Saints and Feasts

December 06

Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium

Saint Amphilochius, who was born in Cappadocia, shone forth in asceticism and divine knowledge even from his youth. He was consecrated Bishop of Iconium in 341, he struggled courageously against the blasphemies of Eunomius, Macedonius the enemy of the Holy Spirit, and the followers of Arius. He was present at the Second Ecumenical Council of the 150 Fathers, which took place in Constantinople, convoked during the reign of Theodosius the Great in the year 381. In 383 Amphilochius wished to persuade the Emperor Theodosius to forbid the Arians from gathering in Constantinople and to commit the churches to the Orthodox, but the Emperor was reluctant to do such a thing. The next time that Amphilochius entered the palace, he addressed Theodosius with proper honour, but slighted his young son Arcadius in his presence. Theodosius was indignant, and said the dishonour shown to his son was equally an insult to himself. To this Saint Amphilochius answered that as he would not suffer an insult to his son, so he ought to believe that God is wroth with those who blaspheme His Only-begotten. Saint Theodosius understood and admired Amphilochius' ingenious device, and he issued the desired edict in September of the same year. Saint Amphilochius, having reached deep old age, reposed in peace about the year 395. Saint Basil the Great wrote many letters to Saint Amphilochius, his friend and Fellow champion of the Faith, and at his request wrote his treatise On the Holy Spirit, which besides demonstrating the divinity of the Holy Spirit and His equality with the Father and the Son, defends the Church's unwritten ancient traditions, such as making the sign of the Cross, turning towards the East in prayer, no kneeling on Sunday, and so forth.

December 07

Our Holy Father Clement, Pope of Rome

Saint Clement was instructed in the Faith of Christ by the Apostle Peter. He became Bishop of Rome in the year 91, the third after the death of the Apostles. He died as a martyr about the year 100 during the reign of Trajan.

December 08

Catherine the Great Martyr of Alexandria

Saint Catherine, who was from Alexandria, was the daughter of Constas (or Cestus). She was an exceedingly beautiful maiden, most chaste, and illustrious in wealth, lineage, and learning. By her steadfast understanding, she utterly vanquished the passionate and unbridled soul of Maximinus, the tyrant of Alexandria; and by her eloquence, she stopped the mouths of the so-called philosophers who had been gathered to dispute with her. She was crowned with the crown of martyrdom in the year 305. Her holy relics were taken by Angels to the holy mountain of Sinai, where they were discovered many years later; the famous monastery of Saint Catherine was originally dedicated to the Holy Transfiguration of the Lord and the Burning Bush, but later was dedicated to Saint Catherine. According to the ancient usage, Saints Catherine and Mercurius were celebrated on the 24th of this month, whereas the holy Hieromartyrs Clement of Rome and Peter of Alexandria were celebrated on the 25th. The dates of the feasts of these Saints were interchanged at the request of the Church and Monastery of Mount Sinai, so that the festival of Saint Catherine, their patron, might be celebrated more festively together with the Apodosis of the Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos. The Slavic Churches, however, commemorate these Saints on their original dates.

December 09

Alypius the Stylite of Adrianopolis

Saint Alypius was from Adrianople of Bithynia; having lived upon a pillar for fifty-three years, he reposed about the year 607, at the age of one hundred.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Sixth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:36-53

At that time, Jesus, having risen from the dead, stood in the midst of his disciples and said to them, "Peace to you." But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit. And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? See my hands and feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.

Then he said to them, "These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high."

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.

Sixth Orthros Gospel
لوقا 24: 36-53

في ذلك الزمان،36 قام يسوع من بين الأموات ووقف وَسْطِ تلاميذه وَقَالَ لَهُمْ:سَلاَمٌ لَكُمْ!37 فَجَزِعُوا وَخَافُوا، وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ نَظَرُوا رُوحًا.38 فَقَالَ لَهُمْ:مَا بَالُكُمْ مُضْطَرِبِينَ، وَلِمَاذَا تَخْطُرُ أَفْكَارٌ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ؟39 اُنْظُرُوا يَدَيَّ وَرِجْلَيَّ: إِنِّي أَنَا هُوَ! جُسُّونِي وَانْظُرُوا، فَإِنَّ الرُّوحَ لَيْسَ لَهُ لَحْمٌ وَعِظَامٌ كَمَا تَرَوْنَ لِي.40وَحِينَ قَالَ هذَا أَرَاهُمْ يَدَيْهِ وَرِجْلَيْهِ.41 وَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ غَيْرُ مُصَدِّقِين مِنَ الْفَرَحِ، وَمُتَعَجِّبُونَ، قَالَ لَهُمْ:«أَعِنْدَكُمْ ههُنَا طَعَامٌ؟42 فَنَاوَلُوهُ جُزْءًا مِنْ سَمَكٍ مَشْوِيٍّ، وَشَيْئًا مِنْ شَهْدِ عَسَل.43 فَأَخَذَ وَأَكَلَ قُدَّامَهُمْ.44 وَقَالَ لَهُمْ:هذَا هُوَ الْكَلاَمُ الَّذِي كَلَّمْتُكُمْ بِهِ وَأَنَا بَعْدُ مَعَكُمْ: أَنَّهُ لاَ بُدَّ أَنْ يَتِمَّ جَمِيعُ مَا هُوَ مَكْتُوبٌ عَنِّي فِي نَامُوسِ مُوسَى وَالأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمَزَامِيرِ.45 حِينَئِذٍ فَتَحَ ذِهْنَهُمْ لِيَفْهَمُوا الْكُتُبَ.46 وَقَالَ لَهُمْ:هكَذَا هُوَ مَكْتُوبٌ، وَهكَذَا كَانَ يَنْبَغِي أَنَّ الْمَسِيحَ يَتَأَلَّمُ وَيَقُومُ مِنَ الأَمْوَاتِ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ،47 وَأَنْ يُكْرَزَ بِاسْمِهِ بِالتَّوْبَةِ وَمَغْفِرَةِ الْخَطَايَا لِجَمِيعِ الأُمَمِ، مُبْتَدَأً مِنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ.48 وَأَنْتُمْ شُهُودٌ لِذلِكَ.49 وَهَا أَنَا أُرْسِلُ إِلَيْكُمْ مَوْعِدَ أَبِي. فَأَقِيمُوا فِي مَدِينَةِ أُورُشَلِيمَ إِلَى أَنْ تُلْبَسُوا قُوَّةً مِنَ الأَعَالِي.50 وَأَخْرَجَهُمْ خَارِجًا إِلَى بَيْتِ عَنْيَا، وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ وَبَارَكَهُمْ.51 وَفِيمَا هُوَ يُبَارِكُهُمُ، انْفَرَدَ عَنْهُمْ وَأُصْعِدَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ.52 فَسَجَدُوا لَهُ وَرَجَعُوا إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ بِفَرَحٍ عَظِيمٍ،53 وَكَانُوا كُلَّ حِينٍ فِي الْهَيْكَلِ يُسَبِّحُونَ وَيُبَارِكُونَ اللهَ. آمِينَ.

Gospel Reading

The Reading is from Luke 13:10-17

At that time, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity." And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the sabbath day." Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

لوقا 13: 10-17

¹⁰ في ذلك الزمان كَانَ يسوع يُعَلِّمُ فِي أَحَدِ الْمَجَامِعِ فِي السَّبْتِ، ¹¹وَإِذَا امْرَأَةٌ كَانَ بِهَا رُوحُ ضُعْفٍ ثَمَانِيَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً ، وَكَانَتْ مُنْحَنِيَةً وَلَمْ تَقْدِرْ أَنْ تَنْتَصِبَ الْبَتَّةَ. ¹²فَلَمَّا رَآهَا يَسُوعُ دَعَاهَا وَقَالَ لَهَا: ((يَا امْرَأَةُ ، إِنَّكِ مَحْلُولَةٌ مِنْ ضُعْفِكِ ! )). ¹³وَوَضَعَ عَلَيْهَا يَدَيْهِ ، فَفِي الْحَالِ اسْتَقَامَتْ وَمَجَّدَتِ اللهَ. ¹⁴فَأَجَأبَ رَئِيسُ الْمَجْمَعِ ، وَهُوَ مُغْتَاظٌ لأَنَّ يَسُوعَ أَبْرَأَ فِي السَّبْتِ ، وقَالَ لِلْجَمْعِ: ((هِيَ سِتَّةُ أَيَّامٍ يَنْبَغِي فِيهَا الْعَمَلُ ، فَفِي هَذِهِ ائْتُوا وَاسْتَشْفُوا ، وَلَيْسَ فِي يَوْمِ السَّبْتِ ! )) ¹⁵فَأَجَابَهُ الرَّبُّ وَقَالَ : ((يَا مُرَائِي أَلاَ يَحُلُّ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْكُمْ فِي السَّبْتِ ثَوْرَهُ أَوْ حِمَارَهُ مِنَ الْمِذْوَدِ وَيَمْضِي بِهِ وَيَسْقِيهِ؟ ¹⁶وَهَذِهِ ، وَهِيَ ابْنَةُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ، قَدْ رَبَطَهَا الشَّيْطَانُ ثَمَانِيَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً ، أَمَا كَانَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ تُحَلَّ مِنْ هَذَا الرِّبَاطِ فِي يَوْمِ السَّبْتِ؟)) ¹⁷وَإِذْ قَالَ هَذَا أُخْجِلَ جَمِيعُ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا يُعَانِدُونَهُ ، وَفَرِحَ كُلُّ الْجَمْعِ بِجَمِيعِ الأَعْمَالِ الْمَجِيدَةِ الْكَائِنَةِ مِنْهُ.

Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Alypius the Stylite in the First Tone

Thou becamest a pillar of patience and didst emulate the Forefathers, O righteous one: Job in his sufferings, Joseph in temptations, and the life of the bodiless while in the body, O Alypius , our righteous Father, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Kontakion of Alypius the Stylite in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

Today the Church doth glorify and hymn thee, O Alypius, as a foundation of virtues and comeliness of the ascetics and the monks. By thy prayers, as the namesake of true freedom from sorrow, free from their grievous sins all them that praise and honour thy struggles and deeds of excellence.

Wisdom of the Fathers

So great an evil is envy. For not against strangers only, but even against our own, is it ever warring.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 40 on Matthew 12, 4th Century

And yet here He speaks only; whereas elsewhere in many cases He heals by laying on of hands also. But nevertheless none of these things made them meek; rather, while the man was healed, they by his health became worse. For His desire indeed was to cure them before him, and He tried innumerable ways of healing, both by what He did in their presence, and by what He said: but since their malady after all was incurable, He proceeded to the work.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 40 on Matthew 12, 4th Century