Wednesday, 17 December 2025

Wednesday of the 28th week after Pentecost

241 days after Pascha · Tone 2 · Black squigg (6-stich typikon symbol) · Nativity Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy prophet Daniel

The Holy Prophet Daniel, of the royal tribe of Judah, was carried away as a youth into Babylonian captivity around 600 BC during the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah. With his three companions Ananias, Azarias and Misael, he was chosen for service in the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar and was given the Chaldean name Belshazzar. Refusing to defile himself with food and drink from the royal table, he was nourished only on vegetables and water, and excelled in wisdom and the interpretation of dreams. He revealed to Nebuchadnezzar the meaning of his dream of the great image, foretelling the succession of kingdoms and the eternal kingdom of God. Under King Belshazzar he interpreted the writing on the wall, and under Darius the Mede he was cast into a den of lions, but was preserved unharmed by an angel. He was granted prophetic visions of the four beasts, of the Ancient of Days, and of the seventy weeks announcing the coming of the Messiah. He survived into great old age and reposed in captivity, leaving behind the prophetic book that bears his name.

Saint Dionysius of Zakynthos, archbishop of Aegina

1622

Saint Dionysius was born in 1547 on the island of Zakynthos to noble and pious parents, Mocius and Paulina Sigouros. From childhood he was drawn to prayer and the reading of Scripture, and following the death of his parents he was tonsured a monk at the monastery of the Strophades, taking the name Daniel. He was later ordained priest and elected archbishop of Aegina in 1577, where he laboured for the Christian people who suffered under Ottoman rule. Wearied by the cares of the episcopate, he resigned his see and retired to the Strophades, then to a hermitage on Zakynthos. He is best remembered for an act of mercy when he gave shelter to a man who confessed to him that he had killed the saint's own brother; rather than seek vengeance, Dionysius forgave him and helped him escape his pursuers. He reposed in 1622, and his incorrupt relics, which work many miracles, are preserved on Zakynthos.

The three holy youths Ananias, Azarias and Misael

Their wonderful story is told in the Book of Daniel, in which the coming of Christ is prophesied and prefigured in several places. Large portions of the book are missing from the protestant Bible: make every effort to obtain and read the full version. The Prayer and Song of the Three Youths in the Furnace have become the Seventh and Eighth of the Old Testament Odes of the Matins Canon; the Odes are sung in full only in monasteries during Lent. The Three Youths’ sojourn in the fiery furnace is prominent in Orthodox hymns and devotions, for their passage through the flames unharmed is a type of the holy Virgin’s incorrupt birth-giving: receiving the divine Fire within her womb, she was not consumed but remained ever-virgin.

According to the Synaxarion, Daniel reposed in peace at the age of eighty, two years after the return of the Hebrew people from their captivity in Babylon. The Three Youths also reposed in peace. But St Cyril of Alexandria writes that all of them met a martyr’s end, by beheading.

According to tradition these four were among the righteous dead who rose at Christ’s Crucifixion and were seen by many (Matthew ch. 27).

The Three Holy Youths were named, in Hebrew, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael; the names given above are Greek renderings of the Hebrew names. Their captors also gave them Babylonian names, by which they are also called: Shadrach, Abed-nego, and Meshak, respectively. Daniel was given the Babylonian name Belteshazzar.

Our Holy Father Dionysius the New of Zakinthos

1624

He was born to pious and wealthy parents on the island of Zakinthos. Early in life he renounced his wealth and worldly honors to enter monastic life. His virtue became so well known that he was appointed Archbishop of Aegina, where he served for many years. In time, in order to retire to a life of solitude and struggle, he resigned and returned to his homeland where he entered a monastery in the mountains. Here he received the grace of performing miracles, and worked many healing and saving wonders among the people of Zakinthos. A story from the Synaxarion reveals his character as one truly united to Christ: “He excelled above all in love of neighbour and in meekness. One day the murderer of the Saint’s own brother, fleeing the law and the members of his victim’s family, arrived at the monastery and begged Dionysius for asylum, little knowing to whom he was speaking. On gathering the reason for his flight and that his own brother was the victim, the man of God resisted with all his strength his natural grief and the temptation to avenge the crime. Imitating Christ, who pardoned his enemies and prayed for his persecutors, he received the fugitive with compassion, comforted him, exhorted him to repent and hid him in an out-of-the-way cell. When his pursuing kinsmen reached the monastery with the dreadful news, the Saint did not reveal that he knew it already, but did his best with words of peace to allay the wrath of his relatives and their desire for vengeance. As soon as they moved off, he let out the murderer (who was amazed and terror-struck before such superhuman goodness) and having provided him with victuals and money for his journey, he sent him away to work freely at the salvation of his soul.” The holy bishop reposed in 1622 after a long and painful illness. He has continued to work signs and miracles and to appear from time to time to the people of Zakinthos, who venerate him as their protector and patron.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

2 Timothy — 2 Timothy 4.9-22

⁹Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:

⁹Give diligence to come shortly unto me: ¹⁰For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. ¹⁰for Demas forsook me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. ¹¹Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee; for he is useful to me for ministering. ¹¹Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. ¹²And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. ¹²But Tychicus I sent to Ephesus. ¹³The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. ¹³The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, bring when thou comest, and the books, especially the parchments. ¹⁴Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: ¹⁴Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord will render to him according to his works: ¹⁵Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words. ¹⁵of whom do thou also beware; for he greatly withstood our words. ¹⁶At my first defence no one took my part, but all forsook me: may it not be laid to their account. ¹⁶At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. ¹⁷Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. ¹⁷But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me; that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. ¹⁸And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. ¹⁸The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

¹⁹Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the house of Onesiphorus.

¹⁹Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. ²⁰Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick. ²⁰Erastus remained at Corinth: but Trophimus I left at Miletus sick. ²¹Give diligence to come before winter. Eubulus saluteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren. ²¹Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren. ²²The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

²²The Lord be with thy spirit. Grace be with you.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 8.30-34

³⁰And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. ³⁰And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. ³¹And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

³¹And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, and the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³²And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. ³²And he spake the saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. ³³But he turning about, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and saith, Get thee behind me, Satan; for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men. ³³But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

³⁴And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ³⁴And he called unto him the multitude with his disciples, and said unto them, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.