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The Sunday of the Antipascha (The Sunday After Pascha)
The Sunday of the Holy Apostle Thomas
Mode One — First Eothinon
The commemoration of the holy Apostles of the Seventy, Jason and Sosipater, and their companions (commemorated on Sl. calendar on the 28th of April). The commemoration of the holy Nine Martyrs of Kyzicus, Theognis, Rufus, Antipater, Theostichos, Artemas, Magnos, Theodotos, Thavmasios, and Philemon (commemorated on Gk. calendar on the 28th of April).
No Fasting.
The Reading is from the Acts of the Apostles [§ 14]. In those days:
5 12Through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were being wrought among the people. And they were all with one accord in the porch of Solomon. 13And of the rest not even one was daring to be joined to them, but the people were magnifying them. 14And more believers were being added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and of women, 15insomuch that they carried out the sick into the streets and laid them upon beds and pallets, in order that at least the shadow of Peter as he came might overshadow some of them. 16And also the multitude kept on coming together out of the cities round about to Jerusalem, bearing sick people and those who were troubled by unclean spirits—all of whom were being healed.
17Then the high priest rose up and all those with him (the sect which is of the Sadducees), and were full of jealousy, 18and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in state custody. 19But an angel of the Lord during the night opened the doors of the prison and led them out, and said, 20“Go and take a stand in the temple, and be speaking to the people all the words of this life.”
The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John [§ 65].
20 19When it was evening on that day, the first of the week—and the doors were closed where the disciples were gathered together for fear of the Jews—Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith to them, “Peace be to you.” 20And after He said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, after they saw the Lord. 21Then Jesus said to them again, “Peace be to you; even as the Father hath sent Me forth, I also send you.” 22And after He said this, He breathed on them, and saith to them, “Receive ye the Holy Spirit: 23“if ye forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven to them; if ye retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24But Thomas, one of the twelve, who is called Didymos, was not with them when Jesus came. 25The other disciples therefore were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I should see in His hands the mark of the nails, and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, in no wise will I believe.” 26And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Then cometh Jesus, the doors having been shut, and He stood in the midst, and said, “Peace be to you.” 27Then He saith to Thomas, “Bring thy finger here, and behold My hands; and bring thy hand, and put it into My side. And cease being unbelieving, but believing.” 28And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God.” 29Jesus said to him, “Because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed; blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
30Then indeed Jesus also did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these things have been written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye may have life in His name.
No readings given.
May 12th — Civil Calendar April 29th — Church Calendar
1. St Basil of Ostrog.
Basil was born in Popovo Selo in Herzegovina, of simple and devout parents. From his youth he was filled with love for the Church of God, and when he grew up he went to the monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God at Trebinje, and became a monk. As such, he quickly became known for his serious and rare ascetic life, for he loaded himself with ascetic practices, each harder than the last. He was later chosen and consecrated as Bishop of Zahum and Skenderia, much against his will. As a bishop, he first lived in the monastery at Tvrdos, whence, as a good pastor, he confirmed his flock in the Orthodox faith, keeping it from the cruelty of the Turks and the guile of the Latins. But when he was too pressed-upon by his enemies, and when Tvrdos* was destroyed by the Turks, Basil moved to Ostrog, where he lived in strict asceticism, protecting his flock by his unceasing and loving prayers. He went peacefully to the Lord in the 16th century, leaving his whole and healing body, uncorrupt and wonderworking, to the present day. The miracles at the grave of St Basil are without number. Both Christians and Moslems hasten to his relics and find healing of the gravest sicknesses and sufferings. A great national gathering takes place there every year at Pentecost.
*Author’s Note: A new church, on the ruins of the old Tvrdos, has been built in our day by Nikolai Runjevac, from the village of Poljica near Trebinje—a wonderful foundation in the sight of God and His people.
2. The Nine Holy Martyrs of Cyzicus.
These nine courageous martyrs, burning with love for Christ, refused to offer sacrifice to idols or to deny Christ the Lord, for which they were harshly tortured and finally beheaded. In the time of the Emperor Constantine, a church was built in Cyzicus in honour of these martyrs, and their uncorrupt relics were laid there. Their names were: Theognis, Rufus, Antipater, Theostoichus, Artemas, Magnus, Theodotus, Thaumasilas and Philemon. They all scorned the temporal for the sake of the eternal, and the corruptible for the incorruptible. Therefore the Lord brought them into His eternal family and crowned them with wreaths of unfading glory. They suffered with honour and were glorified in the 3rd century.
3. Our Holy Father Memnon the Wonderworker.
From his youth, Memnon gave himself to fasting and prayer, and purified himself so greatly that he became a dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit. He cured incurable illnesses and worked many other miracles. He appeared during storms at sea and saved boats from destruction. He entered peacefully into rest in the Lord in the second century, and went to His heavenly courts.
FOR CONSIDERATION
Nothing can be hidden from the omniscient God. To Him is known at every moment what is being done on earth, both in the external and in the internal, spiritual world. Not a single intention, not a single wish, not a single thought of his can a man hide from God. How can that which cannot be hidden from holy men be hidden from God? Tsar Ivan the Terrible came one day to church. In the church, Blessed Basil the Fool for Christ was at prayer. The Tsar was indeed physically present in the church, but his mind was on Sparrow Hill, not far from Moscow, on which a palace had been begun. Throughout the service, Ivan was thinking of how to continue and complete his palace on that hill. After the service, the Tsar saw Basil, and asked him where he had been. ‘In church’, replied Basil, and immediately asked the Tsar: ‘And where were you, my Tsar?’ ‘I, too, have been in church’, replied the Tsar. But to this the discerning saint made answer: ‘You are not speaking the truth, my little Ivan, for I saw you in thought walking on Sparrow Hill and building a palace there!’
Daily Scripture Readings taken from The Orthodox New Testament, translated and published by Holy Apostles Convent, Buena Vista, Colorado, copyright © 2000, used with permission, all rights reserved.
Daily Prologue Readings taken from The Prologue of Ochrid, by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic, translated by Mother Maria, published by Lazarica Press, Birmingham, England, copyright © 1985, all rights reserved.
