Skip to main content

Daily Orthodox - February 17th, 2025

Today is Monday of Meatfare.

Fasting Obligations

  • OCA, GOARCH, Antioch: No fasting obligations.

Today, we commemorate...

  1. The Holy Great-martyr Theodore the Tyro

The word Tyro means recruit. As soon as Theodore entered the army in the Marmarite regiment in the town of Amasea, the persecution of Christians began under the Emperors Maximian and Maximus. As Theodore did not try to conceal the fact that he also was a Christian, he was dragged to court and thrown into prison, which was then locked and sealed because the wicked judge wanted him to die of starvation. The Lord Christ Himself appeared to Theodore in prison and encouraged His martyr, saying to him: "Fear not Theodore, I am with you. Do not partake of earthly food and drink anymore, for you will be with Me in the other world in the heavens—eternal and everlasting." At that moment there appeared a multitude of angels in the prison, and the entire prison shone brightly. The guards, seeing angels dressed in white raiment, became terrified. After that, St. Theodore was taken out, tortured and condemned to death. Theodore was thrown into a fire and gave up his holy soul to the Most-high God. He suffered in the year 306.

  1. The Venerable Theodosius the Bulgarian and his disciple Romanus

As a monk, St. Theodosius settled not far from the city of Trnovo [Bulgaria]. There he established a monastic community, which became known as "Theodosius'" after him. He notably distinguished himself at a council in Bulgaria against the Bogomils in the year 1360. Defending the Orthodox Faith at this council, he shamed the Bogomils by his reasoning. He finished his earthly course in Constantinople in the year 1363. His disciple, Romanus, continued to live as an ascetic in Theodosius' community until his death.

  1. Saint Mariamne (Maria), sister of Apostle Philip (1st c.)

Mariamne was the sister of the Holy Apostle Philip. She traveled with her brother, preaching the Gospel with him in Hierapolis and in other places. Following Philip's martyric death, Mariamne continued her missionary work in Lycaonia, where she died.

  1. St. Auxibius, bishop of Soli on Cyprus (102)

  2. St. Finan, bishop of Lindisfarne (661)

  3. Uncovering of the relics (867-869) of Martyr Menas the Most Eloquent, of Alexandria (ca. 313)

  4. St. Theodore the Silent, of the Kiev Caves (13th c.)

  5. New Martyr Michael Mavroeidis of Adrianople (1490)

  6. St. Hermogenes, patriarch of Moscow and all Russia (1612)

  7. New Martyr Theodore of Byzantium, at Mytilene (1795)

  8. New Hieromartyr Theodore of Adjara, hieromonk, at Mt. Athos (1822)

  9. St. Barnabas, elder, of Gethsemane Skete of St. Sergius Lavra (1906)

  10. St. Nicholas Planas, priest, of Athens (1932)

  11. Weeping "Tikhvin" Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, St. Elias Skete, Mt. Athos

  12. (Greek cal.: Synaxis of the Holy Emperor Marcian [457] and St. Pulcheria, his wife [453])

For more information on today's saints or commemorations not provided, see https://www.oca.org/saints/lives (Slavic) and/or https://www.goarch.org/chapel (Greek).

Daily Scriptures

Slavic
  • Epistle: 1 John 2:18-3:10

<18> Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. <19> They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. <20> But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. <21> I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. <22> Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. <23> Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. <24> Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. <25> And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life. <26> These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. <27> But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. <28> And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. <29> If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. <1> Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. <2> Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. <3> And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. <4> Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. <5> And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. <6> Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. <7> Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. <8> He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. <9> Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. <10> In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

  • Gospel: Mark 11:1-11

<1> Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; <2> and He said to them, "Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. <3> And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?'say, 'The Lord has need of it,' and immediately he will send it here." <4> So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. <5> But some of those who stood there said to them, "What are you doing, loosing the colt?" <6> And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. <7> Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. <8> And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. <9> Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' <10> Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" <11> And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Greek
  • Epistle: 2 Timothy 2:1-10

<1> You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. <2> And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. <3> You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. <4> No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. <5> And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. <6> The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. <7> Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. <8> Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, <9> for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. <10> Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

  • Gospel: Luke 20:46-21:4

<46> "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, <47> who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation." <1> And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, <2> and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. <3> So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; <4> for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."

Back to top