Feb. 23 The Holy Priest Martyr Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna 

The holy priest-martyr Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, who was “fruitful in every good work” (Col. 1:10), was born in the first century, and lived in Smyrna in Asia Minor. He was orphaned at an early age, but at the direction of an angel, he was raised by the pious widow Kallista. After the death of his adoptive mother, Polycarp gave away his possessions and began to lead a chaste life, caring for the sick and infirm. He was very fond of and close to St. Bucolus, Bishop of Smyra (who we celebrate Feb. 6). He ordained Polycarp as deacon, entrusting him to preach the Word of God in church. He also ordained him to the holy priesthood. Under the emperors Marcus Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius Commodus, at about the age of 90, St. Polycarp was given over to the flames in the amphitheater at Smyrna. Before the proconsul and the whole people, he gave thanks to God the Father because he had deemed worthy to be numbered among martyrs and to receive a portion from the cup of Christ.

 

Troparion

O holy priest-martyr Polycarp, you lent yourself to the apostles’ way of life and succeeded them on their throne. Inspired by God, you found the way to contemplation through the practice of virtue. Therefore, you became a perfect teacher of truth, fighting for the faith unto the shedding of your blood. Intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls. 

 

Kontakion

O wise priest-martyr Polycarp, you offered spiritual fruits to God and became worthy of Him because of your virtues. Therefore, we who have been enlightened by your teachings, honor your memory and glorify the Lord.

 

Genesis 2: 4-19

This the story of the heavens and the earth at their creation. When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens– there was no field shrub on earth and no grass of the field had sprouted, for the Lord God had sent no rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the ground, but a stream was welling up out of the earth watering all the surface of the ground– then the Lord God formed the man out of dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 

The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and placed there the man whom he formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made grow every tree that was delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

A river rises in Eden to water the garden; beyond there it divides and becomes four branches. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that winds through the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is google bdellium and lapis lazuli are also there. The name of the second river is the Gihon; it is the one that winds all through the land of Cush. The name of the third river is the Tigris; it is the one that flows east of Asshur. The fourth river is the Euphrates.

The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. The Lord God gave the man this order: You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall die. 

The Lord God said: It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him. So the Lord God formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the air, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever he called each living creature was then its name. 

 

Proverbs 3: 1-18 

My son, do not forget my teaching, take to heart my commands;

For many days, and years of life, and peace, will they bring you.

Do not let love and fidelity forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them in the tablet of your heart.

Then will you win favor and esteem before God and human beings. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely;

In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths. 

Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and turn away from evil;

This will mean health for your flesh and vigor for your bones. 

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with first fruits of all your produce;

Then will your barns be filled with plenty, with new wine your vats will overflow.

The discipline of the Lord, my son, do not spurn; do not disdain his reproof;

For whom the Lord loves he reproves, as a father, the son he favors.

Happy the one who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding!

Her profit is better than profit in silver, and better than gold is her revenue;

She is more precious than corals, and no treasure of yours can compare to her. 

Long life is her right hand, in her left are riches and honor;

Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace;

She is a tree of life to those who grasp her, and those who hold her fast are happy.

 

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

Feb. 22 The finding of the Venerable Relics of the Martyrs of Eugenius

During the persecution against Christians the relics of holy martyrs were usually buried by believers in hidden places. So at Constantinople, near the gates and tower in the Eugenius quarter, the bodies of several martyrs were found. Their names remain unknown by the Church. When miracles of healing began to occur at this spot, the relics of the saints were discovered and transferred to a church with great honor. It was revealed to a pious clergyman, Nicholas Kalligraphos, that among the relics discovered at Eugenius were the relics of the holy Apostle Andronicus of the Seventy and his helper Junia. In the twelfth century, a great domed church was built on the spot where the relics were discovered. This work was undertaken by the emperor Andronicus, whose patron saint was the holy Apostle Andronicus. 

 

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 mighty pillars of faith and martyrs fighting for truth, you endured a host of pain for the sake of Christ, and you lay hidden for so long. Now you have been uncovered like a hidden treasure and are carried into the church by the bishop. You are generous with those who honor you. Therefore, pray for the salvation of our souls.

 

Genesis 1:24 – 2:3

Then God said: let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: tame animals, crawling things, and every kind of wild animal. And so it happened: God made every kind if wild animal, every kind of tame animal, and every kind of thing that crawls on the ground. God saw that it was good. Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth. 

God created mankind in his image;

In the image of God he created them;

Male and female he created them.

God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth. God also said: See, I give you every seed-bearing plant on all the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the wild animals, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the earth, I give all the green plants for food. And so it happened. God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed– the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing; he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.

Proverbs 2: 1-22

My son, if you receive my words and treasure my command,

Turning your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding;

Yes, if you call for intelligence, and to understanding raise your voice;

If you seek her like silver, and like hidden treasure search her out,

Then will you understand the fear of the Lord; the knowledge of God you will find;

For the Lord give wisdom, from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding;

He has success in store for the upright, in the shield of those who walk honestly,

Guarding the paths of justice, protecting the way of his faithful ones, 

Then you will understand what is right and just, what is fair, every good path;

For wisdom will enter your heart, knowing will be at home in your soul, 

Discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you;

Saving you from the way of the wicked, from those whose speech is perverse.

From those who have left the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness,

Who delight in doing evil and celebrate perversity;

Whose ways are crooked whose paths are devious;

Saving you from a stranger, from a foreign woman with her smooth words,

One who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God;

For her path sinks down to death, and her footsteps lead to the shades.

None who enter there come back, or gain the paths of life.

Thus you may walk in the way of the good, and keep to the paths of the just. 

For the upright will dwell in the land, people of integrity will remain in it;

But the wicked will be cut off from the land, the faithless will be rooted out of it. 

Feb. 21 Our Venerable Father Timothy of Symbola; Our Father among the Saints Eustathius, Archbishop of Great Antioch

Our venerable father Timothy of Symbola was of Italian descent. He became a monk at a young age and pursued asceticism at a monastery called “Symbola”, in Asia Minor near Mount Olympus. At that time Theoctistus was the archimandrite of the monastery. St. Timothy was a disciple of Theoctistus and also of St. Platon of the Studion Monastery. He spent many years as a hermit, roaming the wilderness, the mountains and forests, both day and night offering up prayers to the Lord God. He died at a great old age, in the year 795.

Our father among the saints Eustathius, Archbishop of Antioch (323-331) was born in Side, Pamphylia. He was Bishop of Beroa (modern Aleppo), and enjoyed the love and esteem of the people, and at the request of his flock he was elevated by the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council (325) to the See of Antioch. St. Eustathius was the first to preside over the First Ecumenical Council. The Council condemned the heretical teachings of Arius and incorporated the Orthodox confession into the Symbol of Faith (the Nicene Creed). 

 

Troparion

O God of our ancestors, You always deal with us according to your everlasting compassion, take not your mercy away from us; but through the prayers of our ancestors, guide our lives along the ways of peace.

 

Kontakion – Timothy

Rising in the east like a radiant star, you illumine the hearts of the faithful by your miracles. O vessel of miracles, O most blessed Timothy.

 

Kontakion – Eustathius

You preached that the Word had one nature with the Father and the Spirit, O pastor Eustathius. You defeated Arius with the cords of your dogma. You were a heavenly light to the fathers of the Council and have become a champion of the Trinity. As you stand before them, pray for the salvation of our souls. 

 

Genesis 1: 14-23

The God said: Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate the day from night. Let them mark the seasons, the days, and the years, and serve as lights in the dome of the sky, to illuminate the earth. And so it happened: God made two great lights, the greater to govern the day, the lesser one to govern the night, and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky, to illuminate the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from darkness. God saw that it was good. Evening came, and morning followed– the fourth day.

Then God said: Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky. God created the great sea monsters and all kinds of crawling living creatures with which the water teems, and all kinds of winged birds. God saw that it was good, and God blessed them, saying: Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth. Evening came, and morning followed– the fifth day. 

 

Proverbs 1: 20-33

Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the open squares she raises her voice;

Down the crowded ways she calls out, at the city gates she utters her words:

“How long, you naive ones, will you love naivete,

How long will you turn away at my reproof? [The arrogant delight in their arrogance, and fools hate knowledge.] Lo! I will pour out to you my spirit, I will acquaint you with my words:

‘Because I called and you refused, extended my hand and no one took notice;

Because you disdained all my counsel, and my reproof you ignored– 

I, in my turn, will laugh at your doom; will mock when terror overtakes you;

When terror comes upon you like a storm, and you doom approaches like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish befall you.’

Then they will call me, but I will not answer; they will seek me, but will not find me,

Because they hated knowledge, and the fear of the Lord they did not choose.

They ignored my counsel, they spurned all my reproof;

Well, then, they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and with their own devices be glutted.

For the straying of the naive kills them, the smugness of fools destroys them. 

But whoever obeys me dwells in security, in peace, without fear of harm.”

 

Feb. 20 Our Venerable Father Leo, Bishop of Catania

In the town of Catania below the volcanic Mount Ezra, lived our venerable father Leo, a good shepherd and compassionate teacher of the people. He had great concern for the sick and the poor. His zeal for the Faith was as great as his charity toward the less fortunate. A magician named Heliodorus appeared in Catania and deluded the people with various illusions, greatly demoralizing the youth of the town. At one time during divine services, Heliodorus entered the church of God and began his obscenities. St. Leo approached him, tied him to one end of his pallium, and led him to the marketplace. Here Leo ordered that  a large fire be built. When it was raging, Leo stood in the middle of the blaze and pulled Heliodorus into the fire. Heliodorus was completely consumed, but Leo remained alive and unscathed. All who had been bewitched by Heliodorus and who had looked upon him as someone divine, were ashamed. The compassionate and zealous Leo was proclaimed throughout the entire kingdom as a great miracle-worker, who helped men by his shining miracles. St. Leo fell asleep in the Lord around the year 787, and from his relics flowed a healing myrrh. 

 

Troparion

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

 

Kontakion

The Church sees you as a brilliant  light in the heavens, shining more radiantly than the sun. Preserve her unconquered and indestructible to heresy, and keep her ever spotless, O blessed saint, for we honor your memory at all times.

 

Genesis

1: 1-13

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth– and the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters– 

Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good. God then separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Evening came, and morning followed– the first day.

Then God said: Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body from the other. God made the dome, and it separated the water below the dome from the water above the dome. And so it happened. God called the dome “sky.” Evening came, and morning followed– the second day.

Then God said: Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear. And so it happened: the water under the sky was gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared. God called the dry land “earth,” and the basin of water he called “sea.” God saw that it was good. Then God said: Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seeds in it. And so it happened: the earth brought forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree that bears fruit with its seeds in it. God saw that it was good. Evening came, and morning followed– the third day.

 

Proverbs

1: 1-20

The proverbs of Solomon, the Son of David, king of Israel:

That people may know wisdom and discipline, may understand intelligent sayings; 

May receive instruction in wise conduct, in what is right, just, and fair;

That resourcefulness may be imparted to the naive; knowledge and discretion to the young.

The wise by hearing them will advance in learning, the intelligent will gain sound guidance,

To comprehend proverb and byword, the words of the wise and their riddles.

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and reject not your mother’s teaching;

A graceful diadem will they be for your head; a pendant for your neck.

My son, should sinners entice you,

Do not go if they say, “Come along with us! Let us lie in wait for blood, unprovoked, let us trap the innocent;

Let us swallow them alive, like Sheol, whole, like those who do down to the pit!

All kinds of precious wealth shall we gain, we shall fill our houses with booty;

Cast in your lot with us, we shall have one purse!”

My son, do not walk in the way with them, hold back your foot from their path!

For their feet run to evil, they hasten to shed blood.

In vain a net is spread right under the eyes of any bird –

They lie in wait for their own blood, they set a trap for their own lives.

This is the way of everyone greedy for loot: it takes away their lives. 

Wisdom cries out in the street; in the open squares she raises her voice. 

 

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

 

Feb. 19 The Holy Apostle Archippus

St. Archippus, an Apostle of the Seventy, was a student and companion of the holy Apostle Paul. In the Epistle Philemon, Paul mentions St. Archippus as his companion, and mentions him again in the Epistle to the Colossians (Col. 4:17). St. Archippus was bishop of Colossae in Phrygia. During the persecution against Christians under the emperor Nero (54-68), the holy Apostle Archippus, along with his fellow apostles Philemon and Apphia, were brought to trial by the ruler Artocles for confessing faith in Christ. St. Archippus was brutally slashed with knives. Saints Philemon and Apphia were tortured, buried up to the waist, then stoned to death. 

 

Troparion

O holy apostle Archippus, intercede with the all-merciful God that He may grant us forgiveness of our sins.

 

Kontakion

The Church sees you, O Archippus, as a major star, and she has been enlightened by the rays of your miracles. Therefore, she cries out to you: Save those who fervently honor your memory.

 

Epistle

Romans 13:11- 14:4

Brothers and sisters: It is now the hour for you to wake up from sleep, for our salvation is closer than when we first accepted the faith. The night is far spent; the day draws near. Let us cast off deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us live honorably as in daylight; not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual excess and lust, not in quarreling and jealousy. Rather, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Extend a kind welcome to those who are weak in faith. Do not enter into disputes with them. A man of sound faith knows he can eat anything, while one who is weak in faith eats only vegetables. The man who will eat anything must not ridicule him who abstains from certain foods; the man who abstains must not sit in judgment on him who eats. After all, God himself has made him welcome. Who are you to pass judgment on another’s servant? His master alone can judge whether he stands or falls. And stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 

 

Gospel

Matthew 6: 14-21

The Lord said, “If you forgive the faults of others, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours. If you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive you.

“When you fast, you are not to look glum as the hypocrites do. They change the appearance of their faces so that others may see they are fasting. I assure you, they are already repaid. When you fast, see to it that you groom your hair and wash your face. In that way no one can see you are fasting but your Father who is hidden; and your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you. 

“Do not lay up yourselves an earthly treasure. Moths and rust corrode; thieves break in and steal. Make it your practice instead to store up heavenly treasure, which neither moths nor rust corrode nor thieves break in and steal. Remember, where your treasure is, there your heart is also.” 

 

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

 

Sunday Bulletin 2/19/23

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Saturday, Feb. 18  –  All Holy and Ascetical Fathers and Mothers       

5:00 PM          Santa Paula Outreach Divine Liturgy

6:30 PM          Reader Vespers

Sunday, Feb. 19  – Cheesefare Sunday        

8:30 AM          Matins

9:30 AM          Divine Liturgy

12:00 PM        Forgiveness Vespers

Monday, Feb. 20  –  Leo, Bishop (First day of the Great Fast)       

8:30 AM          Morning Prayer

4:00 PM          Evening Prayer

5:30 PM          Akathist* for those suffering Addictions & Mental Illness

Wednesday, Feb. 22  –  Finding of the Relics of the Martyrs of Eugenia   

8:30 AM          Morning Prayer

9:30 AM          Photina Prayer Walk

6:30 PM          Presanctified Divine Liturgy

7:45 PM          Firepit Social

Friday, Feb. 24  –  Eramus, Venerable            

6:15 PM          Santa Paula Outreach Presanctified DL

Saturday, Feb. 25  –  Commemoration of the Miracle of the Great-Martyr Theodore        

5:00 PM          Santa Paula Outreach Divine Liturgy

Sunday, Feb. 26  –  1st Sunday of the Great Fast          

8:30 AM          Matins

9:30 AM          Divine Liturgy 

*Add first names to this prayer service by emailing niemirick@gmail.com

MYSTERY OF REPENTANCE (Confession)

St. Mary’s: Sundays 8:45 AM or by appointment

Santa Paula: Saturdays 4:15 PM or by appointment

PRAYER REQUESTS

(Please resubmit or submit names to admin@ByzantineLA.com)

The Carlin Family, Michael Hefferon, Shirley Kunze, Michael Mina, Peter Mina, Fr, John Mina, Mila Mina, Lana Zimmerman, Patrick Zimmerman, Shannon O’Neill, Fern Bonowicz, All the sick and suffering of St. Mary’s

WEEKLY DEPOSIT:

Collection: $3,281.00; Online: $380.00; Santa Paula: $1,125.00; Candles: $58.00; Parish Charity Fund: $250.00

Total: $5,094.00 / Attendance – PSM: 65  

 

The Holy and Great Fast

The Great Fast is our penitential preparation for the great feast of Pascha (Passover). As such, it is one of the most ancient parts of our liturgical year. Its forty days symbolize the forty years the Israelites wandered in the desert, while the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified gifts is the fulfillment of the promise of manna, as St. John wrote, “So Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave bread from heaven; my Father gives you the most true bread from heaven. (John 6:32)” In the Great Fast, we imitate Jesus our Lord, who fasted for forty days in the desert following his baptism. Our observance of the Great Fast, therefore, is our renewal of our baptismal fervor.

During the First Week of the Great Fast, abstinence from meat, fish, dairy products, alcohol, and foods cooked in oil was prescribed for all days, except days of mitigation. All Saturdays and Sundays, February 24, March 9, Wednesday to Friday of the 5th Week, the Prefestive Days and Leave-taking of Annunciation (March 25), and Palm Sunday were general mitigations. The Ruthenian Metropolia prescribes strict abstinence (from meat and dairy products) on the First Monday of the Great Fast (Clean Monday, Feb. 20) and on Good Friday (Apr. 7), and abstinence from meat on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the Great Fast. The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom or of St. Basil the Great is not to be celebrated from Monday to Friday of the Great Fast. Rather than the Divine Liturgy, the Office of the Presanctified Gifts, preferably celebrated in the evening, is prescribed for the ordinary weekdays of the Great Fast.                                  From the Typicon

 

“Where your treasure is, your heart will be also”. It is easy to mistake what our true treasure is, and we need wisdom and insight to see clearly. In today’s kontakion we sing that God is the “guide to wisdom and giver of insight”. Is he guiding you to a vocation to the religious or ordained life? As you pray and seek wisdom, consider contacting the Vocations Office at 206-329-9219 or email: vocations@ephx.org

Feb. 18 Our Father among the Saints Leo, Pope of Rome

Our holy father Leo, Pope of Rome who was born in Etruria [Tuscany], first stood out as a diligent deacon of Rome. He was then elevated to the chair of Peter, where rightly and by his  merit he deserved to be called “the Great.” He nourished his flock by his excellent and prudent discourse. He exerted all his influence to put an end to the unrest by the heretics in the Church, and by his letters to the holy emperors Theodosius II (408-450) and Marcia (450-457), he actively promoted the convening of the Fourth Ecumenical council in 451, to condemn the heresy of the Monophysites. At the Council, at which 630 bishops were present, a letter of St. Leo wrote to the deceased Saint Flavian, Patriarch of Constantinople was read. Saint Flavian had suffered for orthodoxy under the “Robber Council” of Ephesus In the year 49. And the letter of Saint Theo the orthodox teaching about the two natures in the Lord Jesus Christ was that fourth. All bishops present at the council were in agreement with this teaching and saw the Heretics Eutyche, Discorus were excommunicated from the church. He rested in the Lord at Rome, where he was buried on this day (471). 

 

Troparion

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

 

Kontakion

O glorious Leo, when you rose to the episcopal see, you stopped the mouths of lions by exposing your flock with the knowledge of God. Therefore, you were glorified, O contemplator of things divine.

 

Epistle

Romans 14: 19-23, 16: 25-27

Brothers and sisters: Let us, then, make it our aim to work for peace and to strengthen one another. Take care not to destroy God’s work for the sake of something to eat. True, all foods are clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat when the food offends his conscience. You would be acting nobly if you abstained from eating meat, or drinking wine, or anything else that offers your brother an occasion for stumbling or scandal, or that weakens him in any way. Use the faith you have as your rule of life in the sight of God. Happy the man whose conscience does not condemn what he has chosen to do! But if a man eats when his conscience has misgivings about eating, he is already condemned, because he is not acting in accordance with what he believes. Whatever does not accord with one’s beliefs is sinful.

Now to him who is able to strengthen you in the gospel which I proclaim when I preach Jesus Christ, the gospel which reveals the mystery hidden for many ages but now manifested through the writings of the prophets, and, at the command of the eternal God, made known to all the Gentiles that they may believe and obey – to him, the God who alone is wise, may glory be given through Jesus Christ unto endless ages. Amen.

 

Gospel

Matthew 6: 1-13

The Lord saint, “Be on guard against performing religious acts for people to see. Otherwise expect no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, for example, do not blow a horn before you in synagogues and streets like hypocrites looking for applause. You can be sure of this much, they are already repaid. In giving alms you are noy to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Keep your deeds of mercy secret and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you are praying, do not behave like the hypocrites who love to stand and pray in the synagogues or on the street corners in order to be noticed. I give you my word, they are already repaid. Whenever you pray, go to your room, close your door, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees what no man sees, will repay you. In your prayer do not rattle on like the pagans. They think they will win a hearing by sheer multiplication of words. Do not imitate them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This is how you are to pray:’Our Father in heaven hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us the wrong we have done as we forgive those who wrong us. Subject us not to the trial but deliver us from the evil one.’”

 

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

 

Feb. 17 The Holy Great Martyr Theodore the Recruit

The holy Great martyr Theodore the Recruit (Tyro) was a soldier in the city of Alasium of the Pontine district (a northeastern province of Asia Minor along the Black Sea), under command of a certain Brincus. They commanded him to offer sacrifice to idols. St. Theodore firmly confessed his faith in Christ the Savior in a loud voice. The commander gave him several days to think it over, during which time St.Theodore prayed.  They charged him with setting the pagan temple on fire, and threw him into prison to starve to death. The Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him there, comforting and encouraging him. Brought to the governor, St. Theodore boldly and fearlessly confessed his faith, for which he was subjected to new torments and condemned to burning. The martyr Theodore climbed onto the fire without hesitation, and with prayer gave up his holy soul to God in 306. 

 

Troparion

Marvels  of faith! The holy martyr Theodore rejoiced amid the licking flames, just as if he were splashing in cool water. Made a holocaust in the fire, he was offered like sweetbreads to the Trinity. Save our souls through his prayers, O Christ our God. 

 

Kontakion

Believing in Christ with all your might, you struck a mighty blow to the enemy. You received an eternal crown of glory, O long-suffering and victorious Theodore. 

The Friday of Cheesefare week is an aliturgical day.

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

 

Feb. 16 The Holy Martyrs the Presbyter Pamphilius, Porphyrius, and their Companions

The holy martyrs: the presbyter Pamphilius, Porphyry, and their companions, who received the crowns of martyrdom: Pamphilus the priest; Valentine, a deacon of Jerusalem; Paul, born in the city of Jamnia, who passed two years in prison; Porphyry, a servant of Pamphilus; Seleucus the Cappadocian, who was of high military rank; Theodulus, an old man from the family of the governor Firmilian; and finally, Julian the Cappadocian, who, coming from abroad that very same hour, when he kissed the martyrs’ bodies, was accused of being a Christian and ordered by the governor to be burned over a slow fire. 

 

Troparion

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

 

Kontakion

The courageous martyrs of Christ went with joy and unbending determination to the frightful tortures prepared for them from which they obtained eternal glory. They are constantly interceding for us who praise their struggle.

 

Epistle 

Jude 1: 11-25

[The godless people] have taken the road Cain took, They have abandoned themselves to Balaam’s error for pay, and like Korah they perish in rebellion. These men are blotches on your Christian banquets. They join your solemn feasts without shame and only look after themselves. They are blown on the wind like clouds that bring no rain. Like trees at the year’s end when they bear no fruit, being dead and uprooted. They are wild ocean waves, splashing their shameless deeds abroad like foam, or shooting stars for whom the thick gloom of darkness has been reserved forever. It was about these that Enoch who was of the seventh generation descended from Adam, prophesied when he said, “See, the Lord has come with his countless holy ones about him to pass judgment on all men, indicting the godless for every evil deed they have done, and convicting those godless sinners of every harsh word they have uttered against him.”

These men are grumblers and whiners. They live by their passions, uttering bombast. Whenever it is expedient, they resort to flattery. Remember, beloved, all of you, the prophetic words of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how they kept telling you, “In the last days there will be impostors living by their godless passions.” These sensualists, devoid of the Spirit, are causing division among you. 

But you, beloved, grow strong in your holy faith through prayer in the Holy Spirit. Persevere in God’s love, and welcome the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which leads to life eternal. Correct those who are confused; the others you must rescue, snatching them from the fire. Even with those you pity, be on your guard; abhor so much as their flesh-stained clothing. 

There is One who can protect you from a fall and make you stand unblemished and exultant in the presence of his glory. Glory be to this only God our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Majesty, too, be his, might and power from ages past, now and for ages to come. Amen.   

 

Gospel 

Luke 23: 1-34, 44-56

At that time the assembly rose up and led Jesus before Pilate. They started his prosecution by saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, opposing payment of taxes to Caesar, and calling himself the Messiah, a king.” Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “That is your term.” Pilate reported to the chief priests and the crowds, “I do not find a case against this man.” But they insisted, “He stirs up the people by his teaching throughout the whole of Judea, from Galilee, where he began, to this very place.” On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean; and when he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who also happened to be in Jerusalem at the time. 

Herod was extremely pleased to see Jesus. From the reports about him he was hoping to see him work some miracle. Herod questioned Jesus at considerable length, but Jeus made no answer. The chief priests and scribes were at hand to accuse him vehemently. Herod and his guards treated him with contempt and insult, after which they put a magnificent robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. Herod and Pilate, who had previously been set against each other, became friends from that day.

Pilate then called together the chief priests, the ruling class, and the people, and said to them: “You have brought this man before me as one who subverts the people. I have examined him in your presence and have no charges against him arising from your allegations. Neither has Herod, who therefore has sent him back to us; obviously this man has done nothing that calls for death. Therefore I mean to release him, once I have taught him a lesson.” The whole crowd cried out, “Away with this man; release Barabbas for us!” This Barabbas had been thrown in prison for causing an uprising in the city, and for murder. Pilate addressed them again, for he wanted Jesus to be the one he released. 

But they shouted back, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them for the third time, “What wrong is this man guilty of? I have not discovered anything about him that calls for the death penalty. I will therefore chastise him and release him.” But they demanded with loud cries that Jesus be crucified, and their shouts increased in violence. Pilate then decreed that what they demanded should be done. He released the one they asked for, who had been thrown in prison for insurrection and murder, and delivered Jesus up to their wishes.

As they lead Jesus away, they laid hold of one Simon the Cyrenean who was coming in from the fields. They put a crossbeam on Simon’s shoulder for him to carry along behind Jesus. A great crowd of people followed him, including women who beat their breasts and lamented over him. Jesus turned to them and said: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me. Weep for yourselves and for your children. The days are coming when they will say, ‘Happy are the sterile, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.’ Then they will begin saying to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ If they do these things in the green wood, what will happen in the dry?”

Two others who were criminals were led along with Jesus to be crucified. When they came to Skull Place, as it was called, they crucified him there and the criminals as well, one on his right and the other on his left. [Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.”]

It was now around midday, and darkness came over the whole land until midafternoon with an eclipse of the sun. The curtain in the sanctuary was torn in two. Jesus uttered a loud cry and said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” After he said this, he expired. The centurion, upon seeing what had happened, gave glory to God by saying, “Surely this was an innocent man.” When the crows which had assembled for this spectacle saw what had happened, they went home beating their breasts. All his friends and the women who had accompanied him from Galilee were standing at a distance watching everything.  

There was a man named Joseph, an upright and holy member of the Sanhedrin, who had not been associated with their plan or their action. He was from Arimathea, a Jewish town, and he looked expectantly for the reign of God. This man approached Pilate with a request for the body of Jesus. He took it down, wrapped it in fine linen, and placed it in a tomb hewn out of the rock, in which no one had yet been buried. 

That was the Day of Preparation, and the sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed along behind, They saw the tomb and how his body was buried. Then they went home to prepare spices and perfumes. They observed the sabbath as a day of rest, in accordance with the law. 

 

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

 

Feb. 15 The Holy Apostle Onesimus

The holy apostle Onesimus was one of the Seventy Apostles. He was a slave but transgressed against his master and fled to Rome. There he heard the Gospel from Apostle Paul and was baptized. Later, Onesimus was consecrated a bishop by the apostles themselves, and he accepted the episcopal throne at Ephesus at the death of the Apostle Timothy. At the time of Trajan’s persecution, Onesimus, already an old man, was arrested and brought to Rome. In Rome Onesimus gave an account of himself before the judge Tertulus, and he was imprisoned and finally beheaded. A wealthy woman removed his body, placed it in a silver coffin and buried it honorably in the year 109.  

 

Troparion

O holy Apostle Onesimus, intercede with the merciful God that He may grant our souls forgiveness of sins. 

 

Kontakion

You came upon the world like a radiant glow, and you shine with the rays of the sun, O blessed saint. You followed the illumined world of blessed Paul, and for this we honor you, O glorious Onesimus.

 

Wednesday of Cheesefare week is an aliturgical day. 

 

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