Wednesday, 10 March 2027

Cheesefare Wednesday

53 days before Pascha · Tone 7 · Liturgy · Fast (Meat Fast)

No Liturgy

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyr Codratus of Corinth

Saint Codratus was a holy martyr who suffered for Christ during the persecution of Christians in the early centuries of the Church. Together with his companions, he was brought before magistrates who demanded that he renounce his faith in Jesus Christ and offer sacrifice to pagan gods. Codratus and his fellow believers refused to deny the Saviour or to participate in idolatrous worship. They were subjected to various torments, being beaten and imprisoned. Their unwavering confession of Orthodox faith was a testimony to all who witnessed their trials. Despite the cruelties inflicted upon them, the saints remained joyful and gave glory to God, knowing that they would receive the crown of martyrdom. Saint Codratus and his companions were finally executed and now intercede for the faithful who honour their memory.

Martyrs Codratus and those with him

258

‘In a time of persecution of Christians, many of the faithful fled to the mountains and caves. The mother of this Codratus did so. She was pregnant at that time, and gave birth to Codratus in a forest, dying almost at once. He was kept safe and fed by the providence of God and his guardian angel. Codratus grew up in solitude with nature. He who gave manna from heaven to the Israelites in the wilderness released a sweet dew from a cloud onto the mouth of the child Codratus. When he was twelve years old, he went down to the town, and there some good people took a fancy to him and educated him. He studied medicine and then began to heal the sick, using both natural medicines and, more importantly, the spiritual power and prayer which had been with him from childhood. When a new persecution arose under Decius, Codratus was taken for trial and thrown into prison. Five of his friends stood beside him and confessed the name of Christ. They were: Cyprian, Dionysius, Anectus, Paul and Crescens. They were all dragged through the streets and struck with sticks and stones by the unbelievers, especially by the children, until they arrived at the scaffold. Here the martyrs prayed to God and were beheaded with the sword. A spring of water gushed out onto the earth at the spot, which to this day is called by Codratus’ name and commemorates the heroic death for Christ of the holy six. They suffered with honour for the truth in Corinth in the year 250, in the time of the Emperor Decius and his governor Jason.’ (Prologue)

Saint Anastasia the Patrician of Alexandria

Saint Anastasia was a woman of noble birth, a patrician of the city of Alexandria, who devoted herself entirely to the service of God and to works of charity. In the early centuries of Christianity, she used her considerable wealth and influence to aid the poor, to support those suffering persecution, and to advance the faith. Saint Anastasia was known for her great compassion, her strict asceticism despite her position of ease, and her unshakeable commitment to Christ. She endured trials and persecutions for the Orthodox faith and spent her life in prayer, fasting, and service to others. The Church honours her memory as one who combined the virtues of nobility with the simplicity of evangelical poverty and as one whose intercession brings comfort to those in distress.

Saint John of Khakhuli, called the Chrysostom

Saint John of Khakhuli, known to the Georgians as Oqropiri, "the Golden-tongued", was one of the great spiritual lights of medieval Georgia. He flourished in the second half of the tenth and the early eleventh centuries, a contemporary of King David Kuropalates and King Bagrat III, who founded the celebrated Khakhuli Monastery in the historic region of Tao at the gorge where the Khakhuli river joins the Tortumi. A theologian, translator, and calligrapher of great learning, John laboured to enrich the Georgian Church with the wisdom of the Fathers, and his sermons were so eloquent that he was given the same epithet "Chrysostom" that had been bestowed long before on the great Archbishop of Constantinople. Some traditions say that he was first consecrated Bishop of Bolnisi and afterwards transferred to Khakhuli. About the year 1019 he left Khakhuli together with his companions Arsen of Ninotsminda and John Grdzelis and journeyed to the Holy Mountain of Athos. There he attached himself to Saint Ekvtime the Hagiorite at the Iviron Monastery, assisting him in his great labour of translating the Scriptures and Fathers into Georgian. The Life of Saint George of the Holy Mountain records that Saint John reposed on Mount Athos. The Khakhuli Monastery long preserved his memory, and the icon of the Mother of God of Khakhuli, set in a famous gold and enamel triptych, became one of the chief treasures of the Georgian Church.

Saint Simplicius, Pope of Rome

483

Saint Simplicius was born at Tivoli in Italy, the son of a citizen named Castinus. After serving in the Roman clergy with distinction, he was elected to the apostolic see of Rome on 3 March 468, in succession to Saint Hilary, and held it for fifteen years through one of the most turbulent periods of the late Roman West. His pontificate witnessed the deposition of the last western emperor, Romulus Augustulus, in 476, and the establishment of barbarian rule in Italy under Odoacer. Throughout these upheavals Simplicius laboured to preserve the faith of the Council of Chalcedon, opposing the resurgent Monophysitism that troubled the East. He resisted the Henotikon promulgated by the emperor Zeno and the compromises of Acacius, Patriarch of Constantinople, defending the two natures of Christ as defined by the holy Fathers. He likewise upheld the orthodox party in Egypt and Antioch in their struggles against heretical claimants. In Rome itself Simplicius dedicated several great churches, among them San Stefano Rotondo on the Caelian Hill, Santa Bibiana, Sant'Andrea Catabarbara, and a basilica in honour of the holy martyrs in the Roman cemeteries. He reposed in peace on 10 March in the year 483 and was buried in the portico of Saint Peter's Basilica. The Orthodox Church venerates him among the saints of the pre-schism see of Rome.

Our Holy Mother Anastasia

563

She was a noble lady at the Imperial court under the Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora. But when she was widowed she left Constantinople and all her privileges behind and fled to the Egyptian desert. There Abba Daniel tonsured her and, at her request, presented her to the brethren as the eunuch Anastasius, so that she might avoid discovery by imperial investigators. She closed herself in a small cell, where she spent twenty-eight years in prayer and askesis. Shortly before her death, her elder Daniel saw her face shining like the sun.

Also commemorated: Martyr Quadratus and Companions

Daily readings

Sixth Hour

weekly cycle

Joel — Joel 2.12-26

¹²Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

¹²Yet even now, saith Jehovah, turn ye unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: ¹³And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. ¹³and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repenteth him of the evil. ¹⁴Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? ¹⁴Who knoweth whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal-offering and a drink-offering unto Jehovah your God?

¹⁵Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:

¹⁵Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; ¹⁶gather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. ¹⁶Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. ¹⁷Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Jehovah, and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? ¹⁷Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

¹⁸Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

¹⁸Then was Jehovah jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. ¹⁹Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: ¹⁹And Jehovah answered and said unto his people, Behold, I will send you grain, and new wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations; ²⁰But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things. ²⁰but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its forepart into the eastern sea, and its hinder part into the western sea; and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things.

²¹Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice; for Jehovah hath done great things.

²¹Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. ²²Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. ²²Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth its fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength. ²³Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God; for he giveth you the former rain in just measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first month. ²³Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. ²⁴And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. ²⁴And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. ²⁵And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. ²⁵And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you. ²⁶And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of Jehovah your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you; and my people shall never be put to shame. ²⁶And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

Vespers

weekly cycle

Joel — Joel 3.12-21

¹²Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. ¹²Let the nations bestir themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about. ¹³Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. ¹³Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great. ¹⁴Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

¹⁴Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision. ¹⁵The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. ¹⁵The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. ¹⁶And Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but Jehovah will be a refuge unto his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel. ¹⁶The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. ¹⁷So shall ye know that I am Jehovah your God, dwelling in Zion my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. ¹⁷So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

¹⁸And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall flow with waters; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

¹⁸And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim. ¹⁹Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. ¹⁹Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. ²⁰But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. ²⁰But Judah shall abide for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. ²¹For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion. ²¹And I will cleanse their blood, that I have not cleansed: for Jehovah dwelleth in Zion.