Monday, 15 September 2025

Monday of the 15th week after Pentecost

148 days after Pascha · Tone 5 · Black squigg (6-stich typikon symbol) · No Fast

Saints commemorated

★ Holy Great Martyr Nicetas the Goth

372

The Holy Great Martyr Nicetas was a Goth, born and living on the banks of the Danube River. He suffered for Christ in the year 372. Saint Nicetas believed in Christ and was baptised by the Gothic bishop Theophilos, who had participated in the First Ecumenical Council. When pagan Goths began to oppose the spread of Christianity a civil war broke out among them. After Fritigern, leading a Christian army, defeated the pagan Athanaric, the Christian faith continued to spread among the Goths. Saint Nicetas worked tirelessly among his fellow Goths, teaching them about Christ. By his life and preaching he led many to the faith. Athanaric, returning to power, again raised persecution against Christians, and Nicetas was seized. He endured many tortures and was finally cast into a fire. Although his body was not burned, he surrendered his soul to God, and his relics were illumined by a radiant light. A friend named Marian recovered the body and carried it to Cilicia, where it was buried with honour.

Saint Philotheus the Presbyter, Wonderworker of Asia Minor

The holy presbyter and wonderworker Philotheus lived in the tenth century in the village of Mravin, also rendered Myrmix, in Bithynia in Asia Minor. He was a married priest and had children. From his youth he devoted himself to deeds of prayer and fasting and to works of charity, exhorting his people by both word and example. Because of his holy life, Saint Philotheus received from God the gift of working miracles. The ascetic continually fed the hungry and helped the needy of his region, hiding nothing of his own from those in want. He fell asleep in peace in old age, and after his repose myrrh flowed from his relics, by which many sick were healed.

Saint Symeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica

Saint Symeon was a monastic, theologian and Archbishop of Thessalonica during the early fifteenth century. Born in the second half of the fourteenth century in Constantinople, he took the name Symeon at his monastic tonsure; his secular name has not been preserved. Before his elevation to the episcopate he lived as a hieromonk in the imperial city, closely linked to the Xanthopouloi brothers and the hesychast community they had gathered. He was installed as Archbishop of Thessalonica in 1416 or early 1417, arriving as Ottoman forces pressed upon the walls of the city. Through years of siege, plague and famine, he strengthened his flock by tireless preaching, the celebration of the divine services and a great body of writing on the liturgy, the sacraments and the dogmas of the Church. His commentaries on the Liturgy, the temple and the Mysteries became foundational texts of Orthodox liturgical theology. He fell asleep in the Lord in the middle of September 1429, shortly before the city finally fell to the Ottomans in March 1430. He was glorified by the Church of Constantinople in April 1981.

Holy Martyr Porphyrius

361

“An actor, he first mocked at Christians before Julian the Apostate. On one occasion, when he was mimicking the Christian mystery of Baptism, he was dipped into the water, pronouncing the words: ‘In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’ When he emerged from the water, he cried out: ‘Now I am a Christian!’ Everyone thought that this was in jest, as always, but he held firm to it, stopped mocking Christians and finally suffered for Christ. He was beheaded in 361, and entered into the Kingdom of Christ.” (Prologue) We rightly condemn worship that is purely external; but the life of St Porphyrius reminds us in a striking way that the ‘externals’ of the Faith have a power that can work to convert the heart of man. St Porphyrius used the words of Holy Baptism not only carelessly but mockingly, yet by God’s grace he emerged from the waters truly renewed into Christ.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Galatians — Galatians 2.11-16

¹¹But when Cephas came to Antioch, I resisted him to the face, because he stood condemned. ¹¹But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. ¹²For before that certain came from James, he ate with the Gentiles; but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing them that were of the circumcision. ¹²For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. ¹³And the rest of the Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that even Barnabas was carried away with their dissimulation. ¹³And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. ¹⁴But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Cephas before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest as do the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, how compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? ¹⁴But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? ¹⁵We being Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, ¹⁵We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, ¹⁶yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. ¹⁶Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 5.24-34

²⁴And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. ²⁴And he went with him; and a great multitude followed him, and they thronged him. ²⁵And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

²⁵And a woman, who had an issue of blood twelve years, ²⁶And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, ²⁶and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, ²⁷When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. ²⁷having heard the things concerning Jesus, came in the crowd behind, and touched his garment. ²⁸For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. ²⁸For she said, If I touch but his garments, I shall be made whole. ²⁹And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her plague. ²⁹And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. ³⁰And straightway Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power proceeding from him had gone forth, turned him about in the crowd, and said, Who touched my garments? ³⁰And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? ³¹And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? ³¹And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? ³²And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. ³²And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. ³³But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. ³³But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done to her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. ³⁴And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. ³⁴And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.