Daily Reading:

September 22nd/October 5th

19th Week After Pentecost

ST PHOCAS OF SINOPE, HIEROMARTYR

THE HOLY PROPHET JONAH

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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:

Illumine my heart, O Master who lovest mankind, with the pure light of Thy divine knowledge. Open Thou the eyes of my mind to the understanding of Thy Gospel teachings. Implant also in me a love for Thy blessed commandments. Grant me the grace to overcome all my carnal desires, so that I may enter more completely into a spiritual manner of living, both thinking and doing such things as are well pleasing to Thee. For Thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and unto Thee do we ascribe glory, together with Thine all-holy, good and life-creating Spirit; now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ, open Thou the eyes of my heart, that I may hear Thy word and understand and do Thy will, for I am a sojourner upon the earth. Hide not Thy commandments from me, but open mine eyes, that I may perceive the wonders of Thy law. Speak unto me the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom. On Thee do I set my hope, O my God, that Thou shalt enlighten my mind and understanding with the light of Thy knowledge, not only to cherish those things which are written, but to do them; that in reading the lives and sayings of the Saints I may not sin, but that such may serve for my restoration, enlightenment and sanctification, for the salvation of my soul, and the inheritance of life everlasting. For Thou art the enlightenment of those who lie in darkness, and from Thee cometh every good deed and every gift. Amen.

By the intercessions of Thine All-immaculate Mother and of all Thy Saints, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen

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Tuesday

LITURGY

Philippians 1:8-14

For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Luke 5:12-16

And it came to pass, when He was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought Him, saying, "Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean." And He put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, "I will: be thou clean." And immediately the leprosy departed from him. And He charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. And He withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

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ST PHOCAS OF SINOPE, HIEROMARTYR

THE HOLY PROPHET JONAH

Troparion Tone 4
Radiant vessel of the Spirit from thy youth,/ thou wast enriched with the gift of miracles;/ thou didst serve thy Savior in the priestly office/ and drink of His cup in thy contest./ Holy Hieromartyr Phocas, entreat Him to Save our souls.

Troparion Tone 2
Verily, we celebrate the memory of thy Prophet Jonah. Through him we implore thee, O Lord, save our souls.

Kontakion Tone 2
The Master has set thee as a brilliant sun/ shining on all the faithful./ He has accepted thy life, faith and contest as myrrh,/ O glorious Martyr Phocas,/ for He is rich in mercy.

22-28
SATURDAY AFTER THE LEAVETAKING OF THE FEAST OF THE ELEVATION OF THE PRECIOUS CROSS: SYNAXIS OF THE RIGHTEOUS FATHERS OF THE NEAR KIEVAN CAVES

Troparion Tone 4

We bring to Thee in prayer, O Christ, great Anthony and the assembly of the God-bearing Fathers;/ they are a fiery Pillar and a brilliant sun shining from the Kievan Caves./ By their prayers grant grace to our monastery and great mercy to our souls.

Kontakion Tone 2

Let us honour with praises the ascetic choir/ as we behold them with our minds and in spirit./ As we venerate their relics, let us bring gifts of love,/ for they pray to God for our souls.

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The Hieromartyr Phocas, Bishop of Sinope.

He exercised himself from his youth in all the Christian virtues. As bishop in his birthplace, the town of Sinope on the shore of the Black Sea, he strengthened the devout in their faith by his divine example and words, and brought many idol-worshippers to the true Faith. The stony-hearted pagans were filled with wrath against holy Phocas, and the Lord foreshowed to him in a vision his death by martyrdom. Phocas saw a shining dove fly down from heaven, carrying
in its beak a beautiful wreath of flowers which it laid on his head, and a voice came from the dove: 'My cup is full, and it is for thee to drink it!' From this vision, the man of God learned that he must very soon suffer for Christ. He was not afraid, but, with thanksgiving to God, prepared himself for torture. Soon after this, the Governor, Africanus, took Phocas for interrogation and inflicted harsh tortures upon him: his whole body was beaten black and blue and torn with wounds, and, after imprisonment, he was thrown into boiling water, in which this courageous soldier of Christ finished his earthly course and entered into the joy of his Lord. He suffered
in the time of the Emperor Trajan (98-117).

Saint Nikolai Velimirovic, Bishop of Zhicha
The Prologue of Ochrid