Wednesday, 8 April 2026

Great and Holy Wednesday

4 days before Pascha · Presanctified · Lenten Fast (No overrides)

Presanctified Liturgy

Saints commemorated

Holy Apostle Agabus the Prophet

Saint Agabus was numbered among the Seventy Apostles and was endowed by the Holy Spirit with the gift of prophecy. The Acts of the Apostles records two of his prophecies. While visiting Antioch he foretold a great famine that would come upon the whole Roman world, which duly occurred during the reign of the Emperor Claudius (Acts 11:27-28); this prompted the Christians of Antioch to send relief to the brethren in Judaea. Later, at Caesarea, Agabus met Saint Paul and, taking the Apostle's belt, bound his own hands and feet with it, foretelling that the Jews would deliver Paul into the hands of the Gentiles at Jerusalem (Acts 21:10-11). After the Ascension of the Lord, Saint Agabus preached the Gospel in many lands, converting numerous pagans to Christ, and at last received a martyr's crown for his witness. He is also commemorated with the Seventy on 4 January.

Holy Apostle Herodion of the Seventy

Saint Herodion was one of the Seventy Apostles chosen by Christ and sent out to preach the Gospel. He was a kinsman of the Apostle Paul, who greets him as "my relative" in the Epistle to the Romans (Romans 16:11), and accompanied Paul on many of his apostolic journeys. Together with the foremost Apostles Peter and Paul he laboured in Rome, where he assisted in the work of evangelisation and was eventually established as Bishop of Patara, in the province of Lycia. Through his fervent preaching and personal example he turned many pagans away from the worship of idols and brought them to faith in Christ. Saint Herodion suffered for the Name of the Lord on the same day that Saint Peter was crucified, around the year 67 in Rome, when, together with Saint Olympas, he was beheaded by the sword. He is also commemorated, with the rest of the Seventy, on 4 January and on 10 November.

Holy Apostles Rufus, Asyncritus, Phlegon and Hermas of the Seventy

These four holy apostles were numbered among the Seventy disciples whom the Lord Jesus Christ sent out before His face to preach the Gospel (Luke 10:1). All four are greeted by Saint Paul in the sixteenth chapter of his Epistle to the Romans. Saint Rufus, whom Paul calls "chosen in the Lord" (Romans 16:13), became Bishop of the Greek city of Thebes. Saint Asyncritus, whose name means "incomparable", was set apart as Bishop of Hyrcania in Asia, where he laboured to turn the pagans from idolatry. Saint Phlegon was made Bishop of Marathon in Thrace and there suffered for his preaching of Christ. Saint Hermas was Bishop of Philippopolis in Thrace; tradition identifies him with the author of the early Christian work known as The Shepherd. Each of these apostles endured persecutions, sufferings and finally a martyric end for the sake of the Gospel they had received from Christ. Together with the rest of the Seventy they are also commemorated on 4 January.

Saint Celestine, Pope of Rome

Saint Celestine, Pope of Rome from 422 to 432, was a zealous champion of Orthodoxy who lived during the reign of the holy Emperor Theodosius the Younger. Of Roman origin, he received an excellent education and was learned in philosophy, but devoted himself above all to the study of Holy Scripture and to theological reflection. After the death of Saint Boniface in 422 he was chosen Bishop of Rome, in which office he laboured tirelessly for the unity and purity of the faith. When the heresy of Nestorius arose, denying to the Most Holy Virgin Mary the title Theotokos, Saint Celestine convened a local council in Rome in 430, condemned the false teaching, and wrote to Saint Cyril of Alexandria entrusting him with executing the sentence: if Nestorius did not recant within ten days, he was to be deposed and excommunicated. Saint Celestine sent legates, the bishops Arcadius and Projectus and the priest Philip, to the Third Ecumenical Council at Ephesus in 431, where Nestorius was condemned and the Orthodox doctrine of the Mother of God was upheld. Saint Celestine also sent missionaries to Britain and Ireland, dispatching Saint Palladius as the first bishop to the Irish. He reposed in peace on 27 July 432 and is commemorated by the Eastern Orthodox Church on 8 April.

Saint Niphon, Bishop of Novgorod

Saint Niphon was a monk of the Kiev Caves Monastery, where he embraced the ascetic life in imitation of the Holy Fathers, uprooting the passions through fasting, vigil and unceasing prayer, and adorning himself with every virtue. When Bishop John of Novgorod retired to a monastery after twenty-five years of episcopal service, the people of Novgorod chose Niphon as their hierarch. He took up his archpastoral duties with great zeal, strengthening his flock in the Orthodox faith and labouring to keep them from being separated from the universal Church. He built and repaired many churches, raising in the centre of Novgorod a new stone church dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos. Saint Niphon strenuously opposed the uncanonical consecration of Metropolitan Clement of Kiev, insisting that no metropolitan could be installed without the blessing of the Patriarch of Constantinople, since Russia had received the Faith from that throne. For his stand he was placed under house arrest at the Kiev Caves Monastery. Some thirteen days before his death he saw in a dream Saint Theodosius of the Caves, who announced his coming repose. He fell asleep in peace on 8 April 1156 and was buried in the Caves Monastery, where his relics rest to this day.

Also commemorated: Apostles of the Seventy Herodion, Agabus, Asyncritus, Rufuf, Phlegon, Hermes

Daily readings

Gospel

— Bridegroom weekly cycle

John — John 12.17-50

¹⁷The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. ¹⁸For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. ¹⁹The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.

²⁰And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: ²¹The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. ²²Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.

²³And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. ²⁴Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. ²⁵He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. ²⁶If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. ²⁷Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. ²⁹The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. ³⁰Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. ³¹Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. ³²And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. ³³This he said, signifying what death he should die. ³⁴The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? ³⁵Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. ³⁶While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

³⁷But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: ³⁸That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? ³⁹Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, ⁴⁰He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. ⁴¹These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

⁴²Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: ⁴³For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

⁴⁴Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. ⁴⁵And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. ⁴⁶I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. ⁴⁷And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. ⁴⁹For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. ⁵⁰And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

6th Hour

weekly cycle

Ezekiel — Ezekiel 2.3-3.3

³And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. ⁴For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. ⁵And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

⁶And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. ⁷And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. ⁸But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.

⁹And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; ¹⁰And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

¹Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. ²So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll. ³And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

Vespers

weekly cycle

Exodus — Exodus 2.11-22

¹¹And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. ¹²And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. ¹³And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? ¹⁴And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. ¹⁵Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

¹⁶Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. ¹⁷And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. ¹⁸And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day? ¹⁹And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock. ²⁰And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread. ²¹And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. ²²And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

Vespers

weekly cycle

Job — Job 2.1-10

¹Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. ²And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. ³And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. ⁴And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. ⁵But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. ⁶And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

⁷So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. ⁸And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

⁹Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. ¹⁰But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Gospel

— Presanctified weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 26.6-16

⁶Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. ⁸But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? ⁹For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. ¹⁰When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. ¹¹For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. ¹²For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. ¹³Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

¹⁴Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, ¹⁵And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.