• συνοδικός • January 10 / December 28 •

συνοδικός

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January 10 / December 28
2018/2017（7526）
Afterfeast of the Nativity of Christ
Sviatki. Fast-free

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• The 20 000 Holy Martyrs of Nicomedia: burned to death in their church in the flames while singing praises to God (302) the church burned for five days; and smoke with an intoxicating and wonderful fragrance rose from it; and others at Nicomedia on an imperial order, they were put to death without distinction; some were slaughtered by the sword, others were burned, and it is told that carried away by a divine and indescribable zeal, some men and women leaped onto the funeral-pyress; the executioners bound a crowd of others on ships and threw them to the bottom of the seaburned, including Hieromartyr presbiter GLYCERIUS 格利凯里 by fire; beheaded ZENO 兹诺 the chief of army; tortured Hieromartyr deacon THEOPHILUS 德奥斐洛 by stoning, Martyr DOROTHEUS 多若德奥 by beheading, Martyr MARDONIUS 玛尔多尼 by fire, Hieromartyr deacon MIGDONIUS 弥格多尼 in a cesspool, was to be buried alive in a pit; INDES (also Indus) 因迪 the Eunuch, GORGONIUS 格尔格尼 and PETER 彼得 by drowning in a sea; EUTHYMIUS 艾弗提弥, SECUNDOS, NIKOSTRATES; Hosiosmartyres Abbess AGATHA 阿伽彼; Holy seized and beheaded Virgin Martyress falsely-foolish DOMNA 多穆纳 the former pagan priestess, desired to be released from prison, so she feigned madness before the pagans, rolling back her eyes and letting saliva fall from her mouth, pounding her fists, shouting in a disorderly manner, and laughing uncontrollably; Nun THEOPHILA 德奥斐利亚; AGAPE; ANTONIA
Οἱ Ἅγιοι Δισμύριοι (20 000) Μάρτυρες οἱ ἐν Νικομηδείᾳ καέντες
Μνήμη τῶν Ἁγίων Συγκλητικῶν
Ἡ Ἁγία Δόμνα ἡ Μάρτυς
• Martyrs CASTOR, VICTOR and ROGATIAN in North Africa
• ROMULUS and CONINDRUS (450) Two of the First people to preach Orthodoxy on the Isle of Man, they were contemporaries of St Patrick
• MARK the Grave Digger and brothers THEOPHILUS the Weeper and JOHN of Kiev Caves // Dec 29 // Sep 28 // 2nd Sunday of Great Lent //
Saints Mark the Grave Digger, Theophilus and John are mentioned in the Kiev Caves Paterikon. Two brothers being monastics, Sts Theophilus and John, so loved each other that they prevailed upon St Mark to prepare a double grave so they could be buried side by side. Many years later, the older of the two brothers was away on monastery business. During this time his brother John fell ill and died. Several days later, St Theophilus returned and went with the brethren to view his brother's body. Seeing that he lay at the higher place in their common grave, he became indignant with St Mark and said, "Why did you put him in my place? I am older than he." The cave-dweller Mark, bowed humbly to St Theophilus and asked that he forgive him. Turning to the dead man, he said, "Arise, give this place to your older brother, and you lie down in the other place." And the dead man moved to the lower place in the grave. Seeing this, St Theophilus fell down at the knees of St Mark begging his forgiveness. The cave-dweller Mark told Theophilus that he ought to be concerned for his own salvation, because soon he would join his brother in that place. Hearing this, St Theophilus became terrified and decided that he would soon die. He gave away everything that he possessed, keeping only his mantle, and every day he awaited the hour of death. No one was able to stop his tears, nor to tempt him with tasty food. Tears were his bread by day and by night (Ps 41/42:3). God granted him several years more for repentance, which he spent in fasting and lamentation. He even went blind from continuous weeping. St Mark forsaw the hour of his death and told Theophilus he would soon depart this life. Theophilus pleaded, "Father, either take me with you, or restore my sight." St Mark said to Theophilus, "Do not desire death, it shall come in its own time, even if you do not wish it. Let this be the sign of your impending end: three days before you depart this world, your eyesight will return." The words of the saint were fulfilled. The body of St Theophilus was placed in the Antoniev Cave in the grave together with his brother St John, near the relics of St Mark.
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NEW MARTYRS AND CONFESSORS in the 20th century
• Venerable CORNELIUS 科尔奈利 monk of Krypets Monastery in Pskov (1903)
• Birth Day of New Hieromartyr AMBROSE Gudko, bishop of Sarapula and Jelabuga, vicarious of V’atka (1867-1918)
• New Hieromartyr NIKODIM 尼科迪默 (Alexander Kononov) bishop of Belgorod (1871-1919) day of martyrdom, tortured and shoted
• New Hieromartyr deacon ARKADIJ Reshetnikov (1919) day of martyrdom, shoted near Perm after guilty tortures
• New Hieromartyr ALEXANDER Dagajev, presbiter, archpriest (1919/1920)
• New Hieromartyr THEOKTIST Khoperskij, presbiter, archpriest (1874-1938) day of martyrdom, shoted
• New Hieromartyr LEONID Viktorov, presbiter, archpriest (1891-1938) day of death in Siblag KZ, Mariinsk of Kemerovo
• New Hieromartyr NICHOLAS Rodimov, presbiter, archpriest (1856-1938) day of martyrdom, shoted after prison of Archangelsk
• New Hieromartyr AREFIJ Nasonov, presbiter, priest (1888-1938) day of martyrdom, shoted near R’azan’ among 20 000 clergy
• New Hieromartyr ALEXANDER Tsytseronov, presbiter, priest (1893-1938) day of martyrdom, shoted in R’azan’
• Hieromonk PAKHOMIJ (1985)
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• Hieromartyr ALPHEGE Archbishop of Canterbury (954-1012) England
• Venerable ANTONY of Lérins (520/526) born in Lower Pannonia, he served God as a hermit in several places north of the Alps until he found rest for the last two years of his life as a monk at Lérins in France
• Venerable BABYLAS 瓦维拉 of Tarsus in Cilicia (7th c.)
Ὁ Ὅσιος Βάβυλας
• Righteous Priest DOMNIO (4th c.) in Rome
• GOWAN (also Goven, Govan or Cofen) of Llangoven, Matr. (5th c.) Wales; wife of King Tewdrig of Glamorgan, gave her name to the parish of Llangoven, Monmouthshire, and to a chapel in Pembrokeshire
• Venerable monk IGNATIUS 伊格纳提 of Loma (1591) Vologda and Jaroslavl’
• Repose of JOSEPH the Hesychast (1828) Romania
• MAUGHOLD (Maccaldus) (488) a former brigand in Ireland, he was converted by St Patrick and sent to the Isle of Man, where his episcopate was very fruitful
• Hieromartyr Apostle NICANOR 尼堪诺尔 the Deacon (34) of Seventy Disciples, of Seven Deacons; suffered on that day when the holy First-Martyr Stephen and many other Christians were killed by stoning
• Monk NIPHON the New Cenobiarch, of Chios (1736-1809)
• PETRONILA daughter of Apostle Petr // DEC 28 // MAY 31 //
• Martyr PLOUTODOROS
Ὁ Ἅγιος Πλουτόδωρος
• Martyr SECUNDUS an Enlightener of Spain, sent by the Apostles to Spain to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1st c.) by sword
Ὁ Ἅγιος Σεκοῦνδος ὁ Μάρτυρας
• Venerable SIMON 西蒙 the Myroblytis (the Myrrh-gusher, Outpourer of Myrrh, i.o. his holy relics exude myrrh) 施香液者, founder of the Simonospetra Monastery on the Holy Mountain (1287) Mt Athos
Ὁ Ὅσιος Σίμων ὁ Μυροβλήτης κτήτορας τῆς Ι. Μονῆς Σιμωνόπετρας
Saint Simon the Myroblytis lived an ascetical life on Mt Athos, and was glorified by many miracles. He was the founder of the New Bethlehem monastery, now known as Simonopetra. One night, he saw a star of such brightness that he thought it must be the Star of Bethlehem. Seeing the star remain motionless for several nights, he thought at first that it was a demonic temptation. On the eve of the Lord’s Nativity the star stood over a high rock, and Saint Simon heard a voice say, "Here, O Simon, you must lay the foundations of your monastery for the salvation of souls." He built the monastery and called it New Bethlehem.
• Venerable STEPHEN the Wonderworker
Ὁ Ὅσιος Στέφανος ὁ Θαυματουργός
• THEODORUS the Sanctified, Abbot of Tabenna, Confessor (367)

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In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
愿上帝怜恤我罪人
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
for the sake of the prayers
of Thy most pure Mother,
our holy and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us.
Amen.
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Blessed be God.