Sunday of the Canaanite – Removal of the Relics of Ignatius
Sunday IZ’ Matthew / Mass, Matthew 13 Sunday- Collection of the Holy Relics of the Holy Hieromartyr Ignatius of Theophoros!
The Hierarchical Commissioner of Delos and Mykonos Most Reverend Fr.. Petros Maragos celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Metropolitan Church of Megali Panagia, in Mykonos Town, on the Sunday of Matthew XVI 29 January 2023, flanked by the elder Fr. George Kousathanas, with the praying presence of the Mykonian faithful.
Gospel Reading
The Reading is from the Gospel According to Matthew 15:21-28
Gospel Reading: Matthew. ιε΄, 21-28 (29-01-2023)
I hang it there, Jesus went out to the places of Tire and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from those borders came forth and cried out to him, saying: have mercy on me, Sir, son of David, my daughter is badly possessed. He did not respond to this reason. And when his disciples came, they greeted him, saying, let her go, that screams behind us. And he answered and said: the unsullied of the house of Israel were not sent to the sheep.. And the woman who came worshiped him saying: Lord, ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν · οὐκ ἀπεστάλην εἰ μὴ εἰς τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ. And he answered and said: It is not good for them to take the children's bread and put it on the altars.. She didn't say yes, Lord; and for the cypresses are kindled from the souls of the drinkers from the table of these masters. Then answered Jesus she said: O woman, your faith is great! be born to you as you wish. And her daughter was healed from that hour.
The Divine Word was proclaimed by His Holiness to the large congregation during the Gospel reading of the day.
“With today's Gospel passage, the Church wants to show us how essential faith in Jesus Christ is for our lives. Chananaia also had such great faith which shows p’ all of us the path we must follow to obtain this faith in our lives.
Saint Hieromartyr Ignatius celebrates on 20 December, he was a student of the Holy Apostles and served as the second Bishop of Antioch. Has been, together with the Bishop of the Church of Smyrna Polykarpos, disciple of the Evangelist John the Theologian. He was martyred under the emperor Trajan (98 – 117 A.D.)!
After his horrible martyrdom, the beasts devoured him, the Christians collected his remaining holy relics from the hippodrome and carried them to Antioch”.
