Fasting Rules
Meat
Abstain
Fish
Allowed
Dairy
Abstain
Oil
Allowed
Wine
Allowed
Saints & Commemorations
Holy Apostle Andrew the First Called
Our Venerable Father Frumentius, first Bishop of Ethiopia (4th c.)
During the reign of St Constantine the Great, an explorer named Meropus set out to explore lands along the Red Sea, previously unknown to the Roman world. The expedition’s ship was attacked by pirates and all the company killed except two young men named Frumentius and Edesius. They were sold into slavery in the court of the Ethiopian King of Axum, where they distinguished themselves so well that they became palace stewards and were able to obtain freedom of Christian worship for merchants trading in the Kingdom. E
During the reign of St Constantine the Great, an explorer named Meropus set out to explore lands along the Red Sea, previously unknown to the Roman world. The expedition’s ship was attacked by pirates and all the company killed except two young men named Frumentius and Edesius. They were sold into slavery in the court of the Ethiopian King of Axum, where they distinguished themselves so well that they became palace stewards and were able to obtain freedom of Christian worship for merchants trading in the Kingdom. Eventually the young men returned to Roman territory, and Frumentius went to St Athanasius the Great of Alexandria to tell him of his travels and of the great thirst of the Ethiopian people for the Gospel of Christ. Saint Athanasius consecrated Frumentius as first Bishop of Abyssinia and sent him back to Axum to establish the Church in that kingdom. Through his apostolic zeal, tireless travels, and miracles and healings, the holy Bishop was able convert many pagans and establish many churches in Ethiopia, though the Kingdom did not become officially Christian until the sixth century. Saint Frumentius reposed in peace in his adopted country, and his relics worked many miracles. The Church of Ethiopia traces its origin to the apostolic work of the Ethiopian eunuch baptized by the Apostle Philip in the Book of Acts, who “went on his way rejoicing” to Ethiopia and first proclaimed the Gospel there. Thus, it seems there was already a Christian presence in the country when Frumentius arrived: this may be the source of the statement in his biography that he found the Ethiopian people thirsty for the Good News.
Scripture Readings
☩Epistle
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
9
For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;
10
Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
11
Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.
12
And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
13
To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
☩Gospel
Luke 19:45-48
45
And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;
46
Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.
47
And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,
48
And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.
Liturgical data sourced from OCA.org and orthocal.info