The holy myrrh-bearer Mary Magdalene, equal to the apostles, who, freed by the Lord of seven demons and made a disciple, followed him even to Mount Calvary. At the break of dawn on the first Pascha, she was found worthy to see the Savior risen again from the dead and to bear the news of his resurrection to the other disciples.
The holy bishop-martyr Phocas was bishop of Sinope (a city on the Black Sea). His relics were taken from Sinope to Vienne in France in the 13th century, and today is the feast of the translation.
You followed Christ who was born of a virgin for us, keeping his laws and observing his decrees, O Mary. In return we observe your holy memory that our sins might be forgiven through your prayers.
O holy priest-martyr Phocas, 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.
You stood before the cross with the others, O glorious Mary, and you cried as you suffered there with the Theotokos. You opened your mouth in praise, saying: How strange this is that He who upholds all creation has deigned to suffer. Glory to your power!
As a pastor who offered sacrifice, you bore witness to Christ with justice. Strengthened by angels, you yearned for death. At last you offered yourself as a sacrifice to Him who abides among those who sing to you. Stay with us, O father, and never leave us.
1 Corinthians 15: 12-19
Brothers and sisters: Tell me, if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how is it that some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ himself has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is void of content and your faith is empty too. Indeed, we should then be exposed as false witnesses of God, for we have borne witness before him that he raised up Christ; but he certainly did not raise him up if the dead are not raised. Why? Because if the dead are not raised, your faith is worthless. You are still in your sins, and those who have fallen asleep in Christ are the deadest of the dead. If our hopes in Christ are limited to this life only, we are the most pitiable of men.
Matthew 21: 18-22
At that time, as Jesus was returning to the city, he felt hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the roadside he went over to it, but found nothing there except leaves. He said to it, “Never again shall you produce fruit!”; and it withered up instantly. The disciples were dumbfounded when they saw this. They asked, “Why did the fig tree wither up so quickly?” Jesus said: “Believe me, if you trust and do not falter, not only will you do what I did to the fig tree, but if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ even that will happen. You will receive all that you pray for, provided you have faith.”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Sunday, July 21 –
