Monday, 29 September 2025

Monday of the 17th week after Pentecost

162 days after Pascha · Tone 7 · Black squigg (6-stich typikon symbol) · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyrs Dadas, Gabdelas and Casdoa of Persia

The Holy Martyrs Dadas, Gabdelas and Casdoa suffered for Christ in the fourth century in Persia under the emperor Sapor. Saint Dadas, a kinsman of the king and his chief steward, had been made governor of one of the provinces of the realm; when it was discovered that he was a Christian, he was stripped of his honours and sent for trial before the cruel torturer Andromelik, who condemned him to be burned alive. As Saint Dadas approached the pyre he sealed himself with the sign of the Cross, and the fire was at once extinguished. The king's young son Gabdelas, beholding this wonder, openly confessed Christ, for which he was subjected to fierce torments; the Lord by His angel comforted him and restored to him health and strength after each torture. His sister Casdoa, when she came to visit him in prison, was likewise brought to faith, and the chief pagan priest Gargal, having seen the constancy of the holy youth and the radiance upon his face, also confessed Christ. The four holy martyrs, after enduring still further tortures, were beheaded with the sword and received the crown of martyrdom together. Their commemoration is kept on this day with Saint Cyriacus.

Venerable Cyprian, Abbot of Ustyug

1276

Saint Cyprian of Ustyug was a wealthy landowner of the lands of Dvina who, turning from the vanities of the world, received the great schema with the name Cyprian at the monastery of the Holy Trinity at Gledeno. The pious inhabitants of the newly founded city of Ustyug entreated him to build a monastery near their town, and the saint, choosing a place by shallow lakes at the Ostrozh falls, raised first a small cell and then by the labours of those who joined him a fully ordered monastic community. By the year 1212 he had completed the great monastery in honour of the Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, with a church dedicated to the Archangel Michael, the foundation of which became the spiritual heart of the region. There he laboured in fasting, prayer and humble service, ever giving to the poor of the goods that came to the monastery, and gathering many monks to the angelic life. He fell asleep in the Lord on 29 September 1276 and was buried within the walls of his foundation, where his memory was honoured by the people of the North as a venerable wonderworker.

Venerable Cyriacus the Anchorite of Palestine

556

Saint Cyriacus the Anchorite was born in 449 in Corinth, the son of John, a priest of the church of Saint Anastasius, and his wife Eudocia. From childhood he was brought up in piety, and as he stood in church one day, not yet eighteen, he was so struck by the words of the Gospel concerning the denial of self and the taking up of the Cross that he went directly to the harbour without returning home, embarked for Palestine, and presented himself at Jerusalem. There he was received by the holy Eustorgius and afterwards came to Saint Euthymius the Great, who tonsured him and sent him to Saint Gerasimus of the Jordan, with whom he laboured for nine years. After Gerasimus's repose he returned to the Lavra of Saint Euthymius, where he passed ten years in stillness and was made priest. He withdrew further into the desert of Souka, dwelling for many years in caves of the wilderness, and in the deepest solitude lived for seven years on bitter herbs sweetened by his prayer. A great defender of Orthodoxy, by his teaching he confounded the heresy of the Origenists then troubling Palestine, recalling many to the true faith. Receiving frequent visits from Cyril of Skythopolis, who recorded his life, he reposed in great old age, having lived one hundred and nine years, in the year 556.

Venerable Theophanes the Merciful of Gaza

Saint Theophanes the Merciful was an inhabitant of the Syrian city of Gaza, renowned in his town for his great compassion toward the poor and the homeless. From his own substance he provided shelter for vagrants and strangers, gave food and clothing to the needy, cared for the sick and ransomed prisoners, until he had spent all that he had and was himself reduced to poverty and want. Toward the end of his life he was stricken with dropsy and his body was consumed with a wasting disease, yet he bore his sufferings with thanksgiving, never ceasing from prayer or from such almsgiving as still lay within his power. After his repose a fragrant healing myrrh flowed from his body, by which many of the sick were restored to health, witness to the truth of the Lord's word that the merciful shall obtain mercy. He is commemorated on this day with Saint Cyriacus the Anchorite.

St Mary of Palestine

6th c.

“She was at first a reader of the Psalter in the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem, but, being beautiful, she was a source of scandal to the sinful-minded. In order not to be a cause of sin in others, Mary withdrew to the wilderness of Souka with a basket of beans and a flask of water. She spent eighteen years in the desert and, by God’s power, never lacked either beans nor water. Disciples of St Cyriacus found her during her lifetime, and later buried her.” (Prologue)

Holy Martyrs Dada and those with them

4th c.

Dada was a high Persian official serving in the court of King Shapur II, and secretly a Christian. When he was appointed governor of a province some way from the court, Dada began to worship and proclaim Christ openly. This came to the attention of the King, who sent one of his sons, Gubarlahas, to try and execute him. Dada was condemned and condemned to be thrown into a fiery furnace. But when Dada made the sign of the Cross, the fire went out, amazing the Prince and eventually leading him to convert to Christ. The outraged King had his son thrown in prison and put to torture. Gubarlahas endured days of hideous torture without complaint and, though he had been subjected to horrible mutilations, emerged from his cell unscathed. This wonder led others, including two more of the King’s own children or kin, to embrace Christ. Kazoy, the King’s daughter, was allowed to enter into rest as soon as her tortures began. Gubarlahas was miraculously baptised in the midst of further tortures: A voice from on high pronounced the words of baptism, and a shower of water and oil fell on the Martyr. Not long afterward, he perished, along with Dada and Kasdios, one of Gubarlahas’ kinsmen who had been convinced of the Truth by the miracles he had seen.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Ephesians — Ephesians 1.22-2.3

²²and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, ²²And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, ²³which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. ²³Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

¹And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins,

¹And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; ²Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ²wherein ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience; ³among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:— ³Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 4.37-44

³⁸And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.

³⁸And he rose up from the synagogue, and entered into the house of Simon. And Simon’s wife’s mother was holden with a great fever; and they besought him for her. ³⁹And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. ³⁹And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she rose up and ministered unto them.

⁴⁰Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

⁴⁰And when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. ⁴¹And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ. ⁴¹And demons also came out from many, crying out, and saying, Thou art the Son of God. And rebuking them, he suffered them not to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. ⁴²And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.

⁴²And when it was day, he came out and went into a desert place: and the multitudes sought after him, and came unto him, and would have stayed him, that he should not go from them. ⁴³And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. ⁴³But he said unto them, I must preach the good tidings of the kingdom of God to the other cities also: for therefore was I sent. ⁴⁴And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

⁴⁴And he was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.