Daily Reading:

Monday

LITURGY

1 Thessalonians 2:20-3:8

     For ye are our glory and joy. Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know. For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain. But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you: Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

Luke 11:29-33

     And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.

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HOLY MARTYRS AKEPSIMUS, BISHOP; JOSEPH, PRIEST; AND AETHALAS, DEACON, OF PERSIA
ST WINEFRED

Troparion of the Martyrs    Tone 3

O servants of godliness/ you were pillars of the Church/ and humbled the proud fire-worshipers./ O much-afflicted Hierarch Akepsimus, Joseph and Aethalas,/ pray to Christ our God to grant us His great mercy.

Troparion of St Winefred    Tone 8

Caradog's anger struck off thy head, O pious Winefred/ but by the prayers of the Wonderworker Beuno thy mutilated form was miraculously made whole and restored to life./ As thou didst dedicate thy life to God's service in thanksgiving for His abundant mercy,/ pray that we, never forgetting His mercy towards us,/ may live only for Him that our souls may be saved.

Kontakion of the Martyrs    Tone 2

Thou didst serve the Divine Mysteries blamelessly/ and was thyself an acceptable sacrifice,/ for thou didst drink Christ's chalice./ O Akepsimus, together with thy fellow martyrs,/ pray unceasingly for us all.