Daily Reading:

Monday October 12th/25th

22nd Week after Pentecost

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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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Colossians 2:13-20

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances...

Luke 9:18-22

And it came to pass, as He was alone praying, His disciples were with Him: and He asked them, saying, "Whom say the people that I am?" They answering said, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again." He said unto them, "But whom say ye that I am?" Peter answering said, "The Christ of God." And He straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; Saying, "The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. "

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HOLY MARTYRS PROBUS, TARACHUS AND ANDRONICUS OF TARSUS IN CILICIA
ST FIACE, HIERARCH
HOLY MARTYR EDWIN

Troparion of the Martyrs Tone 5
The hosts of heaven were amazed at the triumph of these holy martyrs./ For having fought the good fight in their mortal bodies,/ by the power of the Cross they conquered bodiless enemies./ They now intercede with the Lord/ that He may save our souls.

Troparion of St Fiace Tone 1
Thou didst devote thy life and ministry/ to missionary endeavor, O Hierarch Fiace,/ and art remembered as the hymnographer who honoured the great Patrick./ Together with him thou didst drive out of Ireland the ignorance and error of paganism./ Pray that Christ our God will raise up noble souls in our day/ who will restore the Orthodox Faith to the Island of Saints/ and advance the Kingdom of God/ for the salvation of souls.

Troparion of St Edwin Tone 4
Having accepted the true Faith, O righteous Edwin,/ thou wast found worthy to exchange thy worldly crown/ for the crown of martyrdom/ at the hands of the godless Mercians./ Inspired by thy example,/ we beseech thee to pray that we may have the courage to fight evil in any form/ that we too may receive the reward of eternal blessedness.

Kontakion of the Martyrs Tone 2
The soldiers of Christ, the holy martyrs/ Probus, Tarachus and Andronicus,/ have shown us the glory of the Trinity./ They refuted the error of their persecutors/ by fighting bravely for the Faith.

11 - 17
SUNDAY OF THE HOLY FATHERS OF THE 7th ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

Troparion Tone 8
Glorious art Thou, O Christ our God/ Who hast established our holy fathers as stars on earth./ Through them Thou dost guide us to the True Faith./ O Most Merciful One, glory to Thee.

Kontakion Tone 8
The preaching of the Apostles and the doctrine of the Fathers confirmed the one faith in the Church./ In the garment of truth woven from theology on high she rightly divides and glorifies true piety.

Another Kontakion Tone 2
The Son Who shone from the Father/ was ineffably born in two natures of a woman./ We do not deny the image of His form/ but depict it piously and revere it./ For this cause the Church, holding the true Faith,/ kisses the icon of Christ's Incarnation.

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The Holy Martyrs Tarachus, Probus and Andronicus

Tarachus was bom in Syrian Claudiopolis, Probus in Pamphylian Side and Andronicus was the son of an eminent citizen of Ephesus. They were all three martyred together by the proconsul, Hymerius Maximus, in the time of the Emperor Diocletian (284-305). Tarachus was sixty-five years old when he was martyred. When the proconsul asked him three times for his name, he answered all three times: 'I am a Christian.'They were first beaten with rods, then, all bloody and wounded, thrown into prison. After that, they were brought out again for further torture. When the proconsul urged Probus to deny Christ, promising him honours from the Emperor
and his own friendship, holy Probus replied: 'I neither desire imperial honours nor seek your friendship.' When he put St Andronicus to even greater physical torture, Christ's young martyr replied:'My body is before you; do with it what you will.' After long-drawn-out torture in various places, these three holy martyrs were thrown into the theatre before the wild beasts. Before them, others were torn to pieces by the animals in this same theatre, but the beasts would not touch the saints; both the bear and the ferocious lioness fawned around them. Seeing this, many people believed in Christ the Lord and cried out against the proconsul. Wild with anger, and more ferocious than the beasts, the proconsul ordered soldiers to go in and cut Christ's soldiers to pieces, and their bodies lay mingled with the bodies of the others who had been slain. Three Christians: Macarius, Felix and Verianus, who witnessed the slaughter of the holy martyrs, came that night to take their bodies. All the bodies being mixed up and the night being very dark, they, in uncertainty about how to distinguish the martyrs' bodies, prayed to God, and three lights suddenly appeared above the bodies of the saints. They then took them
and gave them burial.


The Prologue From Ochrid -
of St. Nikolai (Velimirovic) Bishop of Zhicha