Sunday, 20 September 2026

16th Sunday after Pentecost

161 days after Pascha · Tone 7 · Red squigg (doxology typikon symbol) · No Fast

Saints commemorated

★ Great Martyr Eustathius Placidas, with his family

118

Before baptism he was a renowned military commander under Trajan. While hunting in the woods, he met a great stag with a shining Cross between his antlers. Through the stag, the Lord spoke to Placidas (his pagan name) and told him to find a priest and be baptized into Christ. Returning home, he found that his wife Tatiana had also had a vision in which she was told to become a Christian. They were baptized, Placidas receiving the name Eustathius, and Tatiana the name Theopiste; their two sons were baptized with them. Eustathius and his family were almost immediately subjected to a series of grievous trials, in which all were separated from one another. After years of hardship they were re-united, and returned to Rome with honor when the Emperor sought out Eustathius to command his army once again. But when the Emperor Hadrian (who had succeeded Trajan) commanded them to worship the idols, all of them refused. They were put together into a large bronze ox which was heated white-hot in a fire. When their bodies were removed, they were found to be dead but intact. The Prologue concludes, ‘Thus this glorious general gave to Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and to God that which is God’s, and entered into the eternal Kingdom of Christ our God.’

★ Holy Great Martyr Eustathius Placidus, his wife Theopiste and their children Agapius and Theopistus

118

The Holy Great Martyr Eustathius, called Placidas before his baptism, was a renowned Roman general under the emperors Titus and Trajan. Even as a pagan, he devoted himself to charitable works, helping the poor and oppressed. While hunting on his estate one day he pursued a great stag, and as the beast turned to face him he saw between its antlers the radiant figure of the crucified Christ, who spoke to him from the vision and called him to faith. Returning home, Placidas, his wife Tatiana and their two sons were baptised, receiving the names Eustathius, Theopiste, Agapius and Theopistus. The Lord then warned Eustathius that, like Job, he would suffer many trials before his final glory. The family was stripped of its wealth and servants, and Eustathius led them away from Rome in poverty. Embarking for Egypt, the captain of the ship demanded Theopiste in payment of the fare and put Eustathius and his sons ashore. As he carried his children one by one across a river, a lion seized one and a wolf the other; he was left alone, weeping. For fifteen years he laboured as a hired man in a village. When the empire was threatened, Trajan sent for him to lead the army. Through the providence of God, husband, wife and sons were reunited; the boys had been raised in safety by villagers, and Theopiste had been preserved from defilement. Returning victorious to Rome under Hadrian, Eustathius refused to offer pagan sacrifice. With his wife and children he was first cast to wild beasts, who would not touch them, and then placed in a brazen bull heated red-hot, in which they gave up their souls to God in the year 118.

Holy New Martyr Hilarion of Crete

Saint Hilarion the New Martyr was born in Heraklion on the island of Crete and bore the secular name John. From his youth he was inclined to the ascetic life, and travelling to the Holy Mountain of Athos he was received into the great Iveron Monastery. The fathers there sent him to the Skete of Saint Anne to place himself under the guidance of the hieromonk Bessarion, who tonsured him with the name Hilarion. After many years of strict ascetical labours, prayer and obedience, the desire for martyrdom grew strong in his heart, and with the blessing of his elder he set out for Constantinople. There he openly confessed Christ before the Turkish authorities and reproached the false religion of his persecutors. After repeated interrogations, threats and tortures, during which he remained immovable in his confession, he was beheaded on 20 September 1804. He thus received from Christ two crowns: that of asceticism and that of martyrdom. His holy relics worked many wonders.

Holy Right-Believing Prince Michael of Chernigov and his Boyar Theodore

The holy right-believing Prince Michael of Chernigov was a leading Russian prince of the early thirteenth century, son of Vsevolod the Red, and at various times reigning in Pereyaslavl, Novgorod, Galich, Chernigov and Kiev. He was known among his people for his piety, his almsgiving and his concern for the building of churches. After the Mongol devastation of southern Rus in 1240, the Russian princes were obliged to journey to the camp of the Khan to receive confirmation of their thrones. In 1246 Saint Michael, accompanied by his faithful counsellor and friend the boyar Theodore, set out for the Horde of Batu on the Volga. There the priests of the Khan required of every visiting prince that he pass between two purifying fires and bow towards the south to the spirits of Genghis Khan. The Christian prince and his boyar refused. Replying to those who pressed them, Saint Michael said, "A Christian worships God alone, the Creator of the world, and not creatures. For Christ I am ready to bow my head." When attempts to bribe and frighten them failed, both were beaten without mercy and at last beheaded on 20 September 1246. Their bodies were thrown out to be eaten by dogs but were preserved by the protection of God, and by faithful Christians were translated in honour. The relics were later moved to Moscow under Tsar Ivan the Terrible, an event commemorated on 14 February.

Holy Martyrs Hypatius and Andrew, Confessors of the Holy Icons

8th c.

They were friends from childhood, fellow-strugglers for holiness. Their godly way of life attracted the attention of the Bishop of Ephesus, who made Hypatius a bishop and Andrew a deacon and itinerant preacher. During the reign of Leo the Isaurian (714-41) they were both imprisoned for confessing the Orthodox faith and defending the veneration of the holy icons. They were subjected to various tortures, including having icons set afire on their heads in mockery of their faithfulness. They were executed near Constantinople and their bodies thrown to the dogs.

Sts Anastasius, Theodore, Euprepius and Anastasius the Younger, confessors and disciples of St Maximos the Confessor

7th c.

These saints were disciples of St Maximos the Confessor (January 21) and suffered with him for their condemnation of the Monothelite doctrine promoted by the Emperor Constans II. Anastasius the elder (who had been the Papal representative to Constantinople) and Anastasius the younger were present at the Lateran Council called by St Martin, Pope of Rome (April 13), which condemned the Monothelite heresy. For this the Pope himself, and the two confessors named Anastasius, were seized by the Emperor. Along with St Maximos, the two endured many tortures; when St Maximos had his right hand cut off and his tongue cut out, Anastasius the elder suffered the same punishment. They, along with their fellow-disciples Euprepius and Theodore and St Maximos himself, were sent into exile to Lazica in the Caucasus, where all of them died. Euprepius died after one year; Saint Maximos after three years; Anastasius the younger a few days before St Maximos; Anastasius the elder after seven years of exile; and Theodore after twenty years. All remained steadfast until the end, and all are proclaimed as Confessors of the Faith.

Also commemorated: Greatmartyr Eustathius and Martyr Theopistes · Martyrs Michael and Theodore of Chernigov

Daily readings

Epistle

— Sunday after Elevation weekly cycle

Galatians — Galatians 2.16-20

¹⁶Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. ¹⁷But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. ¹⁸For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. ¹⁹For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. ²⁰I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Gospel

— Sunday after Elevation weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 8.34-9.1

³⁴And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ³⁵For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. ³⁶For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? ³⁷Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? ³⁸Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

¹And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

5th Matins Gospel

Luke — Luke 24.12-35

¹²Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

¹³And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. ¹⁴And they talked together of all these things which had happened. ¹⁵And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. ¹⁶But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. ¹⁷And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? ¹⁸And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? ¹⁹And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: ²⁰And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. ²¹But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. ²²Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; ²³And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. ²⁴And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. ²⁵Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ²⁶Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? ²⁷And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. ²⁸And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. ²⁹But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. ³⁰And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. ³¹And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. ³²And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? ³³And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, ³⁴Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. ³⁵And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

Epistle

2 Corinthians — 2 Corinthians 6.1-10

¹We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. ²(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) ³Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: ⁴But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, ⁵In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; ⁶By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, ⁷By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, ⁸By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; ⁹As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; ¹⁰As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Gospel

Matthew — Matthew 25.14-30

¹⁴For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. ¹⁵And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. ¹⁶Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. ¹⁷And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. ¹⁸But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. ¹⁹After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. ²⁰And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. ²¹His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. ²²He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. ²³His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. ²⁴Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: ²⁵And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. ²⁶His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: ²⁷Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. ²⁸Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. ²⁹For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. ³⁰And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.