Fasting Guidelines
2nd Week after Pentecost. Tone eight.
Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Today’s Commemorations
- Venerable Barlaam of Khutyn (1192) ( movable holiday on the 1st Friday of Apostles’ Fast ).
- “Tabynsk” and “Kursk-Root” Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos ( movable holiday on the 9th Friday of Pascha ).
- Martyr Lucillian and those with him at Byzantium: four youths — Claudius, Hypatius, Paul, and Dionysius; and Virgin Paula (270).
- New Hieromartyr Cyprian (1934).
- New Hieromartyr Michael priest (1938).
- Translation of the relics (1606) of the slain Crown Prince Demetrius of Moscow (1591).
- Hieromartyr Lucian the bishop, Maxianus the presbyter, Julian the deacon and Martyrs Marcellinus and Saturninus in Belgium (96).
- “Yougskaya” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (1615).
- Venerable Athanasius, the wonderworker of Cilicia.
- The Meeting of Venerable Demetrius, monk of Priluki (Vologda) (1503).
- St. Hieria, widow, of Mesopotamia (312).
- St. Clotilde (Chlotilda), queen of France (545) (Gaul).
- Venerable Kevin, hermit and abbot of Glendalough (618) (Celtic & British).
- St. Meriasek, bishop of Camborne.
- Venerable Pappus monk (Greek).
- St. Achilles, patriarch of Alexandria (312).
- Monk-martyr Barsabus, abbot of Ishtar, and ten companions in Persia (342).
Scripture Readings
Romans 5:17-6:2
For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
Matthew 9:14-17
Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.
Saints and Feasts Celebrated Today
Venerable Barlaam of Khutyn (1192) ( movable holiday on the 1st Friday of Apostles’ Fast ). 
The Monk Varlaam of Khutynsk lived in the XII Century, the son of an illustrious Novgorodian, and he lived his childhood years at Novgorod. Withdrawing at an early age to the Lisich monastery near the city, the Monk Varlaam accepted tonsure. Later on he settled at a solitary hill below Volkhov, in a locale called Khutyn’, 10 versts from Novgorod. In solitude the Monk Varlaam led a strict life, making unceasing prayer and keeping very strict fast. He was a zealous ascetic in his tasks – he himself felled timber in the forest, chopped firewood and tilled the soil, fulfilling the words of Holy Scripture: “If any shalt not work, neither shalt he eat” (2 Thess. 3: 10). Certain of the inhabitants of Novgorod gathered to him, wanting to share in monastic works and deeds. Instructing those that came, the Monk Varlaam said: “My children, be observant against all unrighteousness, and neither envy nor slander. Refrain from anger, and give not money over for usury. Beware to judge unjustly. Do not swear falsely giving an oath, but rather fulfill it. Be not indulgent to the bodily appetites. Always be meek and bear all things with love. This virtue – is the beginning and root of all good”. Soon there was erected a church in honour of the Transfiguration of the Lord, and a monastery founded. The Lord sent down upon the monk, for his service to others, the gifts of wonderworking and perspicacity. When his days approached an end, by Divine Will there came from Constantinople the priestmonk Antonii – of the same age and a friend of the Monk Varlaam. The blessed saint, in turning to him, said: “My beloved brother! God’s blessing doth rest upon this monastery. And now into thine hand I transfer this monastery. Watch over and take concern for it. I do expire to the King of Heaven. But be not confused over this: while yet in the body I do leave you, still in spirit I shalt be with you always”. Having bestown guidance unto the brethren, with the command to preserve the Orthodox faith and dwell constantly in humility, the Monk Varlaam reposed to the Lord on 6 November 1192.
“Tabynsk” and “Kursk-Root” Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos ( movable holiday on the 9th Friday of Pascha ). 
The Kursk Znamenie (Sign) Icon of the Mother of God – is one of the most ancient icons of the Russian Church. In the XIII Century during the time of the Tatar invasion, when all the Russian realm was put to the extremest tribulation, the city of Kursk, ravaged by the Horde of Batu, fell into desolation. One day in the environs of the city an hunter noticed the ancient icon, lying on a root face downwards to the ground. The hunter lifted it and saw that the image of the icon was similar to the Novgorod “Znamenie” Icon. With the appearance of this icon immediately there appeared its first miracle. Just as the hunter lifted up the holy icon from the earth, right then, at that place where the icon lay, gushed up strongly a spring of pure water. This occurred on 8 September 1259. The hunter decided not to leave the icon in the forest and settled on as a resting place an ancient small chapel, in which he put the newly-appeared image of the Mother of God. Soon inhabitants of the city of Ryl’a heard about this, and being in location not far away, they began to visit the place of the appearance for venerating the new holy image. They transferred the icon to Ryl’a and put it in a new church in honour of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God. But the icon did not long remain there. It disappeared and returned to its former place of appearance. The inhabitants of Ryl’a repeatedly took it and carried it to the city, but the icon incomprehensibly returned to its former place. Everyone then realised, that the Mother of God preferred the place of appearance of Her Image. The especial help granted by the Mother of God through this icon is bound up with important events in Russian history: with the war of liberation of the Russian nation during the time of the Polish-Lithuanian incursion in 1612, and the 1812 Fatherland war. From the icon several copies were made, which also were glorified.
Translation of the relics (1606) of the slain Crown Prince Demetrius of Moscow (1591). 
The Transfer of the Holy Relics of Nobleborn Tsarevich Dimitrii, murdered on 15 May 1591 (the account is located under 15 May), was made in the year 1606 with the transfer taking place from Uglich to Moscow. The reason for this was the desire, in the expression of tsar Vasilii Shuisky, “to stop lying lips and blind unbelieving eyes from saying, that he (the tsarevich) had escaped alive from the hands of the murderers”, – in view of the appearance of the false-pretender, declaring himself to be the true tsarevich Dimitrii. The holy relics were solemnly transferred and placed in the Arkhangelsk cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, “in the side-altar of John the Forerunner, wherein was his father and his brothers”. After numerous miracles of healing from the holy relics, in this same year of 1606, “there were made feastdays to the tsarevich Dimitrii thrice within the year – his birthday (19 October), the murder (15 May), and the transfer of relics to Moscow (3 June)”.
The Meeting of Venerable Demetrius, monk of Priluki (Vologda) (1503). 
The Monk Dimitrii of Prilutsk, Wonderworker, was born into a rich merchant’s family in Pereyaslavl’-Zalessk. From the time of his youth the monk was uncommonly handsome. Having accepted monastic tonsure at one of the Pereyaslavl’ monasteries, the saint later founded the Nikol’sk (Saint Nicholas) life-in-common monastery on the Borisoglebsk Hill at the shore of Lake Plescheevo near the city, and became its hegumen. In 1534 Saint Dimitrii first met with the Monk Sergei Radonezh, who had come to Pereyaslavl’ to bishop Athanasii. From that time he repeatedly conversed with the Monk Sergei and became close with him. The fame of the Pereyaslavl’ hegumen so spread about, that he became godfather to the children of Greatprince Dimitrii Ioannovich. Under the influence of the Radonezh wonderworker, the Monk Dimitrii decided to withdraw off to a desolate place, and together with his disciple Pakhomii he set off North. In the Vologda forests, at the River Velika, in the Avnezhsk surroundings, they built a church of the Resurrection of Christ and they made ready to lay the foundations for a monastery. But the local inhabitants were fearful of losing out, and the wilderness-dwellers in their wish to be a burden to no one, set off further. Not far from Vologda, at the bend of a river in an isolated spot, the Monk Dimitrii decided to form the first of the life-in-common monasteries of the Russian North. The people of Vologda and the surrounding gladly consented to help the saint. The owners of the land intended for the monastery, Il’ya and Isidor, even trampled down a grain field, so that a temple might be built immediately. In 1371 the wooden Saviour cathedral was erected, and brethren began to gather. Many a disciple of the monk came thither from Pereyaslavl’. The deep prayer and quite strict asceticism was combined in the Prilutsk hegumen with kindliness: he fed the poor and hungry, he took in strangers, he conversed with those in need of consolation, and he gave counsel. The monk loved to pray in private. His Lenten food was but prosphora with warm water, and even on feastdays he would not partake of the wine and fish permitted by the ustav-rule. Both Winter and Summer he wore only his old sheepskin coat, and into old age he went off with the brethren on common tasks. Contributions to the monastery the saint accepted cautiously, so that the welfare of the monastery be not to the impairment of those living nearby. The Lord vouchsafed His servant the gift of perspicacity. The Monk Dimitrii died at an advanced age on 11 February 1392. The brethren approaching found him as though asleep, and his cell was filled with a wondrous fragrance. Miracles from the relics of Saint Dimitrii began in the year 1409, and during the XV Century his veneration spread throughout all Rus’. And not later than the year 1440, based on the narratives of Saint Dimitrii’s disciple the hegumen Pakhomii, the Prilutsk monk Makarii recorded his life (Great Reading-Menaion, 11 February).
Martyr Lucillian and those with him at Byzantium: four youths — Claudius, Hypatius, Paul, and Dionysius; and Virgin Paula (270).
The Holy Martyrs Lucillian, the Lads Claudius, Ipatius, Dionysius, and Paula the Virgin: Lucillian was a pagan priest during the time of the Roman emperor Aurelian (270-275). In his old age he became persuaded of the falseness of the pagan religion, and with all his heart he turned to the faith in Christ the Saviour, and was baptised. Under the influence of his preaching many a pagan was converted to Christianity. Then certain Jews, out of concern for his spreading faith in the Christ crucified by them, reported against Lucillian to the Nicomedia city-governor Sylvanus, who thereupon urged the elder to return to idol-worship. For his refusal, they smashed the jawbone of Saint Lucillian, beat him with canes and suspended him head downwards, and then they locked him away in prison. Here he met up with four lads that were confessors of Christianity – Claudius, Ipatius, Paul and Dionysius. Saint Lucillian urged them to stand firm in the faith, and to fear neither tortures nor death. After a certain while they brought them to trial and then thrown into a red-hot furnace, but suddenly rain poured down extinguishing the flames, and the martyrs remained unharmed. The governor sentenced them to death by execution, sending them off to Byzantium for carrying out the sentence. The holy lads were beheaded by the sword, and the holy Martyr Lucillian was nailed to a cross with quite many nails. Witness to the deed of the holy martyrs was the holy Virgin Paula, who had dedicated herself to the service of those suffering for the faith in Christ. She provided food to Christian prisoners, washed their wounds, brought medications and also buried the bodies of martyrs. After the death of Saint Lucillian and the four lads, she returned to Nicomedia and continued on with her holy service. The holy virgin was arrested and cast into a furnace, but by the power of God she remained unharmed. Then they sent her off to Byzantium, where the holy martyress was beheaded by the sword.
Hieromartyr Lucian the bishop, Maxianus the presbyter, Julian the deacon and Martyrs Marcellinus and Saturninus in Belgium (96).
The PriestMartyr Lucian lived in Rome, and as a pagan he had the name Lucius. He was enlightened by the light of faith in Christ by the holy Apostle Peter, and accepted Baptism. After the death of the Apostle Peter, Saint Lucian preached the Gospel in Italy. During this period there arrived in Rome Saint Dionysius the Areopagite (Comm. 3 October), a disciple of the Apostle Paul. At the request of Saint Clement, Pope of Rome (Comm. 25 November), he consented to set off preaching the Gospel in the Western lands and began to gather up companions and helpers for this. Saint Clement, having consecrated Saint Lucian a bishop, sent him off with Saint Dionysius, along with Saints Marcellinus and Saturninus, the Presbyter Maxianus and the Deacon Julian. The holy preachers sailed from Italy to Gaul (France). Saint Marcellinus with those accompanying him continued on to Spain, Saint Saturninus – to Gaul, and Saint Dionysius with the others – to the region of Paris. From there Saint Lucian with Maxianus and Julian set out to Belgium. The preaching of Saint Lucian was very successful. By the power of grace in word and the example of life, he converted to Christianity a large number of pagans. Saint Lucian was a strict ascetic, and over the course of an entire day he ate but a morsel of bread and some water. Towards the converted he was kindly, always joyful and cheerful of face. Soon almost all the settlements of Belgium were converted to the faith in Christ. During this period, the Roman emperor Dometian (81-96) had started up a second persecution against Christians (after that of Nero, 54-68), and he issued an edict, demanding torture and execution for any that refused to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods. Three officials were sent to Belgium to carry out the edict. The Lord revealed to Saint Lucian about the ordeal facing him. Having gathered the flock, he urged them not to be afraid of threats, tortures or death, and then he offered up thanksgiving to God, for having granted him the possibility to join in together with the assembly of the holy martyrs. After prayers, Saint Lucian together with Presbyter Maxianus and Deacon Julian withdrew to the summit of an hill, where he continued to teach the people accompanying him. And here it was that the soldiers of the emperor came upon the saints, and led them away for trial. Saints Maxianus and Julian were urged to repudiate Christ and offer sacrifice to idols, but they both resolutely refused and were beheaded. Then the judge began to interrogate Saint Lucian, accusing him of sorcery and disobedience to the emperor and senate. The saint answered, that he was not a sorcerer, but rather a servant of the True God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he refused to offer sacrifice to mere idols, wrought by human hand. The saint was subjected to fierce beatings, during the time of which he repeated only: “Never wilt I cease in heart, faith and lips, to praise Christ, the Son of God”. The holy martyr was beheaded. Over his body shone an heavenly light, and the Voice of the Saviour was heard, summoning the valiant sufferer into the Heavenly Kingdom to receive the martyr’s crown. By the power of God the saint stood up, took hold his cut-off head, crossed over the river, and reaching the burial spot chosen by him, he lay down upon the ground and reposed with peace. In view of this extremely great miracle about 500 pagans were converted to Christ. Afterwards over the grave of the Martyr Lucian there was erected a church, into which also were transferred the remains of the Holy Martyrs Maxianus and Julian.
“Yougskaya” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (1615).
The Wonderworking Icon of the Mother of God, named the Yugsk, appeared at the beginning of the XVII Century to the starets schema-monk of the Pskovo-Pechersk monastery Saint Dorophei. The Mother of God, during a time of invasion of the Swedes, commanded him to take Her image to a place decreed by Her, and to transport the image into the environs of the Yaroslavsk diocese and there to start a monastery. The hegumen of the monastery was not agreeable to let go the Icon of the Mother of God that had appeared, but She appeared to him in a dream-vision commanding to fulfill Her will and let go the starets Dorophei with Her icon. The starets Dorophei, having come to the place told him in the vision, stopped to rest and put the holy icon upon a tree. When he wanted to continue the journey, then by some certain power he was unable to take the holy icon from the tree. Starets Dorophei realised, that the Queen of Heaven wanted to remain in this place. He then built a small hut and stayed to live by this sacred icon. News about the arrival of the elder quickly spread through the surrounding villages. Pilgrims started to throng to him for veneration of the holy icon, from which were done healings. Means were gathered by the pious local inhabitants and the beginning of construction of a new monastery was put in place. The Monk Dorophei died in the year 1622. Clergy presented facts about the working of miracles to Patriarch Philaret. In reply they received the blessing for the founding at the River Yuga of a monastery with church in honour of the Uspenie of the Most Holy Mother of God. The monastery became named the Yugsk. In 1654 by the intercession of the Mother of God a deadly pestilence was halted in these localities.
St. Hieria, widow, of Mesopotamia (312).
The Nun Hieria was born into a pagan family, and became the wife of a Roman senator, but after a mere 7 months was widowed. While in the Assyrian city of Seuapolis, she learned that in the vicinity of the city of Niziba there was a women’s monastery, in which asceticised the young Monastic Febronia, distinguished for her particularly strict life. Under the guise of a wanderer, Hieria visited her and conversed with her all night, being instructed in the Christian faith, and then having returned home, she was baptised and persuaded her parents to do likewise. During the time of the persecution by Diocletian (284-305), the majority of the inhabitants of the Niziba monastery left and hid away from the persecutors, but Saint Febronia was brought to trial before the cruel official Selinus and for her confession of Christ she was subjected to inhuman tortures. Saint Hieria intrepidly denounced the cruelty of the torturers. The judge gave orders to arrest and torture her also, but then he changed his mind, in learning that Saint Hieria – was the widow of a Roman senator. Bitterly bewailing the martyr’s death of Saint Febronia (+ c. 304, Comm. 25 June), Hieria grieved, that she herself had not been vouchsafed to suffer for the faith in Christ. With tears she besought the hegumeness Brienna to accept her in place of Febronia at the monastery. Having bestown all her substance upon the monastery, the nun Hieria spent there the remaining days of her life and peacefully reposed to God in about the year 320.
Additional Saints and Feasts Celebrated Today
New Hieromartyr Cyprian (1934).
New Hieromartyr Michael priest (1938).
Venerable Athanasius, the wonderworker of Cilicia.
St. Clotilde (Chlotilda), queen of France (545) (Gaul).
Venerable Kevin, hermit and abbot of Glendalough (618) (Celtic & British).
St. Meriasek, bishop of Camborne.
Venerable Pappus monk (Greek).
St. Achilles, patriarch of Alexandria (312).
Monk-martyr Barsabus, abbot of Ishtar, and ten companions in Persia (342).
Today’s Hymns
Download today’s octoechos HERE.
Download today’s menaion HERE.
Courtesy of St. Sergius Church
Hymns, Readings, Feast Day, and Fasting Information provided by Holy Trinity Orthodox Church.
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