Tuesday, 22 December 2026

Greatmartyr Anastasia and Companions

Tuesday of the 30th week after Pentecost

254 days after Pascha · Tone 4 · Liturgy · Nativity Fast (Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

★ Holy Great Martyr Anastasia the Deliverer-from-Bonds

290

Saint Anastasia was a Roman by birth who suffered for Christ during the persecutions of Diocletian, around the year 304. Her father Praetextatus was a pagan, but her mother Fausta was a secret Christian who, with the help of an educated and pious teacher named Chrysogonus, raised Anastasia in the Christian faith. After her mother's death, her father married her against her will to a pagan named Publius, but Anastasia preserved her virginity by feigning illness. Clothing herself in the garb of a beggar and accompanied by only one servant, she went about the prisons of Rome and beyond, feeding, tending to and often ransoming captives who were suffering for their faith in Christ. Through her prayers many were healed of the effects of poisons and harmful potions, and for this reason she was given the title Pharmakolytria, the Deliverer-from-Potions or Deliverer-from-Bonds. Following the martyrdom of her teacher Chrysogonus, she continued her ministry to imprisoned Christians in Macedonia and Illyricum. She was eventually arrested, brought before the prefect, and after enduring many torments was stretched between four pillars and burned alive at Sirmium. In the fifth century her relics were translated to Constantinople, where a great church was built in her honour, and a portion of her relics is now venerated at the Monastery of Saint Anastasia near Mount Athos.

Holy Martyr Chrysogonus of Aquileia

Saint Chrysogonus was a Roman Christian teacher of high learning and great piety who instructed the young Anastasia in the faith of Christ after the death of her mother Fausta. During the persecution of Diocletian he was imprisoned for his confession of Christ, and from his cell he continued to encourage and counsel Anastasia by letter as she ministered to imprisoned believers. After two years in prison Chrysogonus was brought before the emperor at Aquileia, where he was commanded to offer sacrifice to the idols. He boldly refused, and was beheaded by the seashore around the year 304. His body was cast into the sea but was recovered by a presbyter named Zoilus, who buried it with honour. A church was later built over the site of his tomb, and his memory has been kept by the Church together with that of his disciple Anastasia.

Holy Martyr Theodota and her three sons at Nicaea

Saint Theodota was a young widow of Nicaea, a friend and companion of Saint Anastasia in her labours of mercy among the imprisoned Christians. Together with Anastasia she encouraged believers held in chains during the persecution of Diocletian. Betrayed for her faith, she was arrested with her three small sons and brought before the governor. When the eldest of her sons, Evodius, was beaten with rods, he endured his sufferings with such courage that the prefect was astonished. Theodota and her children were finally cast into a heated furnace, where they all gave up their souls to God. The Church remembers her bold confession alongside that of Anastasia the Deliverer-from-Bonds.

Also commemorated: Greatmartyr Anastasia and Companions

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

Hebrews — Hebrews 9.8-10, 15-23

⁸The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: ⁹Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; ¹⁰Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. ¹⁵And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. ¹⁶For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. ¹⁷For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. ¹⁸Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. ¹⁹For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, ²⁰Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. ²¹Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. ²²And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. ²³It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 10.2-12

²And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. ³And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? ⁴And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. ⁵And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. ⁶But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. ⁷For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; ⁸And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. ⁹What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. ¹⁰And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. ¹¹And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. ¹²And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.