5 April Monday
Old Style — 23 MarchToday
Holy Hieromartyr Nikon the Bishop and His 199 Disciples (+251)
This year's detailed calendar has not been published yet — these are calculated dates.
Commemorated — from the synaxarion
Tap a name to open the life
Holy Hieromartyr Nikon the Bishop and His 199 Disciples (+251)›
Martyr Philetus and His Wife Lydia; Macedon, Theoprepius, Cronides and Amphilochius (+117–138)›
The tone and the day's psalms
What is a tone?
A tone is not a psalm number. It is the mode in which that week's resurrection hymns are sung — the whole week's Vespers, Matins and Liturgy are set in one tone.
There are eight tones, and they change each week. The cycle opens with the first tone on Thomas Sunday after Pascha and returns to the first every eight weeks; Bright Week itself has no tone of its own. A new tone begins on Saturday evening, with the new church week.
The Psalter is divided into twenty kathismata and, by the usual rule, is read through once a week. Appointed for this day:
- At Matins · kathisma 4Psalms 24–31›
- At Matins · kathisma 5Psalms 32–36›
- At Vespers · kathisma 6Psalms 37–45›
This is the usual rule. In Great Lent the Psalter is read twice a week, and the kathismata are divided differently.
Word of the day
If at the beginning we forced ourselves even a little, afterwards we would be able to do everything easily and with joy. The labour of virtue is great, but the reward is greater and higher than the labour. Do you want to do good without toil? Tell yourself that the toil is temporary, and the reward eternal.
— St Nilus of Sinai · #
Icons of the day's saints — from our shop
For every day — candles and incense
Honey (Beeswax) Candles, 50 pieces
Incense, Grade III
Charcoal for the Liturgy
Censer
Icon: Icon of Christ — Sinai, 6th c. · Public domain