The Holy Apostle James, son of Zebedee, was the brother of St. John the Theologian, and one of the Twelve Apostles. He and his brother, St. John, were called to be Apostles by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who called them the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). It was this James, with John and Peter, who witnessed the Raising of the daughter of Jairus, the Lord’s Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, and His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. After the Descent of the Holy Spirit, St. James preached in Spain and other lands before returning to Jerusalem. He openly and boldly preached Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, and he denounces the Pharisees and the Scribes with the words of Holy Scripture, reproaching them for their malice of heart and unbelief.

Troparion

You were an apostle of Christ and the beloved of John. O praiseworthy James, obtain absolution for those who sing the praises of your memory and find mercy for our souls. 

Kontakion

O glorious James, when you heard the Divine Word calling you, you put aside your love for your father and hurried to Christ with your brother, John. Therefore, both of you were made worthy to see the divine Transfiguration of the Lord. 

Readings for the saint

Epistle

Acts 12: 1-11

    In those days King Herod started to harass some of the members of the church. He beheaded James the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased certain Jews, he took Peter into custody too. During the Feast of Unleavened Bread he had Peter arrested and thrown into prison with four squads of soldiers to guard him. Herod intended to bring him before the people after the Passover. Peter was thus detained in prison, while the church prayed fervently to God on his behalf. During the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened in double chains, while guards kept watch at the door. Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood nearby and light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him. “Hurry, get up!” the angel said. With that, the chains dropped from Peter’s wrists. The angel said, “Put on your belt and your sandals!” This Peter did. Then the angel told him, “Now put on your cloak and follow me.”

    Peter followed the angel out, but with no clear realization that this was taking place through the angel’s help. The whole thing seemed to him a mirage. They passed the first guard, then the second, and finally came to the iron gate leading out to the city, which opened for them of itself. They emerged and made their way down a narrow alley, when suddenly the angel left him. Peter had recovered his senses by this time, and said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel to rescue me from Herod’s clutches and from all the Jews hoped for.”

Gospel

Luke 5: 1-11

    At that time as Jesus stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd pressed in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats moored by the side of the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to pull out a short distance from the shore; then, remaining seated, he continued to teach the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we have been hard at it all night long and have caught nothing; but if you say so, I will lower the nets.” Upon doing this they caught such a great number of fish that their nets were at the breaking point. They signaled to their mates in the other boats to come and help them. These came, and together they filled the two boats until they nearly sank.

    At the sight of this, Simone Peter fell at the knees of Jesus saying, “Leave me, Lord. I am a sinful man.” For indeed, amazement at the catch they had made seized him and all his shipmates, as well as James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching men.” With that they brought their boats to land, left everything, and became his followers. 

Readings for the day

Epistle

Acts 5: 21-33

    In those days, the apostles went into the temple at dawn and resumed their teaching. When the priest and his supporters arrived they convoked the Sanhedrin, the full council of the elders of Israel. They sent word to the jail that the prisoners were to be brought in. But when the temple guard got to the jail they could not find them, and hurried back with the report, “We found the jail securely locked and the guards at their posts outside the gates, but when we opened it we found no one inside.”

    On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the high priests did not know what to make of the affair. Someone then came up to them, pointing out, “Look, there! Those men you put in jail are standing over there in the temple, teaching the people.” At that, the captain went off with the guard and brought them in, but without any show of force, for fear of being stoned by the crowd. When they let them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest began the interrogation in this way: “We gave you strict orders not to teach about that name, yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for that man’s blood.” To this, Peter and the apostles replied: “Better for us to obey God than men! The God of our fathers has raised up Jesus whom you put to death, hanging him on a tree. He whom God has exalted at his right hand as ruler and Savior is to bring repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. We testify to this. So too does the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those that obey him.” When the Sanhedrin heard this, they were stung to fury and wanted to kill them.

Gospel

John 6: 14-27

    At that time when the people saw the sign Jesus had performed they began to say, “this is undoubtedly the prophet who is to come into the world.” At that, Jesus realized that they would come and carry him off to make him king, so he fled back to the mountain alone.

    As evening drew on, his disciples came down to the lake. They embarked, intending to cross the lake toward Capernaum. By this time it was dark, and Jesus had still not joined them; moreover, with a strong wind blowing the sea was becoming rough. Finally, when they had a road three or 4 miles, they say to Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water. They were frightened, but he told them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” They wanted to take him into the boat, but suddenly it came aground on the shore they had been approaching.

    The crowd remained on the other side of the lake. The next day they realized that there had been only one boat there and that Jesus had not left in it with his disciples; rather, they had set out by themselves. Then some boats came out from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. Once the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there they too embarked in the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

    When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them: “I assure you, you are not looking for me because you have seen signs but because you have eaten your fill of the loaves. You should not be working for perishable food but for food that remains unto life eternal, food which the Son of Man will give you; it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.”

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

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 5: 1-11

    In those days, a man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property. With the connivance of his wife he put aside a part of the proceeds for himself; the rest he took and laid at the feet of the apostles. Peter exclaimed:” Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart so as to make you lie to the Holy Spirit and keep for yourself some of the proceeds from that field? Was it not yours so long as it remained unsold? Even when you sold it, was not the money still yours? How could you ever concoct such a scheme? You have lied not to men but to God!” At the sound of these words, Ananias fell dead. Great fear came upon all who later heard of it. Some of the young men came forward, wrapped up the body, and carried it out for burial. Three hours later Ananias’ wife came in, unaware of what had happened. Peter said to her, “Tell me, did you sell that piece of property for such and such an amount?” She answered, “Yes, that was the sum.” Peter replied, “How could you two scheme to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? The footsteps of these men who have just buried your husband can be heard at the door. They stand ready to carry you out too.” At that, she fell dead at his feet. The young men came in, found her dead, and carried her out for burial beside her husband. Great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard it.  

Gospel

John 5: 30-47, 6: 1-2

    The Lord said, “I cannot do anything myself. I judge as I hear and my judgment is honest because I am not seeking my own will but the will of him who sent me. If I witness on my own behalf, you cannot verify my testimony; but there is another who is testifying on my behalf, and the testimony he renders me I know can be verified. You have sent to John, who has testified to the truth. (Not that I myself accept such human testimony – I refer to these things only for your salvation.)

    “He was the lamp, set aflame and burning bright, and for a while you exulted willingly in his light. Yet I have testimony greater than John’s, namely, the works the Father has given me to accomplish. These works which I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. Moreover, the Father who sent me has himself given testimony on my behalf. His voice you have heard, his form you have never seen, neither do you have his word abiding in your hearts because you do not believe the One he has sent. Search the Scriptures in which you think you have eternal life — they also testify on my behalf. Yet you are unwilling to come to me to possess that life.

    “ It is not that I accept human praise — it is simply that I know you, and you do not have the love of God in your heart. I have come in my Father’s name, yet you do not accept me. But let someone come in his own name and him you will accept. How can people like you believe, when you accept praise from one another you do not seek the glory that comes from the One (God)? Do not imagine that I will be your accuser before the Father; the one to accuse you is Moses on whom you have such your hopes. If you believed Moses you would then believe me, for it was about me that he wrote. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how can you believe what I say?”

Later on, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee to the shores of Tiberias; a vast crowd kept following him because they saw the signs he was performing for the sick. 

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

The holy apostles Jason and Sosipater were disciples of St. Paul during the reign of the emperor Nero. They are mentioned in Romans 16:21 by Paul, who calls them his kinsmen. Jason was the first bishop of Tarsus, and Sosipater the first bishop of Iconium. 

The holy martyrs Dadas, Maximus, and Quintillian were, at Dorostrorus in Moesia, were martyrs in the persecution of the emperor Diocletian in the fourth century.

Troparion for the Apostles

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

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. 

Kontakion for the Apostles

By your message you became lights of the world, O holy Jason and blessed Sosipater. Save those who cherish your memory. 

Kontakion for the Martyrs

You endured agony with courage, and the devil could not prevail over you. O martyrs equal to the angels in honor, the whole world honors your sufferings and pains. By them you have been exalted. 

Epistle

Acts 4: 23-31

    In those days, after being released (from court), Peter and John went back to their own people and told them what the priests and elders had said. All raised their voices in prayer to God on hearing the story: “Sovereign Lord, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them, you have said by the Holy Spirit through the lips of our father David your servant: ‘Why did Gentiles rage, the peoples conspire in folly? The kings of the earth were aligned, and the princes gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.’ Indeed, they gathered in this very city against your holy Servant, Jesus, whom you anointed– Herod and Pontius Pilate in league with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel. They have brought about the very things which in your powerful providence you planned long ago. But now, O Lord, look at the threats they are leveling against us. Grant to your servants, even as they speak your words, complete assurance by stretching forth your hands in cures and signs and wonders to be worked in the name of Jesus, your holy Servant.”

    The place where they gathered shook as they prayed. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s word with confidence. 

Gospel

John 5: 24-30

    The Lord said, “I solemnly assure you, the man who hears my word and has faith in him who sent me possesses eternal life. He does not come under condemnation, but has passed from death to life. I solemnly assure you, an hour is coming, has indeed come, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who have heeded it shall live. Indeed, just as the Father possesses life in himself, so has he granted to the Son to have life in himself. The Father has given over to him power to pass judgment because he is Son of Man; no need for you to be surprised at this, for an hour is coming in which all those in their tombs shall hear his voice and come forth. Those who have done right shall rise to live; the evildoers shall rise to be damned. I cannot do anything myself. I judge as I hear and my judgment is honest because I am not seeking my own will but the will of him who sent me.”

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

The holy bishop-martyr Simeon, cousin of our Lord, who, as it is said, was a son of Cleophas and a relative of the Savior according to the flesh. Ordained bishop of Jerusalem after James, the brother of the Lord, he was afflicted with many tortures in the persecution of the emperor Trajan. As an old man, he was crowned  by the martyrdom of the cross. 

Our Venerable father Stephen, Bishop of Vladimir in Volhynia, was a disciple of St. Theodosius of the Caves in Kyiv. He labored greatly for the regulation and organization of the monastic life. He was driven from the monastery by false accusations, but God proved him innocent. He was made bishop of Vladimir, and served into old age until his death in 1094. 

Troparion

We praise you as a model for priests and a relative of the Lord, O Simeon. You kept the faith, and as a martyr you smashed the webs of lies. Celebrating your all-holy memory, we seek absolution of our sins through you. 

Kontakion

Today the Church obtains a brilliant star in the person of Simeon, a perfect teacher of the things of God. Enlightened by him, she cries out: Rejoice, O holy martyr.

Epistle

Acts 4: 13-22

    In those days, observing the self-assurance of Peter and John, and realizing that the speakers were uneducated men of no standing, the leaders, the elders, and the scribes were amazed. Then they recognized these men as having been with Jesus. When they saw the man who has been cured standing there with Peter and John, they could think of nothing to say, so they ordered them out of the court while they held a consultation. “What shall we do with these men? Everyone who lives in Jerusalem knows what a remarkable show of power took place through them. We cannot deny it. To stop this from spreading further among the people we must give them a stern warning never to mention that man’s name to anyone again.” So they called them back and made it clear that under no circumstances were they to speak the name of Jesus or teach about him. Peter and John answered, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight for us to obey you rather than God. Surely we cannot help speaking of what we have heard and seen.” At that point they were dismissed with further warnings. The court could find no way to punish them because of the people, all of whom were praising God for what had happened. The fact was, the man thus miraculously cured was more than forty years of age. 

Gospel

John 5: 17-24

    The Lord said, “My Father is at work until now, and I am at work as well.” The reason why the Jews were even more determined to kill him was that he not only was breaking the sabbath but, worse still, was speaking of God as his own Father, thereby making himself God’s equal.

    This was Jesus’ answer: “I solemnly assure you, the Son cannot do anything by himself – he can do only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and everything the Father does he shows him. Yes, to your great wonderment, he will show him even greater works than these. Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and grants life, so the Son grants life to those whom he wishes. The Father himself judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, so that all men may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who refuses to honor the Son refuses to honor the Father who sent him. I solemnly assure you, the man who hears my word and has faith in him who sent me possesses eternal life. He does not come under condemnation, but has passed from death to life.” 

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

The Hieromartyr Basil, Bishop of Amasea, lived at the beginning of the fourth century in the Pontine city of Amasea. He encouraged and comforted the Christians suffering persecution by the pagans. During this time the Eastern part of the Roman Empire was ruled by Licinius (311-324), the brother-in-law of the holy emperor Constantine the Great. Licinius deceitfully signed St. Constantine’s Edict of Milan (313), which granted religious toleration to Christians but he hated them and continued to persecute them. 

Troparion

O holy priest-martyr Basil, 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

By disobeying the edict of the king, you gained heaven. As you now raise your song there, remember us who commemorate you, O priest-martyr Basil. 

Epistle

Acts 4: 1-10

    In those days, while Peter and John were still addressing the crowd, the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees came up to them, angry because they were teaching the people and proclaiming the resurrection of the dead in the person of Jesus. It was evening by now, so they arrested them and put them in jail for the night. Despite this, many of those who had heard the speech believed; the number of men came to about five thousand. 

    When the leaders, the elders, and the scribes assembled the next day in Jerusalem, Annas the high priest, Caisphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly class were there. They brought Peter and John before them and began the interrogation in this fashion: “By what power or in whose name have men of your stripe done this?”

    Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke up: “Leaders of the people! Elders! If we must answer today for a good deed done to cripple and explain how he was restored to health, then you and all the people of Israel must realize that it was done in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead. In the power of that name this man stands before you perfectly sound.”

Gospel

John 3: 16-21

    The Lord said, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him may not die but may have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him avoids condemnation, but whoever does not believe is already condemned for not believing in the name of God’s only Son. The judgement of condemnation is this: the light came into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were wicked. Everyone who practices evil hates the light; he does not come near it for fear his deeds will be exposed, But he who acts in truth comes into the light, to make clear that his deeds are done in God.”

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

The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, also known as John Mark (Acts 12:12), was one of the Seventy Apostles, and also the nephew of St. Barnabas. He was born in Jerusalem. The house of his mother Mary adjoined the Garden of Gethsemane. After the Ascension of the Lord, the mouse of his mother Mary became a place where Christians gathered, and a place of lodging for some of the Apostles (Acts 12:12). St. Mark was a very close companion of the Apostles Peter and Paul and Barnabas. St. Mark was at Seleucia with Paul and Barnabas, and from there he set off to the island of Cyprus, and he traversed the whole of it from east to west. In the city of Paphos, St. Mark witnessed the blinding of the sorcerer Elymas by St. Paul (Acts 13: 6-12). After working with the Apostle Paul, St. Mark returned to Jerusalem, and then went to Rome with the Apostle Peter. From there, he set out for Egypt, where he established a local Church. Finally, he founded the Church of Alexandria. 

Troparion

You became an apostle to Christ through the teaching of Peter, and you traveled like the sun over foreign lands. You fathered the Alexandrians in Christ, O blessed saint, and, by you, Egypt was set free from her mistakes. You guide us all like a beacon, O Mark, voice of God. You are a pillar of the Church by your gospel teaching. We rejoice in this and keep your memory. Intercede with God, who proclaims the Gospel through you, to forgive us our many sins.

Kontakion

Receiving the grace of the Spirit from heaven, you silenced the babble of the orators, O apostle. You attracted the pagans by preaching of the Gospel and led them to your Master, O blessed Mark.

Readings for the saint

Epistle

1st Peter 5: 6-14

    Brothers and sisters: Bow humbly under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time he may lift you high. Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you. Stay sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, solid in your faith, realizing that the brotherhood of believers is undergoing the same sufferings throughout the world. The God of all grace, who called you to his everlasting glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish those who have suffered a little while. Dominion be his throughout the ages! Amen.

    I am writing briefly through Silvanus, whom I take to be a faithful brother to you. Herewith are expressed my encouragement and my testimony that this is the true grace of God. Be steadfast in it. The church that is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greeting, as does Mark my son. Greet one another with the embrace of true love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. 

Gospel

Mark 6: 7-13

    At that time Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing on the journey but a walking stick–no food, no traveling bag, not a coin in the purse in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals. “Do not bring a second tunic,” he said, and added: “Whatever house you find yourself in, stay there until you leave the locality. If any place will not receive you or hear you, shake your dust from your feet in testimony against them as you leave.” With that they went off, preaching the need of repentance. They expelled many demons, anointed the sick with oil, and worked many cures. 

Readings for the day

Epistle

Acts 3: 19-26

    In those days, Peter addressed the people: “Reform your lives! Turn to God, that your sins may be wiped away! Thus may a season of refreshment be granted to you by the Lord when he sends you Jesus, already designated as your Messiah. Jesus must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration which God spoke of long ago through his holy prophets.” For Moses said: ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own kinsmen: you shall listen to him in everything he says to you. Anyone who does not listen to that prophet shall be ruthlessly cut off from the people.’

“Moreover, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel onward, have announced the events of these days. You are the children of those prophets, you are the heirs of the covenant God made with your fathers when he said to Abraham, ‘In your offspring, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him to you first to bless you by turning you from your evil ways.”

Gospel

John 2: 1-11

    At that time there was a wedding feast at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had likewise been invited to celebration. At a certain point the wine ran out, and Jesus’ mother told him, “There is no more wine.” Jesus replied, “Woman, how does this concern of yours involve me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother instructed those waiting on table, “Do whatever he tells you.” As prescribed for Jewish ceremonial washings, there were at hand six stone water jars, each one holding fifteen to twenty-five gallons. “Fill those jars with water,” Jesus ordered, at which they filled them to the brim. “Now,” he said, “draw some out and take it to the waiter in charge.”They did as he instructed them. The waiter in charge tasted the water made wine, without knowing where it had come from; only the waiters knew, since they had drawn the water. Then the waiter in charge called the groom over and remarked to him: “People usually serve the choice wine first; then when the guests have been drinking awhile, a lesser vintage. What you have done is keep the choice wine until now.” Jesus performed this first of his signs at Cana in Galilee. Thus did he reveal his glory, and his disciples believed in him. 

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

St. Sabbas Stratelates came from a Gothic tribe. For his bravery, he attained the high rank of military commander, or “stratelates,” and he served under the Roman emperor Aurelian (270-275). From his youth, Sabbas was a Christian and he fervently followed the commands of Christ. He helped the needy, and visited Christians in prison. Because of his pure and virtuous life, the saint received from the Lord the gift of wonderworking, healing the sick, and cast out demons in the name of Christ. When the emperor learned that St. Sabbas was a Christian, he demanded that he apostatize. The martyr threw down his military belt and declared that he would not forsake his faith. They beat him, burned him with torches, and threw him into a cauldron with tar, but the martyr remained unharmed. Looking in at his torments, seventy soldiers came to believe in Christ. They were beheaded by the sword. St. Sabbas was thrown in prison. At midnight, while he was praying, Christ appeared before the martyr and shone on him the light of His Glory. The Savior bade him not to fear, but to stand firm. Encouraged, the Martyr Sabbas underwent new torture in the morning and was drowned in a river in 272.

Troparion

Casting off the robes of dignity and honor, O martyr, you confessed Christ before the torturer, the evil king. For this you were subjected to great sufferings, O glorious one, and you obtained a crown of victory from the King of all. You have been placed among heaven’s legions. Therefore, pray for the salvation of our souls, O Sabbas.

Kontakion

Showing yourself an invincible Goth, you slayed the barbarians. Enduring a martyrdom of extreme cruelty, you crushed legions of unseen devils. You assumed a crown of victory, O blessed Sabbas, and we ask you to intercede with Christ for us.

Epistle

Acts 5: 12-20

    In those days, through the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders occurred among the people. By mutual agreement, they used to meet in Solomon’s Portico. No one else dared to join them, despite the fact that the people held them in great esteem. Nevertheless more and more be;ievers, men and women in great numbers, were continually added to the Lord. The people carried the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mattresses, so that when Peter passed by at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them. Crowds from the towns around Jerusalem would gather, too, bringing their sick and those who were troubled by unclean spirits, all of whom were cursed.

The high priest and all his supporters (that is, the party of Sadducees), filled with jealousy, arrested the apostles and threw them into the public jail. During the night, however, an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the jail, led them forth, and said, “Go out now and take your place in the temple precincts and preach to the people all about this new life.” 

Gospel

John 20: 19-31

    On the evening of that first day of the week, even though the disciples had locked the doors of the place where they were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood before them. “Peace be with you,” he said. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. At the sight of the Lord the disciples rejoiced. “Peace be with you,” he said again.

    “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Then he breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound.” 

    It happened that one of the Twelve, Thomas (the name means, “Twin”), was absent when Jesus came. The other disciples kept telling him: “We have seen the Lord!” His answer was, “I will never believe it without probing the nailprints in his hands, without putting my finger in the nailmarks and my hand into his side.”

    A week later, the disciples were once more in the room, and this time Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors, Jesus came and stood before them. “Peace be with you,” he said to them; then, to Thomas: “Take your finger and examine my hands. Put your hand into my side. Do not persist in your unbelief, but believe!” Thomas said in response, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus then said to him: “You became a believer because you saw me. Blest are they who have not seen and have believed.”

    Jesus performed many other signs as well – signs not recorded here – in the presence of his disciples. But these have been recorded to help you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, so that through his faith you may have life in his name. 

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

The Holy Great Martyr George the Victory-Bearer was a native of Cappadocia (a district in Asia Minor), and he grew up in a deeply believing Christian family. When he became a man, St. George entered into the service of the Roman army. He was handsome, brave and valiant in battle, and came to be noticed by the emperor Diocletian (284-305) and joined the imperial guard with the rank of comites, or military commander. Following the advice of the Senate at Nicodemedia, Diocletian gave all his governors full freedom in their court proceedings against Christians, and he promised them his full support. St. George, when he heard the decision of the emperor, distributed all his wealth to the poor, freed his servants, and then appeared in the Senate. The brave soldier of Christ spoke out openly against the emperor’s designs. He confessed himself a Christian, and appealed to all to acknowledge Christ: “I am a servant of Christ, my God, and trusting Him, I have come among you voluntarily, to bear witness concerning the Truth.” After many tortures and miraculous reprieves, St. George was finally beheaded after revealing the Truth of Christ to many, including the Empress Alexandra, who was martyred with him in the year 303.

Troparion

You fought the good fight with faith, O George, a martyr of Christ. You exposed the perversion of the persecutors and offered an acceptable sacrifice to God. Therefore, you also received a crown of victory and through your prayers, O holy one, obtained the forgiveness of sins for all. 

Kontakion

Reared by God, you were a noble sower of piety, harvesting sheaves of virtue. You sowed in tears but reaped in joy; and having honorably fought and given your blood, you were received by Christ. Through your prayers, O holy one, obtain the forgiveness of sins for all. 

Readings for the saint

Epistle

Acts 12: 1-11

    In those days King Herod started to harass some of the members of the church. He beheaded James the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased certain Jews, he took Peter into custody too. During the Feast of Unleavened Bread he had Peter arrested and thrown into prison with four squads of soldiers to guard him. Herod intended to bring him before the people after the Passover. Peter was thus detained in prison, while the church prayed fervently to God on his behalf. During the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened in double chains, while guards kept watch at the door. Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood nearby and light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him. “Hurry, get up!” the angel said. With that, the chains dropped from Peter’s wrists. The angel said, “Put on your belt and your sandals!” This Peter did. Then the angel told him, “Now put on your cloak and follow me.”

    Peter followed the angel out, but with no clear realization that this was taking place through the angel’s help. The whole thing seemed to him a mirage. They passed the first guard, then the second, and finally came to the iron gate leading out to the city, which opened for them of itself. They emerged and made their way down a narrow alley, when suddenly the angel left him. Peter had recovered his senses by this time, and said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel to rescue me from Herod’s clutches and from all the Jews hoped for.”

Gospel

John 15: 17-27, 16: 1-2

    The Lord said to his disciples: “The command I give you is this, that you love one another. If you find that the world hates you, know that it has hated me before you. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own; the reason it hates you is that you do not belong to the world. But I chose you out of the world. Remember what I told you: no slave is greater than his master. They will harry you as they harried me. They will respect your words as much as they respected mine. All this they will do to you because of my name, for they know nothing of him who sent me. If I had not come to them and spoken to them, they would no be guilty of sin; now, however, their sin cannot be excused. 

    “To hate me is to hate my Father. Had I not performed such works among them as no one has ever done before, they would not be guilty of sin; but as it is, they have seen, and they go on hating me and my Father. However, this only fulfills the text of their law: ‘They hated me without cause.’ When the Paraclete comes, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father – and whom I myself will send from the Father– he will bear witness on my behalf. You must bear witness as well, for you have been with me from the beginning.

    “I have told all this to keep your faith from being shaken. Not only will they expel you from synagogues; a time will come when anyone who puts you to death will claim to be serving God!”

Readings for the day

Epistle

Acts 3: 11-16

    In those days, as the man (who was cured) stood there clinging to Peter and John, the whole crowd rushed over to them excitedly in Solomon’s Portico. When Peter saw this, he addressed the people as follows: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if we had made this man walk by some power or holiness of our own? The God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Servant Jesus, who you handed over and disowned in Pilate’s presence when Pilate was ready to release him. You disowned the Holy and Just One and preferred instead to be granted the release of a murdered. You put to death the Author of life. But God raised him from the dead, and we are his witnesses. It is his name, and trust in this name, that has strengthened the limbs of this man whom you see and know well. Such faith has given him perfect health, as all of you can observe.”

Gospel

John 3: 22-33

    At that time Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and he spent some time with them there baptizing. John who was baptizing at Aenon near Salim where the water was plentiful, and people kept coming to be baptized. (John, of course, had not yet been thrown in prison.) A controversy about purification arose between John’s disciples and a certain Jew. So they came to John, saying, “Rabbi, the man who was with you across the Jordan – the one about whom you have been testifying – is baptizing now, and everyone is flocking to him.”

    John answered: “No one can lay hold on anything unless it is given him from on high. You yourselves are witnessed to the fact that I said: ‘I am not the Messiah; I am sent before him.’ It is the groom who has the bride. The groom’s best man waits there listening for him and is overjoyed to hear his voice. That is my joy, and it is complete. He must increase, while I must decrease. The One who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth is earthly, and he speaks on an earthly plane. The One who comes from heaven (who is above all) testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is truthful.”

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

St. Theodore the Sykeote was born in the mid-sixth century in the village of Sykeon, not far from the city of Anastasiopolis. When his mother, Maria, conceived the saint, she had a vision of a bright star overshadowing her womb. A clairvoyant elder, whom she consulted, explained that this was the grace of God being poured forth on the baby in her womb. When the boy reached the age of six, his mother presented him with a golden belt, since she intended that her son should become a soldier. That night the Holy Martyr George appeared to her in a dream, and he told her not to consider military service for her son because the boy was destined to serve God. When he was older, St. Theodore went to venerate the holy places in Jerusalem, and there at the Chozeba Lavra near Jordan, he received monastic tonsure. As bishop, St. Theodore toiled much for the welfare of the Church, but his soul yearned for solitary communion with God. After several years he went again to venerate the holy places in Jerusalem. And there, concealing his identity, he settled at the Lavra of Saint Sava, where he lived in solitude from the Nativity of Christ until Pascha. St. Theodore departed for the Lord in the year 610. 

Troparion

Having followed the path of the holy from your youth, you became a vessel full of graces. You graced the world with miracles, O priestly Theodore, and you cast out many devils. Now pray to the Lord for all of us. 

Kontakion

Ascending by virtue as if in a chariot of fire, you took up your abode in heaven, O God-bearer. You lived on earth like an angel in the flesh, and now you sing praises with angels in heaven. You became a heavenly fount of miracles, O Theodore. 

Epistle

Acts 3: 1-8

    In those days, when Peter and John were going up to the temple for prayer at the three o’clock hour, a man crippled from birth was being carried in. They would bring him every day and put him at the temple gate called “the Beautiful” to beg from the people as they entered. When he saw Peter and John on their way in, he begged them for an alms. Peter fixed his gaze on the man; so did John. “Look at us!” Peter said. The cripple gave them his whole attention, hoping to get something. Then Peter said: “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I have I give to you! In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, walk!” Then Peter took him by the right hand and pulled him up. Immediately the beggar’s feet and ankles became strong; he jumped up, stood for a moment, and began to walk around. He went into the temple with them-walking, jumping about, and praising God.

Gospel

John 2: 12-22

    At that time Jesus went down to Capernaum, along with his mother and brothers (and his disciples) but they stayed there only a few days.

    As the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple precincts he came upon people engaged in selling oxen, sheep and doves, and others seated changing coins. He made a kind of whip of cords and drove sheep and oxen alike out of the temple area, and knocked over the moneychangers’ tables, spilling their coins. He told those who were selling doves: “Get them out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” His disciples recalled the words of Scripture: “Zeal for your house consumes me.”

    At this the Jews responded, “What sign can you show us authorizing you to do these things?” Jesus answered: “Destroy this temple and in three days raise it up.” They retorted, “This temple took forty-six years to build, and you are going to ‘raise it up in three days’!” Actually Jesus was talking about the temple of his body. Only after Jesus had been raised from the dead did his disciples recall that he had said this, and come to believe the Scripture and the word he had spoken.

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