Monday, 22 June 2026

Hieromartyr Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata

Monday of the 4th week after Pentecost

71 days after Pascha · Tone 2 · Liturgy · Apostles Fast

Saints commemorated

Hieromartyr Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata

361

In the struggle against the Arian heresy, Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch, was deposed, and the emperor Constantius demanded that Eusebius surrender the document that proved his legitimate appointment to the Patriarchal throne. Eusebius said he would not surrender it without the permission of all who had signed it and, when imperial soldiers threatened to cut off his right hand, he held out both his hands to them. When Constantius heard of this, he was struck with admiration and ceased his persecution of the bishop. As the Arian heresy continued to rage, Eusebius stood strong, and was finally exiled by order of the Emperor Valens. When the messenger bearing the edict of banishment arrived, Eusebius warned him to keep quiet lest the people, hearing why he had come, should kill him. Then Eusebius left the city on foot, under cover of darkness, in order to protect the messenger from harm. Upon the death of Valens, Eusebius returned to from exile and traveled throughout Syria (though he was now a very old man), appointing priests and bishops known for their Orthodoxy. About 380, as he was entering a village to enthrone a bishop, an Arian woman threw a tile at him from a rooftop, fracturing his skull. As he lay dying, he made all the bystanders swear not to take any revenge.

Saint Gregory the Theologian corresponded with Eusebius, and esteemed him so highly that in a letter to him he wrote, ‘That such a man should deign to be my patron also in his prayers will gain for me, I am persuaded, as much strength as I should have gained through one of the holy martyrs.’

Holy Martyrs Galaction, Juliana and Saturninus

The Holy Martyrs Galaction, Juliana and Saturninus suffered for Christ at Constantinople and are commemorated together on this day. Saint Galaction was drowned in the sea for confessing his faith, while Juliana and her son Saturninus were burned alive in the district of Petra at Constantinople. Tradition reckons them among the company of those who, in days of fierce persecution, refused to deny the name of Christ and so received unfading crowns from the Lord. Their joint memorial preserves the witness of a mother who, with her son, chose the fire rather than apostasy, and of a fellow confessor whose body was committed to the deep yet whose soul was raised up among the saints.

Holy Martyrs Zeno and Zenas

The Holy Martyrs Zeno and Zenas lived in the Arabian city of Philadelphia and led a pious life. Zeno was a wealthy man, while Zenas was his servant; bound together by faith more than by station, they openly professed Christ during the persecution under Emperor Maximian at the close of the third century. Brought before the governor Maximus, they refused to deny the Saviour and to offer sacrifice to the idols. After a long series of tortures borne with patience, both master and servant were beheaded and were granted the crowns of martyrdom for their unshaken confession.

Saint Alban, Protomartyr of Britain

Saint Alban, the first recorded Christian martyr of Britain, was a citizen of the Roman town of Verulamium, north of London, the site now known as Saint Albans. During a time of persecution, possibly in the reign of Decius around 251 or of Valerian around 257, a priest named Amphibalus took refuge in his house while fleeing the soldiers who had been ordered to arrest the Christian clergy. Moved by the priest's constant prayer and vigil, Alban questioned him about his faith, came to believe in Christ, and asked to be baptised. When the soldiers came to seize Amphibalus, Alban put on the priest's cloak and offered himself in his stead. Brought before the magistrate, he refused to sacrifice to the idols and openly confessed Christ. He was led out to be beheaded on a hill outside the town, and on the way the river is said to have parted at his prayer to allow the great crowds to pass. The executioner who saw this turned Christian and was beheaded with him. The Venerable Bede recounts that the eyes of the soldier who struck off Alban's head fell out upon the ground. Saint Germanus of Auxerre venerated his relics in 429, and his shrine at Saint Albans Abbey became one of the chief pilgrim sites of Britain.

St Alban, First Martyr of Great Britain

early 3rd c.

He was a soldier in the Roman army and, according to the venerable Bede, was brought to faith in Christ by a fugitive priest to whom he gave shelter. The saint exchanged clothes with the priest, allowing him to escape and ensuring his own martyrdom. Some writers, including St Bede, place his martyrdom during the reign of Diocletian (286-303). Saint Alban’s tomb was venerated as early as 429 by St Germanus of Auxerre. The town of Verulamium is either his home town or the place of his martyrdom; near it a monastery was founded, around which grew the English town of St Albans.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Romans — Romans 9.18-33

¹⁸Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. ¹⁹Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? ²⁰Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? ²¹Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? ²²What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: ²³And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, ²⁴Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? ²⁵As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. ²⁶And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. ²⁷Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: ²⁸For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. ²⁹And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. ³⁰What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. ³¹But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. ³²Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; ³³As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 11.2-15

²Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, ³And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? ⁴Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: ⁵The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. ⁶And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

⁷And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? ⁸But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. ⁹But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. ¹¹Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹²And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. ¹³For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. ¹⁴And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. ¹⁵He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.