Saturday, 4 October 2025

Saturday of the 17th week after Pentecost

167 days after Pascha · Tone 7 · Red squigg (doxology typikon symbol) · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Hieromartyr Hierotheus, Bishop of Athens

Saint Hierotheus was a member of the Athenian Areopagos in the first century and is reckoned as one of the early teachers of Christian wisdom in Greece. A man of philosophical learning, he was converted and baptised by the Apostle Paul during the Apostle's mission to Athens, and was afterwards consecrated by him as the first bishop of the city. In turn Hierotheus became the spiritual father of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, instructing him more perfectly in the mysteries of the faith. The tradition of the Church preserves the memory of his presence at the dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, where, caught up in divine contemplation, he chanted hymns of unearthly beauty alongside the holy apostles. Saint Dionysius in his writings calls him a true initiate into the things of God. After many labours of evangelism and the conversion of many pagans, Hierotheus ended his life as a martyr in the first century. Portions of his relics, including his skull, are venerated in the monastery dedicated to him at Megara in Attica and on Mount Athos.

Saints Guriy, Archbishop of Kazan, and Barsanuphius, Bishop of Tver

1576

This day commemorates the uncovering of the relics of Saints Guriy and Barsanuphius, the missionary hierarchs sent to Christianise the newly conquered Khanate of Kazan in the sixteenth century. Saint Guriy, born Gregory Rugotin about 1500 of a noble Russian family, served as steward in a princely household before false accusations led to his imprisonment, where he turned wholly to prayer and to the writing of small books for poor children. Released after two years, he received the monastic tonsure at the Volokolamsk monastery and became its abbot. In 1555 he was consecrated by Saint Macarius of Moscow as the first archbishop of Kazan, where he laboured to convert the Tatar peoples until his repose in 1563. Saint Barsanuphius, his close companion in the mission, became Bishop of Tver and reposed in 1576. In the year 1595, during the building of a new cathedral at Kazan, the incorrupt relics of both hierarchs were uncovered and have ever since been venerated as wonderworking. Their joint commemoration on this day was established by the Church in thanksgiving for the discovery.

Venerable Ammon of Egypt

Saint Ammon (also called Amun) was born about the year 294 in Egypt and is honoured as one of the founders of monasticism in the Nitrian desert. Compelled by his parents to marry, he persuaded his bride on their wedding night to live with him in continence, and for eighteen years they shared a chaste life of prayer and almsgiving as brother and sister. With his wife's blessing he then withdrew to the wilderness of Nitria, west of the Nile delta, where he laboured in solitude in fasting, vigil and unceasing prayer. To his cell gathered many disciples, and he is credited with developing a form of semi-eremitic monasticism, in which solitaries lived close enough to one another to gather on Sundays for the Liturgy and common meals. The settlement of Kellia, the "Cells", grew out of his counsel. He often visited Saint Anthony the Great, with whom he shared deep friendship, and Anthony beheld in vision the angels bearing his soul to heaven at his death about the year 350. Saint Athanasius records his life and miracles in the Life of Anthony.

Venerable Paul the Simple of Egypt

Saint Paul, called the Simple for his guilelessness and gentleness of soul, was a Egyptian peasant of the fourth century. Already sixty years old when he discovered his wife's infidelity, he left her without bitterness and walked into the desert to seek out Saint Anthony the Great. At first the great hermit refused to receive him, judging him too old for the harsh ascetic life, and bade him return home. Paul stood outside Anthony's cell for three days without food, declaring that he would sooner die there than turn back. Moved by his perseverance, Anthony took him in and tested him by hard manual labour, severe fasting, all-night vigils and ceaseless psalmody. Paul bore every trial without complaint and showed such docility that Anthony declared him a true monk. The Lord granted him remarkable gifts of discernment and authority over demons, so that Anthony himself would on occasion send the more difficult cases of possession to be healed by Paul's prayer. He reposed in old age, having become a model of obedience and simplicity for all who follow the monastic way.

Also commemorated: Unc. Rel. Gurias of Kazan and Varsanuphy of Tver

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

1 Corinthians — 1 Corinthians 14.20-25

²⁰Brethren, be not children in mind: yet in malice be ye babes, but in mind be men. ²⁰Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. ²¹In the law it is written, By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers will I speak unto this people; and not even thus will they hear me, saith the Lord. ²¹In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. ²²Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to the unbelieving: but prophesying is for a sign, not to the unbelieving, but to them that believe. ²²Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. ²³If therefore the whole church be assembled together and all speak with tongues, and there come in men unlearned or unbelieving, will they not say that ye are mad? ²³If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? ²⁴But if all prophesy, and there come in one unbelieving or unlearned, he is reproved by all, he is judged by all; ²⁴But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: ²⁵the secrets of his heart are made manifest; and so he will fall down on his face and worship God, declaring that God is among you indeed. ²⁵And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 5.17-26

¹⁷And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judæa, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

¹⁷And it came to pass on one of those days, that he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who were come out of every village of Galilee and Judæa and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was with him to heal.

¹⁸And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. ¹⁸And behold, men bring on a bed a man that was palsied: and they sought to bring him in, and to lay him before him. ¹⁹And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. ¹⁹And not finding by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop, and let him down through the tiles with his couch into the midst before Jesus. ²⁰And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. ²⁰And seeing their faith, he said, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. ²¹And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? ²¹And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? ²²But Jesus perceiving their reasonings, answered and said unto them, Why reason ye in your hearts? ²²But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? ²³Which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk? ²³Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? ²⁴But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. ²⁴But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (he said unto him that was palsied), I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go unto thy house. ²⁵And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. ²⁵And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his house, glorifying God. ²⁶And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day. ²⁶And amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God; and they were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day.