Wednesday, 18 June 2025

Wednesday of the 2nd week after Pentecost

59 days after Pascha · Tone 8 · Liturgy · Apostles Fast

Saints commemorated

★ Martyr Leontius, and with him Martyrs Hypatius and Theodoulos, at Tripoli in Syria

An honored Roman commander in Tripoli of Phoenicia, he was described as being ‘of great physical stature, powerful, strong and bold in battle’. When it was learned that he was a Christian and had given grain to the poor from the imperial storehouse, the governor Hadrian, a great persecutor of Christians, sent Hypatius, a military commander, and Theodoulus, a soldier, along with some others to arrest him. On the way Hypatius fell gravely ill with a fever, and the company had to delay its mission. One night an angel of the Lord appeared to Hypatius and said, ‘If you desire to be healed, you and your soldiers must cry to heaven three times: “O God of Leontius, help me!”’. Hypatius told his comrades of his vision, and when they all cried out as instructed Hypatius was instantly healed. Hypatius and Theodoulos then went on ahead of the other soldiers and found Leontius. Leontius received them hospitably and offered them refreshment. As they rested in his house, he proclaimed his faith in Christ and their hearts began to burn within them. While Leontius was still speaking, a bright cloud descended upon the two soldiers and shed dew on them while Leontius said ‘In the name of the All-holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.’ Thus were they baptized by the Holy Spirit Himself. When the cruel Hadrian discovered this, he had the two soldiers beaten fiercely, then beheaded; he then subjected Leontius to the cruelest tortures, under which he finally died, unwavering in his faith. This was during the reign of Vespasian.

Holy Hieromartyr Erasmus of Hermopolis

The Hieromartyr Erasmus, sometimes known as Elmo, was bishop of Formia in Italy according to the Latin tradition and is honoured among the Orthodox as bishop of Hermopolis or simply as the holy hieromartyr Erasmus. During the persecutions of Diocletian and Maximian he was hunted for his confession of Christ and withdrew for a time to Mount Lebanon, where an angel was said to have fed him in his solitude. Brought before the emperors, he was beaten, scourged, smeared with pitch and set alight, but each time the prayers of the saint and the help of an angel preserved him. Cast into prison and weighted with chains, he was delivered by an angel and brought safely to Campania, where he continued to preach the gospel and convert many to Christ. He fell asleep in peace around the year 303, having endured numerous tortures for the Lord. He is venerated as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, particularly invoked by sailors against the perils of the storm.

Holy Martyr Leontius and his companions Hypatius and Theodulus

The Holy Martyrs Leontius, Hypatius and Theodulus were Roman soldiers who suffered for Christ at Tripoli in Phoenicia during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian, around the year 73. Leontius, a Greek by birth, served as military commander in the imperial army stationed in Tripoli. A man of extraordinary stature and bravery, he was also a Christian, and used his position to feed the poor from the imperial granaries. When the governor of Phoenicia, Hadrian, learned of this, he despatched the tribune Hypatius with the soldier Theodulus to arrest him. Along the way Hypatius fell gravely ill, and an angel appeared to him in a dream commanding him to call upon the God of Leontius. Hypatius told his dream to Theodulus, and together they prayed and were healed. When at last they reached Leontius, who received them with hospitality, all three were enlightened by the Holy Spirit and confessed Christ openly. Hypatius was placed under a column and torn with iron claws, Theodulus was beaten with rods, and both were beheaded. Leontius was suspended head downward with a great stone tied to his neck and beaten with rods until he gave up his soul to God.

Saints Eithne and Sodhealbh

Saints Eithne and Sodhealbh, also written Sodelb, were two virgin saints of sixth-century Ireland whose memory has been preserved in the early martyrologies of the Irish Church. According to the Genealogies of the Saints of Ireland they were daughters of Cairbre, king of Leinster, son of Cormac, and sisters of one Cumania. Their floruit is dated to the middle of the sixth century, on the basis of their father's death recorded in 546. The two sisters founded a hermitage and church near Swords in the plain of Brega, in the barony of Nethercross in modern County Dublin, called Tech ingen mBóiti, the House of the daughters of Baite. They are remembered for the miracle by which they nurtured the infant Christ in a vision, an act of piety much celebrated by the Irish hagiographers. Their commemoration is preserved in the Félire of Saint Oengus the Culdee on the eighteenth of June, and they are honoured among the saints of pre-schism Ireland.

Also commemorated: Martyr Leontius and Companions

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Romans — Romans 4.13-25

¹³For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹³For not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: ¹⁴For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect: ¹⁵Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. ¹⁵for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression. ¹⁶Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, ¹⁶For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all ¹⁷(as it is written, A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were. ¹⁷(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. ¹⁸Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, So shall thy seed be. ¹⁸Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. ¹⁹And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: ¹⁹And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; ²⁰He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; ²⁰yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God, ²¹And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. ²¹and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. ²²Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. ²²And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. ²³Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned unto him; ²³Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; ²⁴But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; ²⁴but for our sake also, unto whom it shall be reckoned, who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification. ²⁵Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 7.21-23

²¹Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. ²¹Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? ²²Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? ²³And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. ²³And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.