Lord said to his disciples: “Everything has been given over to me by my Father. No one knows the Father but the Son–and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden light.”

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