Prologue

October 30 / October 17

1. The Holy Prophet Hosea

Hosea was the son of Beeri of the tribe of Issachar. Hosea lived and prophesied more than eight hundred years before the birth of Christ. His divinely inspired words are found in his book, which contains fourteen chapters. He strongly rebuked Israel and Judah for their idolatry and also foretold God’s punishment for their sins, the destruction of Samaria and Israel for their apostasy, and God’s mercy on the tribe of Judah. He foretold the abolition and the end of the sacrifices of the Old Testament. He foretold the coming of the Lord, and the richness of gifts that He would bring with Him to earth. He lived to a very old age and entered peacefully into rest.

2.  The Holy Martyrs Cosmas and Damian, the Unmercenaries and their brothers

There are three pairs of holy physicians by the name of Cosmas and Damian. The first entered into rest peacefully on November 1, the second pair was stoned in Rome on July 1, and the third was from Arabia; and it is these that we speak of under today’s date. They were physicians by profession, and when they received the Christian Faith, they healed the sick in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They became widely known for their miraculous healings. The malicious pagans seized them and took them before Governor Lysias in the town of Aegea. Since neither of these brothers would renounce Christ at any cost, they were cast into the sea, then into fire, but the omnipotent God saved them from both the water and the fire. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and saved them. The pagan governor ascribed this to their alleged sorcery but they answered: “We know nothing of sorcery nor do we need sorcery, but we possess the power of Christ— which saves us and all who invoke His Most-holy Name.” The pagans struck them with stones but the stones bounced off them; they shot them with arrows, but the arrows rebounded as well. Finally, they were beheaded with the sword. Saints Leontius, Anthimus and Eutropius also suffered with them, and received heavenly wreaths of glory. They suffered in the time of Diocletian and Maximian. Many miracles were manifested from their holy relics, even as miracles abounded from them during their life.

3. The Venerable Martyr Andrew of Crete

St. Andrew was a Cretan by birth and a Christian priest. In the time of the iconoclastic persecution, he showed himself to be a great defender of the veneration of icons. Andrew went to Constantinople to denounce the wicked Emperor Copronymus. As the emperor stood in the Church of the Holy Martyr Mamas, Andrew entered the church, stood before him, and openly rebuked him before all. “It would be better for you, O Emperor, to attend to military matters and to govern the people, than to persecute Christ and His servants.” For this, St. Andrew was beaten severely, tortured and dragged through the streets, where a heretic struck him with an axe and killed him. Thus, Andrew rendered his holy soul to God in the year 767. His relics gave healing to the sick.

4.  Saint Lazarus the Four-days-dead, Bishop of Kition on Cyprus

Lazarus’s principal feasts are on March 17 and Lazarus Saturday dur- ing Great Lent. Under today’s date is commemorated the translation of his relics from the island of Cyprus to Constantinople. This occurred when Emperor Leo the Wise built the Church of St. Lazarus in Constantinople, and translated Lazarus’s relics there in the year 890. When, after almost a thousand years, Lazarus’s grave in the town of Kition on Cyprus was unearthed, a marble tablet was found with the inscription: “Lazarus of the Four Days, the friend of Christ.”

• Martyr Queen Shushanik (Susanna) of Georgia (475).
• Martyrs Ethelred and Ethelbert, princes of Kent (ca. 640).
• Anthony, founder of Leokhnov Monastery (Novgorod) (1611).
• Joseph the Wonderworker, catholicos of Georgia (1770).
• . New Monk-martyrs Jacinthus and Callistus, of the St. Nicholas Monastery (Verk- hoturye) (1918).New Hieromartyr Alexander, archbishop of Semipalatinsk (1937).
• Parasceva, fool-for-Christ, of Starobelsk (1942).

HYMN OF PRAISE

The Holy Prophet Hosea

The discerning Prophet Hosea cried out
And prophesied tribulation to the sinful nation:
“The Lord, the Lord saith:
Mercy is dear to Me,
But sacrifices, filthy and rotten, are not dear.
Ye transgress the Law, as did Adam of old,
Ye worship lies, and a falsehood is lord over you.
Your sacrifices are finished; I will not accept them.
Now I shall prepare the greatest sacrifice for Myself.
Ye have planted godlessness; iniquity have ye reaped.
Ye have sown wind, and harvested a storm.
But if ye now plant righteousness, ye will reap mercy—
And to Me, ye will be a holy people again.
But ye are ashamed of Me and love idols.
Ye encourage adultery, ye encourage sin!
That is why ye shall wander throughout the world,
And every nation shall be more powerful than you.
And I will raise up a New Israel:
A new Kingdom—a Kingdom of saints.
It will be as the dew and as a blossoming lily,
And its most wondrous fragrance shall fill the world.
I am the Lord, the Lord;
whatever I desire I can do!

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