FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT — Tone 4. Sunday of Orthodoxy. The Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste.
Tone 4 Troparion (Resurrection)
When the women disciples of the Lord learned from the angel the joyous message of Your Resurrection, they cast away the ancestral curse and elatedly told the apostles: “Death is overthrown! Christ God is risen,// granting the world great mercy!”
Tone 2 Troparion (Sunday of Orthodoxy)
We venerate Your most pure image, O Good One; and ask forgiveness of our transgressions, O Christ our God. Of Your own will You were pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh and deliver Your creatures from bondage to the Enemy. Therefore with thankfulness we cry aloud to You: “You have filled all with joy, O our Savior,// by coming to save the world.”
Tone 1 Troparion (Holy 40 Martyrs)
Through the sufferings which Your holy Forty Martyrs endured for Your sake, O Lord, we beseech You, O Lover of mankind://“Heal all of our infirmities!”
Tone 4 Kontakion (Resurrection)
My Savior and Redeemer as God rose from the tomb and delivered the earth-born from their chains. He has shattered the gates of hell, and as Master,// He has risen on the third day!
Tone 6 Kontakion (Holy 40 Martyrs)
You have abandoned all earthly armies, cleaving to the heavenly Master, O Forty Martyrs of the Lord. Having passed through fire and water, O blessed ones,// you have fittingly received heavenly glory and many crowns.
Tone 8 Kontakion (Sunday of Orthodoxy)
No one could describe the Word of the Father; but when He took flesh from you, O Theotokos, He accepted to be described, and restored the fallen image to its former state by uniting it to divine beauty.// We confess and proclaim our salvation in words and images.
Tone 4 Prokeimenon (Son of the Fathers)
Blessed are You, O Lord God of our fathers, / and praised and glorified is Your Name forever! (Song of the three Holy Children, v. 3)
V. For You are just in all that You have done for us! (v. 4)
Tone 5 Prokeimenon (Holy 40 Martyrs)
You, O Lord, shall protect us / and preserve us from this generation forever. (Ps. 11:7)
Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-12:2 (Epistle)
By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented – of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-10 (Epistle, Martyrs)
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.
Tone 4
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
V. Moses and Aaron were among His priests; Samuel also was among those who called on His Name. (Ps. 98:6)
V. They called to the Lord and He answered them. (Ps. 98:7a)
Tone 4
V. Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth! Sing of His name, give to Him glorious praise! (Ps. 65:1)
John 1:43-51 (Gospel)
The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
Matthew 20:1-16 (Gospel, Martyrs)
For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’ So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.’”
The First Sunday of Lent
The first Sunday (of Lent) is called the Feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. It is a historical feast commemorating the return of the icons to the churches in the year 843 after the heresy of iconoclasm was overcome. The spiritual theme of the day is first of all the victory of the True Faith. “This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith” (1 Jn 5.4). Secondly, the icons of the saints bear witness that man, “created in the image and likeness of God” (Gen 1.26), becomes holy and godlike through the purification of himself as God’s living image.
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
As we already have seen, the eucharistic Divine Liturgy is not celebrated in the Orthodox Church on lenten weekdays. In order for the faithful to sustain their lenten effort by participation in Holy Communion, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served. The service is an ancient one in the Orthodox Church. We officially hear about it in the canons of the seventh century, which obviously indicates its development at a much earlier date.
On all days of the holy fast of Lent, except on the Sabbath, the Lord’s Day, and the holy day of the Annunciation, the Liturgy of the Presanctified is to be served (Canon 52, Quinisext, 692).
The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is an evening service. It is the solemn lenten Vespers with the administration of Holy Communion added to it. There is no consecration of the eucharistic gifts at the presanctified liturgy. Holy Communion is given from the eucharistic gifts sanctified on the previous Sunday at the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, unless, of course, the feast of the Annunciation should intervene; hence its name of “presanctified.”
The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served on Wednesday and Friday evenings, although some churches may celebrate it only on one of these days. It comes in the evening after a day of spiritual preparation and total abstinence. The faithful who are unable to make the effort of total fasting because of weakness or work, however, normally eat a light lenten meal in the early morning.
During the psalms of Vespers, the presanctified gifts are prepared for communion. They are transferred from the altar table where they have been reserved since the Divine Liturgy, and are placed on the table of oblation. After the evening hymn, the Old Testamental scriptures of Genesis and Proverbs are read, between which the celebrant blesses the kneeling congregation with a lighted candle and the words: “The Light of Christ illumines all,” indicating that all wisdom is given by Christ in the Church through the scriptures and sacraments. This blessing was originally directed primarily to the catechumens—those preparing to be baptized on Easter—who attended the service only to the time of the communion of the faithful.
After the readings, the evening Psalm 141 is solemnly sung once again with the offering of incense. Then, after the litanies of intercession and those at which the catechumens were dismissed in former days, the presanctified eucharistic gifts are brought to the altar in a solemn, silent procession. The song of the entrance calls the faithful to communion. Now the heavenly powers [i.e., the angels] do minister invisibly with us. For behold the King of Glory enters. Behold the mystical sacrifice, all fulfilled, is ushered in.
Let us with faith and love draw near that we may be partakers of everlasting life. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. After the litany and prayers, the Our Father is sung and the faithful receive Holy Communion to the chanting of the verse from Psalm 34: “O taste and see how good is the Lord. Alleluia.” The post-communion hymns are sung and the faithful depart with a prayer to God who “has brought us to these all-holy days for the cleansing of carnal passions,” that he will bless us “to fight the good fight, to accomplish the course of the fast, and to attain unto and to adore the holy resurrection” of Christ.
The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is traditionally considered to be the work of the sixth-century pope, Saint Gregory of Rome. The present service, however, is obviously the inspired liturgical creation of Christian Byzantium.
Reflection
Be more confiding in the Lord than in your own mother. Confess all to Him. He will not betray you. Embrace all of His commandments as beneficial. They will not deceive you. Inasmuch as you trust in God, so also be vigilant toward your enemies—the flesh, the world and the demons. All of this was expressed much better by the glorious saint of God, Ephraim the Syrian: “In embracing the commandments of God, have simplicity; and, in warding off hostile intrigues, have cunning (as with the dove and the serpent).”
—Velimirovic, Saint Nikolai. The Prologue of Ohrid
Homily
On enduring to the end: But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved (Matthew 24:13).
O Lord most wonderful, Thou hast endured all—everything to the end. That is why Thou becamest not only blessed but also the source of blessings for all men who desire good for themselves throughout the ages. The apostles endured all to the end and entered into blessed eternity. The saints willingly endured difficulties and sufferings to the end and were glorified in heaven and on earth. The martyrs willingly endured all pains to the end and became the adopted fellow heirs of the Kingdom of Christ. Every founder of a new organization recruits followers for himself with the promise of good fruits and many pleasures, but deliberately remains silent about the hardships and labors that lead to those fruits and pleasures. Our Lord Jesus is the only one Who spoke the whole truth to His followers—both the bitter and the sweet side of the truth. He did not promise fruits without service, glory without suffering, ultimate rest without the thorny path, victory without struggle, pleasure without bitterness, or the Kingdom without tears and self-denial. Although our Lord enumerated the many difficulties that would befall His followers, in the end He does not abandon them without consolation. He gives meaning to their sufferings and does not leave them in darkness. He says: He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And what that blessing is which awaits those who endure to the end, He Himself has sufficiently revealed. This blessing has been witnessed to even until today and continues to be witnessed to by many saints, who have either appeared in glory to the faithful from the other world or who, while yet in the flesh, were raised in the spirit to a vision of that glory and blessedness which await those who are faithful, elect and persevering. O Lord, Thou art our strength. Help us to endure to the end in the faith that Thou art beside us. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
— Velimirovic, Saint Nikolai. The Prologue of Ohrid
Discipline is Part of Being a Disciple
Published by Fr. Stavros Akrotirianakis on March 8, 2025
The Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste
The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste are commemorated on March 9. Because this is such an important feast, on Sunday, March 9, the Epistle lesson will be for the Forty Holy Martyrs, while the Gospel will be for the Sunday of Orthodoxy. (According to the Slavic usage, we read both the Epistle for the Sunday of Orthodoxy, and the Epistle for the Forty Martyrs). The Forty Holy Martyrs were a group of Roman soldiers who were martyred in the year 320. Their names are known, but they are commemorated as a group. They confessed a faith in Jesus Christ and were condemned to walk naked into a frozen lake on a bitterly cold night, so that they would freeze to death. On the shore of the lake, there were warm baths being set up in order to tempt those who were freezing to renounce Christ and get warm. One of the forty men in the water turned back and got into the warm cauldron where he went into shock and immediately died. One of the guards, witnessing this, proclaimed himself a Christian, removed his garments and joined the other thirty-nine men in the freezing water, thus bringing their number back to the original forty. The next morning, the frozen bodies of the men still showed signs of life and they were burned and scattered into a river.
The Epistle for the feast of the Forty Holy Martyrs is taken from Hebrews 12. The reading appropriately mentions “so great a cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) as there were forty martyrs, and the witness of thirty-nine influenced the fortieth. There is great strength in numbers. We are more encouraged in our faith when we are surrounded by others who are on the same journey. When we feel like we are the only one running the race, it is much easier to be tempted to stop running.
St. Paul further exhorts us to “let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (12:1-2) Imagine being one of these soldiers. Their “race” was not an athletic contest, or a competition against anyone else. It was a race against their own will. Could they persevere in extreme cold, having given up their commissions as soldiers. One would imagine that in the midst of the freezing water, facing a slow death, they must have kept their thoughts on Jesus, on the joy that awaited them in heaven, and were able to endure the shame and ridicule being hurled at them by the soldiers who had formerly been their teammates, maybe even their friends.
The word “discipline” is used multiple times in the Epistle passage. “Disciple” and “disciplined” share the same root. The “disciple” is a student and the student learns through repetition, and it takes discipline to keep up the repetition to the point of mastery, and it take discipline to continue to have a master-level of something. Take the baseball player, as an example. It takes repetition to learn to hit and throw. It takes discipline to practice frequently. Once a person has reached a level of competence, even mastery, such as a Major League hitter or pitcher, it still takes discipline to practice and stay sharp with what one has learned.
As Christians, we are disciples, in the sense that we are students of the faith. We continue to learn and deepen our faith through prayer, Scripture, worship, education, obedience and service. Even when we’ve reached some level of mastery with these things, we still must continue to go to them in order to maintain our faith.
Discipline has another meaning, and that is correction. One who does not follow rules, as an example, is disciplined, usually punished, in order to coerce the proper behavior. Fathers discipline their children, as the Scripture says, in order to get them to do the right things. For instance, a father might slap the hand of his young son as it is about to go onto a hot stove. This is correction for the purposes of keeping the child safe from the heat of the stove. Sometimes God disciplines us, perhaps even allows certain things to happen, in order to help us course correct and focus on Him. That doesn’t mean things like tragedies, please don’t read that possibility into this. Sometimes God sees that good will come for us out of something bad. I can look back at period of my life and think of how I’ve benefited from bad things that God allowed to happen, so that I might have a new perspective or hardened resolve. As we read in Hebrews 2:10, God “disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.” The ultimate goal for us as children of God is to attain the Kingdom of heaven. That is His hope for us. That should be our goal for ourselves. Each of us has a path there, and some paths may include more discipline (study) or discipline (correction). In either case, discipline is part of being a disciple.
The holy martyrs suffered painful tortures for Your sake, O Lord; be compelled by what they endured, and heal our every pain, we entreat You, O only benevolent God. (Apolytikion of the Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, trans. by Fr. Seraphim Dedes)
Don’t despair if your path is difficult. Stay disciplined. Stay focused. If the water of your life is freezing, keep your thoughts on the prize of the eternal warmth of heaven.
Sunday Bulletin March 2, 2025