Monday, 22 September 2025

Monday of the 16th week after Pentecost

155 days after Pascha · Tone 6 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Hieromartyr Phocas, Bishop of Sinope

404

Saint Phocas was born in the city of Sinope on the southern shore of the Black Sea. From youth he led a virtuous Christian life, and was made worthy from a young age to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit, working many miracles. In his adult years he became Bishop of Sinope, where he laboured zealously, converting many pagans by his preaching and by the wonders God worked through him. During the persecution under the emperor Trajan, the governor demanded that he renounce Christ. After enduring fierce torments, the saint was enclosed in a hot bath, where he died a martyr's death about the year 117. Before his suffering, a dove came to him and placed a crown on his head, saying with a human voice that a cup was prepared for him to drink. Saint Phocas is especially venerated as a defender against fires and as a helper of those in danger of drowning at sea, and a homily in his honour was composed by Saint John Chrysostom. In the year 404 his relics were translated to Constantinople, an event commemorated on 22 July.

Holy Prophet Jonah

The Holy Prophet Jonah, son of Amathi, lived in the eighth century before the birth of Christ and was a successor of the Prophet Elisha. The Book of the Prophet Jonah, one of the twelve Minor Prophets of the Old Testament, recounts how he was sent by God to the great pagan city of Nineveh to preach repentance. Refusing this commission, Jonah took ship for Tarshish and was cast into the sea during a violent storm, where he was swallowed by a great sea creature. After three days and three nights in its belly, calling on the Lord in prayer, he was cast up alive on dry land and went to Nineveh to deliver his message; the king and people repented in sackcloth and ashes, and the city was spared. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself spoke of Jonah as a sign of His own three-day burial and Resurrection, saying that as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so the Son of Man would be in the heart of the earth. The prophet reposed in great old age and was buried in his native land. In the Slavic tradition his commemoration falls on 22 September, and the Greek tradition observes it on 21 September.

Saint Phocas the Gardener of Sinope

Saint Phocas the Gardener lived near the gates of Sinope, where he tended a small garden by his own labour. From the produce of his garden he refreshed all the passersby, giving to the poor and to strangers and feeding their souls at the same time with the word of God. He used to say that the soul is also a garden which requires care, lest it produce thorns and thistles. By his words and his example he led many pagans to faith in Christ. During a persecution against Christians, the governor sent soldiers to find and kill him; not knowing him, they arrived at his house, and he received them as guests with great kindness. That night, having learned their errand, he secretly dug a grave in his own garden and prepared his belongings for the poor. The next morning, he disclosed to the soldiers that he was the man they sought; reluctant after such hospitality, they nevertheless carried out their orders at his own request and beheaded him. He suffered about the year 320. A church was soon raised over his relics, and he is especially venerated by seafarers, gardeners, farmers and all who travel by sea, who invoke his protection against storms and dangers.

Venerable Cosmas, desert-dweller of Zographou, Mt Athos

1323

“Saint Cosmas came from Bulgaria where his devout parents provided him with a good education in Slavonic and Greek. They wanted him to marry but he was drawn by the love of Christ and, unknown to them, made his way to the Holy Mountain of Athos to become a monk at the Bulgarian monastery of Zographou. On the feast of the Annunciation at the Monastery of Vatopedi, he saw a woman among those serving in the Church and in the refectory, and he was grieved at first to observe this breach of the monastic rule, but overjoyed when he realized that it was the Mother of God who had appeared to him in this way. “He was clothed in the holy angelic Habit and, after some time, was ordained priest. One day, as he was praying before the icon of the Mother of God, asking her with tears how to achieve his salvation, he heard a voice saying, ‘Let my servant withdraw to the desert outside the monastery.’ He was obedient to the will of God and, with the blessing of his Abbot, lived in silence from then on. Some years later, he was found worthy of the grace of discernment of thoughts and of beholding things happening elsewhere, as well as of other spiritual gifts. In the course of many years, he was the spiritual helper of a great number of monks. At the end of his life, Christ appeared to him saying that he would shortly have a great trial to endure from the Devil. Indeed, the prince of demons made his appearance next day with a host of his servants bewailing and bemoaning their inability to annihilate their great enemy Cosmas, who had held them in check for so long and gained possession, by his virtue, of the throne in Heaven that had once been Lucifer’s. Taking a heavy stick, the demon beat the Saint so violently that he left him half-dead. As God allowed, Saint Cosmas died in peace two days later, on 22 September 1323. When the fathers came from the monastery to bury him, the wild animals gathered round. They kept silent until the end of the service, but howled unusually loud as his body was covered with earth. Then having paid their respects, they made off into the wilderness. Forty days later, the monks came to take up the body of Saint Cosmas and translate it to the monastery, but it was no longer in the grave. Where it now is God alone knows.” (Synaxarion)

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Galatians — Galatians 4.28-5.10

²⁸Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. ²⁸Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. ²⁹But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. ²⁹But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. ³⁰Howbeit what saith the scripture? Cast out the handmaid and her son: for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman. ³¹Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the freewoman. ³¹So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

¹Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

¹For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage.

²Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

²Behold, I Paul say unto you, that, if ye receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing. ³Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. ³For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. ⁴Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace. ⁴Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. ⁵For we through the Spirit by faith wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁵For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. ⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith working through love. ⁶For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. ⁷Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? ⁷Ye were running well; who hindered you that ye should not obey the truth? ⁸This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. ⁸This persuasion came not of him that calleth you. ⁹A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. ⁹A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. ¹⁰I have confidence to you-ward in the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. ¹⁰I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 3.19-22

¹⁹But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, ¹⁹but Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things which Herod had done, ²⁰added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison. ²⁰Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison. ²¹Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

²¹Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, ²²And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. ²²and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form, as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.