Wednesday, 3 September 2025

Wednesday of the 13th week after Pentecost

136 days after Pascha · Tone 3 · Liturgy · Fast

Saints commemorated

Hieromartyr Anthimus, Bishop of Nicomedia

302

The Hieromartyr Anthimus was bishop of the great city of Nicomedia in Bithynia at the height of the persecution against the Christians launched by the emperors Diocletian and Maximian in the closing years of the third century. When the imperial residence at Nicomedia was being purged of believers, Anthimus, then already an elder of advanced years, was hidden in a village called Omana not far from the city by the entreaties of his flock. From his place of concealment he wrote letters of consolation and exhortation to the Christians of Nicomedia, urging them to remain firm in the faith and not to fear those who could kill the body but had no power over the soul. One such letter, entrusted to his deacon Theophilus, was intercepted, and the holy bishop's hiding place was betrayed. The emperor Maximian sent twenty soldiers to seize him. When they arrived, Anthimus himself, without revealing who he was, met them, gave them food and refreshment, and only then declared that he was the bishop they sought. Astonished by his hospitality and his calm confession, several of them fell at his feet and were baptised on the way back to the city. Brought before Maximian, the holy hieromartyr endured many torments. He was beaten, suspended, his sides torn with iron claws, his face pierced, and at last he was beheaded with the sword in the year 302. Together with him are honoured the deacon Theophilus, the deacons Dorotheus and Mardonius, the priests Indes and Gorgonius, and the deacon Migdonius, who suffered with him at Nicomedia.

Holy Martyr Basilissa of Nicomedia

The holy virgin martyr Basilissa of Nicomedia was a child of nine years when she was brought before the governor Alexander during the persecution of the emperor Diocletian at the beginning of the fourth century. Although she was so young, she had been instructed in the Christian faith by her parents and refused with steadfast courage to deny her Lord. The governor, attempting to bend her by terror, ordered her to be flogged. The blows fell upon her, but she did not weep, calling upon the name of Christ. He commanded that she be beaten with rods, that her body be scorched with fire and that she be cast into the heated furnace, but she emerged from each torment without harm, the flames not so much as scorching her hair. Wild beasts let loose upon her lay tame at her feet. Astonished at these wonders, Alexander himself, struck to the heart, fell down before her, confessed Christ as the true God, was baptised by the bishop, and within a few days reposed in peace. Saint Basilissa withdrew outside the city to give thanks to God on a small hill, where, kneeling in prayer, she gave up her soul to her heavenly Bridegroom. Her relics were buried in that same place by the local Christians, and the spring that flowed there became renowned for healings.

Holy New Martyr Polydorus of Cyprus

Saint Polydorus the New Martyr was born on the island of Cyprus, in the city of Nicosia, around the year 1794, the son of pious Orthodox parents. After their early death he travelled in pursuit of his livelihood through the Levant, settling for a time among the Christians of Egypt and later sailing to the West Indies. While at sea, in a moment of weakness brought on by drink and bad company, he was led to deny the Christian faith and to embrace Islam. As soon as he came to himself, he was filled with bitter remorse and resolved to seek out a martyr's death as the only fitting penance. Returning to the East, he confessed his apostasy openly before a Christian priest and at length presented himself before the Turkish judge of New Ephesus, declaring that he had abandoned his denial of Christ and confessed himself once again a Christian. Though offered every inducement to recant, the holy youth was steadfast. He was thrown into prison, beaten, threatened and tortured. At last he was condemned to death and was hanged at New Ephesus on the third of September 1794, at the age of about twenty. His body was reverently taken down by Christians and buried in the local Orthodox cemetery, and his memory has been kept by the Church of Cyprus and the Greek Church as one of the New Martyrs under the Turkish yoke.

Saint Theoctistus, fellow faster of Saint Euthymius the Great

467

Saint Theoctistus was a fellow ascetic and the closest spiritual companion of Saint Euthymius the Great. He came to the Holy Land in the late fourth century from Asia Minor and entered the laura of Pharan in the Judean desert, where he met Saint Euthymius soon after the latter's arrival from Melitene around the year 405. The two embraced one another in spiritual brotherhood and withdrew together to a deserted region near the brook of Wadi Mukellik, southeast of Jerusalem, where they lived in a cave and devoted themselves to silence, fasting and prayer for several years. As disciples gathered around them, Theoctistus, by the will of Euthymius, organised the brotherhood into a coenobitic monastery situated on the slope below the cave of Euthymius, and was appointed its first abbot. Saint Euthymius continued to dwell in the cave higher up, but referred all those who came to him for the angelic life to be tested first under Theoctistus, before being admitted to his own laura. The two cooperated for nearly forty years, Theoctistus governing his community with wisdom, discipline and gentleness, and serving as a father to many spiritual children, including the youthful Saint Sabas. The monastery of Theoctistus, often called Doukos, became one of the foundational houses of Palestinian monasticism. He reposed at a great age in the year 467, having outlived Saint Euthymius by one year, and was buried in the cave where they had first lived together.

Holy Martyr Basilissa

309

She lived near Nicomedia during the great persecution by the Emperor Diocletian. Though she was only nine years old, she was arrested and brought before Alexander, the Governor of Bithynia. When she fearlessly proclaimed her faith in Christ, the Governor had her stripped and beaten, but she only gave thanks to God. Enraged at the steadfastness of a mere child, the Governor ordered her chained and plunged head-first into boiling pitch, then cast into a blazing furnace, then thrown to the lions. Through all these torments she was miraculously preserved. Astonished at the wonders that he beheld, Alexander fell at Basilissa’s feet and confessed that he too believed that Christ is the Savior. He was baptized by the Bishop of Nicomedia and died not long afterward. Basilissa went into the wilderness outside the city to give thanks to God for her endurance under torture and to ask Him to receive her soul in peace. While praying in this way, she entered into her rest.

Our Holy Father Joannicius, Archbishop and first Patriarch of Serbia

1354

“Born in Prizrem, he served as first secretary to King Dušan. He became Archbishop in 1339, and in 1346 was raised to the rank of Patriarch. He was a zealous pastor, and brought order to the Serbian Church, being ‘a great upholder of the Church’s laws’. He entered into rest on September 3rd, 1349, and his relics are preserved at Pec´.” (Prologue)

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

2 Corinthians — 2 Corinthians 9.12-10.7

¹²For the ministration of this service not only filleth up the measure of the wants of the saints, but aboundeth also through many thanksgivings unto God; ¹²For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; ¹³seeing that through the proving of you by this ministration they glorify God for the obedience of your confession unto the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution unto them and unto all; ¹³Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; ¹⁴while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, long after you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you. ¹⁴And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. ¹⁵Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift. ¹⁵Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

¹Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you:

¹Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: ²But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. ²yea, I beseech you, that I may not when present show courage with the confidence wherewith I count to be bold against some, who count of us as if we walked according to the flesh. ³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: ³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh ⁴(for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds); ⁴(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) ⁵casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; ⁵Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; ⁶and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full. ⁶And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. ⁷Ye look at the things that are before your face. If any man trusteth in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ’s, so also are we. ⁷Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 3.19-27

¹⁹And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.

¹⁹and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. And he cometh into a house. ²⁰And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. ²⁰And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. ²¹And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. ²¹And when his friends heard it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

²²And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. ²²And the scribes that came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and, By the prince of the demons casteth he out the demons. ²³And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? ²³And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? ²⁴And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁴And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵And if a house be divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ²⁵And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. ²⁶And if Satan hath risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. ²⁷No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. ²⁷But no one can enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.