Thursday, 30 October 2025

Thursday of the 21st week after Pentecost

193 days after Pascha · Tone 3 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy apostles Tertius, Mark, Justus and Artemas of the seventy

Four members of the Lord's seventy apostles are commemorated together on 30 October. Saint Tertius is the disciple mentioned at the close of the Epistle to the Romans (Romans 16:22), who wrote down that letter at the dictation of the apostle Paul; he succeeded Saint Sosipater as bishop of Iconium, where he laboured to convert the pagans and ended his life as a martyr. Saint Mark, called also John (Acts 12:12), was the cousin of Saint Barnabas, accompanied Paul and Barnabas on missionary journeys, and was bishop of Apollonia in Asia Minor (he is to be distinguished from the evangelist Mark of the Seventy commemorated on other dates). Saint Justus, called Barsabas, is the disciple put forward with Matthias to take the place of Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:23); afterwards he was bishop of Eleutheropolis in Judea, where he sealed his apostolic preaching with martyrdom. Saint Artemas was bishop of Lystra in Lycaonia and is mentioned by Paul in his Epistle to Titus (Titus 3:12). All four reposed in the apostolic age, and their joint memory is kept on this day, with separate commemorations elsewhere in the year.

Holy hieromartyr Marcian, bishop of Syracuse

Saint Marcian was a disciple of the holy chief apostle Peter, who, after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, sent him to preach the gospel in Sicily. Marcian settled in a cave near the city of Syracuse, where he laboured in prayer and preaching, baptising large numbers of pagans and overthrowing the worship of idols. He is venerated as the first bishop of Syracuse and indeed as the first bishop of Sicily. Tradition relates that he was eventually seized by Jews who were enraged at his successful conversion of their pagan neighbours, and he was put to death by them, sealing his episcopate with martyrdom; another account says he was strangled with a rope. His relics were greatly venerated, first at Syracuse and afterwards translated to Gaeta on the mainland for safe-keeping during the Saracen invasions of the ninth century. His memory is kept on 30 October in the Eastern Orthodox calendar and on 14 June in the Western tradition.

Holy hieromartyr Zenobius and his sister Zenobia of Aegae

Saints Zenobius and Zenobia were brother and sister, born of devout Christian parents at Aegae in Cilicia in the third century. Left orphans while still young, they distributed their inheritance to the poor and gave themselves to a life of prayer, almsgiving and the care of the sick. Zenobius received from God the gift of healing, treating diseases without pay, often by simply laying his hands upon the sufferer. The Christians of Aegae elected him their bishop, and he ruled the church there with great zeal. When the persecution of Diocletian broke out about 285, Zenobius was arrested and brought before the prefect Lysias. After being tortured he was sentenced to death, and his sister Zenobia, hearing of his sufferings, came to the tribunal and openly confessed Christ, that she might suffer with him. The two were tortured together on a red-hot iron bed, then cast into a boiling cauldron, from which they emerged unharmed, and finally beheaded together. Their relics work many miracles. Their memory is kept on 30 October.

Holy martyr Eutropia of Alexandria

Saint Eutropia was a Christian woman of Alexandria who suffered for Christ in the third century, in the time of the persecution of Maximian. Out of love for the holy martyrs of her city, she made it her practice to visit the prisons and bring food, clothing and consolation to the confessors of Christ, kissing their wounds and exhorting them to perseverance. Her devotion drew the attention of the persecutors, and she was herself denounced as a Christian. After being subjected to severe tortures and remaining steadfast in her confession of Christ, she gave up her soul to God, joining in heaven those whom she had served on earth. Her memory is kept on 30 October.

Holy Apostle Cleopas

He is numbered among the Seventy. On the day of the Resurrection, Cleopas and St Luke were walking on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus when the Risen Christ appeared to them, as recounted in the twenty-fourth chapter of St Luke’s Gospel. The Gospel account does not name St Cleopas’ companion, but the holy tradition of the Church tells us that it was St Luke himself, and thus that the story is a first-hand account.

St Joseph I, Patriarch of Constantinople

1283

Once a married priest, he entered monastic life when his wife died, and became the spiritual father of the Emperor Michael VIII Paleologus, during whose reign he was elevated to the Patriarchate. Despite this patronage, St Joseph’s integrity was inviolable: At his first Divine Liturgy as Patriarch, he required the Emperor publicly to confess and repent of several sins before admitting him to Communion. He fiercely opposed the Emperor’s expedient policy of union with Rome, and was therefore deposed, retiring once more to monastic life. In old age, he was restored to the Patriarchal throne upon the death of Emperor Michael, but died a few months later.

Holy Martyr Hermengild, Prince of the Visigoths

486

He was the son and appointed heir of Leuvgild, King of the Visigoths, who had embraced the Christianity of the Arian heretics. But through the teaching of Bishop Leander of Seville (February 27), Hermengild was converted to the fullness of the Orthodox faith, for which his father the King had him thrown in prison. On the day of Pascha 486, the King sent one of his priests to give his son communion. But Hermengild refused, proclaiming that to commune with heretics is to assent to their belief and to sink into their error; going further, he told the priest that the heretics’ communion was nothing but bread and wine, for the Body and Blood of Christ are found only in the Offering made by the Church. The enraged King sent soldiers, who at his orders put his own son to death. Later, the King repented of this inhuman deed and asked Bishop Leander to instruct his youngest son Recared in the Orthodox faith. Thus the Visigoth people was brought into the Faith.

Holy Hieromartyr John Kochurov, First Hieromartyr of the Russian Revolution

1917

He was born in Russia in 1871, and as a young priest was sent to America as a missionary. There he worked zealously (he was instrumental in the building of the Orthodox cathedral in Chicago) until he was called back to Russia just before the October Revolution in 1917. Only six days after the Bolsheviks seized power, he was beaten to death in the street by a gang of Bolshevik sailors in Tsarskoye Selo near St Petersburg. Thus he became the first of countless Priest-Martyrs of Russia’s atheist yoke.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Colossians — Colossians 1.24-29

²⁴Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church; ²⁴Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: ²⁵whereof I was made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which was given me to you-ward, to fulfil the word of God, ²⁵Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; ²⁶even the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints, ²⁶Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: ²⁷to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: ²⁷To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: ²⁸whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ; ²⁸Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: ²⁹whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. ²⁹Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 11.14-23

¹⁴And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.

¹⁴And he was casting out a demon that was dumb. And it came to pass, when the demon was gone out, the dumb man spake; and the multitudes marvelled. ¹⁵But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. ¹⁵But some of them said, By Beelzebub the prince of the demons casteth he out demons. ¹⁶And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. ¹⁶And others, trying him, sought of him a sign from heaven. ¹⁷But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. ¹⁷But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. ¹⁸And if Satan also is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out demons by Beelzebub. ¹⁸If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. ¹⁹And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. ¹⁹And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. ²⁰But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. ²⁰But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. ²¹When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: ²¹When the strong man fully armed guardeth his own court, his goods are in peace: ²²But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. ²²but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him his whole armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. ²³He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. ²³He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.