Today, April 14 is the feast of Saints ZENAIDA, PHILONELLA, AND HERMIONE, Unmercenary Physicians, c.100, c.117![]()
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Zenaida, Philonella, and Hermione were three early Christian women who are commemorated in the Orthodox Church as the first “unmercenary physicians”- Christian medical doctors who offered their skill to everyone and refused to accept payment.![]()
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According to Orthodox tradition, Zenaida and Philonella were sisters, born into a well-educated and wealthy Jewish family in the city of Tarsus. They were baptized by their brother Jason after his conversion and ordination as a priest.![]()
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Both sisters were said to be well-educated in philosophy and medicine, but were unable to find employment in either field in an age when both professions were controlled by men. Therefore, they built a chapel, two cells, and a medical clinic on the outskirts of the city of Thessaly, where they devoted themselves to treating all who came to them regardless of their ability to pay, and refused to accept money for their services.![]()
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Philonella was particularly skilled in experimental treatments, and Zenaida specialized in pediatric medicine and the treatment of psychological disorders, particularly depression. Zenaida became particularly renowned as a spiritual director as well as a physician. Three of her male disciples founded a monastery a short distance away from the sisters. Varying accounts are given of their death, with one tradition relating that they were martyred, and others relating that they continued in their ministry until dying peacefully of old age.![]()
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Hermione is the third woman to be given the title of “unmercenary physician.” She is reported to be one of the daughters of Philip the Deacon (Acts 6). After studying medicine in Caesarea, she went to Ephesus in the hopes of meeting the Apostle John, but he found that had already died. She therefore used her income to open up a medical clinic, with the help of her younger sister Eukhidia. Eventually, she expanded the clinic into a residential facility to allow for more extended treatment. Orthodox Christians believe that this was the first example of a Christian hospital, and it became the inspiration for later developments in Christian medical care, particularly in the Christian East.![]()
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Prayer:![]()
Merciful God, whose most dear Son came to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, and preach the gospel to the poor; Teach us by the example of your servants, Zenaida, Philonella, and Hermione to freely give even as we have freely received; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Emmanuel Church E-Newsletter for 2nd Sunday of Easter - mailchi.mp/orcasepiscopal/e-news_2_sunday_easter_2021
Some photos of our 6am Easter sunrise Eucharist. Our first in person worship gathering and our first Eucharist in over a year! Still with Covid restricions (masks, sanitizers, limited attendance, outdoors, tracing log) but 34 of us gathered to celebrate the hope fulfilled that life triumphs over death!![]()
Alleluia. Christ is risen!![]()
Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia, alleluia!![]()
![]()
"The long day![]()
stretched into night![]()
and time crept onward![]()
towards the new day.![]()
With the first gold of dawn![]()
came a resurrection,![]()
a new hope that grew![]()
with the rising sun,![]()
and went out to a waiting world."![]()
Jean Murdoch
Remembering today not only Easter but the 53 anniversary of the assasination/martyrdom of the Rev. Dr. Martin Kuther King Jr. ![]()
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APRIL 4: MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., Pastor and Martyr, 1968![]()
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15th, 1929, in Atlanta. As ![]()
the son and grandson of Baptist preachers, he was steeped in the ![]()
Black Church tradition. Following graduation from Morehouse ![]()
College (Atlanta, Georgia) in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological ![]()
Seminary (Chester, Pennsylvania), having been ordained the ![]()
previous year into the ministry of the National Baptist Church. He ![]()
graduated from Crozer in 1951 and received his doctorate in ![]()
theology from Boston University in 1955. ![]()
In 1954, King became pastor of a church in Montgomery, Alabama. ![]()
There, Black indignation at inhumane treatment on segregated ![]()
buses culminated in December, 1955, in the arrest of Rosa Parks for ![]()
refusing to give up her seat to a white man. King was catapulted into ![]()
national prominence as the leader of the Montgomery bus boycott. ![]()
He became increasingly the articulate prophet, who could not only ![]()
rally the Black masses, but could also move the consciences of ![]()
Whites. ![]()
King founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to ![]()
spearhead non-violent mass demonstrations against racism. Many ![]()
confrontations followed, most notably in Birmingham and Selma, ![]()
Alabama, and in Chicago. King’s campaigns were instrumental ![]()
to the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, 1965, and 1968. King ![]()
then turned his attention to economic empowerment of the poor and ![]()
to opposition to the Vietnam War, contending that racism, poverty, ![]()
and militarism were interrelated. He was awarded the Nobel Peace ![]()
Prize in 1964 for his commitment to non-violent social change. ![]()
King lived in constant danger: his home was dynamited, he was ![]()
almost fatally stabbed, and he was harassed by death threats. He was ![]()
even jailed 30 times; but through it all he was sustained by his deep ![]()
faith. In 1957, he received, late at night, a vicious telephone threat. ![]()
Alone in his kitchen he wept and prayed. He relates that he heard the ![]()
Lord speaking to him and saying, “Martin Luther, stand up for ![]()
righteousness, stand up for justice,” and promising never to leave ![]()
![]()
him alone—“No, never alone.” King refers to his vision as his ![]()
“Mountain-top Experience.” ![]()
After preaching at Washington Cathedral on March 31st, 1968, King ![]()
went to Memphis in support of sanitation workers in their struggle ![]()
for better wages. There, he proclaimed that he had been “to the ![]()
mountain-top” and had seen “the Promised Land,” and that he knew ![]()
that one day he and his people would be “free at last.” On the ![]()
following day, April 4th, he was cut down by an assassin’s bullet. ![]()
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Almighty God, by the hand of Moses your servant you led ![]()
your people out of slavery, and made them free at last: Grant that ![]()
your Church, following the example of your prophet Martin Luther ![]()
King, may resist oppression in the name of your love, and may strive ![]()
to secure for all your children the blessed liberty of the Gospel of ![]()
Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one ![]()
God, now and forever. Amen.