Friday, 27 June 2025

Friday of the 3rd week after Pentecost

68 days after Pascha · Tone 1 · Liturgy · Apostles Fast

Saints commemorated

★ Saint Sampson the Hospitable of Constantinople

He is counted as one of the Holy Unmercenary Physicians. “This saint was born of rich and eminent parents in ancient Rome, where he studied all the secular wisdom of that time, devoting himself in particular to the study of medicine. Sampson was a compassionate and liberal physician, and gave the sick medicine for both soul and body, counselling each man to fulfil the requirements of the Christian faith. He moved to Constantinople, where he lived in a tiny house from which he distributed alms, comfort, advice, hope, medicine and all possible aid to those suffering in spirit and in body. The Patriarch heard of Sampson’s great virtue and ordained him priest. At that time the Emperor Justinian the Great became ill with what his doctors believed to be an incurable disease. The Emperor prayed with great fervor, and God revealed to him in his sleep that Sampson would heal him. When the Emperor summoned Sampson to court, the old man had only to put his hand on the diseased place and the Emperor was healed. When Justinian offered him an immense sum of money, Sampson thanked him but would accept nothing, saying to the Emperor: ‘O Emperor, I had silver and gold and other riches, but I left it all for the sake of Christ, that I might gain heavenly and eternal wealth.’ When the Emperor insisted on doing something for him, Sampson asked him to build a house for the poor. In that home, Sampson cared for the poor as a father cares for his children. His compassion for the poor and weak was second nature to him. This holy man, filled with heavenly power and goodness, entered peacefully into rest on June 27th, 530. He was buried in the Church of the Holy Martyr Mocius, his kinsman. After his death, Sampson appeared many times to those who called upon him for aid.” (Prologue)

Holy Martyr Anectus of Caesarea

The Holy Martyr Anectus contested for Christ in Caesarea of Cappadocia during the persecution of Diocletian, when Urban was governor, near the year 298. Seeing the faithful dispirited by the violence of the persecution, he went among them and exhorted them not to fear the threats of men but to stand firm in their confession and so to die for the truth. He was denounced before the governor for this teaching, and when brought to the tribunal he refused to offer sacrifice and is said to have caused the idols to fall down by his prayer alone. He was bound and stretched out by four soldiers who beat him with rods; afterwards he was hung on a wooden post, the fingers of his hands were cut away with a razor, and his body was scraped to the bone with iron claws. At the last he was beheaded, and tradition relates that from the wound, in place of blood, milk flowed forth as a sign of his purity, sealing the witness of one who had encouraged so many others to martyrdom.

Saint Martin the Faster of Turov

Saint Martin lived in the twelfth century in the town of Turov in western Russia, where for many years he served as cook in the bishop's house under three successive bishops, Simeon, Ignatius and Joachim. After many years of toil and quiet obedience, he was permitted in his old age to receive the monastic tonsure at the city's Saints Boris and Gleb Monastery, where he gave himself to the strict labour of fasting and prayer. Already broken in body by his earlier service, he was tormented by an illness which kept him bedridden, but the saintly princes Boris and Gleb appeared to him in his cell, brought him water and gently restored his health. He continued his ascetic life with renewed strength and reposed in the Lord about the year 1146, his memory honoured among the holy ascetics of the Russian land.

Translation of the relics of Saint Cyril, Abbot of White Lake

Saint Cyril of White Lake, called also Cyril of Beloezersk, was born at Moscow in 1337 of well-born parents, and after their death received the tonsure at the Simonov Monastery from the hand of Saint Theodore, nephew and disciple of Saint Sergius of Radonezh. He was guided in monastic obedience by Saint Sergius himself when he visited the monastery, and rose to be archimandrite, but he renounced the office to seek deeper solitude. Following a vision in which the Mother of God showed him a place beside Lake Siverskoye in the wild north, he set out about 1397 with his fellow monk Therapon and there, on the shores of the lake near the town of Belozersk, dug a cell in the side of a hill. As disciples gathered to him he raised a wooden church to the Dormition of the Mother of God, and from this beginning grew the great Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, which became one of the chief cradles of Russian monasticism in the Far North. Living to the great age of ninety, he reposed on 9 June 1427, leaving a tradition of strict cenobitic life with absolute non-acquisitiveness. The 9 June commemoration marks his repose, while the translation of his holy relics, found incorrupt and wonder-working, is kept on this day with the customary prayers for his intercession.

St Severus the Priest

6th c.

“He lived in central Italy. A man of rare holiness, he was once called to hear the confession of, and give Communion to, a man at the point of death. He tarried, working in his vineyard, and the news was brought to him there that the sick man had died. Stricken with grief, as if he had himself killed the man, he wept bitter tears over the corpse, and God raised the dead man to life again in response to his fervent prayer. Then Severus confessed him and gave him Communion, preparing him for a Christian leaving of this world, and on the eighth day the man died again.” (Prologue)

St Joanna the Myrrh-bearer

1st c.

This is Joanna the wife of Chuza, a servant in Herod’s household (Luke 8:3). When Herod had John the Baptist beheaded, it was Joanna who recovered the head and buried it on the Mount of Olives. She reposed in peace.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Romans — Romans 9.6-19

⁶Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

⁶But it is not as though the word of God hath come to nought. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel: ⁷Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. ⁷neither, because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. ⁸That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. ⁸That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed. ⁹For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. ⁹For this is a word of promise, According to this season will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. ¹⁰And not only so; but Rebecca also having conceived by one, even by our father Isaac— ¹⁰And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; ¹¹for the children being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, ¹¹(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) ¹²It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. ¹²it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. ¹³As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. ¹³Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.

¹⁴What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

¹⁴What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. ¹⁵For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. ¹⁵For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. ¹⁶So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy. ¹⁶So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. ¹⁷For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth. ¹⁷For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. ¹⁸Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. ¹⁸So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth.

¹⁹Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will? ¹⁹Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

Gospel

weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 10.32-36, 11.1

³²Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. ³²Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. ³³But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. ³³But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven. ³⁴Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

³⁴Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. ³⁵For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law: ³⁵For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. ³⁶And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. ³⁶and a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

¹And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

¹And it came to pass when Jesus had finished commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and preach in their cities.