Sunday, 25 October 2026

21st Sunday after Pentecost

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

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyrs Marcian and Martyrius

346

Both lived in Constantinople and were disciples of the Patriarch St Paul the Confessor (November 6), who was murdered in exile by the Arians. During the reign of the Arian Emperor Constantius, they fearlessly confessed that the Son of God is of one essence with the Father and is truly God. For their confession they were beheaded by the Arians and buried outside the city. Soon afterward, miracles began to be wrought at their tomb, and St John Chrysostom later built a church over it.

Holy martyr Anastasius the fuller of Salona

Saint Anastasius lived at Aquileia in northern Italy and worked as a fuller, a craftsman who cleansed and dressed cloth. Coming to Salona in Dalmatia about the year 304, during the persecution of Diocletian, he openly painted a cross upon the door of his house and went publicly about the work of preaching Christ. He was arrested, brought before the prefect, and after refusing to sacrifice to the idols he was fearfully tortured. A heavy stone was tied about his neck and he was cast into the sea. The body was miraculously discovered some days later and reverently buried by a pious matron named Asclepia, who built a basilica over his tomb. His relics were greatly venerated in Dalmatia and a portion was later translated to Aquileia and Verona. His memory is kept by both Eastern and Western Churches on 25 October.

Holy martyrs and notaries Marcian and Martyrius of Constantinople

Saints Marcian and Martyrius served the great church at Constantinople in the fourth century during the Arian troubles. Marcian was a reader and Martyrius a subdeacon, and both acted as notaries (secretaries) to the holy patriarch Paul the Confessor. After Paul's exile and martyrdom by strangulation at the hands of the Arians, Marcian and Martyrius continued to defend the Orthodox faith and to copy out the writings of the Fathers in confutation of the heretics. The Arian party, unable to win them over either by promises of preferment or by threats, condemned them to death. They were beheaded together and buried with great honour. Saint John Chrysostom, when archbishop of Constantinople, built a church over their relics, and many miracles of healing were wrought there. Their memory is kept on 25 October.

Saint Tabitha of Joppa, raised by the apostle Peter

Saint Tabitha, whose name in Greek is Dorcas, meaning "gazelle", was a disciple at Joppa in Palestine in apostolic times. The Acts of the Apostles relates that she was full of good works and almsdeeds, weaving tunics and garments with her own hands which she gave to the widows and the poor of the city. When she fell sick and died, the believers washed her body and laid her in an upper room, then sent two men to nearby Lydda to fetch the apostle Peter. Peter put them all out, knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body said, "Tabitha, arise." She opened her eyes, sat up, and Peter presented her alive to the saints and the widows. The miracle became known throughout Joppa and many believed in the Lord (Acts 9:36-42). Saint Tabitha is honoured as the patroness of seamstresses and tailors and of all those who work to clothe the needy. Her tomb is still shown at Jaffa. Her memory is kept on 25 October.

Saints Martyrius the deacon and Martyrius the recluse of the Kiev caves

Two ascetics named Martyrius are commemorated together at the Kiev Caves Lavra on 25 October. The first was a deacon at the Far Caves, who lived a strict life of fasting and prayer in the fourteenth century and through whom the Lord wrought many miracles, especially in casting out unclean spirits at the time of the Divine Liturgy. The second was an earlier recluse of the same monastery, of the thirteenth or fourteenth century, who shut himself up in a narrow cell and gave himself wholly to prayer and silence. Both reposed in peace and their incorrupt relics rest in the Far Caves of the Lavra, where they continue to work miracles of healing and deliverance. Their joint memory is kept with the chorus of the saints of the Caves on 25 October and at the Synaxis of the Fathers of the Far Caves on 28 August.

St Tabitha of Joppa

She was restored to life by the Apostle Peter (Acts 9:39-40), and afterwards died in peace.

Daily readings

Epistle

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

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 16.19-31

¹⁹There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: ²⁰And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, ²¹And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²²And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; ²³And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. ²⁴And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. ²⁵But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. ²⁶And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. ²⁷Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: ²⁸For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. ²⁹Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. ³⁰And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. ³¹And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

10th Matins Gospel

John — John 21.1-14

¹After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. ²There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. ³Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. ⁴But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. ⁵Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. ⁶And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. ⁷Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. ⁸And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. ⁹As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. ¹⁰Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. ¹¹Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. ¹²Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. ¹³Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. ¹⁴This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.