From the calendar 2027

Wednesday, September 15

Greatmartyr Nicetas the Goth

Appointed readings

2 passages

Epistle

2 Corinthians 9:12–10:7

12For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God,

13while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men,

14and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you.

15Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

1Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

2But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.

4For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,

5casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

6and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

7Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ's, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ's, even so we are Christ's.

Gospel

Mark 3:19–27

Open Reader ↗

19and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

20Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

21But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, 'He is out of His mind.'

22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, 'He has Beelzebub,' and, 'By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.'

23So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: 'How can Satan cast out Satan?

24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.

27No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.

The rhythm of the day

Fasting: Strict fast
Weekly tone: Tone 3

In remembrance

The saints commemorated this day

Greatmartyr Nicetas the GothRead the life

He was a Goth of noble birth among his people, a disciple of Bishop Theophilus of the Goths, who took part in the First Ecumenical Council. When he confronted Athanaric, the pagan ruler of the Goths, for his persecution of Christians and for his unbelief, Nicetas was cruelly tortured and finally burned to death. Though he died in the flames, his body was brought forth unharmed. His relics were taken by his friend Marianus to Mopsuestia in Cilicia, where a church dedicated to the Saint was built.

Holy Martyr Porphyrius (361).Read the life

“An actor, he first mocked at Christians before Julian the Apostate. On one occasion, when he was mimicking the Christian mystery of Baptism, he was dipped into the water, pronouncing the words: ‘In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’ When he emerged from the water, he cried out: ‘Now I am a Christian!’ Everyone thought that this was in jest, as always, but he held firm to it, stopped mocking Christians and finally suffered for Christ. He was beheaded in 361, and entered into the Kingdom of Christ.” (Prologue)

We rightly condemn worship that is purely external; but the life of St Porphyrius reminds us in a striking way that the ‘externals’ of the Faith have a power that can work to convert the heart of man. St Porphyrius used the words of Holy Baptism not only carelessly but mockingly, yet by God’s grace he emerged from the waters truly renewed into Christ.