Thursday, 9 July 2026

Hieromartyr Pancratius, Bishop of Taormina

Thursday of the 6th week after Pentecost

88 days after Pascha · Tone 4 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Hieromartyr Cyril, bishop of Gortyna in Crete

The hieromartyr Cyril served as bishop of Gortyna on the island of Crete for fifty years. He had been raised to the episcopate at the venerable age of sixty eight, after a long life of asceticism and pastoral labour, and he governed his flock with wisdom and gentleness. By the testimony of the early sources he suffered either under the emperor Decius (249-251) or, according to other accounts, under Maximian (284-305). The aged hierarch was brought to trial before a governor named Lucius, who demanded that he offer sacrifice to the idols. The holy elder steadfastly confessed his faith in Christ and refused to fulfil the soul-destroying command. The governor sentenced Saint Cyril to be burned alive, but when he was cast into the flames the fire would not touch him, and he stood unharmed in the midst of the blaze. Witnessing this miracle, many pagans came to believe in Christ. Lucius himself was struck with awe, gave glory to the Christian God, and set the saint free. Saint Cyril returned to his preaching, leading many pagans to Christ, but he grieved that he had not been counted worthy to suffer for the Saviour. When it was reported to the new governor that he continued to convert the people from the darkness of idolatry to the light of Christ, he was again brought to trial and sentenced to death. Hearing the sentence, Cyril rejoiced that he was at last to be granted a martyr's end, and the eighty four year old elder willingly placed his head beneath the sword.

Hieromartyr Methodius, bishop of Patara

Saint Methodius was bishop of Patara in Lycia in the late third and early fourth centuries, and one of the most learned and eloquent fathers of his age. He was renowned for his deep knowledge of philosophy and the Holy Scriptures, and he wrote a number of works that became classics of early Christian literature. The best known of these is his Symposium, or Banquet of the Ten Virgins, a treatise in praise of virginity composed in the manner of Plato's dialogues. He also composed treatises against the teachings of Origen on the resurrection and on the eternity of the world, and works on free will and the distinction between created and uncreated being. Methodius opposed certain elements of Origen's speculative theology with great vigour, defending the bodily resurrection and the Christian doctrine of creation. His writings were widely read in the Eastern Church and profoundly influenced later patristic thought. When the persecutions of Diocletian broke out, the holy bishop was seized for his confession of Christ. After many torments he was beheaded for the faith, around the year 312, in Chalcis of Greece, where he had laboured in the latter part of his life. Some sources name his see as Olympus or Myra in addition to Patara. The Orthodox Church commemorates him on 20 June and 9 July as an alternate feast.

Hieromartyr Pancratius, bishop of Tauromenium in Sicily

The hieromartyr Pancratius was born when our Lord Jesus Christ yet lived upon the earth. His parents were natives of Antioch in Syria. Hearing of the great Teacher, Pancratius's father took his young son with him to Jerusalem in order to see Christ. There the family came to know the Lord and his disciples, and especially the holy apostle Peter, who became the spiritual father of the youthful Pancratius.

After the Saviour's resurrection and ascension, when his parents had died, Pancratius left behind his inherited possessions and went to Pontus, where he settled in a cave. There he spent his days in unceasing prayer and deep spiritual contemplation. The holy apostle Peter sought him out, finding him in his solitude, and together with the apostle Paul they consecrated Saint Pancratius bishop of Tauromenium in Sicily.

Arriving in his see, the saint set about preaching the Gospel with apostolic zeal. In the space of a single month he built a church where he celebrated the divine services. The number of believers quickly grew, and in time almost all the inhabitants of Tauromenium and the surrounding cities accepted the Christian faith, casting down their idols. Pancratius cured many of the sick and worked great miracles by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The pagans plotted against him, and seizing an appropriate moment, they fell upon the saint and stoned him to death. Thus the apostle of Sicily ended his life as a martyr.

Saint Theodore, bishop of Edessa

Saint Theodore was born in the Syrian city of Edessa. At the age of twelve, after losing both his parents and giving away his inheritance to the poor, he travelled to Jerusalem and was tonsured a monk at the great lavra of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified. There he passed twelve years in fervent monastic obedience, followed by another twenty four years in strict seclusion and great abstinence, mastering himself by prayer, fasting, and vigil. After the death of the bishop of Edessa, the Lord called Theodore from his solitude to enlighten the world as a hierarch. With the mutual consent of the patriarchs of Antioch and Jerusalem, and of the clergy and faithful, no worthier successor could be found, and Theodore was consecrated bishop. At his consecration the people beheld a snow white dove flying about beneath the cupola of the church, which then alighted upon the head of the new bishop, witnessing to the descent of the Holy Spirit upon him. As bishop, Theodore exerted great labours in the struggle against heresy, particularly the Manichaean error, and with a firm hand he guarded his flock from temptations and false teachings. With the blessing of his elder, he travelled to Baghdad to petition the caliph Mavias against unjust treatment of the Orthodox of his see, and through his prayers the caliph himself was illumined by the faith and was secretly baptised, taking the name John. For openly confessing Christ before the Muslims, this caliph was put to death together with three of his companions. Returning at length to the lavra of Saint Sabbas, Theodore reposed peacefully in 848. In the Slavic churches his memory is kept on 9 July; in the Greek tradition he is commemorated on 19 July.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

1 Corinthians — 1 Corinthians 3.18-23

¹⁸Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. ¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. ²⁰And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. ²¹Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; ²²Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; ²³And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 13.36-43

³⁶Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. ³⁷He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; ³⁸The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; ³⁹The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. ⁴⁰As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. ⁴¹The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; ⁴²And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.