Daily Orthodox - February 1st, 2025

Today is Saturday of the 32nd Week after Pentecost.

Fasting Obligations

• OCA, GOARCH, Antioch: No fasting obligations.

Today, we commemorate...

1. The Holy Martyr Tryphon of Campsada, near Apamea in Syria (250)

Tryphon was born of poor parents in the village of Lampsacus in Phrygia. In his childhood he tended geese. From his childhood he also had great grace from God, such that he was able to cure illnesses that afflicted people and livestock and to expel evil spirits. The Roman Empire at that time was ruled by the Emperor Gordian. The emperor's daughter Gordiana went insane, and this caused the emperor great sorrow. All the physicians were unable to help Gordiana. An evil spirit spoke through Gordiana and said that no one except Tryphon could cast him out. After many who were named Tryphon in the empire were summoned, by divine providence young Tryphon was also summoned. He was brought to Rome, and he healed the emperor's daughter. The emperor lavished upon him many gifts, all of which Tryphon distributed to the poor upon his return. In his village this holy youth continued to tend geese and to pray to God. When Decius, the persecutor of Christians, was crowned Emperor, St. Tryphon was tortured and cruelly tormented for Christ. He endured all his tortures with great joy, saying: "Oh, if only I could be made worthy to die by fire and torture for the name of the Lord and God, Jesus Christ!" The tortures did him no harm, and finally the torturers sentenced him to be beheaded. Before his death Tryphon prayed to God, and he gave up his soul to his Creator, in the year 250.

2. The Holy Martyrs Perpetua, and the catechumens Saturus, Revocatus, Saturninus, Secundulus, and Felicitas, at Carthage (202-203)

As Christians, they were all cast into prison during the reign of Emperor Septimus Severus. St. Perpetua, who was of noble birth, encouraged all the other prisoners not to be afraid to suffer for Christ. In a dream, Perpetua saw a ladder—imbedded with sharp knives, swords, spears, fishhooks, nails, and other death-bearing instruments—extending from heaven to earth. At the bottom of the ladder there lay a loathsome serpent. She saw Satyrus run up first to the top of the ladder without injury, and then cry out to her: "Perpetua, I am waiting for you. Come, but be careful of the serpent!" Encouraged by this, Perpetua stood on the head of the serpent as on the first rung of the ladder and, step by step, quickly raced to the top. When she reached the top, Perpetua entered heaven and rejoiced greatly. When she related her dream, all the prisoners interpreted it to mean that imminent death faced them, the first of them being Satyrus. This shortly came true. Satyrus was slain first, then Perpetua, and then all the others one by one. As lambs slain for Christ the Lamb of God, they received from Christ an eternal reward in the Kingdom of Light. They all suffered for Christ between the years 202 and 203.

3. The Venerable Peter of Galatia, hermit, near Antioch in Syria (ca. 403)

At age seven Peter left the home of his parents for the sake of Christ and retreated into the wilderness. By fasting and prayer, Peter attained such a state of perfection that he worked many miracles by the Spirit of God. In his ninety-ninth year he took up his habitation in the Eternal Kingdom of Christ about the year 403.

4. St. Vendemianus, hermit, of Bithynia (ca. 512)

5. St. Brigid of Kildare, patroness of Ireland (523)

6. St. Seiriol, abbot of Penmon (Anglesey) (6th c.)

7. Martyr Elias the New, of Damascus (779)

8. Sts. David (784), Symeon (843), and George (844), confessors, of Mylitene

9. St. Basil the Confessor, archbishop of Thessalonica (895)

10. St. Tryphon, bishop of Rostov (1468)

11. New Martyr Anastasius at Nauplion (1655)

12. St. Timothy the Confessor, who died in peace

13. The Holy Martyr Theion, who was slain by the sword together with two children

14. The Holy Martyr Carion, who died after his tongue was torn out

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).

Reflection

Reflections are added when it includes additional stories from the life of a saint commemorated today.

The prayer of St. Tryphon before his death: "O Lord, God of gods and King of kings, the Most-holy of all holies, I thank Thee that Thou hast made me worthy to complete my ascetic labors without faltering. And now I pray to Thee, that the hand of the invisible demon may not touch me; that the demon not drag me into the abyss of destruction. Rather, let Thy holy angels lead me into Thy beautiful dwelling place and make me an heir of Thy desired Kingdom. Receive my soul and hearken to the prayer of all those who will offer sacrifices to Thee in my remembrance. Gaze upon them from Thy holy dwelling place and grant them abundant and incorruptible gifts. For Thou art the only good and merciful Gift-giver unto the ages of ages. Amen."

Since Tryphon had suffered in Nicaea, and since many miracles had occurred over his lifeless body, the citizens of Nicaea wanted to bury Tryphon in their cemetery. But the saint appeared in a vision and expressed his desire to be translated to his village of Lampsacus—where he had once tended geese—and to be buried there.

Daily Scriptures

Slavic

• Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 5:14-23

<14> Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. <15> See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. <16> Rejoice always, <17> pray without ceasing, <18> in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. <19> Do not quench the Spirit. <20> Do not despise prophecies. <21> Test all things; hold fast what is good. <22> Abstain from every form of evil. <23> Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Gospel: Luke 17:3-10

<3> Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. <4> And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him." <5> And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." <6> So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. <7> And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'? <8> But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'? <9> Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. <10> So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'"

Greek

• Epistle: Romans 8:28-39

<28> And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. <29> For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. <30> Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. <31> What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? <32> He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? <33> Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. <34> Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. <35> Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? <36> As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." <37> Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. <38> For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, <39> nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

• Gospel: Luke 10:19-21

<19> Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. <20> Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." <21> In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.