6 minute read
Hieromartyr Eleutherios of Illyria 2020-12-15
St. Thomas Orthodox Church: A Parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
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Hymns in Today’s Liturgy
Apolytikion of St. Eleutherios of Illyria (Tone 5)
Being comely adorned in thy sacred priestly robes and newly drenched with the streams of thy pure and sanctified blood, thou didst soar aloft to stand before thy Master, Christ; hence never cease to intercede for those honoring with faith thy mighty and blessed contest, thou overthrower of Satan, O wise and blessed Eleutherios.
Apolytikion of St. Thomas (Tone 3)
O Holy Apostle Thomas, intercede to the merciful God, that He grant unto our souls forgiveness of sins.
Kontakion of the Preparation of Christ’s Nativity (Tone 3)
On this day the Virgin cometh to the cave to give birth to God the Word ineffably, Who was before all the ages. Dance for joy, O earth, on hearing the gladsome tidings; with the Angels and the shepherds now glorify Him Who is willing to be gazed on as a young Child Who before the ages is God.
Epistle
Timothy 1:8–18
Timothy, my son, do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel in the power of God, Who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, and now has manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, Who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, and therefore I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know Whom I have believed, and I am sure that He is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit Who dwells within us. You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, and among them Phygelos and Hermogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphoros, for he often refreshed me; he was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me eagerly and found me. May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.
Gospel
Mark 2:23–3:5
At that time, Jesus was going through the grain fields; and as they made their way His disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” And He said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” And Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath; so the Son of man is lord even of the Sabbath.” Again He entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come here.” And He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch it out,” and his hand was restored.
Synaxarion
On 15 December, in the Holy Orthodox Church, we commemorate the contest of the holy Hieromartyr Eleutherios, Bishop of Illyria.
On this day we commemorate Saint Anthia, the mother of Saint Eleutherios, who was beheaded while embracing her dead son.
Eleutherios was born in Rome, where his father was in imperial service. His mother, Anthia, heard the Gospel from the great Apostle Paul himself, and was baptized by him. Being early left a widow, she entrusted her only son to the education and service of the Bishop of Rome, Anacietus. Seeing how greatly Eleutherios was gifted and illumined by the grace of God, the bishop ordained him deacon at the age of 15, priest at 18 and bishop of Illyria at 20. Endowed by God with wisdom, he made up for what he lacked in years. This Godly man kept his flock like a good shepherd, adding to their number from day to day. The Emperor Hadrian, a persecutor of Christians, sent a commander, Felix, with soldiers, to seize Eleutherios and take him to Rome. When the furious Felix arrived and went into the church, and heard and saw God’s holy hierarch, his heart was suddenly changed and he became a Christian. Eleutherios baptized him and set off with him for Rome, as merrily as though he were going to a feast, not to trial and torture. The Emperor put Eleutherios to harsh torture, flogging him, burning him on an iron grid, boiling him in pitch and burning him in a fiery furnace. But, by God’s power, Eleutherios was delivered from all these deadly torments. Seeing all this, Choribus the governor proclaimed that he himself was a Christian. Choribus was tortured and then beheaded, and so also blessed Felix. Finally, the imperial executioners cut off the honored head of Eleutherios. When his mother, holy Anthia, came and stood over the dead body of her son, she was also beheaded. Their bodies were taken to Valona in Albania, where Eleutherios glorifies the name of Christ to this day by many wonders. He suffered in the time of Hadrian, in the year 120.
On this day, we also commemorate the Venerable Paul of Latra; Stephen, bishop-confessor of Surozh; and Venerable Tryphon of Pechenga. By the intercessions of Thy Saints, O Christ God, have mercy upon us. Amen.
Upcoming Events
Wednesday: Great Vespers, 18:00, St. Thomas
Thursday: Orthros & Divine Liturgy for the Prophet Daniel & St. Dionysios of Zakyntha, 08:30 , Holy Trinity
Thursday: Paraklesis, 18:30, Holy Trinity
Saturday: Orthros & Divine Liturgy for St. Ignatius of Antioch, 08:30, St. Thomas
Saturday: Great Vespers, 18:00, St. Thomas
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