Daily Reading:

Friday

LITURGY

1 John 2:7-17

     Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Mark 14:3-9

     And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

+ + + 

ST MAXIM OF TOTMA, FOOL FOR CHRIST
ST FURSEY OF BURGH CASTLE, ENLIGHTENER OF EAST ANGLIA

Troparion of St Maxim of Totma    Tone 4

Thou didst please God by thy blameless priesthood/ and choose to be a Fool for Christ in the midst of worldly tumult;/ thou didst take up the Cross and follow Christ,/ drawing near to Him in unswerving thought and love./ Disdaining all things earthly thou didst receive the things of heaven./ Pray to Christ our God to keep thy flock unharmed/ and to save our souls, O holy Father Maxim.

Troparion of St Fursey of Burgh Castle    Tone 5

Establishing thy monastery in a Roman fortress/ thou didst teach men that the Orthodox Faith is a true bastion/ against the onslaughts of every evil force, O Father Fursey./ Wherefore pray to God for us/ that we may all be bastions of the Faith/ standing firm against the rising tide of falsehood,/ that our souls may be saved.

Kontakion of St Maxim of Totma    Tone 4

Thou didst hear the divine voice of the Gospel/ and joyfully follow it into the haven of dispassion./ Thou didst cleanse thy soul and body by prayer, fasting and streams of tears,/ extremes of weather, humbled thoughts and being reviled of men;/ thou didst pray for those who assailed thee/ and say: O Lord, lay not this sin to their charge./ Even after thy death God glorifies thee with miracles/ and teaches all to cry to thee:/ Rejoice, holy Maxim, our Father.

Kontakion of St Fursey    Tone 4

Thou didst need the walls of stone/ to defend the Faith against its pagan enemies, O Father Fursey,/ but pray for us that we may have a spiritual wall around us/ to defend the Faith against its enemies./ Following thee and praising thy eternal memory,/ we stand firm against every error, ever singing:/ Rejoice, beloved of God, our Father Fursey.