Tuesday, 2 December 2025

Tuesday of the 26th week after Pentecost

226 days after Pascha · Tone 8 · Liturgy · Nativity Fast (Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyr Myrope of Chios

251

The Holy Martyr Myrope was born in the city of Ephesus at the beginning of the third century. She lost her father at an early age, and her mother raised her in the Christian faith. Saint Myrope frequently visited the grave of the Martyr Hermione, daughter of the holy Apostle Philip, took myrrh from her relics, and healed the sick with it. During the persecution under Decius (249-251), Myrope went with her mother to the island of Chios, where they spent their time in fasting and prayer. By order of the cruel governor of the island, the soldier Isidore, a man of deep faith and great piety, was martyred. Saint Myrope secretly removed the body of the martyr and buried it. The soldiers who had been ordered not to allow the Christians to take Isidore's body were sentenced to death. Saint Myrope, taking pity on the condemned men, came forward and confessed what she had done, and at her trial she also confessed herself a Christian. For this she was fiercely beaten and cast into prison. At midnight as she prayed, a light shone in the prison; Saint Isidore appeared surrounded by angels, and Saint Myrope surrendered her soul to God. The prison was filled with a sweet fragrance. The pagan guard, trembling at the vision, told it to a priest; he later accepted Baptism and a martyric death for the confession of Christ.

Holy Prophet Habakkuk

The Holy Prophet Habakkuk, the eighth of the Twelve Minor Prophets, was descended from the tribe of Simeon and prophesied around 650 BC. The Prophet Habakkuk foresaw the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, the Babylonian Captivity, and the later return of the captives to their native land. During the war with the Babylonians the prophet withdrew to Arabia, where a remarkable miracle occurred. As he was bringing dinner to the reapers, he met an angel of the Lord, and instantly, by the strength of the spirit, he was transported to Babylon, where the Prophet Daniel was languishing in the lions' den. The food intended for the reapers thus assuaged the hunger of the holy Prophet Daniel. After the end of the war Habakkuk returned to his homeland and reposed at a great old age. His relics were discovered during the reign of the Emperor Theodosius the Younger together with the relics of the Prophet Micah. The book of Habakkuk gives us the song "O Lord, I have heard Thy report and was afraid," which forms the basis of the fourth ode of the canon at Matins.

Saint Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia

Saint Porphyrios (in the world Evangelos Bairaktaris) was born in 1906 in the village of Saint John of Karystia on the island of Euboea, the son of pious peasant parents. From his earliest years he longed for the monastic life, and at the age of twelve he secretly left for the Holy Mountain of Athos, where he was received as a novice at the skete of Kavsokalyvia. Under his elders Panteleimon and Ioannikios he advanced quickly in obedience and prayer, and was tonsured a monk with the name Niketas, later called Porphyrios. While still very young he received the rare gift of clairvoyance, perceiving the inner state of souls and the unseen realities of nature. Forced by illness to leave Athos, he was ordained priest and for many decades served as chaplain at the Polyclinic Hospital of Athens, where he became spiritual father to thousands. With great love and discernment he counselled the simple and the learned alike, healing the sick by his prayers and bringing the despairing back to faith. In his last years he founded the Holy Convent of the Transfiguration at Milesi in Attica, and finally returned to his beloved Kavsokalyvia, where he reposed in peace on 2 December 1991. He was glorified by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on 27 November 2013, and his memory is kept on 2 December.

Saint Solomon, Archbishop of Ephesus

Saint Solomon was an archbishop of the great see of Ephesus, succeeding the line of holy hierarchs that began with the Apostle Timothy. Little detail of his life has come down to us, but he is remembered as a confessor of the Orthodox faith and a faithful shepherd of his flock, ruling the Church of Ephesus with wisdom and pastoral care. He reposed in peace and is named together with the other saints of Ephesus among the commemorations of 2 December.

Venerable Athanasius the Recluse of the Kiev Caves

Saint Athanasius, called "the Resurrected," was a hermit of the Near Caves of Kiev and a contemporary of the holy archimandrite Polycarp of the Caves in the twelfth century. He was grievously ill for a long time, and when at last he died, the brethren prepared his body for burial. On the third day, when the abbot came to bury him, they all beheld the dead man alive, sitting up and weeping. He answered no questions and spoke only to instruct his brethren: "Cherish obedience above all; repent every hour; pray to the Lord Jesus Christ, His All-Pure Mother and to Saints Anthony and Theodosius, that you may end your life here, and be made worthy to be buried with the holy fathers in the Caves." After this he lived twelve more years in solitude in a cave, never speaking another word, weeping day and night, eating only a little dry bread and drinking only a little water. He reposed in peace and was buried in the Near Caves. A second saint of the same name, Athanasius the Recluse of the Far Caves, is also commemorated on this day; according to the tradition the cave needed no candle, for a heavenly light shone for him, and he grants healing to all who approach his relics with faith.

Saint Uroš, King of Serbia

1367

“The son of King Dušan, he ruled during the difficult time of the fall of the Kindom of Serbia. Humble, pious and gentle, he refused to attempt to restrain the power of the powerful nobles by force. Amongst these was Vukašin, who brought about his death. Good King Uroš suffered a martyr’s death on December 2nd, 1367, at the age of thirty-one. Killed by men, he was glorified by God. His wonderworking relics were preserved in the monastery of Jazak in the Fruška Gora, whence they were taken to Belgrade in 1942, during the Second World War, and placed in the Cathedral beside the bodies of Prince Lazar and Despot Stephen Štiljanovic. During the reign of this benevolent king, the monastery of St Nahum was built beside Lake Ochrid by one of Uroš’s nobles, Grgur.” (Prologue)

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

1 Timothy — 1 Timothy 1.8-14

⁸But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully, ⁸But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; ⁹as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, ⁹Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, ¹⁰for fornicators, for abusers of themselves with men, for menstealers, for liars, for false swearers, and if there be any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine; ¹⁰For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; ¹¹according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. ¹¹According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

¹²I thank him that enabled me, even Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he counted me faithful, appointing me to his service; ¹²And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; ¹³though I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: howbeit I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief; ¹³Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ¹⁴and the grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 19.45-48

⁴⁵And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;

⁴⁵And he entered into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold, ⁴⁶saying unto them, It is written, And my house shall be a house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of robbers. ⁴⁶Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. ⁴⁷And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,

⁴⁷And he was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people sought to destroy him: ⁴⁸And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him. ⁴⁸and they could not find what they might do; for the people all hung upon him, listening.