Wednesday, 25 June 2025

Wednesday of the 3rd week after Pentecost

66 days after Pascha · Tone 1 · Red squigg (doxology typikon symbol) · Apostles Fast

Saints commemorated

★ Holy Virgin Martyr Febronia of Nisibis

The holy Virgin Martyr Febronia suffered during the persecution of Diocletian at the beginning of the fourth century, when she was about twenty years old. She had been raised from infancy in the women's monastery at Sibapolis in Assyria under the care of her aunt, the abbess Bryaena, who set before her a stricter rule of life than the rest of the sisters in view of her exceptional gifts. Her wisdom, meekness and abstinence drew many to her, and a wealthy young widow named Hieria, a pagan, came to seek instruction; through Febronia's prayers and counsel Hieria received holy baptism and brought her parents and household to the Christian faith. When the prefect Selinus and his nephew Lysimachus, sent by Diocletian to root out Christianity in Mesopotamia, came to the convent, Febronia was dragged from her sickbed and brought before the tribunal. Selinus offered her honours, riches and marriage with Lysimachus if she would deny Christ, but she replied that she had an immortal Bridegroom and would exchange Him for no man. After a long interrogation she was beaten with rods, suspended on a tree above a fire, her teeth and breasts cut off, and finally beheaded. Lysimachus, struck with horror at her sufferings, was converted to Christ. Her life was written by the nun Thomais, an eyewitness, and her relics were translated to Constantinople in 363 where many miracles and healings were granted through her intercession.

Holy Martyrs Orentios and his brothers

The Holy Martyrs Orentios, Pharnakios, Erotas, Phirmos, Phirminos, Kyriakos and Longinos were seven brothers, soldiers in the Roman army of Thrace, who served with distinction during the reign of the Emperor Maximian at the close of the third century. When the persecution arose against the Christians, Orentios in single combat killed the giant Marmaroth, a champion of the barbarians, and so brought victory to the imperial host; yet because he openly confessed Christ before the emperor he was deprived of his dignity and exiled with his brothers to the city of Sata in Abasgia on the Black Sea. On the long march each in turn fell asleep in the Lord. Orentios himself, after being thrown into the sea bound and being preserved by an angel of God, was at last drowned and his body cast up at Pityus, where it was reverently buried. Their joint memorial is kept on this day in honour of all seven crowned warriors of Christ.

New Hieromartyr Procopius of Smyrna

The New Hieromartyr Procopius was born in the town of Varna on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria toward the close of the eighteenth century, and from his youth was drawn to the monastic life on Mount Athos, where he received the schema. Burning with zeal for Christ, he resolved to wash away by his blood an earlier moment of weakness in which he had appeared to deny the faith. Travelling to Smyrna, then under Turkish rule, he openly confessed Christ in the streets and reproached the Mohammedan religion. He was seized, imprisoned and offered honours and gifts to renounce his confession; he refused with constancy and was beheaded on 25 June 1810, sealing his witness with martyrdom. He is numbered with the company of the New Martyrs who, in the Ottoman period, gave their lives for the truth of Christ in the very sight of His enemies.

Saint Dionysios, builder of the Monastery of the Forerunner on Mount Athos

Saint Dionysios was born about 1316 in the village of Korissos near Kastoria in western Macedonia, and from his youth followed his elder brother Theodosios, later Metropolitan of Trebizond, to Mount Athos. After many years of monastic struggle at the Philotheou Monastery, he withdrew to a hesychastic cell on the southwestern slope of the Holy Mountain, where through a vision of a lampada burning at the place he was given to know the Lord's will to raise a monastery in honour of Saint John the Forerunner. Through his brother's intercession he obtained the support of the Emperor Alexios III Komnenos of Trebizond, whose chrysobull of 1374 endowed the foundation of what came to be called the Monastery of Dionysiou. Saint Dionysios served as its first abbot and gathered a great brotherhood, instructing them by word and example in the strict cenobitic life. He reposed in peace about the year 1388 in Trebizond, whither he had gone on monastic business. His relics worked many miracles, and his disciple and successor Saint Dometios, who reposed shortly after him around the year 1405, is commemorated together with him on this day.

Also commemorated: Peter and Fevronia of Murom

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Romans — Romans 8.2-13

²For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. ²For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. ³For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: ³For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: ⁴That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ⁴that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ⁵For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. ⁵For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. ⁶For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace: ⁶For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. ⁷because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: ⁸and they that are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁸So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. ⁹But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. ¹⁰And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹⁰And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. ¹¹But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

¹²So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh:

¹²Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. ¹³for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. ¹³For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 10.16-22

¹⁶Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

¹⁶Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. ¹⁷But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; ¹⁷But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you; ¹⁸And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. ¹⁸yea and before governors and kings shall ye be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. ¹⁹But when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak. ²⁰For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. ²⁰For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. ²¹And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. ²¹And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father his child: and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. ²²And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. ²²And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.