Thursday, 10 December 2026

Martyrs Menas, Hermogenes, Eugraphus

Thursday of the 28th week after Pentecost

242 days after Pascha · Tone 2 · Liturgy · Nativity Fast (Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyr Gemellus of Paphlagonia

The Holy Martyr Gemellus suffered for Christ at Ancyra in the time of the apostate emperor Julian (361-363). A native of Edessa in Mesopotamia, he confessed Christ openly and was seized while travelling, being brought before the emperor himself, who was then in Cappadocia. Gemellus rebuked the emperor for his apostasy and refused all entreaties to offer sacrifice. He was scourged, his sides torn with iron hooks, and his body lacerated, but he persevered without yielding. Finally he was crucified at Ancyra in Galatia, becoming, as the Greek synaxarion records, the only martyr to be crucified after the death of Christ. By this death he received a crown like that of the holy thief, and the Church honours his memory each year on this day.

Holy Martyrs Menas Kallikelados, Hermogenes and Eugraphus

Menas was an Athenian, a courtier of the Emperor Maximinus, and a secret Christian. Once there was an outbreak of civil unrest in Alexandria, brought about by various political factions, and by the increasing success of Christian missionaries in turning the Alexandrian people from the idols. The Emperor sent Menas to reconcile the parties and settle the dispute. On his arrival, Menas quickly resolved the political troubles and restored peace to the city; but instead of putting down Christianity as the Emperor had desired, he did everything in his power to protect the Christians and encourage the spread of the Gospel. When word of this came to the Emperor, he sent another trusted courtier, Hermogenes, to re-establish Imperial authority and to execute Menas if he would not renounce Christ. Hermogenes followed these orders scrupulously: he subjected the godly Menas to various horrid tortures in the public arena. But Menas was miraculously preserved through them all, and when he finally appeared in the arena, flanked by two shining Angels, Hermogenes repented and confessed Christ. He in turn became such a fervent advocate for the Gospel that he was soon made a Bishop (!). Finally the Emperor decided that the only solution was to come to Alexandria himself. There he had both Menas and Hermogenes cruelly tortured to death in secret, lest they perform any public miracles; but when the Emperor presented himself before the people at the arena the following day, the two Saints, miraculously preserved, appeared there also, causing the people to cry out “Christ is the only true God!” At the sight, Menas’ scribe Eugraphus declared himself a Christian, leaped into the arena and publicly demanded the honor of dying with them. All three were beheaded. Their precious relics were later taken to Constantinople, where they worked many miracles.

Saint Joasaph, Bishop of Belgorod

Saint Joasaph of Belgorod was born Joachim Andreyevich Gorlenko at Priluki in Little Russia on 8 September 1705 to a noble Cossack family. From his early youth he longed for the monastic life, and at the age of sixteen he secretly entered the Kiev Caves Lavra, where he was tonsured a rasophore in 1725 and then to the great schema with the name Joasaph in 1727. He served as teacher and preacher at the Kiev Theological Academy and as abbot of several monasteries before being raised in 1748 to the episcopate as Bishop of Belgorod and Oboyan. As bishop he was unsparing of himself in his pastoral labours, travelling continually about his vast diocese, examining clergy, ordering the proper celebration of the divine services, restoring churches and demanding strictness of life from priests and monks alike. He was famed for his hidden almsgiving and care for the poor, often giving away even his own clothes. Foreseeing his repose, he set out for his native Priluki to bid farewell to his parents, fell ill on the return journey and reposed at Grayvoron on 10 December 1754. His relics were uncovered incorrupt and have been a wellspring of healings; he was glorified by the Russian Church in 1911.

Saint Thomas the New of Bithynia

Saint Thomas, called Dephourkinos and "the New," was a Byzantine ascetic of the tenth century who laboured on Mount Kyminas in Bithynia. From childhood he was drawn to the things of God, and after a brief period of life in the world entered a monastery, where he distinguished himself by humility and obedience. Seeking deeper solitude, he withdrew to a cave on the slopes of Mount Kyminas, where he lived for many years in silent prayer and severe asceticism, struggling with the assaults of demons. The Lord granted him the gifts of clairvoyance, healing and discernment of spirits, and many came from afar for his counsel, including the renowned Saint Michael Maleinos. He gathered a small brotherhood about himself and reposed in peace, leaving a memory of strict ascetic order on the holy mountain that would later nourish Athanasius the Athonite and the founders of organised cenobitic life on Mount Athos.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Titus — Titus 1.5-2.1

⁵For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: ⁶If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. ⁷For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; ⁸But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; ⁹Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. ¹⁰For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: ¹¹Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. ¹²One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. ¹³This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; ¹⁴Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. ¹⁵Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. ¹⁶They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

¹But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 21.28-33

²⁸And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. ²⁹And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; ³⁰When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. ³¹So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. ³²Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. ³³Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.