Wednesday, 18 March 2026

St Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem; Rep. St Nikolaj of Zhicha

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

25 days before Pascha · Tone 7 · Presanctified · Lenten Fast

Presanctified Liturgy

Saints commemorated

Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem

386

Saint Cyril was a great ascetic and a steadfast champion of Orthodoxy who lived during a time of intense theological struggle in the Church. He died in the year 386.

In 351 at Jerusalem, the Holy Cross appeared in the heavens on the Feast of Pentecost, stretching from Golgotha above the Mount of Olives. Saint Cyril reported this portent to the Arian Emperor Constantius, hoping through this miracle to convert him to the Orthodox faith. This miraculous sign strengthened the faith of the Orthodox people and testified to the power of Christ.

During an intense famine in Jerusalem, Saint Cyril expended all his personal wealth in charitable works for the suffering. When the famine did not abate, he pawned church utensils and used the money to purchase wheat for the starving people. His compassion for the poor reflected his deep commitment to Christ's commandment to love one's neighbour.

Saint Cyril is venerated as a Doctor of the Church for his theological teaching and pastoral wisdom.

Saint Edward the Martyr, King of England

978

Edward the Martyr (c. 962-978) was King of the English from 8 July 975 until he was killed in 978. He was the eldest son of King Edgar (r. 959-975). Though his reign was brief, Edward became a martyr saint, glorified as Saint Edward the Martyr in 1001. On 18 March 978, while hunting with dogs and horsemen near Wareham in Dorset, King Edward decided to visit his younger half-brother Ethelred who was staying at Corfe Castle near Wareham. Separating from his royal retinue, Edward arrived alone at the castle. As he remained mounted at the lower part of the castle, Queen Elfrida, his stepmother, offered him a glass of mead in welcome. Whilst Edward drank from the cup, one of the queen's attendants stabbed him in the back with a knife, mortally wounding him. He fell from his horse and died from his wound. The perpetrators of this foul deed acted at the instigation of Queen Elfrida, who sought the throne for her own son Ethelred. Edward soon came to be revered as a saint and martyr. His feast of 18 March is listed in the festal calendar of the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England. The Eastern Orthodox Church venerates him as a holy martyr. His authentic relics were uncovered in 1931 at Shaftesbury Abbey.

The Holy Martyrs Trophimus and Eucarpus of Nicomedia

The Holy Martyrs Trophimus and Eucarpus were soldiers at Nicomedia during the persecution against Christians under Emperor Diocletian (284-305). They distinguished themselves by their great ferocity in carrying out all of the emperor's cruel decrees against the faithful. One day, when these soldiers caught up with some Christians whom they were pursuing, they suddenly saw a large fiery cloud descend from the heavens. From within the cloud came forth a Voice calling them to stop threatening God's servants. The soldiers fell to the ground in fright, overwhelmed by the divine manifestation. Spiritually reborn after this miraculous encounter with God's power, the soldiers experienced a complete transformation of heart. They released all the jailed Christians from the prisons where they had been detained. For this righteous act of mercy, Saints Trophimus and Eucarpus were handed over to terrible torments: they were suspended by their limbs and their bodies were torn with iron hooks. When a great fire was kindled, the holy martyrs went willingly into the flames and there gave up their souls to God, sealing their witness to Christ with their blood and suffering.

St Ananias the Wonderworker

“Born in Chalcedon, he was little of stature, like Zaccheus, but great in spirit and faith. He denied himself to the world at the age of fifteen and settled near the River Euphrates in a little hut, where he atoned for his sins, and prayed to God, at first with his teacher Mayum and then, after Mayum’s death, alone. By the power of his prayers he filled an empty well with water, healed the sick of various pains and tamed wild beasts. There was a tamed lion with him as his servant. He had insight into distant happenings. When robbers attacked a stylite, Pionius, at some distance from him, and beat him up to such an extent that he decided to come down from his pillar and go to complain to the judges, St Aninus saw his intention in his soul and sent him a letter by means of his lion, telling him to set aside his intention, to forgive his assaulters and to continue in his asceticism. He was inexpressibly generous. The bishop of Neo-Caesarea made a gift to him of a donkey, to ease his carrying of water from the river, but he gave this donkey to some poor man who had complained to him of his poverty. The bishop gave him a second donkey, but he gave that away. Then the bishop gave him a third donkey, not for his own but only to serve as a water-carrier, to be kept and returned. At the time of his death, he saw Moses, Aaron and Or coming to him and calling: ‘Aninus, the Lord is calling you. Get up and come with us.’ This he revealed to his disciples, and gave his spirit to the Lord whom he had served so faithfully. He was 110 years old when he finished his earthly course.” (Prologue)

Saint Nikolai, Bishop of Ochrid and Zica, Serbia

1956

He has been called ‘The New Chrysostom’ for his many grace-filled sermons and writings. He was born in 1880 in the Serbian village of Lelich. After attending the Seminary of St Sava in Belgrade, he obtained doctoral degrees from both the University of Berne and Oxford University. In 1919, Archimandrite Nikolai was made Bishop of Zica. In 1941 Bishop Nikolai was arrested by the Nazis and, after three years’ imprisonment in Ljubostir Vojlovici Monastery, was sent to the infamous Dachau concentration camp along with the Serbian Patriarch Gavrilo. He both witnessed and personally underwent many tortures there until the camp was liberated by the US army in 1945. After the war he fled Communist-controlled Yugoslavia and emigrated to the United States, where he taught at St Sava’s Seminary, St Vladimir Seminary and St Tikhon seminary. It was at St Tikhon Seminary that he reposed in 1956. His relics rested for awhile at St Sava’s Seminary in Libertyville IL, then were returned to Serbia, where they now reside. Throughout his adult life, the holy monk and bishop poured forth a steady stream of beautiful homilies and theological and spiritual writings. He is the author of the Prologue from Ochrid, a Slavic Synaxarion. The luminous homilies included therein, one for each day of the year, give a good sample of his inspired writing. His feast is kept on this day (March 5 OC, March 18 NC) by Orthodox Christians on both the Old and New Calendars. Note: With the blessing of Bishop Jovan of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Mitrophan Chin is engaged in a project to translate St Nikolai’s Prologue into Chinese. To learn more about this worthy project, see his web site: http://chineseorthodox.n3.net

Also commemorated: Rep. St Nikolaj of Zhicha

Daily readings

6th Hour

weekly cycle

Isaiah — Isaiah 26.21-27.9

²¹For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

¹In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. ²In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. ³I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. ⁴Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. ⁵Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me. ⁶He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.

⁷Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him? ⁸In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind. ⁹By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up.

Vespers

weekly cycle

Genesis — Genesis 9.18-10.1

¹⁸And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. ¹⁹These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. ²⁰And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: ²¹And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. ²²And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. ²³And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.

²⁴And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. ²⁵And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. ²⁶And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. ²⁷God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

²⁸And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. ²⁹And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.

¹Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

Vespers

weekly cycle

Proverbs — Proverbs 12.23-13.9 (LXX)

²³A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness. ²⁴The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. ²⁵Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad. ²⁶The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them. ²⁷The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious. ²⁸In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

¹A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. ²A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence. ³He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. ⁴The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. ⁵A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. ⁶Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner. ⁷There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. ⁸The ransom of a man’s life are his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke. ⁹The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.