Monday, 18 August 2025

Monday of the 11th week after Pentecost

120 days after Pascha · Tone 1 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyrs Florus and Laurus of Illyria

The Holy Martyrs Florus and Laurus were brothers, twins both in flesh and in spirit. They lived in the second century at Byzantium and afterwards settled in Illyria, where they earned their living as stone-masons. Their teachers in this craft, Proclus and Maximus, were Christians who instructed them not only in the working of stone but also in the saving faith and the way of life pleasing to God.

The prefect of Illyria, Likaion, sent the brothers to a neighbouring district to work upon the construction of a pagan temple. The saints toiled diligently at the structure, but they distributed to the poor the wages they earned, kept strict fasts, and prayed without ceasing. Once, while they were at work, a chip of stone struck the eye of the son of the local pagan priest Mamertin, severely injuring him. The angry father came against the saints, but Florus and Laurus assured him that his son would be healed. They brought the youth to consciousness, taught him the faith, and placing their hands upon him called upon the name of Christ. The youth was instantly healed, and both he and his father were converted to Christ and baptised.

When the temple was finished the saints called the local Christians together, set up in it a cross of the Lord, and on the very night of its completion rendered the building to God by celebrating an all-night vigil within it. Hearing of this, the prefect Likaion was filled with wrath. He had the priest Mamertin and his son cast into a furnace where they perished, while three hundred of the converts were burned alive. Saints Florus and Laurus were sent under guard back to the prefect Likaion, who threw them down an empty well and ordered it covered with earth, and there they yielded their souls to God.

After many years their relics were uncovered incorrupt and were translated to Constantinople. From ancient times in the Slavonic lands the holy martyrs Florus and Laurus have been venerated as protectors of horses and herdsmen, and their icons depict them surrounded by horses entrusted to their care.

Holy Martyrs Hermes, Serapion and Polyaenus of Rome

The Holy Martyrs Hermes, Serapion and Polyaenus were Romans who suffered for Christ in the second century during the persecutions of the Roman emperors. They were Christians distinguished by their zeal in proclaiming the Gospel and refuting the polemics of the pagans, contending fearlessly with those who attacked the faith of the Church. The three friends were arrested for their open confession of Christ and brought before the authorities. They were ordered to deny Christ and to offer sacrifice to the idols, but they firmly refused, professing with one voice their faith in Jesus Christ as the only true God and the Saviour of the world. Neither flattery nor threats could shake their resolve. The persecutors subjected them to severe tortures: they were beaten without mercy and cast into a dark and foul-smelling prison, where they were tormented with hunger, thirst and many deprivations. When they remained constant in their confession, they were brought out, bound with ropes, and dragged through the streets and over rough ground filled with sharp stones. Their flesh was torn, their heads were covered with wounds and blood, and so dragged they yielded up their holy souls to God. The Christians of Rome reverently gathered the bodies of the holy martyrs and gave them honourable burial. Their memory has been preserved in the Roman Martyrology and in the Synaxaria of the Eastern Church, and they are commemorated by the Orthodox Church on 18 August.

Saint Arsenius the New of Paros

Saint Arsenius the New, called "the New" to distinguish him from Saint Arsenius the Great of the fifth century, was born on 31 January 1800 in the city of Ioannina in Epirus to pious Orthodox parents who named him Athanasius in holy Baptism. Orphaned at an early age, he was only nine years old when he made his way to Kydonia in Asia Minor, where he was received by the hieromonk Gregory Saraphis and enrolled in his school. After completing his studies he came to Mount Athos, where he embraced the monastic life and was tonsured with the name Arsenius. He returned to Asia Minor as a teacher, but longing for greater stillness he eventually settled in 1840 on the Cycladic island of Paros, entering the Monastery of Saint George at Longovardas. There he lived out the rest of his earthly life in monastic struggle, fasting, vigil and unceasing prayer. When he was ordained to the holy priesthood at the age of forty-seven, Saint Arsenius intensified his spiritual labours. Every day he studied the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers, and became adept at the unceasing prayer of the heart. He was given the gift of tears, the gift of foresight, and the discernment of spirits, becoming a true spiritual father to many. From his cell he guided countless pilgrims and disciples in the Orthodox spiritual tradition, and his counsel was sought by clergy, monastics and laity alike. On 31 January 1877, having received Holy Communion for the last time, Saint Arsenius peacefully fell asleep in the Lord. He was glorified by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1967. His principal feast is celebrated on 31 January, the day of his repose, and a second feast is kept on 18 August, the day of the uncovering of his holy relics.

Our Holy Father John, Abbot of Rila

946

He was born near Sophia in Bulgaria during the reign of the Emperor Boris. When his parents died he withdrew from the world to a cave high in the mountains, where he gave himself to the ascetical struggle. There the Prologue says that he ‘endured many assaults both by demons and men, from robbers and from his kinsmen.’ In time he moved to the mountain of Rila, where he lived in a hollow tree, eating only the wild herbs and fruits there. On Rila he saw no human being for many years, but was eventually discovered by a shepherd, after which his fame spread quickly: many came to him for counsel and for the healing of diseases, and Peter, King of Bulgaria, visited him for advice. Many people seeking their salvation settled near him, and soon a church and monastery developed around him. St John reposed in 946 and appeared to his disciples after his death. His relics are venerated at the monastery of Rila, which has for centuries been a lighthouse of Orthodox spirituality in Bulgaria.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

2 Corinthians — 2 Corinthians 2.3-15

³And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. ³And I wrote this very thing, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. ⁴For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. ⁴For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be made sorry, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

⁵But if any hath caused sorrow, he hath caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I press not too heavily) to you all. ⁵But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. ⁶Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the many; ⁶Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. ⁷so that contrariwise ye should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his overmuch sorrow. ⁷So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. ⁸Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. ⁸Wherefore I beseech you to confirm your love toward him. ⁹For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things. ⁹For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. ¹⁰But to whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for what I also have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes have I forgiven it in the presence of Christ; ¹⁰To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; ¹¹that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his devices. ¹¹Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. ¹²Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,

¹²Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ, and when a door was opened unto me in the Lord, ¹³I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia. ¹³I had no relief for my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went forth into Macedonia.

¹⁴But thanks be unto God, who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest through us the savor of his knowledge in every place. ¹⁴Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. ¹⁵For we are a sweet savor of Christ unto God, in them that are saved, and in them that perish; ¹⁵For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

Gospel

weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 23.13-22

¹³But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

¹³But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter. ¹⁴Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. ¹⁴ ¹⁵Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

¹⁵Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves. ¹⁶Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

¹⁶Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. ¹⁷Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold? ¹⁷Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? ¹⁸And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor. ¹⁸And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. ¹⁹Ye blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? ¹⁹Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? ²⁰Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. ²⁰He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. ²¹And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. ²¹And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. ²²And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. ²²And he that sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.