Friday, 26 February 2027

65 days before Pascha · Tone 5 · Liturgy · No Fast (Fast Free)

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyr Photina, the Samaritan Woman

Holy Martyr Photina was the woman whom our Lord Jesus Christ encountered at the well in Samaria, as recorded in the Gospel of Saint John. When Christ asked her for water, he revealed to her that he knew the secrets of her heart and her sinful past. Rather than condemning her, the Lord offered her forgiveness and the grace of salvation. The woman responded with genuine repentance, cast off her former life of sin, and became a devoted follower of Christ, accepting baptism into the Christian faith and taking the name Photina, which means "the enlightened one." Following Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Church, Saint Photina received baptism together with her five sisters, Anatole, Photo, Photida, Paraskeve and Kyriake, and her two sons, Photinus (also known as Victor) and Joseph. She then embarked upon an apostolic mission, travelling throughout the Mediterranean world preaching the Gospel of Christ, proclaiming his incarnation, his redemptive death and his glorious resurrection. Wherever she went, she witnessed fearlessly to her encounter with the living Christ and called people to repentance and faith. During the reign of the Roman emperor Nero (54-68 AD), whilst Photina dwelt in Carthage with her younger son Joses, she continued her bold evangelistic labours, undaunted by the hostility of pagan authorities. In an impotent rage at her refusal to acknowledge the gods of Rome, the emperor Nero issued a cruel edict condemning her to martyrdom. She was flayed of her skin and subsequently cast into a well, thereby consummating her witness with the shedding of her blood. The Orthodox Church venerates her as a Great-Martyr and Apostle-Equal, commemorating her memory on three occasions throughout the liturgical year.

New martyr John Kalphes the apprentice

1575

The holy new martyr John, called Kalphes ("the apprentice"), lived in the suburb of Galata at Constantinople in the sixteenth century, when the city was under Ottoman rule. He was a cabinetmaker by trade and had become so skilled in carpentry and woodwork that the great men of the empire entrusted to him important commissions, and he was even called upon to adorn the inner chambers of the sultan's palace. Saint John was distinguished for his Christian charity, providing for orphans and widows and visiting prisoners. A certain Turkish dignitary, struck by his integrity, asked the saint to take his nephew on as an apprentice. John consented and treated the young man as his own. The youth, perceiving John's faith, often pressed him with questions about Christ and about Mahomet. At last, on the youth's persistent demands, John spoke openly of the truth of Christianity and the falsehood of Islam. Denounced to the authorities, Saint John was brought before the judges and commanded to deny Christ. He refused, confessing the Lord boldly. After enduring tortures and imprisonment without yielding, he was led on 26 February in the year 1575 to the public square known as Ergat-Bazara near the Bezstan, where he was beheaded for the name of Christ. Pious Christians gathered up his relics and gave them honourable burial.

Saint Porphyrius, Bishop of Gaza

395

He was born to a wealthy, noble family in Thessalonica around 347. Filled more and more with a yearning for God, he abandoned his worldly possessions and traveled to Egypt, living for five years as a monk at Sketis. From there he went to Palestine, where he lived for another five years in a cave in the Jordan desert. Suffering from a severe ailment, he was forced to move to Jerusalem; there he was suddenly and completely cured following a vision on Golgotha, in which he saw the Good Thief come down from the cross to lead him to Christ, who gave the Cross into his keeping.

Porphyrius took up the trade of a shoemaker in Jerusalem to provide for his few needs. His humility and charity became so well-known that the Bishop of Jerusalem ordained him to the priesthood at the age of forty-five, and made him Stavrophylax, keeper of the True Cross of the Savior — thus fulfilling Porphyrius’ vision on Golgotha. Three years later, much against his will, he was elected Bishop of Gaza.

Throughout his episcopate he was persecuted by the pagans who still dominated the life of that city — though he was able to convert many of them by his own example of holiness, and by the many miracles that were wrought through his intercessions. Once, when the city was suffering from a long drought, the Saint gathered the city’s Christians (who numbered no more than 280), told them to fast, and celebrated an all-night vigil. The next morning, as the Bishop and his entire flock went in procession through the city it began to rain. At this, 127 pagans were converted. When the pagans’ violent attacks continued, Porphyrius appealed to the Emperor Arcadius for an edict closing of the pagan temples in Gaza. With the support of St John Chrysostom the edict was issued. When the Imperial representatives entered Gaza, accompanied by Bishop Porphyrius bearing the Cross, the statue of Aphrodite in the city’s main temple shattered into pieces. Eight temples were destroyed, and a Church was built on the site of the largest. Hundreds of pagans embraced the Faith and, after instruction, were baptized by the Saint.

After twenty-five years as bishop, during which he had seen his see transformed from a small flock of beleaguered Christians into a Christian territory, Saint Porphyrius reposed in peace in 420.

Venerable Sebastian, abbot of Poshekhonye

Saint Sebastian of Poshekhonye, also called Sebastian of Sokhota, was a Russian ascetic of the fifteenth century. He was tonsured at one of the monasteries of the north and after some years sought the deeper solitude of the dense forests of Poshekhonye, on the river Sokhota, about ninety versts from the town of Romanov in the diocese of Yaroslavl. There, in a small hut amid the woods, he gave himself to unceasing prayer, fasting and manual labour. Other monks soon found their way to him, and against his desire for hidden solitude a community gathered round him. With their help he raised a small wooden church in honour of the Transfiguration of the Lord, and a monastery grew up under his direction, called the Sokhotsk Transfiguration monastery. The brethren lived under a strict cenobitic rule. Saint Sebastian himself, though abbot, was the first in every menial task. He carried water, chopped wood, kneaded the dough, baked the bread and wove ropes by night. He continued in these labours until his repose, which is placed about the year 1492. His relics were laid to rest in the church he had built. Although in 1764 the monastery was closed and reduced to the status of a parish church, the memory of its founder has been preserved among the saints of the Russian Church.

St Photini the Samaritan Woman, and those with her

She was the Samaritan Woman who met Christ at Jacob’s Well (John ch. 4). She repented, and told her townsmen that she had met the Christ, for which she is sometimes called the first to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. She converted her four sisters (Phota, Photis,Parasceva, and Cyriaca), and her sons (Victor and Joses), and all of them became tireless evangelists for Christ. After the martyrdom of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, she traveled to Carthage to proclaim the Gospel there. She, with her Christian sisters and sons, all met martyrdom under the persecutions of Nero. She is also commemorated on the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman during the Paschal season.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

1 John — 1 John 2.7-17

⁷Beloved, no new commandment write I unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning: the old commandment is the word which ye heard.

⁷Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. ⁸Again, a new commandment write I unto you, which thing is true in him and in you; because the darkness is passing away, and the true light already shineth. ⁸Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. ⁹He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now. ⁹He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. ¹⁰He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. ¹⁰He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. ¹¹But he that hateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes. ¹¹But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. ¹²I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

¹²I write unto you, my little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. ¹³I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. ¹³I write unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one. I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father. ¹⁴I have written unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the evil one. ¹⁴I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. ¹⁵Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁵Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ¹⁶For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ¹⁷And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. ¹⁷And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 14.3-9

³And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

³And while he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster cruse of ointment of pure nard very costly; and she brake the cruse, and poured it over his head. ⁴And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? ⁴But there were some that had indignation among themselves, saying, To what purpose hath this waste of the ointment been made? ⁵For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. ⁵For this ointment might have been sold for above three hundred shillings, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her. ⁶And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. ⁶But Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. ⁷For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. ⁷For ye have the poor always with you, and whensoever ye will ye can do them good: but me ye have not always. ⁸She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. ⁸She hath done what she could; she hath anointed my body beforehand for the burying. ⁹Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. ⁹And verily I say unto you, Wheresoever the gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, that also which this woman hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.