Friday, 19 December 2025

Friday of the 28th week after Pentecost

243 days after Pascha · Tone 2 · Liturgy · Nativity Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyr Boniface

290

He lived in Rome during the reign of Diocletian. He was slave to Aglais, the daughter of a Senator, and served as steward of her household and her large fortune. He also lived in fornication with her, and was addicted to drink. Despite these sins, he was kind, hospitable to strangers, and generous toward the needy. In time, Aglais became troubled in her conscience over her way of life, and began to think of the account that she would have to give to God for her sins. Some Christians told her of the holy Martyrs and, moved by their accounts, she ordered Boniface to travel to Tarsus and bring back relics of these holy ones. Boniface, still deaf and blind to the things of God, said jokingly, “And will you honor me as a Saint if I bring back my own body to you as a relic?” Boniface traveled to Tarsus with a large escort, well supplied with gold. He went straightaway to the Amphitheater, where he beheld a number of Martyrs being subjected to awful torments for the pleasure of the crowd, but bearing them all with patience and serenity. At the sight, the dissolute steward was touched by grace and felt his heart melt within him. He ran to the Martyrs, fell at their feet and kissed their chains, and loudly declared that he too was a disciple of Christ. So he too was put in chains, subjected to frightful tortures, and finally beheaded, rejoicing and praising God. Boniface’s escort, mystified by his long absence, made inquiries and were astonished to discover that their godless and sinful companion had met a Martyr’s death the day before. They paid fifty pounds in gold for his body and brought it back to Rome, thus fulfilling Boniface’s own unwitting prophecy. An angel of the Lord appeared to Aglais and said, “Arise and go to meet him who was once your servant and companion in sin, but has now become our brother. Receive him as your master for, thanks to him, all your sins are to be forgiven.” Rejoicing, Aglais received her former lover’s holy relics and built a church in his honor, where many miracles were wrought. Aglais gave away her fortune, devoted herself to ascesis and prayer, and was herself granted the grace to work miracles. She reposed in peace thirteen years later, assured that the sins of her past had been effaced through the intercessions of the holy Boniface.

Holy martyr Boniface of Tarsus

Saint Boniface was a slave in the household of Aglaida, a noble Roman woman with whom he lived in sin. Despite this, he was charitable, hospitable to strangers and merciful to the poor. Aglaida, repenting of her life, desired to obtain the relics of the holy martyrs to bless her household, and she sent Boniface with much money and rich linens to Tarsus in Cilicia, where Christians were being tortured. Arriving there, he was so moved by the courage of the martyrs that he openly confessed himself a Christian. Boldly rebuking the proconsul Simplicius, he was tortured cruelly: molten lead was poured into his mouth and he was cast into a cauldron of boiling pitch, but he remained unharmed. He was at last beheaded around the year 290, his blood mingling with milk as a sign of his purified soul. His companions, who had come with him from Rome, ransomed his body and brought it back to Aglaida, who built a church in his honour.

Holy martyrs Elias, Probus and Ares

The holy martyrs Elias, Probus and Ares were Egyptian Christians who suffered for Christ in Cilicia during the persecution of the emperor Maximinus around the year 308. Having visited Christian confessors who had been condemned to labour in the mines of Cilicia, they were arrested on their return as they sought to encourage the faithful. Brought before the governor at Ascalon, they boldly confessed Christ and refused to sacrifice to the idols. Elias and Probus were beheaded after long tortures, and Ares was burned alive. Their relics were taken up secretly by the faithful and were honoured for the working of miracles.

Righteous Aglaida of Rome

Saint Aglaida was a Roman noblewoman, daughter of an eminent proconsul, who in her youth lived in great wealth but in dissolute fashion, keeping her household servant Boniface as a companion. Awakening to the emptiness of her life, she conceived a desire for repentance and sent Boniface to Tarsus to obtain the relics of holy martyrs that they might pray for her. When he himself was crowned with martyrdom and his body was returned to her, she received it with great reverence, built a church to enshrine the holy relics, and from that day forsook her former manner of life. She gave away her wealth to the poor, freed her slaves, and lived for the rest of her days in fasting, prayer and almsgiving. She was granted the gift of casting out unclean spirits and reposed in peace fifteen years after her servant's martyrdom.

Saint Gregentius, archbishop of the Homerites

Saint Gregentius was born in the country of the Avars and from his youth shone with the radiance of grace, having been granted visions of angels and saints. After ascetic struggles in Italy and at Rome, where he was warned by an angel of his future ministry, he sailed to Alexandria. The patriarch, instructed by a heavenly vision, ordained him archbishop and sent him to the land of the Homerites in southern Arabia at the request of the Ethiopian king Elesbaan, who had defeated the Jewish king Dhu Nuwas in vengeance for the martyrs of Negran. Arriving in Taphar, Saint Gregentius set the church in order, preached to pagans and Jews, baptised many, and drew up a body of just laws known as the Nomoi for the new Christian kingdom. He held a famous public debate with a learned Jew named Herban, and at its conclusion the appearance of Christ in the heavens caused Herban and his fellow Jews to receive baptism. He reposed in peace around the middle of the sixth century.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Titus — Titus 1.15-2.10

¹⁵To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. ¹⁵Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. ¹⁶They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. ¹⁶They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

¹But speak thou the things which befit the sound doctrine:

¹But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: ²that aged men be temperate, grave, sober-minded, sound in faith, in love, in patience: ²That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. ³The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; ³that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good; ⁴that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁴That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. ⁵to be sober-minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed: ⁶the younger men likewise exhort to be sober-minded: ⁶Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. ⁷in all things showing thyself an ensample of good works; in thy doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, ⁷In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, ⁸sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of us. ⁸Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. ⁹Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; ⁹Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters, and to be well-pleasing to them in all things; not gainsaying; ¹⁰Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. ¹⁰not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 9.33-41

³³And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

³³And they came to Capernaum: and when he was in the house he asked them, What were ye reasoning on the way? ³⁴But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. ³⁴But they held their peace: for they had disputed one with another on the way, who was the greatest. ³⁵And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. ³⁵And he sat down, and called the twelve; and he saith unto them, If any man would be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all. ³⁶And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, ³⁶And he took a little child, and set him in the midst of them: and taking him in his arms, he said unto them, ³⁷Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. ³⁷Whosoever shall receive one of such little children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever receiveth me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

³⁸John said unto him, Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us.

³⁸And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. ³⁹But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man who shall do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me. ³⁹But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. ⁴⁰For he that is not against us is on our part. ⁴⁰For he that is not against us is for us. ⁴¹For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. ⁴¹For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink, because ye are Christ’s, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.