Today (7 May) in the calendar of early western saints we commemorate SS Serenicus and Serenus – troparion from Acathistes et offices orthodoxes:
Ton 2 Tropaire aux saints Sérénic et Sénéré, ermites, (Natalice au 7ème siècle)

Fils d’un médecin de Spolète en Italie,*
Ayant pris l’habit de moines bénédictins,*
Vous êtes venus en France pour être ermites,*
Et pratiquer l’ascèse sur les bords de Sarthe.*
Dieu montra votre sainteté par des miracles,*
Saints Sérénic et Sérène, priez pour nous!

Sons of a doctor of Spoleto in Italy,
Having taken the habit of Benedictine monks,
You went to France to live as hermits
And practise the ascetic life on the banks of the Sarthe.
God demonstrated your sanctity by miracles:
Holy Serenicus and Serenus, pray for us!

Today (6 May) in the calendar of early British saints we commemorate St Edbert (Eadberht), bishop of Lindisfarne (698).

from celt-saints: ‘St. Edbert (Eadbert, Eadbeorht) Bishop of Lindisfarne. Died May 6, 698. When Saint Cuthbert, bishop of Lindisfarne, died in 687, he was succeeded by Saint Edbert. The venerable Bede wrote that Edbert was a man noted for his knowledge of the Scriptures and for his obedience to God’s commandments, and especially for his generosity. Bede tells us that Saint Edbert every year “obeyed the law of the Old Testament by giving one tenth of all his cattle, his crops, his fruit, and his clothing to the poor.”

Eleven years after Cuthbert’s death, his coffin was opened and the body was found to be incorrupt, the joints still pliable and the clothing fresh and bright. Edbert kissed the clothing that had covered the saint’s body, then ordered that new garments be put on the saint and a new coffin made. The coffin, he said, must be given a place of honour. And he instructed his monks to leave a space under it for his own grave, which he filled within a very short time.

Edbert imitated his predecessor in other acts of godliness, spending 40 days in solitary meditation twice annually (the Lent and before Christmas) on a small island, and building fine churches for the worship of God. He installed a leaden roof on the wooden church built by Saint Finan and dedicated to Saint Peter on Lindisfarne. Edbert lies, like Cuthbert, in Durham Cathedral, for the bodies of both saints were carried there in 875 after many years of being moved around to escape the marauders from Scandinavia (Benedictines, Bentley, Farmer, Husenbeth).’

wikipedia
lindisfarne.org.uk for a couple of dozen articles on little-known saints of the North
Bede, via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library

Ton 4 Tropaire à saint Eadbert, évêque de Lindisfarne, (Natalice en 698 A.D.)
Tu succédas à saint Cuthbert de Lindisfarne,*
Tu découvris ses reliques incorrompues
Et tu fus un hiérarque pieux et généreux,*
Partageant tout avec les pauvres du Seigneur.*
Et tu naquis au Ciel dans la paix éternelle*
Saint Eadbert, prie le Christ d’avoir pitié de nous!

You succeeded St Cuthbert as bishop of Lindisfarne
and discovered his incorrupt relics;
and you were a devout and generous hierarch,
sharing everything with the Lord’s poor.
And you were born into heaven in eternal peace:
Holy St Eadbert, pray to Christ to have mercy on us!

French (original, I think) from Acathistes et offices orthodoxes post for today, translation mine.
 

Holy St Eadberht, pray to God for us.



Today (5 May) in the wider calendar of early western saints, we commemorate St Maurant and St Hilarius of Arles. French troparia from Acathistes et offices orthodoxes:

Ton 2 Tropaire à saint Maurant, moine, (Natalice en 350 A.D.)

Baptisè par saint Riquier, au pays flamand,*
Tu demeuras longtemps à la cour de Clovis,*
Par un appel du Dieu miséricordieux,*
Tu refusas le mariage pour entrer*
Au monastère de Marchiennes où tu fus moine.*
Saint Maurant, prie le Seigneur de sauver nos âmes!

Baptised by St Riquier, in the Flemish lands,
You stayed for a long time at the court of King Clovis.
Because of a call from the merciful God,
You refused marriage in order to enter
the monastery of Marchiennes, where you became a monk.
St Maurant, pray to the Lord to save our souls!

+
Ton 4 Tropaire à saint Hilaire, évêque d’Arles, (Natalice en 449 A.D.)

Originaire d’Hellade, tu fus mandé*
Par ton parent saint Honorat moine à Lérins.*
Tu lui succédas un jour comme évêque d’Arles,*
Et tu devins métropolite de Provence,*
Présidant les Conciles d’Orange et Vaison.*
Saint Hilaire, prie Dieu d’avoir de nous mercy!

A native of Hellas (Greece or the hellenic lands), you were summmoned
by your kinsman St Honoratus as a monk to Lérins.
You succeeded him as bishop of Arles
and became Metropolitan of Provence,
presiding over the Councils of Orange and Vaison.
Holy St Hilary, pray to God to have mercy on us!

Today (4 May) in the wider calendar of early western saints, a number of troparia from Acathistes et offices orthodoxes:

Ton 2 Tropaire à saint Florian de Lorsch, martyr, (Natalice en 304 A.D.)

Ancien officier de l’armée romaine, à Lorsch*
Tu vins au secours des chrétiens persécutés,*
Tu voulus les réconforter dans leur prison,*
Et tu fus arrêté, jugé et puis noyé,*
Achevant par le martyre ta vie en Christ.*
Saint Florian, prie le Seigneur de sauver nos âmes!

Formerly an officer in the Roman army, at Lorsch
You came to the help of persecuted Christians,
You wished to comfort them in their prison,
and you were arrested, tried and then drowned,
fulfilling by martyrdom your life in Christ.
Holy Florian, pray to the Lord to save our souls!

+

Ton 4 Tropaire à saint Ethelred, roi de Mercie, (Natalice en 716 A.D.)

Tu régnas pendant trente années sur la Mercie,*
Puis laissant la gloire et le pouvoir de ce siècle,*
Tu te retiras au saint monastère de Bardney,*
Menant une vie édifiante avec les moines,*
Rejoignant dans la paix le Souverain du Ciel.*
Saint Ethelred, prie Dieu pour qu’Il sauve nos âmes!

You reigned for thirty years over Merica,
Then, leaving the glory and power of that age,
retired to the holy monastery of Bardney,
Leading an edifying life with the monks,
and joining in the peac of the Lord of Heaven.
Holy Ethelred, pray to God that He save our souls!

+

Ton 6 Tropaire à saint Antoine, moine, (Natalice au 6ème siècle)

Mandé par le père des moines d’Occident,*
Saint Benoît de Nursie vers l’église de Tours,*
Tu fondas le monastère de saint Julien,*
Puis tu allas en solitaire près la Loire.*
Où tu t’endormis dans la paix que donne Dieu.*
Saint Antoine, prie le Christ pour notre salut!

Summoned by the father of western monks,
St Benedict of Nursia, to the church of Tours,
You founded the monastery of St Julien,
Then became a solitary near the Loire,
where you fell asleep in the peace which God gives.
St Anthony, pray to Christ for our salvation!

+

Ton 7 Tropaire à saint Malou, évêque de Senlis, (Natalice au 6ème siècle)

Hiérarque béni de la ville de Senlis,*
Tu fus renommé pour ta douce charité,*
Car ayant été méprisé par Chilpéric,*
Tu fus le seul à te préoccuper du roi,*
Lorsqu’assassiné, il resta sans sépulture.*
Saint Malou, supplie le Seigneur de nous sauver!

Blessed hierarch of the city of Senlis,
You were renowned for your gently charity,
For having been scorned by Chilperic,
You were the only one to concern yourself with the king
When, having been assissinated, he remained unburied.
St Malou, entreat the Lord to save us!

+

Ton 8 Tropaire à saint Marcoul, higoumène, (Natalice en 558 A.D.)

Venant de Bayeux tu allas au monastère,*
Sur l’île de Jersey, tu partais en ermite,*
Mais tu revenais prêcher sur le continent.*
Missionnaire infatigable de l’Evangile,*
Tu illuminas une multitude d’âmes.*
Saint Marcoul, prie le Seigneur de sauver nos âmes!

From Bayeux, you entered a monastery
on the island of Jersey; you left as a hermit,
but returned to preach on the Continent.
Indefatigable missionary of the Gospel,
you illuminated a multirude of souls.
St Marcoul, pray to the Lord to save our souls!

+

Ton 1 Tropaire à saint Jacques, diacre-martyr à Bergame (Natalice en 380 A.D.)

Diacre de Bergame, un jour pendant un office,*
Alors que tu prêchais la parole du Christ,*
Un groupe d’ariens pénétrant dans le saint lieu,*
Te tuèrent par haine de l’Orthodoxie.*
Ô saint martyr Jacques de la foi droite et juste,*
Prie le Seigneur d’avoir de nous grande mercy!

Deacon of Bergamo, one day during the Office
Even as you preached the word of Christ,
A group of Aryans entered the holy place
and killed you out of hatred for Orthodoxy.
O holy martyr James of right and just faith,
Pray to the Lord to have great mercy on us.

Today (27 April) in the calendar of early British saints, we commemorate St. Winewald, abbot of Beverley (751).

Not much information about him; sources are all borrowing from each other, I suppose, and concur that he was the second abbot of Beverley Minster (oh what a lovely church that is, later than Winewald though) and quite a successful one at that. There should be a synaxis of the saints of Beverley…

Holy Father Winewald, pray to God for us.

Several troparia of early western saints translated from M Lopez-Ginisty’s post for today (26 April); more details perhaps in future posts, but this for now:

Tone 2 Troparion to St Anacletus, Orthodox Pope of Rome (+88)

Successor of St Linus in the city of Rome,
You directed the western Church
and during the persecution of [Christians under the Emperor] Domitian
You gave up your life on the altar of martyrdom.
Holy Anacletus, Good Shepherd of the Lord Christ,
Pray to God that he grant us salvation!

+

Tone 3 Troparion to St Exuperantia, martyr (+380)

Native of Troyes, you desired from your childhood
To consecrate yourself to a life in accordance with the Gospel.
In your spiritual life you were aided
By the Fathers of the monastery of St Ours.
Holy Exuperantia, wise virgin of Christ,
Pray to Him to grant salvation to our souls!

+

Tone 4 Troparion to St Riquier, missionary and hermit in Picardy (+645)

Converted to Christ by Irish monks,
You cared for lepers, and then became a missionary.
You founded the holy monastery of Centula [St-Riquier],
And having attained to a life pleasing to God
You became a hermit in the forest of Crécy.
Holy Father Riquier, pray to the Lord to save our souls!

icon from WSIP

Today (21 April) in the calendar of early British saints, we commemorate St Maelrubha of Applecross (Apurcrossan) and Knapdale. From Baring-Gould:

S. MAELRUBHA, MK. M. (a.d. 722.)

[Irish Martyrologies on April 21 ; Scottish on Aug. 27. Authorities : —  Aberdeen Breviary, &c., see “S. Maelrubha, his History and Churches,” by W. Reeves, D.D. Edinb. 1861, in Proceed. Soc. Antiq. Scot., iii. p. 258. For a curious account of heathen sacrifices offered to this saint, and of the feelings of the clergy on the subject in the 17th cent., see Dr. Mitchell’s paper, ‘ ‘ On Various Superstitions in the North-west Highlands and Islands,” ibid., iv. p. 251.]

S. Maelrubha was bom in 642, of an ancient Irish royal family ; he was descended on his father’s side in a direct line from Niall of the Nine Hostages, and at an early age he became a member of the monastic community of S. Comgal, his mother’s relative, at Banchor in Ireland.

In A.D. 671, when he was aged twenty-nine, he went to Alba, and after two years he founded Apurcrossan in Mearns, where he resided for fifty-one years. He also founded a church on an island in Loch-maree, which takes its name from him. According to Irish accounts he died a natural death, at the age of eighty, at Apurcrossan, but the Scottish accounts are more likely to be correct, which say that he was killed by the Northmen. He lay for three days wounded before he expired, and then a wooden church was built over the spot, which afterwards was made the parochial church, and is now called Urquard. His body was translated to his monastery at Apurcrossan.

The name of this saint, made up of consonants apt to be liquefied, occurs in many transmutations, such as Mulruby, Mulrew, Melriga, Marow, Murruy, Arrow, Errew, Olron, Ro, Rufus, and, taking in his title, Summaruff, Samarevis, and Summereve.

=*=*=

More:

Catholic Encyclopedia

about the locality of Knapdale/Applecross

wikipedia

more local history from Applecross

Holy Father Maelrubha, pray to God for us

Not much in the British calendars today, but at least I can translate M Lopez-Ginisty’s troparia for two western saints commemorated on 20 April:

Ton 2 Saint Marcellin, évêque d’Embrun, (Natalice en 374 A.D.)

D’Afrique, avec saint Dominus et saint Vincent,*
Tu arrivas en missionnaire dans les Alpes.*
Lors, tu construisis une église à Embrun,*
Tu luttas contre l’hérésie de l’arianisme,*
Et saint Eusèbe de Verceil te fit évêque.*
Saint Marcellin, prie le Seigneur de nous sauver!

From Africa, with St Domninus and St Vincent,
You arrived in the Alps as a missionary.
Then, when you built a church at Embrun,
You struggled against the heresy of Arianism,
And St Eusebius of Vercelli made you a bishop.
Saint Marcellinus, pray to the Lord to save us!

Ton 3 Tropaire à sainte Grimonie, martyre, (Natalice au 4ème siècle)

Princesse d’Irlande fidèle à Jésus-Christ,*
Pour éviter l’hymen, tu as quitté ton île,*
Et tu as vécu en ermite en Vandermois.*
Mais ton père ayant découvert ton pieux refuge,*
Tu déposas ta vie sur l’autel du martyre.*
Sainte Grimonie, prie Dieu de sauver nos âmes!

Princess of Ireland, faithful to Jesus Christ,
You left your island in order to evade marriage,
And lived as a hermit in Vandermois.
But when your father discovered your pious refuge,
You gave up your life on the altar of martyrdom.
Saint Grimonia, pray to God to save our souls!

 

A Russian friend posted this joyous Serbian song this morning – what a lovely Easter present! so I pass it on to you 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuczNQonTXQ

Ljudi likujte, narodi čujte: Hristos voskrse, radost donese!
Zvezde igrajte, gore pevajte, Hristos voskrese, radost donese!

Šume šumite, vetri brujite, Hristos voskrse, radost donese!
Mora gudite, zveri ričite, Hristos voskrse, radost donese!

Pčele se rojte, a ptice pojte Hristos voskrse, radost donese!
Anđeli stojte, pesmu utrojte, Hristos voskrse, radost donese!

Nebo se snizi, zemlju uzvisi, Hristos voskrse, radost donese!
Zvona zvonite, svima javite, Hristos voskrse, radost donese!

Slava ti Bože, sve ti se može, Hristos voskrse, radost donese!
Slava ti Bože, sve ti se može, Hristos voskrse, radost donese!

=*=*=

People rejoice, all nations listen: Christ is risen! Let us rejoice!
Dance all ye stars and sing all ye mountains: Christ is risen! Let us rejoice!

Whisper ye woods and blow all ye winds: Christ is risen! Let us rejoice!
O seas proclaim and roar all ye beasts: Christ is risen! Let us rejoice!

Buzz all ye bees and sing all ye birds: Christ is risen! Let us rejoice!
All angels join us, singing this song: Christ is risen! Let us rejoice!

Come down ye heavens, draw near the earth: Christ is risen! Let us rejoice!
Ring, O ye bells, let everyone hear: Christ is risen! Let us rejoice!

Glory to Thee, Almighty God! Christ is risen! Let us rejoice!
Glory to Thee, Almighty God! Christ is risen! Let us rejoice!

 

Do not lament Me, O Mother, seeing Me in the tomb,

the Son conceived in the womb without seed; 

for I shall arise, and be glorified; 

and, as God, I shall unceasingly exalt 

all who extol Thee in faith and in love.

Paschal Nocturns – 9th Ode