The holy martyrs Galaction and Episteme were husband and wife who joined nearby monasteries immediately after their marriage. They did not see each other for many years, until the persecution of Christians which brought them both to court and saw them die on the same day in the year 253.
Your martyrs, O Lord our God, in their struggles received incorruptible crowns from You. With Your strength, they brought down the tyrants and broke the cowardly valor of demons. Through their prayers, O Christ our God, save our souls.
O glorious Galaction, you and your honorable wife and fellow-sufferer, Episteme, were numbered among the martyrs of Christ because you fought the good fight in radiant ascetical struggles. Therefore, pray unceasingly to the only God for all of us.
Ephesians 2: 4-10
Brothers and sisters: God is rich in mercy; because of his great love for us he brought us to life with Christ when we were dead in sin. By this favor you were saved. Both with and in Christ Jesus he raised us up and gave us a place in the heavens, that in the ages to come he might display the great wealth of his favor, manifested by his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. I repeat, it is owing to his favor that salvation is yours through faith. This is not your own doing, it is God’s gift; neither is it a reward for anything you have accomplished, so let no one pride himself on it. We are truly his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to lead the life of good deeds which God prepared for us in advance.
Luke 8: 41-56
At that time a man named Jairus, who was chief of the synagogue, came up and fell at the feet of Jesus, begging that he come to his home because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus went, the crowds almost crushed him. A woman with a hemorrhage of twelve years’ duration, incurable at any doctor’s hands, came up behind him and touched the tassel of his cloak. Immediately her bleeding stopped. Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” Everyone disclaimed doing it, while Peter said, “Lord, the crowds are milling and pressing around you!” Jesus insisted, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone forth from me.” When the woman saw that her act had not gone unnoticed, she came forward trembling. Falling at his feet, she related before the whole assemblage why she had touched him and how she had been instantly cured. Jesus said to her, “Daughter, it is your faith that has cured you. Now go in peace.”
He was still speaking when a man came from the ruler’s house with the announcement, “Your daughter is dead; do not bother the Teacher further.” Jesus heard this, and his response was: “Fear is useless; what is needed is trust and her life will be spared.” Once he had arrived at the house, he permitted no one to enter with him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s parents. While everyone wept and lamented her, Jesus said, “ Stop crying for she is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him, being certain she was dead. Jesus took her by the hand and spoke these words: “Get up, child.” The breath of life returned to her and she got up immediately; whereupon he told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astounded, but Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Saturday, November 4 –
