Wednesday, 16 July 2025

Wednesday of the 6th week after Pentecost

87 days after Pascha · Tone 4 · Liturgy · Fast

Saints commemorated

Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils

On 16 July, or on the Sunday falling between 13 and 19 July, the Orthodox Church commemorates the holy and God-bearing Fathers who assembled in the first six Ecumenical Councils. These were the council of Nicaea (325), which under Saint Constantine the Great defined the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father against the heresy of Arius and produced the Symbol of Faith; the council of Constantinople I (381) under Saint Theodosius the Great, which completed the Creed and confirmed the divinity of the Holy Spirit against Macedonius; the council of Ephesus (431), which proclaimed Mary as Theotokos against Nestorius; the council of Chalcedon (451) under the emperor Marcian, which defined the two natures of Christ against the Monophysites and is especially associated with this commemoration; the council of Constantinople II (553) under Saint Justinian, condemning the Three Chapters; and the council of Constantinople III (680-681) under Constantine Pogonatos, which condemned the Monothelites. These Councils are held by the Church to be guided by the Holy Spirit and to constitute, together with Holy Scripture and Tradition, the canonical and dogmatic foundation of the Orthodox faith.

Hieromartyr Athenogenes, Bishop of Pidachthoa, and his ten disciples

“In the time of Diocletian, a fierce persecutor of Christians called Philomarchus came to Sebaste. He arrested and killed many Christians in the town. When he saw Athenogenes and his disciples, he told the elder to sacrifice to the idols, that they should not perish as had the other Christians. Athenogenes replied: ‘O Torturer, those whom you describe as having perished have not perished, but are in heaven and make merry with the angels!’ There was a touching moment when a deer, which had been hand-fed by the compassionate Athenogenes, ran up to him and, seeing him in such straits, shed tears. Wild animals of the hills had more pity on the martyrs than did the pagans! After harsh torture, during which an angel of God comforted them, they were all beheaded, first the priests and fellow workers of Athenogenes and then Athenogenes himself, and went to their heavenly home in the year 311.” (Prologue)

The Great Horologion adds “There is a second Martyr Athenogenes commemorated today, mentioned by St Basil… it is said that as this Athenogenes approached the fire, wherein he was to die a martyric death, he chanted the hymn O Joyous Light in praise of the Holy Trinity.” This is one way that we know that the vesperal hymn Gladsome Light was in use before the time of St Basil the Great.

Holy Virgin Martyr Julia of Carthage and Corsica

Saint Julia was born to a noble Christian family in Carthage in North Africa in the fifth century. Still a young girl when the Persians (or, in some versions, Vandals or Saracens) overran the city, she was carried off into captivity and sold into slavery to a wealthy Syrian merchant named Eusebius. Bound to a pagan master, she nonetheless persevered in the Christian way of life: she served her master with diligence and humility, kept the fasts of the Church, watched in prayer through the night, and preserved her virginity. Eusebius, won over by her virtue, came to esteem her almost as a daughter, but neither his persuasions nor his threats could induce her to sacrifice to the idols. On a voyage to Gaul their ship put in at the island of Corsica, where the people were celebrating a pagan festival. While Eusebius and his companions joined the feast and fell asleep drunken on shore, the local governor Felix, learning that Julia would not honour his gods, ordered her to be tortured and at last crucified upon the island. A monastery is said to have arisen on the spot, and her relics, later translated to the convent of Brescia in Italy, made her name beloved across Italy and Corsica, of which she is patroness.

Saint Tenenan of Leon, hermit and bishop

Saint Tenenan (also spelled Ténénan or Tinidor) was a holy hermit and bishop of the seventh century. According to Breton tradition he was born in the British Isles, probably in Wales, and crossed to Brittany in north-western France, where he settled as an anchorite, devoting himself to prayer, fasting and the conversion of the still half-pagan Armorican countryside. About the year 615, on the death of Saint Goulven, Bishop of Léon, he was elected to succeed him. Tenenan accepted the office only with great reluctance, yielding at length to the pleas of the deputies of the diocese, and was consecrated in the cathedral of Dol by Saint Guennou. He governed his see with apostolic simplicity, and on growing old he withdrew to Plabennec, where he reposed about the year 650 and was buried in his own foundation. His relics, long enshrined at Plabennec, made his memory dear to the Bretons, and he is venerated by the Orthodox Church among the Western saints of the pre-schism age. His memory is kept on 16 July.

Also commemorated: Hieromartyr Athenogenes, Bishop of Heracleopolis

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

1 Corinthians — 1 Corinthians 2.9-3.8

⁹But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. ⁹but as it is written, Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, And which entered not into the heart of man, Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him. ¹⁰But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

¹⁰But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. ¹¹For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. ¹¹For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God. ¹²Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. ¹²But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God. ¹³Which things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual words. ¹³Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged. ¹⁴But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. ¹⁵But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man. ¹⁶For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. ¹⁶For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

¹And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ.

¹And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. ²I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. ²I fed you with milk, not with meat; for ye were not yet able to bear it: nay, not even now are ye able;

³For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? ³for ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men? ⁴For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? ⁴For when one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not men? ⁵Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? ⁵What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him. ⁶I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. ⁶I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. ⁷So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. ⁷So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. ⁸Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. ⁸Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 13.31-36

³¹Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

³¹Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: ³²Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. ³²which indeed is less than all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come and lodge in the branches thereof.

³³Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

³³Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened. ³⁴All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

³⁴All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the multitudes; and without a parable spake he nothing unto them: ³⁵That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. ³⁵that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world. ³⁶Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

³⁶Then he left the multitudes, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field.