Monday, 8 February 2027

Monday of the 37th week after Pentecost

302 days after Pascha · Tone 3 · Black squigg (6-stich typikon symbol) · No Fast

Saints commemorated

★ Great Martyr Theodore the Stratelates

He was a renowned commander in the Imperial army, and dwelt in Heraclea of Pontus. The Emperor Licinius heard of Theodore’s fame as an officer, and also that he was a devout Christian; the Emperor determined to visit the general, officially to honor him, but secretly to turn him from Christ.

When the Emperor came to Heraclea, Saint Theodore met him with all honor, and the Emperor in turn praised him for his service to the state. Licinius then publicly bade Theodore make sacrifice to the gods. Theodore asked that he be given the most venerable gods, made of gold and silver, to attend upon at home, and promised that the following day he would return and honor them before the people. The Emperor, thinking that he had succeeded in restoring Theodore to paganism, gladly agreed.

That night the Saint smashed all the idols he had taken home, and distributed the gold and silver pieces to the poor. When this was discovered, Theodore gladly admitted his deed and confessed Christ boldly. The Emperor, in a fury, had the Saint subjected to many tortures, then crucified. On the cross, he was subject to further torments and mutilations: parts of his body were cut off, his eyes put out, and he was shot with arrows, finally being left on the cross for dead. The next day Licinius sent men to cast his body into the sea, but to their amazement they found the Saint alive, his body perfectly intact. Through this, many spectators and some of the Emperor’s own men turned to Christ. Seeing that the Saint, far from renouncing Christ, was leading others to Him, the Emperor promptly had him beheaded. His holy relics were returned to his family home in Euchaita, where they worked so many miracles that the town came to be known as Theodoropolis.

Holy Prophet Zacharias

Zacharias was a righteous prophet in ancient Israel who spoke God's word to His people. He prophesied during a period of spiritual restoration and called the people to repentance and faithfulness to the covenant. Zacharias' prophecies contained messages of hope, divine restoration, and the coming of the Messiah. He was devoted to the Temple and the worship of God, and his writings were treasured by the Church as an important part of Old Testament Scripture. He is remembered for his unwavering commitment to proclaiming God's truth despite the resistance he faced from those who refused to hear the prophetic word.

Saint Sava II of Serbia

Sava II was a medieval Serbian saint, archbishop, and spiritual leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He came from the royal family of Serbia and devoted his life to the Church and to the spiritual welfare of the Serbian people. As archbishop, he worked to strengthen the Orthodox faith among the Serbs and to establish the Serbian Church. He was known for his learning, his ascetic discipline, and his pastoral care. Sava II supported monasticism and the development of Serbian ecclesiastical culture. He is venerated in the Serbian Church as one of the great leaders and fathers of the Serbian Orthodox tradition.

St Sabbas II, Archbishop of Serbia

1271

He was the son of St Stephen the First- Crowned King of Serbia (September 24), and the nephew of St Sabbas (Sava) (January 14), the first Archbishop of Serbia. Like his uncle, he became a monk at the monastery of Chilandar on Mt Athos, where he zealously lived the ascetical life until he was elected Bishop of Zachounios, then Archbishop of Serbia. He fell asleep in peace in 1271, having shepherded his flock with love and wisdom. His holy relics are in the monastery of Pech.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

James — James 2.14-26

¹⁴What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him? ¹⁴What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ¹⁵If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, ¹⁵If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit? ¹⁶And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? ¹⁷Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. ¹⁷Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. ¹⁸Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. ¹⁸Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith. ¹⁹Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. ¹⁹Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder. ²⁰But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? ²⁰But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? ²¹Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? ²¹Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? ²²Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect; ²²Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? ²³And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. ²³and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God. ²⁴Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. ²⁴Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith. ²⁵And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? ²⁵Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? ²⁶For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. ²⁶For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 10.46-52

⁴⁶And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimæus, the son of Timæus, sat by the highway side begging.

⁴⁶And they come to Jericho: and as he went out from Jericho, with his disciples and a great multitude, the son of Timæus, Bartimæus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the way side. ⁴⁷And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁷And when he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁸And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁸And many rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁹And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. ⁴⁹And Jesus stood still, and said, Call ye him. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good cheer: rise, he calleth thee. ⁵⁰And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. ⁵⁰And he, casting away his garment, sprang up, and came to Jesus. ⁵¹And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. ⁵¹And Jesus answered him, and said, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And the blind man said unto him, Rabboni, that I may receive my sight. ⁵²And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. ⁵²And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And straightway he received his sight, and followed him in the way.