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Daily Readings:
Saints/Martyrs/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated:
Today's commemorated feasts and saints...
SUNDAY OF CHEESEFARE — Tone 8. The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. The 42 Martyrs of Ammoria in Phrygia, including: Constantine, Aetitus, Theophilus, Theodore, Melissenus, Callistus, Basoës and others (ca. 845). The Uncovering of the Precious Cross and the Precious Nails by Empress St. Helen (Elena) in Jerusalem (326). Monk Martyrs Conon and his son, Conon, of Iconium (270-275). Ven. Arcadius of Cyprus (4th c.).
Sunday of Cheesefare
Explusion of Adam from Paradise
As we begin the Great Fast, the Church reminds us of Adam's expulsion from Paradise. God commanded Adam to fast (Gen. 2:16), but he did not obey. Because of their disobedience, Adam and Eve were cast out of Eden and lost the life of blessedness, knowledge of God, and communion with Him, for which they were created. Both they and their descendents became heirs of death and corruption.
Let us consider the benefits of fasting, the consequences of disobedience, and recall our fallen state. Today we are invited to cleanse ourselves of evil through fasting and obedience to God. Our fasting should not be a negative thing, a mere abstention from certain foods. It is an opportunity to free ourselves from the sinful desires and urges of our fallen nature, and to nourish our souls with prayer, repentance, to participate in church services, and partake of the life-giving Mysteries of Christ.
At Forgiveness Vespers we sing: "Let us begin the time of fasting in light, preparing ourselves for spiritual efforts. Let us purify our soul, let us purify our body. As we abstain from food, let us abstain from all passion and enjoy the virtues of the spirit…."
Sunday of Cheesefare
Explusion of Adam from Paradise
Kontakion - Tone 6
Master, Teacher of wisdom,
Bestower of virtue,
you teach the thoughtless and protect the poor:
Strengthen and enlighten my heart.
Word of the Father,
let me not restrain my mouth from crying to you:
Have mercy on me, a transgressor,
O merciful Lord!
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42 Martyrs of Ammoria in Phrygia
The Holy 42 Martyrs of Ammoria: Constantine, Aetius (Aetitus), Theophilus, Theodore, Melissenus, Callistus, Basoes and the others with them. During a war between the Byzantine Emperor Theophilus (829-842) and the Saracens, the Saracens managed to besiege the city of Ammoria (in Galicia in Asia Minor). As a result of treason on the part of the military commander Baditses, Ammoria fell, and forty-two of its generals were taken captive and sent off to Syria.
During the seven years of their imprisonment they tried in vain to persuade the captives to renounce Christianity and accept Islam. The captives stubbornly resisted all their seductive offers and bravely held out against terrible threats. After many torments that failed to break the spirit of the Christian soldiers, they condemned them to death, hoping to shake the determination of the saints before executing them. The martyrs remained steadfast, saying that the Old Testament Prophets bore witness to Christ, while Mohammed called himself a prophet without any other witnesses to support his claim.
They said to the soldier Theodore, "We know that you forsook the priestly office, became a soldier and shed blood in battle. You can have no hope in Christ, Whom you abandoned voluntarily, so accept Mohammed." But the martyr replied, "You do not speak truthfully when you say that I abandoned Christ. Moreover, I left the priesthood because of my own unworthiness. Therefore, I must shed my blood for the sake of Christ, so that He might forgive the sins that I have committed against Him."
The executioners took each one separately and led him off to be beheaded, then threw the bodies into the River Euphrates. In the service to them, these holy passion-bearers are glorified as: the "All-Blessed" Theodore, the "Unconquered" Callistus, the "Valliant" Constantine, the "Wondrous" Theophilus and "the Most Strong" Basoes.
42 Martyrs of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
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Martyr Constantine of Ammoria in Phrygia
Saint Constantine was one of the 42 Christians martyred for Christ at Ammoria in Asia Minor around 845. St Constantine is described as "valiant" in the service composed for them.
Martyr Constantine of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
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Martyr Aetitus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Saint Aetius (Aetitus), was one of the 42 Christians martyred for Christ at Ammoria in Asia Minor around 845.
Martyr Aetitus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
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Martyr Theophilus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Saint Theophilus was one of the 42 Christians martyred for Christ at Ammoria in Asia Minor around 845. St Theophilus is described as "wondrous" in the service composed for them.
Martyr Theophilus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
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Martyr Theodore of Ammoria in Phrygia
Saint Theodore was one of the 42 Christians martyred for Christ at Ammoria in Asia Minor around 845. In the service to these martyrs, he is described as the "all-blessed Theodore."
The Syrians said to the soldier Theodore, "We know that you forsook the priestly office, became a soldier and shed blood in battle. You can have no hope in Christ, Whom you abandoned voluntarily, so accept Mohammed." But the martyr replied, "You do not speak truthfully when you say that I abandoned Christ. Moreover, I left the priesthood because of my own unworthiness. Therefore, I must shed my blood for the sake of Christ, so that He might forgive the sins that I have committed against Him."
Martyr Theodore of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
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Martyr Melissenus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Saint Melissenus was one of the 42 Christians martyred for Christ at Ammoria in Asia Minor around 845.
Martyr Melissenus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
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Martyr Callistus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Saint Callistus was one of the 42 Christians martyred for Christ at Ammoria in Asia Minor around 845.
Martyr Callistus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
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Martyr Basoes of Ammoria in Phrygia
Saint Basoes was one of the 42 Christians martyred for Christ at Ammoria in Asia Minor around 845. In the service to these martyrs, he is described as the "most strong" Basoes.
Martyr Basoes of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Uncovering of the Precious Cross and the Precious Nails by the Empress St Helen in Jerusalem
The Holy Empress Helen uncovered the Precious Cross and Nails of the Lord at Jerusalem in 326.
At the beginning of the reign of St Constantine the Great (306-337), the first Roman emperor to recognize Christianity, he and his pious mother St Helen decided to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. They also planned to build a church on the site of the Lord's suffering and Resurrection, in order to reconsecrate and purify the places connected with the Savior's death and Resurrection from the foul taint of paganism.
The empress Helen journeyed to Jerusalem with a large quantity of gold. St Constantine wrote a letter to Patriarch Macarius I (313-323), requesting him to assist her in every possible way with her task of the restoring the Christian holy places.
After her arrival in Jerusalem, the holy empress Helen began to destroy all the pagan temples and reconsecrate the places which had been defiled by the pagans.
In her quest for the Life-Creating Cross, she questioned several Christians and Jews, but for a long time her search remained unsuccessful. Finally, an elderly Hebrew named Jude told her that the Cross was buried beneath the temple of Venus. St Helen ordered that the pagan temple be demolished, and for the site to be excavated. Soon they found Golgotha and the Lord's Sepulchre. Not far from the spot were three crosses, a board with the inscription written by Pilate (John 19:19), and four nails which had pierced the Lord's Body.
Now the task was to determine on which of the three crosses the Savior had been crucified. Patriarch Macarius saw a dead person being carried to his grave, then he ordered that the dead man be placed upon each cross in turn. When the corpse was placed on the Cross of Christ, he was immediately restored to life. After seeing the raising of the dead man, everyone was convinced that the Life-Creating Cross had been found. With great joy the empress Helen and Patriarch Macarius lifted the Life-Creating Cross and displayed it to all the people standing about.
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Monkmartyr Conon and his son of Iconium
The Holy Hieromartyr Conon lived in Iconium (Asia Minor). After he became a widower, he went to a monastery with his son. Because of his devout life the saint was granted help from above. He cast out devils, he healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and preached Christ among the pagans, converting many.
Reports of him reached the governor Dometian, a persecutor of Christians. St Conon was brought to trial and they ordered him to offer sacrifice to idols, but since he would not, he was handed over for torture. The seventeen-year-old son of the martyr, Deacon Conon, was also brought to trial.
After persuasion failed to make him renounce the True Faith, both father and son were subjected to cruel tortures. They were stripped and laid on a red-hot cot, they were drenched with hot oil, they were thrown into a cauldron with boiling tin, sulfur and tar, they were suspended upside down and scorched with a choking smoke. Preserved by God, the martyrs remained unharmed.
The irate torturers then resorted to a horrible way to destroy the preachers: sawing them in two with a wooden saw. Learning of this sentence, the saints asked time to pray and they cried out to the Lord, "We give thanks to You, O Lord, for permitting us to suffer for Your Name! We beseech You to grant peace to Your Church, put its persecutors to shame, strengthen and increase those who believe in You, grant us to come to You, and give peace unto our souls."
The Voice of God was heard from above, calling the holy sufferers. Having signed themselves with the Sign of the Cross, the holy martyrs gave up their souls to the Lord. At once, there was an earthquake, and all the pagan temples in the city collapsed.
Monks secretly buried the bodies of the martyrs at the monastery where the saints had labored in asceticism during life. This occurred during the reign of Aurelian in the years 270-275. The relics of the holy martyrs were later transferred to Italy, to the city of Acerno (Campania).
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Martyr Conon with his father of Iconium
The Holy Hieromartyr Conon lived in Iconium (Asia Minor). After he became a widower, he went to a monastery with his son. Because of his devout life the saint was granted help from above. He cast out devils, he healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and preached Christ among the pagans, converting many.
Reports of him reached the governor Dometian, a persecutor of Christians. St Conon was brought to trial and they ordered him to offer sacrifice to idols, but since he would not, he was handed over for torture. The seventeen-year-old son of the martyr, Deacon Conon, was also brought to trial.
After persuasion failed to make him renounce the True Faith, both father and son were subjected to cruel tortures. They were stripped and laid on a red-hot cot, they were drenched with hot oil, they were thrown into a cauldron with boiling tin, sulfur and tar, they were suspended upside down and scorched with a choking smoke. Preserved by God, the martyrs remained unharmed.
The irate torturers then resorted to a horrible way to destroy the preachers: sawing them in two with a wooden saw. Learning of this sentence, the saints asked time to pray and they cried out to the Lord, "We give thanks to You, O Lord, for permitting us to suffer for Your Name! We beseech You to grant peace to Your Church, put its persecutors to shame, strengthen and increase those who believe in You, grant us to come to You, and give peace unto our souls."
The Voice of God was heard from above, calling the holy sufferers. Having signed themselves with the Sign of the Cross, the holy martyrs gave up their souls to the Lord. At once, there was an earthquake, and all the pagan temples in the city collapsed.
Monks secretly buried the bodies of the martyrs at the monastery where the saints had labored in asceticism during life. This occurred during the reign of Aurelian in the years 270-275. The relics of the holy martyrs were later transferred to Italy, to the city of Acerno (Campania).
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Venerable Arcadius of Cyprus
Saint Arcadius from his youth devoted himself to monastic efforts. The saint struggled on the island of Cyprus during the time of the emperor Constantine the Great (206-337). He was the teacher of the holy Martyrs Julian the Physician and Eubolos, executed under Julian the Apostate (361-363). Bewailing the martyric death of his disciples and having consigned their bodies to the earth, St Arcadius soon departed to the Lord.
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Icon of the Mother of God "the Blessed Heaven"
The "Blessed Heaven" Icon of the Mother of God is on the iconostasis of the Moscow Archangel cathedral in the Kremlin. Previously, this icon was at Smolensk and brought to Moscow by Sophia, daughter of the Lithuanian prince Vitovt, when she became the wife of Prince Basil of Moscow (1389-1425).
On the icon, the Mother of God is depicted in full stature, with a scepter in Her right hand. On Her left arm is the Divine Infant, and both of them are crowned. Certain people call also this icon of the Mother of God "What Shall we call Thee?"
This icon is also commemorated on the Sunday of All Saints.
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Icon of the Mother of God "Czestochowa"
The wonderworking Czestochowa Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is to be found in a Roman Catholic monastery at Yasna Gora near the city of Czestochowa, Petrov Province. It is believed to be one of the seventy icons painted by the holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke (October 18). Tradition says that the icon was taken from Jerusalem when the Romans conquered the city in the year 66, and was hidden in a cave near Pella. The icon was given to St Helen (May 21) when she visited the Holy Land in 326, and she brought it back to Constantinople with her.
Starting in the eighth century the icon traveled to various places, including Galicia, Bavaria, and Moravia. Prince Leo, who founded the city of Lvov, brought the icon to Russia and placed it in the fortress of Belz. There many miracles took place before the holy icon.
Prince Vladislav of Opolsk acquired the icon when the Poles captured southwestern Russia. At the time that Vladislav ruled in Poland, the Tatars invaded Russia and soon appeared before the gates of the fortress of Belz. The prince ordered the icon to be placed atop the city walls as the Tatars began their siege of the fortress. Blood began dripping from the icon where it had been struck by an arrow or some other projectile. Those who witnessed it were fearfully amazed at the sight. The Tatars began to retreat when a dark haze covered them, and many of them died.
Following this miraculous deliverance, Prince Vladislav planned to take the icon to Siesia and to place it in his castle at Opolsk. As preparations for the transfer were being made, Vladislav was overcome with an inexplicable fear. He began to pray before the holy icon, and that night he was told in a vision to take the icon to Yasna Gora near Czestochowa. Vladislav built a monastery at Yasna Gora in 1382 and gave the icon to an order of Roman Catholic monks.
Many years later, followers of John Hus attacked Czestochowa and plundered the monastery. When they attempted to carry the Czestochowa Icon away in a cart, the horses refused to move from the spot, held back by some invisible power. One of the Hussites became angry and threw the icon onto the ground, while another stabbed the face of the Virgin with his sword. The first man was struck dead, and the hand of the second man shriveled up.
The other invaders also suffered punishment from God. Some of them died on the spot, while others became blind. Although many of the monastery's treasures were stolen by the Hussites, the wonderworking Czestochowa Icon was left behind.
King Carl X Gustav of Sweden occupied most of Poland in the seventeenth century, and his forces remained virtually undefeated until they fought a battle near Yasna Gora and the monastery where the icon was kept. With the help of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Poles were able to overcome the Swedes and end the war in 1656. At Lvov, King Jan Casimir officially decreed that Mother of God was the Queen of Poland, and that the nation was under her protection.
Many miracles have been worked by the Czestochowa Icon, and are recorded in a book which is kept at the Czestochowa monastery. Copies of the icon are found in many Orthodox and Roman Catholic monasteries. Some of these copies are venerated in the village of Pisarevkain in the Volhynia Province (June 29 and September 8), at Verhnaya Syrovatka in the Kharkov Province, at Tyvrov in the Vinits Province (Holy Spirit day), in the Kazan Cathedral at St Petersburg, and in several other places.
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Scriptural Readings:
Romans 13:11-14:4 (Epistle)
11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.
4 Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
Hebrews 12:1-10 (Epistle, Martyrs)
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."
7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?
8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.
Matthew 6:14-21 (Gospel)
14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16 Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 20:1-16 (Gospel, Martyrs)
1 For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?'
7 They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'
8 So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'
9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.
11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner,
12 saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'
13 But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
14 'Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.
15 'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?'
16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.
Daily Readings:
Saints/Martyrs/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated:
Today's commemorated feasts and saints...
SUNDAY OF CHEESEFARE — Tone 8. The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. The 42 Martyrs of Ammoria in Phrygia, including: Constantine, Aetitus, Theophilus, Theodore, Melissenus, Callistus, Basoës and others (ca. 845). The Uncovering of the Precious Cross and the Precious Nails by Empress St. Helen (Elena) in Jerusalem (326). Monk Martyrs Conon and his son, Conon, of Iconium (270-275). Ven. Arcadius of Cyprus (4th c.).
Sunday of Cheesefare
Explusion of Adam from Paradise
As we begin the Great Fast, the Church reminds us of Adam's expulsion from Paradise. God commanded Adam to fast (Gen. 2:16), but he did not obey. Because of their disobedience, Adam and Eve were cast out of Eden and lost the life of blessedness, knowledge of God, and communion with Him, for which they were created. Both they and their descendents became heirs of death and corruption.
Let us consider the benefits of fasting, the consequences of disobedience, and recall our fallen state. Today we are invited to cleanse ourselves of evil through fasting and obedience to God. Our fasting should not be a negative thing, a mere abstention from certain foods. It is an opportunity to free ourselves from the sinful desires and urges of our fallen nature, and to nourish our souls with prayer, repentance, to participate in church services, and partake of the life-giving Mysteries of Christ.
At Forgiveness Vespers we sing: "Let us begin the time of fasting in light, preparing ourselves for spiritual efforts. Let us purify our soul, let us purify our body. As we abstain from food, let us abstain from all passion and enjoy the virtues of the spirit…."
Sunday of Cheesefare
Explusion of Adam from Paradise
Kontakion - Tone 6
Master, Teacher of wisdom,
Bestower of virtue,
you teach the thoughtless and protect the poor:
Strengthen and enlighten my heart.
Word of the Father,
let me not restrain my mouth from crying to you:
Have mercy on me, a transgressor,
O merciful Lord!
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42 Martyrs of Ammoria in Phrygia
The Holy 42 Martyrs of Ammoria: Constantine, Aetius (Aetitus), Theophilus, Theodore, Melissenus, Callistus, Basoes and the others with them. During a war between the Byzantine Emperor Theophilus (829-842) and the Saracens, the Saracens managed to besiege the city of Ammoria (in Galicia in Asia Minor). As a result of treason on the part of the military commander Baditses, Ammoria fell, and forty-two of its generals were taken captive and sent off to Syria.
During the seven years of their imprisonment they tried in vain to persuade the captives to renounce Christianity and accept Islam. The captives stubbornly resisted all their seductive offers and bravely held out against terrible threats. After many torments that failed to break the spirit of the Christian soldiers, they condemned them to death, hoping to shake the determination of the saints before executing them. The martyrs remained steadfast, saying that the Old Testament Prophets bore witness to Christ, while Mohammed called himself a prophet without any other witnesses to support his claim.
They said to the soldier Theodore, "We know that you forsook the priestly office, became a soldier and shed blood in battle. You can have no hope in Christ, Whom you abandoned voluntarily, so accept Mohammed." But the martyr replied, "You do not speak truthfully when you say that I abandoned Christ. Moreover, I left the priesthood because of my own unworthiness. Therefore, I must shed my blood for the sake of Christ, so that He might forgive the sins that I have committed against Him."
The executioners took each one separately and led him off to be beheaded, then threw the bodies into the River Euphrates. In the service to them, these holy passion-bearers are glorified as: the "All-Blessed" Theodore, the "Unconquered" Callistus, the "Valliant" Constantine, the "Wondrous" Theophilus and "the Most Strong" Basoes.
42 Martyrs of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
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Martyr Constantine of Ammoria in Phrygia
Saint Constantine was one of the 42 Christians martyred for Christ at Ammoria in Asia Minor around 845. St Constantine is described as "valiant" in the service composed for them.
Martyr Constantine of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
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Martyr Aetitus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Saint Aetius (Aetitus), was one of the 42 Christians martyred for Christ at Ammoria in Asia Minor around 845.
Martyr Aetitus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
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Martyr Theophilus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Saint Theophilus was one of the 42 Christians martyred for Christ at Ammoria in Asia Minor around 845. St Theophilus is described as "wondrous" in the service composed for them.
Martyr Theophilus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Martyr Theodore of Ammoria in Phrygia
Saint Theodore was one of the 42 Christians martyred for Christ at Ammoria in Asia Minor around 845. In the service to these martyrs, he is described as the "all-blessed Theodore."
The Syrians said to the soldier Theodore, "We know that you forsook the priestly office, became a soldier and shed blood in battle. You can have no hope in Christ, Whom you abandoned voluntarily, so accept Mohammed." But the martyr replied, "You do not speak truthfully when you say that I abandoned Christ. Moreover, I left the priesthood because of my own unworthiness. Therefore, I must shed my blood for the sake of Christ, so that He might forgive the sins that I have committed against Him."
Martyr Theodore of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Martyr Melissenus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Saint Melissenus was one of the 42 Christians martyred for Christ at Ammoria in Asia Minor around 845.
Martyr Melissenus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Martyr Callistus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Saint Callistus was one of the 42 Christians martyred for Christ at Ammoria in Asia Minor around 845.
Martyr Callistus of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Martyr Basoes of Ammoria in Phrygia
Saint Basoes was one of the 42 Christians martyred for Christ at Ammoria in Asia Minor around 845. In the service to these martyrs, he is described as the "most strong" Basoes.
Martyr Basoes of Ammoria in Phrygia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Forty-two holy martyrs of Ammoria,
you contended for the sake of Christ on earth;
you were revealed as crown-bearing martyrs,
and have been received into the life of the joy of heaven.
Since you overthrew all the wiles of the enemy
by your sufferings and the blood of your wounds,
you continually send down from on high remission of sins to those who praise you.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Uncovering of the Precious Cross and the Precious Nails by the Empress St Helen in Jerusalem
The Holy Empress Helen uncovered the Precious Cross and Nails of the Lord at Jerusalem in 326.
At the beginning of the reign of St Constantine the Great (306-337), the first Roman emperor to recognize Christianity, he and his pious mother St Helen decided to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. They also planned to build a church on the site of the Lord's suffering and Resurrection, in order to reconsecrate and purify the places connected with the Savior's death and Resurrection from the foul taint of paganism.
The empress Helen journeyed to Jerusalem with a large quantity of gold. St Constantine wrote a letter to Patriarch Macarius I (313-323), requesting him to assist her in every possible way with her task of the restoring the Christian holy places.
After her arrival in Jerusalem, the holy empress Helen began to destroy all the pagan temples and reconsecrate the places which had been defiled by the pagans.
In her quest for the Life-Creating Cross, she questioned several Christians and Jews, but for a long time her search remained unsuccessful. Finally, an elderly Hebrew named Jude told her that the Cross was buried beneath the temple of Venus. St Helen ordered that the pagan temple be demolished, and for the site to be excavated. Soon they found Golgotha and the Lord's Sepulchre. Not far from the spot were three crosses, a board with the inscription written by Pilate (John 19:19), and four nails which had pierced the Lord's Body.
Now the task was to determine on which of the three crosses the Savior had been crucified. Patriarch Macarius saw a dead person being carried to his grave, then he ordered that the dead man be placed upon each cross in turn. When the corpse was placed on the Cross of Christ, he was immediately restored to life. After seeing the raising of the dead man, everyone was convinced that the Life-Creating Cross had been found. With great joy the empress Helen and Patriarch Macarius lifted the Life-Creating Cross and displayed it to all the people standing about.
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Monkmartyr Conon and his son of Iconium
The Holy Hieromartyr Conon lived in Iconium (Asia Minor). After he became a widower, he went to a monastery with his son. Because of his devout life the saint was granted help from above. He cast out devils, he healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and preached Christ among the pagans, converting many.
Reports of him reached the governor Dometian, a persecutor of Christians. St Conon was brought to trial and they ordered him to offer sacrifice to idols, but since he would not, he was handed over for torture. The seventeen-year-old son of the martyr, Deacon Conon, was also brought to trial.
After persuasion failed to make him renounce the True Faith, both father and son were subjected to cruel tortures. They were stripped and laid on a red-hot cot, they were drenched with hot oil, they were thrown into a cauldron with boiling tin, sulfur and tar, they were suspended upside down and scorched with a choking smoke. Preserved by God, the martyrs remained unharmed.
The irate torturers then resorted to a horrible way to destroy the preachers: sawing them in two with a wooden saw. Learning of this sentence, the saints asked time to pray and they cried out to the Lord, "We give thanks to You, O Lord, for permitting us to suffer for Your Name! We beseech You to grant peace to Your Church, put its persecutors to shame, strengthen and increase those who believe in You, grant us to come to You, and give peace unto our souls."
The Voice of God was heard from above, calling the holy sufferers. Having signed themselves with the Sign of the Cross, the holy martyrs gave up their souls to the Lord. At once, there was an earthquake, and all the pagan temples in the city collapsed.
Monks secretly buried the bodies of the martyrs at the monastery where the saints had labored in asceticism during life. This occurred during the reign of Aurelian in the years 270-275. The relics of the holy martyrs were later transferred to Italy, to the city of Acerno (Campania).
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Martyr Conon with his father of Iconium
The Holy Hieromartyr Conon lived in Iconium (Asia Minor). After he became a widower, he went to a monastery with his son. Because of his devout life the saint was granted help from above. He cast out devils, he healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and preached Christ among the pagans, converting many.
Reports of him reached the governor Dometian, a persecutor of Christians. St Conon was brought to trial and they ordered him to offer sacrifice to idols, but since he would not, he was handed over for torture. The seventeen-year-old son of the martyr, Deacon Conon, was also brought to trial.
After persuasion failed to make him renounce the True Faith, both father and son were subjected to cruel tortures. They were stripped and laid on a red-hot cot, they were drenched with hot oil, they were thrown into a cauldron with boiling tin, sulfur and tar, they were suspended upside down and scorched with a choking smoke. Preserved by God, the martyrs remained unharmed.
The irate torturers then resorted to a horrible way to destroy the preachers: sawing them in two with a wooden saw. Learning of this sentence, the saints asked time to pray and they cried out to the Lord, "We give thanks to You, O Lord, for permitting us to suffer for Your Name! We beseech You to grant peace to Your Church, put its persecutors to shame, strengthen and increase those who believe in You, grant us to come to You, and give peace unto our souls."
The Voice of God was heard from above, calling the holy sufferers. Having signed themselves with the Sign of the Cross, the holy martyrs gave up their souls to the Lord. At once, there was an earthquake, and all the pagan temples in the city collapsed.
Monks secretly buried the bodies of the martyrs at the monastery where the saints had labored in asceticism during life. This occurred during the reign of Aurelian in the years 270-275. The relics of the holy martyrs were later transferred to Italy, to the city of Acerno (Campania).
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Venerable Arcadius of Cyprus
Saint Arcadius from his youth devoted himself to monastic efforts. The saint struggled on the island of Cyprus during the time of the emperor Constantine the Great (206-337). He was the teacher of the holy Martyrs Julian the Physician and Eubolos, executed under Julian the Apostate (361-363). Bewailing the martyric death of his disciples and having consigned their bodies to the earth, St Arcadius soon departed to the Lord.
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Icon of the Mother of God "the Blessed Heaven"
The "Blessed Heaven" Icon of the Mother of God is on the iconostasis of the Moscow Archangel cathedral in the Kremlin. Previously, this icon was at Smolensk and brought to Moscow by Sophia, daughter of the Lithuanian prince Vitovt, when she became the wife of Prince Basil of Moscow (1389-1425).
On the icon, the Mother of God is depicted in full stature, with a scepter in Her right hand. On Her left arm is the Divine Infant, and both of them are crowned. Certain people call also this icon of the Mother of God "What Shall we call Thee?"
This icon is also commemorated on the Sunday of All Saints.
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Icon of the Mother of God "Czestochowa"
The wonderworking Czestochowa Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is to be found in a Roman Catholic monastery at Yasna Gora near the city of Czestochowa, Petrov Province. It is believed to be one of the seventy icons painted by the holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke (October 18). Tradition says that the icon was taken from Jerusalem when the Romans conquered the city in the year 66, and was hidden in a cave near Pella. The icon was given to St Helen (May 21) when she visited the Holy Land in 326, and she brought it back to Constantinople with her.
Starting in the eighth century the icon traveled to various places, including Galicia, Bavaria, and Moravia. Prince Leo, who founded the city of Lvov, brought the icon to Russia and placed it in the fortress of Belz. There many miracles took place before the holy icon.
Prince Vladislav of Opolsk acquired the icon when the Poles captured southwestern Russia. At the time that Vladislav ruled in Poland, the Tatars invaded Russia and soon appeared before the gates of the fortress of Belz. The prince ordered the icon to be placed atop the city walls as the Tatars began their siege of the fortress. Blood began dripping from the icon where it had been struck by an arrow or some other projectile. Those who witnessed it were fearfully amazed at the sight. The Tatars began to retreat when a dark haze covered them, and many of them died.
Following this miraculous deliverance, Prince Vladislav planned to take the icon to Siesia and to place it in his castle at Opolsk. As preparations for the transfer were being made, Vladislav was overcome with an inexplicable fear. He began to pray before the holy icon, and that night he was told in a vision to take the icon to Yasna Gora near Czestochowa. Vladislav built a monastery at Yasna Gora in 1382 and gave the icon to an order of Roman Catholic monks.
Many years later, followers of John Hus attacked Czestochowa and plundered the monastery. When they attempted to carry the Czestochowa Icon away in a cart, the horses refused to move from the spot, held back by some invisible power. One of the Hussites became angry and threw the icon onto the ground, while another stabbed the face of the Virgin with his sword. The first man was struck dead, and the hand of the second man shriveled up.
The other invaders also suffered punishment from God. Some of them died on the spot, while others became blind. Although many of the monastery's treasures were stolen by the Hussites, the wonderworking Czestochowa Icon was left behind.
King Carl X Gustav of Sweden occupied most of Poland in the seventeenth century, and his forces remained virtually undefeated until they fought a battle near Yasna Gora and the monastery where the icon was kept. With the help of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Poles were able to overcome the Swedes and end the war in 1656. At Lvov, King Jan Casimir officially decreed that Mother of God was the Queen of Poland, and that the nation was under her protection.
Many miracles have been worked by the Czestochowa Icon, and are recorded in a book which is kept at the Czestochowa monastery. Copies of the icon are found in many Orthodox and Roman Catholic monasteries. Some of these copies are venerated in the village of Pisarevkain in the Volhynia Province (June 29 and September 8), at Verhnaya Syrovatka in the Kharkov Province, at Tyvrov in the Vinits Province (Holy Spirit day), in the Kazan Cathedral at St Petersburg, and in several other places.
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Scriptural Readings:
Romans 13:11-14:4 (Epistle)
11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.
4 Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
Hebrews 12:1-10 (Epistle, Martyrs)
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."
7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?
8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.
Matthew 6:14-21 (Gospel)
14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16 Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 20:1-16 (Gospel, Martyrs)
1 For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?'
7 They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'
8 So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'
9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.
11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner,
12 saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'
13 But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
14 'Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.
15 'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?'
16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.
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