Wednesday, 10 February 2027

Wednesday of the 37th week after Pentecost

304 days after Pascha · Tone 3 · Liturgy · Fast

Saints commemorated

Hieromartyr Charalampus, Bishop of Magnesia

“This great saint was bishop in Magnesia, and suffered for Christ at the age of 113. When a violent persecution broke out under the Emperor Septimus Severus, the aged Charalampus did not hide from his persecutors, but freely and openly preached the Christian faith. He endured all tortures as though not in the body, and when they flayed the living flesh from him, the godly saint said to the Emperor’s soldiers: ‘Thank you, my brethren, for scraping off the old body and renewing my soul for new and eternal life.’ He performed many wonders and brought many to the Faith. Even the Emperor’s daughter, Gallina, repudiated the paganism of her father and became a Christian. Condemned to death and led to the place of execution, St Charalampus raised his arms to heaven and prayed for all men, that God would give them bodily health and salvation of soul, and that He would grant them the fruits of the earth in abundance: ‘Lord, Thou knowest that men are flesh and blood; forgive them their sins and pour out Thy blessing on all.’ After praying thus, the saintly elder gave his soul to God before the executioner had laid his sword to his neck. He suffered in 202. Gallina took his body and buried it.” (Prologue)

The Great Horologion puts his age at 103.

Holy Martyrs Porphyrius and Baptus

Porphyrius and Baptus were early Christian martyrs who gave their lives in witness to Christ. They refused to participate in pagan idolatry and steadfastly confessed the Christian faith despite threats and torture. Their martyrdom represents the commitment of the early Church to proclaim Christ as Lord and Saviour, regardless of the cost. Through their faithful witness and willingness to die for their faith, they strengthened the resolve of other believers and became witnesses to the power of Christ's redemption. They are remembered in the Orthodox Church as faithful confessors whose martyrdom testified to the truth of the Gospel.

Saint Anastasius II of Jerusalem

Anastasius II was a patriarch of Jerusalem and a venerable father of the Church. He served as a bishop in the Holy Land and was devoted to the spiritual welfare of the Christian communities there. Anastasius was known for his learning, his piety, and his commitment to upholding Orthodox doctrine and tradition. He worked to preserve the sacred sites and to guide the faithful in the way of salvation. He is remembered as a faithful shepherd of the Church in the holy city of Jerusalem.

Saint Scholastica of Nursia

Scholastica was the sister of Saint Benedict of Nursia, the founder of Western monasticism. She lived in the sixth century and devoted her life to the contemplative life and the service of God. Scholastica founded a convent near Monte Cassino and led it with great wisdom and spiritual discipline. She is remembered for her deep piety, her commitment to the monastic life, and her close relationship with her brother Benedict. According to tradition, she had the gift of prophetic foresight and was visited by her brother regularly. She exemplified the virtues of humility, obedience, and devotion to prayer, becoming a model for women monastics throughout the Church. Her memory is venerated as a foundress of women's monastic life in the Western Church.

St Scholastica of Italy, sister of St Benedict

543

She was the twin sister of St Benedict, patriarch of monasticism in the West (March 14), and his constant fellow-laborer in the vineyard of Christ. They lived in neighboring monasteries; though they loved one another dearly, they met only once a year, spending the day in prayer and spiritual conversation, then parting after sharing a simple meal. At their meeting in 543, she prevailed on her brother (and the monk who accompanied him) to break his own monastic rule and stay with her in vigil through the night. Three days later, as Benedict looked out his cell window, he saw his sister’s soul in the form of a dove ascending to heaven. Recommended: The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica, a beautifully illustrated children’s book about the two Saints; by Kathleen Norris, illustrated by Tomie dePaola.

Our Venerable Father Prochorus of the Kiev Caves

1107

“A wonder-worker of the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev, he was named the Orach-eater because the whole time he lived in the monastery, he never tasted bread but fed himself on orach [a kind of wild spinach] prepared according to his own particular method as a sort of bread. When he gave someone some of this bread with his blessing, it was as sweet as honey, but if someone stole some, it was as bitter as wormwood. “At one time, when there was a dearth of salt in Russia, Prochorus distributed ashes to the people for salt. The ashes that he distributed with his blessing became salt; ashes, however, that anyone took for himself remained ordinary ashes. Prince Svyatopolk ordered that all the ashes from Prochorus’ cell be brought to the court without his permission, let alone his blessing. When the ashes were brought there, it was obvious to everyone that they were ashes and not salt. Then Prochorus told all the people who came to him for salt to go to the prince’s court, and, when the prince threw the ashes away, to take them and use them as salt. This they did, and the ashes again became salt. The prince himself, learning of this, was filled with a deep respect and love for him and, when Prochorus died in 1107, placed him with his own hands in a grave near the great Russian saints, Antony and Theodosius.” (Prologue).

Also commemorated: Hieromartyr Haralambos

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

James — James 3.11-4.6

¹¹Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter? ¹¹Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? ¹²can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? neither can salt water yield sweet. ¹²Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? let him show by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom. ¹³Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. ¹⁴But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. ¹⁵This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. ¹⁵This wisdom is not a wisdom that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. ¹⁶For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. ¹⁶For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed. ¹⁷But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy. ¹⁷But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. ¹⁸And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace. ¹⁸And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

¹From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

¹Whence come wars and whence come fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your pleasures that war in your members? ²Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. ²Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. ³Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. ³Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures. ⁴Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. ⁴Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God. ⁵Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying? ⁵Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? ⁶But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. ⁶But he giveth more grace. Wherefore the scripture saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 11.22-26

²²And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. ²²And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. ²³For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. ²³Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. ²⁴Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. ²⁴Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. ²⁵And whensoever ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any one; that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. ²⁵And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. ²⁶But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. ²⁶