Saturday, 12 September 2026

Saturday before Elevation

Saturday of the 15th week after Pentecost

153 days after Pascha · Tone 5 · Liturgy · No Fast (Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Leavetaking Nativity Theotokos

Saints commemorated

★ Apodosis of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos

On 12 September the Orthodox Church keeps the apodosis, or leave-taking, of the great feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos which was celebrated on 8 September. According to ancient liturgical practice, the principal feasts of the Mother of God and of the Lord are extended over a period of days, during which the proper hymns and readings of the feast are repeated, so that the faithful may be nourished gradually by the depth of what is celebrated. The Nativity of the Theotokos has a forefeast on 7 September and a five-day afterfeast culminating in the apodosis on this day. With the leave-taking the Church takes a final and solemn farewell of the festal joy of the Nativity before turning, on the following day, to the forefeast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The hymnography of the apodosis recalls once more that from the holy and barren Anna a virgin daughter has been given to the world, and that through her the salvation prepared from before the ages is about to be revealed. The placing of the Marian feast at the gateway of the year and its leaving-off only on the eve of the Cross teaches that the Theotokos and the Cross belong together as the two pillars of the dispensation of our salvation.

Holy Hieromartyr Autonomus, bishop in Italy

Saint Autonomus was a bishop in Italy in the late third and early fourth centuries, during the reign of the emperor Diocletian. To escape the fierce persecution then raging in the West, and following the directions of the Lord, he left his see and travelled to Bithynia in Asia Minor, settling in the village of Soreoi near Nicomedia in the house of a hospitable Christian named Cornelius. There he laboured as a missionary, baptising many of the local pagans, building a church in honour of the Archangel Michael, and ordaining Cornelius to the diaconate and later to the priesthood. When persecution was renewed, Autonomus moved for a time to Claudiopolis on the Black Sea coast and then returned to Soreoi to continue his work. The newly converted Christians, in their zeal, on one of the pagan feasts overturned the idols and broke up an altar, which roused the rage of the heathen. While Saint Autonomus was offering the Divine Liturgy in his church, a mob burst in and stoned him to death at the holy altar, around the year 313. His relics were preserved and translated, and a church was built over his tomb; in the sixth century, in the reign of Justinian, the church was restored and the saint's incorrupt relics were rediscovered. He is honoured as a missionary bishop and a martyr at the altar.

Holy Hieromartyr Cornutus, bishop of Iconium

Saint Cornutus was bishop of Iconium in Lycaonia, sometimes also remembered as bishop of Nicomedia, who suffered martyrdom for Christ in the persecution of Decius, around the year 249, or, according to other sources, under Diocletian. Already advanced in age, he was renowned among his flock for the holiness of his life, the zeal of his preaching, and his pastoral care for the poor and the imprisoned. When the imperial edicts of persecution were posted in Iconium, the governor Perennius summoned Cornutus and ordered him to offer sacrifice to the gods. The bishop replied with great courage that he had served Christ from his youth and could not now in old age betray the Lord who had given him the priesthood. He was scourged, shod with iron sandals studded with sharp nails, and dragged through the streets of the city. Yet he continued to give thanks and to encourage the faithful who came to see him, and he was finally beheaded by the sword. His martyric witness strengthened the Christians of Iconium during the persecution, and his memory has been kept in the synaxaria of the Greek Church on this day.

Holy Martyrs Macedonius, Tatian, and Theodulus

The holy martyrs Macedonius, Tatian, and Theodulus were Christians of Phrygia who suffered for Christ around the year 362 during the brief but bitter persecution under the emperor Julian the Apostate. While Julian was attempting to restore the worship of the old gods throughout the empire, his governor in Phrygia rebuilt and reopened a pagan temple in the city of Meros. The three friends, burning with zeal for the true God, entered the temple by night, broke up the idols, and overthrew the altars. The next morning, when the deed was discovered, innocent men were arrested in their place; learning of this, Macedonius, Tatian, and Theodulus came forward and confessed openly that they alone were responsible. Brought before the governor Amachius, they were scourged, hung up, and torn with iron hooks. Because they continued to confess Christ, they were finally laid upon iron beds heated by fire and roasted to death. Even in their torments they jested with the governor, telling him that if he wished to enjoy roasted flesh he should turn them on the other side, that he might find them well cooked on every part. Thus with cheerful courage they completed their martyrdom and received the crown.

Our Holy Father Athanasius the Elder of Vysotsk, and his disciple Athanasius the Younger

1395

He was reared in piety by his father, a priest in Novgorod. One day, hearing the words of the Gospel, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me, he renounced the world and entered the Monastery of St Sergius of Radonezh. He became St Sergius’ disciple and, after a few years, became known for his virtue and his knowledge of Scripture. In 1374, with the blessing of his spiritual father, he founded the Monastery of Vysotsk, becoming its first abbot. After heading the monastery for fourteen years, he traveled to Kiev and then, in 1401, to the Monastery of the Stoudion in Constantinople. There he devoted himself to translating books from Greek to Slavonic, sending his translations back to his monastery in Russia. It was he who translated the Jerusalem Typikon and several collections of the writings of the Fathers of the Church, immeasurably enriching the life of the Church in Russia. He reposed in peace in Constantinople. His disciple Athanasius the Younger was made Abbot of Vysotsk on the elder’s departure for Constantinople, and served as Abbot for eight years, reposing in peace in 1395. He was called ‘perfect in fasting, strong in self-restraint, zealous in prayer, patient in privations and tribulations.’ The Synaxarion says that “He taught his monks to keep careful watch on every movement of the heart so as to drive away every thought displeasing to God.”

Daily readings

Epistle

— Saturday before Elevation weekly cycle

1 Corinthians — 1 Corinthians 2.6-9

⁶Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: ⁷But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: ⁸Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Gospel

— Saturday before Elevation weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 10.37-11.1

³⁷He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. ³⁹He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

⁴⁰He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. ⁴¹He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴²And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

¹And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

Epistle

1 Corinthians — 1 Corinthians 4.17-5.5

¹⁷For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church. ¹⁸Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you. ¹⁹But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. ²⁰For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. ²¹What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

¹It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. ²And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. ³For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, ⁴In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁵To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Epistle

— Theotokos

Philippians — Philippians 2.5-11

⁵Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: ⁶Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ⁷But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ⁹Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel

Matthew — Matthew 24.1-13

¹And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. ²And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

³And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? ⁴And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. ⁵For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. ⁶And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ⁷For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. ⁸All these are the beginning of sorrows. ⁹Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. ¹⁰And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. ¹¹And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. ¹²And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. ¹³But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Gospel

— Theotokos

Luke — Luke 10.38-42, 11.27-28

³⁸Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. ⁴⁰But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. ⁴¹And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: ⁴²But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

²⁷And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. ²⁸But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.