Sunday, 27 September 2026

17th Sunday after Pentecost

168 days after Pascha · Tone 8 · Red squigg (doxology typikon symbol) · No Fast

Saints commemorated

★ Holy Martyr Callistratus and his forty-nine companions

Saint Callistratus was a native of Carthage; an ancestor of his named Neochorus had served under Pontius Pilate in Palestine and had been a witness of the Lord's Crucifixion and Resurrection, and the family had ever after kept the Christian faith. The saint's father was a Christian and brought up his son in piety, and he in his turn became a soldier and excelled among his pagan comrades by his good conduct and gentle disposition. The companions of his unit, hearing him praying at night, denounced him to the commander, who summoned him and sought to compel him to offer sacrifice to idols. After many tortures Saint Callistratus was sewn up in a leather sack and cast into the sea, but the sack struck a sharp rock and was torn open, and the saint was carried to dry land unharmed by dolphins. Beholding such a wonder, forty-nine of his fellow soldiers came to faith in Christ. They were all bound and thrown into a lake behind a dam, where their bonds broke and the water became to them a font of holy baptism. By night, by order of the commander, they were brought out and beheaded with the sword; the surviving soldiers, one hundred and thirty-five in number, who had also believed, took up the holy relics and gave them honourable burial. They suffered in Rome under Diocletian about the year 304.

Holy Apostles Mark, Aristarchus and Zenas of the Seventy

The Holy Apostles Mark, Aristarchus and Zenas were each numbered among the Seventy whom the Lord Jesus Christ chose and sent forth two by two to proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom. The Apostle Mark, surnamed John, was the cousin of the Apostle Barnabas; the upper room in his mother Mary's house in Jerusalem was where the apostles gathered for prayer, as is recorded in the twelfth chapter of the Book of Acts. He was a fellow labourer of the great apostles Peter and Paul, and afterwards became Bishop of Byblos in Phoenicia, where he preached the Gospel and worked many miracles, his very shadow healing the sick, and there fell asleep in peace. The Apostle Aristarchus accompanied Saint Paul on his journeys and shared his labours and his bonds, being mentioned in Acts and in several Epistles, and afterwards became Bishop of Apamea in Syria, where he ended his apostolic ministry. The Apostle Zenas, called the Lawyer in the Epistle of Saint Paul to Titus, was a learned man trained in the law; commended by the Apostle to the brethren in Crete, he afterwards became Bishop of Diospolis, also called Lydda, in Palestine, where he preached the Gospel and reposed in peace. The three are commemorated together on this day, together with the holy martyrs Callistratus and his companions.

Holy New Martyr Akylina of Thessalonica

Saint Akylina, the holy New Martyr of Christ, was from the village of Zagliveri near Thessalonica, in the diocese of Ardameri. Her father, in a moment of weakness, had denied the Christian faith and embraced the religion of the Turks, but her mother, Vasiliki, secretly raised her in the Orthodox faith. When Akylina came of age, her father sought to compel her to follow him into Islam, and on her firm refusal handed her over to the Turkish authorities, who at his own urging condemned her to be beaten to death. Strengthened by the prayers of her mother, the holy maiden endured the cruel scourging with great courage, confessing her Christ to the last, and gave up her soul to the Lord on 27 September 1764, being then about eighteen years of age. The Christians of the place took her holy relics and gave them honourable burial, and her name is recorded with honour among the New Martyrs of the Greek lands who suffered under the Ottoman yoke.

Our Venerable Father Sabbatius, Founder of the Monastery of Solovki

1435

He lived for many years as a monk at the Monastery of St Cyril of White Lake, where his ascetic struggles won him the respect of his brethren. To flee from the admiration of men he moved further north to Valaam Monastery. But he still attracted the good opinion of his community, so he secretly headed still further north, planning to reach the uninhabited Solovki Island in the White Sea (a large bay of the Arctic Ocean). When he reached the coast, everyone who might take him tried to dissuade him from living in such a harsh place. He answered ‘My children, I have a Master who has the power to renew the strength of the old and to enfeeble the young if He so wills. He makes the poor rich, clothes the naked, provides for the destitute and satisfies the starving with a measure of food as he fed five thousand men in the desert.’ While waiting for seasonable sailing weather he met St Germanus (July 30) who lived nearby as a hermit. Together they found a fishing boat and, casting all their trust on the Lord, made the dangerous two-day voyage and set up a hermitage on the island. It became known as a holy place, and thenceforth those living in the world knew not to settle on Solovki, or even to set foot there without good reason. After six years, St Germanus departed, and Sabbatius was left alone. When he was old, he began to fear that he would die without receiving the life-giving Mysteries, of which he had not partaken since he left Valaam. So he returned to the mainland where he met an abbot Nathanael just as he was taking Holy Communion to a sick man. Sabbatius persuaded the abbot to hear his confession and grant him the priceless gift of Holy Communion. He then settled in a nearby chapel and made ready for his departure from this life. A wealthy merchant from Novgorod visited him to ask for his blessing. The Saint said to him, ‘Spend the night here and you will see the grace of God.’ The next morning the merchant came to Sabbatius’ cell and found that he had reposed during the night; his cell was suffused with a beautiful scent. The following year, St Germanus, along with St Zosimas (April 17), returned to Solovki island and founded a monastery there, which proved to be the nurturing ground of many Saints.

Holy New Martyr Aquilina

1764

She lived in the village of Zangliverion near Thessalonika. When she was still an infant, her father killed a Turkish neighbor in an argument and, to save his life, denied his Christian faith. To compound his apostasy he promised that when his daughter came of age she too would convert. Aquilina’s mother, however, held fast to her faith in Christ, and brought up her daughter to love her Savior fervently. When Aquilina reached the age of eighteen, her father told her that the time had come to formally embrace Islam; he was dismayed when she replied that she would rather suffer any torment than deny Christ. Fearing for his own life, her father handed her over to the Turkish authorities. When the usual threats and promises had no effect, she was viciously beaten three times. Some pious Christians returned her, dying, to her mother, to whom she said ‘I have done as you told me, and kept the confession of our faith. Surely you didn’t think I would do anything else?’ With this, the holy Martyr died. The Synaxarion relates, ‘As her body was taken to be buried, every place that it passed was filled with a delightful scent, and a brilliant light came forth from her grave during the night.’

Also commemorated: Ven. Sabbatius of Solovetsk

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

2 Corinthians — 2 Corinthians 6.16-7.1

¹⁶And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ¹⁷Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, ¹⁸And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

¹Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 5.1-11

¹And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, ²And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. ³And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. ⁴Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. ⁵And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. ⁶And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. ⁷And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. ⁸When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. ⁹For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: ¹⁰And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. ¹¹And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

6th Matins Gospel

Luke — Luke 24.36-53

³⁶And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. ³⁷But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. ³⁸And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? ³⁹Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. ⁴⁰And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. ⁴¹And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? ⁴²And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. ⁴³And he took it, and did eat before them. ⁴⁴And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. ⁴⁵Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: ⁴⁷And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸And ye are witnesses of these things.

⁴⁹And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

⁵⁰And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. ⁵¹And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. ⁵²And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: ⁵³And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.