Wednesday, 9 July 2025

Wednesday of the 5th week after Pentecost

80 days after Pascha · Tone 3 · Liturgy · Fast

Saints commemorated

Hieromartyr Cyril, bishop of Gortyna in Crete

The hieromartyr Cyril served as bishop of Gortyna on the island of Crete for fifty years. He had been raised to the episcopate at the venerable age of sixty eight, after a long life of asceticism and pastoral labour, and he governed his flock with wisdom and gentleness. By the testimony of the early sources he suffered either under the emperor Decius (249-251) or, according to other accounts, under Maximian (284-305). The aged hierarch was brought to trial before a governor named Lucius, who demanded that he offer sacrifice to the idols. The holy elder steadfastly confessed his faith in Christ and refused to fulfil the soul-destroying command. The governor sentenced Saint Cyril to be burned alive, but when he was cast into the flames the fire would not touch him, and he stood unharmed in the midst of the blaze. Witnessing this miracle, many pagans came to believe in Christ. Lucius himself was struck with awe, gave glory to the Christian God, and set the saint free. Saint Cyril returned to his preaching, leading many pagans to Christ, but he grieved that he had not been counted worthy to suffer for the Saviour. When it was reported to the new governor that he continued to convert the people from the darkness of idolatry to the light of Christ, he was again brought to trial and sentenced to death. Hearing the sentence, Cyril rejoiced that he was at last to be granted a martyr's end, and the eighty four year old elder willingly placed his head beneath the sword.

Hieromartyr Methodius, bishop of Patara

Saint Methodius was bishop of Patara in Lycia in the late third and early fourth centuries, and one of the most learned and eloquent fathers of his age. He was renowned for his deep knowledge of philosophy and the Holy Scriptures, and he wrote a number of works that became classics of early Christian literature. The best known of these is his Symposium, or Banquet of the Ten Virgins, a treatise in praise of virginity composed in the manner of Plato's dialogues. He also composed treatises against the teachings of Origen on the resurrection and on the eternity of the world, and works on free will and the distinction between created and uncreated being. Methodius opposed certain elements of Origen's speculative theology with great vigour, defending the bodily resurrection and the Christian doctrine of creation. His writings were widely read in the Eastern Church and profoundly influenced later patristic thought. When the persecutions of Diocletian broke out, the holy bishop was seized for his confession of Christ. After many torments he was beheaded for the faith, around the year 312, in Chalcis of Greece, where he had laboured in the latter part of his life. Some sources name his see as Olympus or Myra in addition to Patara. The Orthodox Church commemorates him on 20 June and 9 July as an alternate feast.

Hieromartyr Pancratius, bishop of Tauromenium in Sicily

The hieromartyr Pancratius was born when our Lord Jesus Christ yet lived upon the earth. His parents were natives of Antioch in Syria. Hearing of the great Teacher, Pancratius's father took his young son with him to Jerusalem in order to see Christ. There the family came to know the Lord and his disciples, and especially the holy apostle Peter, who became the spiritual father of the youthful Pancratius.

After the Saviour's resurrection and ascension, when his parents had died, Pancratius left behind his inherited possessions and went to Pontus, where he settled in a cave. There he spent his days in unceasing prayer and deep spiritual contemplation. The holy apostle Peter sought him out, finding him in his solitude, and together with the apostle Paul they consecrated Saint Pancratius bishop of Tauromenium in Sicily.

Arriving in his see, the saint set about preaching the Gospel with apostolic zeal. In the space of a single month he built a church where he celebrated the divine services. The number of believers quickly grew, and in time almost all the inhabitants of Tauromenium and the surrounding cities accepted the Christian faith, casting down their idols. Pancratius cured many of the sick and worked great miracles by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The pagans plotted against him, and seizing an appropriate moment, they fell upon the saint and stoned him to death. Thus the apostle of Sicily ended his life as a martyr.

Saint Theodore, bishop of Edessa

Saint Theodore was born in the Syrian city of Edessa. At the age of twelve, after losing both his parents and giving away his inheritance to the poor, he travelled to Jerusalem and was tonsured a monk at the great lavra of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified. There he passed twelve years in fervent monastic obedience, followed by another twenty four years in strict seclusion and great abstinence, mastering himself by prayer, fasting, and vigil. After the death of the bishop of Edessa, the Lord called Theodore from his solitude to enlighten the world as a hierarch. With the mutual consent of the patriarchs of Antioch and Jerusalem, and of the clergy and faithful, no worthier successor could be found, and Theodore was consecrated bishop. At his consecration the people beheld a snow white dove flying about beneath the cupola of the church, which then alighted upon the head of the new bishop, witnessing to the descent of the Holy Spirit upon him. As bishop, Theodore exerted great labours in the struggle against heresy, particularly the Manichaean error, and with a firm hand he guarded his flock from temptations and false teachings. With the blessing of his elder, he travelled to Baghdad to petition the caliph Mavias against unjust treatment of the Orthodox of his see, and through his prayers the caliph himself was illumined by the faith and was secretly baptised, taking the name John. For openly confessing Christ before the Muslims, this caliph was put to death together with three of his companions. Returning at length to the lavra of Saint Sabbas, Theodore reposed peacefully in 848. In the Slavic churches his memory is kept on 9 July; in the Greek tradition he is commemorated on 19 July.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Romans — Romans 15.7-16

⁷Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. ⁷Wherefore receive ye one another, even as Christ also received you, to the glory of God. ⁸Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: ⁸For I say that Christ hath been made a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given unto the fathers, ⁹And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. ⁹and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, Therefore will I give praise unto thee among the Gentiles, And sing unto thy name. ¹⁰And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.

¹⁰And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.

¹¹And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; And let all the peoples praise him. ¹¹And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

¹²And again, Isaiah saith, There shall be the root of Jesse, And he that ariseth to rule over the Gentiles; On him shall the Gentiles hope. ¹²And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

¹³Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹³Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. ¹⁴And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

¹⁴And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. ¹⁵Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God, ¹⁵But I write the more boldly unto you in some measure, as putting you again in remembrance, because of the grace that was given me of God, ¹⁶That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. ¹⁶that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus unto the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 12.38-45

³⁸Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

³⁸Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee. ³⁹But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: ³⁹But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet: ⁴⁰For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴⁰for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. ⁴¹The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here. ⁴²The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. ⁴²The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here. ⁴³When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. ⁴³But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not. ⁴⁴Then he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. ⁴⁴Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. ⁴⁵Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. ⁴⁵Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation.