Saturday February 24, 2018 / February 11, 2018

First Saturday of the Great Lent. Tone four.
Great Lent. Food with Oil

Great Martyr Theodore Tyro (306) (movable holiday on Saturday of the 1st week of the Great Lent).
Hieromartyr Blaise, bishop of Sebaste (316).
St. Vsevolod (in holy baptism Gabriel), prince and wonderworker of Pskov (1138).
Venerable Demetrius, monk of Priluki (Vologda) (1392).
Venerable Cassian the Barefoot (in the world 'Kosmas'), ascetic of the Joseph-Volokolamsk Monastery (1532)
St. Theodora, wife of Emperor Theophilus the Iconoclast (867).
St. Gobnait, abbess of Ballyvourney, Cork (Ireland) (7th c.) (Celtic & British).
Venerable Caedmon of Whitby, monk (680) (Celtic & British).
Venerable George (Kratovac) the Greatmartyr of Serbia (Greek).
Hieromartyr Lucius of Adrianopolis in Thrace (348).
St. Benedict of Aniane (821) (Gaul).

The Scripture Readings

Hebrews 1:1-12
2 Timothy 2:1-10 (St. Theodore)
Mark 2:23 - 3:5
John 15:17-16:2 (St. Theodore)

Troparia

The First Week of Great Lent, Kontakion, Tone VI —
My soul, my soul, arise! Why are you sleeping? The end is drawing near, and you will be confounded. Awake, then, and be watchful, that Christ our God may spare you, Who is everywhere present and fills all things.

Great Martyr Theodore Tyro, Troparion, Tone II —
Great are the triumphs of faith! In a fountain of flame the holy martyr Theodore rejoiced as in refreshing water. For having been made a whole burnt offering by fire, he was offered as sweet bread to the Trinity. By his prayers, O Christ our God, save our souls.

Kontakion, Tone VIII—
Having received the faith of Christ in thy heart as an inner shield, thou didst overcome all the opposing forces, O great champion, and thou hast been crowned with a heavenly crown, O Theodore, for thou art eternally invincible.

Holy Hieromartyr Blaise, Troparion, Tone IV —
As thou didst share in the ways of the apostles/ and didst occupy their throne,/ thou didst find thine activity to be a passage to divine vision,/ O divinely inspired one./ Wherefore, ordering the word of truth,/ thou didst suffer for the Faith even to the shedding of thy blood.// O hieromartyr Blaise, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.

Kontakion, Tone II "Seeking the highest" —
O God-bearing Blaise,/ divine offshoot, unfading blossom,/ much-suffering branch of the vine of Christ:/ with thy gladness fill those who honor thy memory,// praying unceasingly in behalf of us all.

And this Kontakion, Tone VIII "As firstfruits" —
With the anointing of the priesthood and the blood of martyrdom/ wast thou adorned, O glorious Blaise;/ and, joining chorus, thou shinest in the highest,/ watching over those who come to thy temple// and therein unceasingly cry out to thee: Preserve us all!