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Holy and Great Saturday
The commemoration of our holy father among the saints, Januarius, Bishop of Benevento, and those with him, and Hieromartyr Theodore of Perge in Pamphylia and those with him, and our venerable Father Anastasios of Sinai (commemorated on Sl. calendar on the 20th of April).
Fast Day. Wine permitted, but not olive oil. Holy Week
In the Orthros
The Reading is from the First Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians [§ 133]. Brethren:
Note two Readings, one from 1 Cor. 5:6-8 and Gal. 3:13, 14.
Begin with First Corinthians [§ 133]:
5 6A little leaven leaveneth the whole dough. 7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new dough, even as ye are unleavened. For also Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us; 8therefore let us be keeping festival, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened loaves of sincerity and of truth.
Conclude with Galatians [§ 206]:
3 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it hath been written: “Cursed is everyone who hangeth on a tree [Deut. 21:23]”), 14that the blessing of Abraham might come to pass to the nations in Christ Jesus, in order that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
In the Divine Liturgy
The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans [§ 91]. Brethren:
6 3As many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death. 4Therefore we were buried with Him by the baptism into the death, that even as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, thus also we should walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, certainly also we shall be of the resurrection, 6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be rendered inactive, in order to no longer serve sin. 7For the one who died hath been justified from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ Who was raised from the dead dieth no more; death no longer hath dominion over Him. 10For the death which He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life which He liveth, He liveth to God. 11Thus reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 114].
27 62On the morrow, which is after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together to Pilate, 63saying, “Sir, we were reminded that that deceiver said while He was yet alive, ‘I am being raised after three days.’ 64“Command therefore that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest perchance His disciples come by night and steal Him, and say to the people, ‘He was raised from the dead’; and the last deceit shall be worse than the first.” 65And Pilate said to them, “Ye have a guard; go your way and make it as secure for yourselves as ye know how.” 66And they went and made the tomb secure, having sealed the stone with the guard being present.
In the Liturgy
The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [§ 115].
28 1Late on the sabbath, at the dawning toward the first day of the week, there came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the tomb. 2And behold, a great earthquake occurred; for an angel of the Lord descended out of heaven, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3And his appearance was as lightning, and his garment white as snow. 4And those keeping guard, because of their fear of him, were shaken and became as dead men. 5And the angel answered and said to the women, “Cease being afraid, for I know that ye seek Jesus Who hath been crucified. 6“He is not here; for He was raised, even as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying. 7“And go quickly and say to His disciples that He was raised from the dead. And behold, He goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him. Behold, I have told you.” 8And they went out quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy, and ran to bring tidings to His disciples. 9But as they were going to bring tidings to His disciples, then behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice ye.” And they approached and laid hold of His feet, and made obeisance to Him. 10Then Jesus saith to them, “Cease being frightened. Go and bring tidings to My brethren that they should go into Galilee, and there shall they see Me.” 11Now when they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that came to pass. 12And after they were gathered together with the elders and took counsel, they gave a considerable amount of money to the soldiers, 13saying, “Say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him while we were sleeping.’ 14“And if this should be heard before the governor, we will persuade him and make you free from care.” 15And they took the money and did as they were taught. And this report was spread abroad by the Jews until today.
16Now the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus appointed them. 17And having seen Him, they made obeisance to Him; but some doubted. 18And Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying, “All authority is given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 20“teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you; and behold, I am with you all the days until the completion of the age.” Amen.
No readings given.
May 4th — Civil Calendar April 21st — Church Calendar
1. The Hieromartyr Januarius, and those with him.
This saint was Bishop of Benevento in Italy. In the time of a persecution under Maximian, he was brought before the judge and tormented with various tortures, which he endured patiently. When they threw him into the flames, they were cooled by an invisible dew and the martyr stood uninjured in it and sang the praises of God. Then they flayed his body with iron flails until the bones showed white, but the martyr patiently endured all. His deacon, Faustus, and his reader, Desiderius, were watching the torture and wept for their spiritual father. Then they too were bound and taken with their bishop to the town of Pozzuoli, and cast into prison. There were in the same prison for the sake of Christ the Puetolian deacons Proclus and Sossus and two simple, Christian men, Eutychius and Acutius. All seven were thrown next day to the wild beasts, but the beasts would not touch them. They were all then beheaded, and the Christians of the city of Naples secretly took the body of St Januarius to their city and buried it in the church where they work miracles to those who approach with faith. One among many remembered is this: a poor widow, whose only son had died, took the icon of St Januarius out of the church and laid it on her dead son, weeping and imploring the saint’s aid, and her son was restored to life. St Januarius suffered with honour in 305.
2. The Holy Martyr Theodore, and others with him.
He suffered for the Christian faith in Perga of Pamphylia in the time of the Emperor Antoninus. Theodore was young and fair of face. When the governor of that district chose him, along with several other young men, for service at the imperial court, Theodore refused and declared himself to be a Christian. Because of this, he was tortured in various ways and then thrown into the flames, but water gushed from the earth and put out the fire. The governor ascribed this to some magic of Theodore’s, but the martyr said to him: ‘This is not the work of any power of mine, but of Christ my God; and if you want to test the power of your gods, light another fire and throw in one of your soldiers—then I hope you will understand the strength and almighty power of my God.’ The governor really wanted to throw in one of the soldiers, but they, in terror, begged him to throw in the pagan priest, Dioscorus, in their place. The priest begged him to throw in only the idol of Zeus and the other idols, for, he said, if they were gods they would easily save themselves. Dioscorus spoke thus because he had already in his heart turned to Christ, having seen the marvel wrought concerning Theodore. Discovering this, the governor condemned Dioscorus to death by burning. He also delivered Theodore and two soldiers, Socrates and Dionysius, and Theodores’ mother Philippa, to death. Theodore was crucified, and breathed his last on the cross only on the third day. Socrates and Dionysius were run through with spears and Philippa was beheaded. They were all crowned with wreaths of glory in the Kingdom of Christ.
FOR CONSIDERATION
‘Guard your hearts!’—said experienced ascetics of old. And Saint John of Kronstadt, in our day, says the same: ‘The heart is fine, spiritually light and heavenly in nature. Guard it; do not burden it; do not bring it low; be extremely abstinent in eating and drinking and especially in bodily comforts. The heart is the temple of God, and he who defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy (I Cor. 3:17).’ Spiritual experience in olden times and spiritual experience in our day are identical—on the condition that the confession of faith is identical. The heavenly knowledge to which the ancient ascetics came, in no way differs from the heavenly knowledge to which modern ascetics come. For, as Christ is the same today as yesterday, so also is human nature. And, what is most important, the heart of man is the same, and nothing can satisfy it but the glory and power and richness of God.
Daily Scripture Readings taken from The Orthodox New Testament, translated and published by Holy Apostles Convent, Buena Vista, Colorado, copyright © 2000, used with permission, all rights reserved.
Daily Prologue Readings taken from The Prologue of Ochrid, by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic, translated by Mother Maria, published by Lazarica Press, Birmingham, England, copyright © 1985, all rights reserved.
