Apostle Zacchaeus of the Seventy, Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, he who was called down from the Sycamore tree by Jesus, according to the Gospel of Luke (1st century)
Martyrs Acindinus, Antoninus, Victor, Zenon, Zoticus, Theonas, Caesareus, Severian and Christophoros (284-305)
Venerable Theodore Trichinas (“the Hair-Shirt Wearer”), hermit near Constantinople (400)
Martyrs Sulpicius and Servilian, martyrs in Rome who were beheaded under Trajan (c. 117)
Saint Marcian of Auxerre, a monk at the Monastery of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Auxerre (c. 470)
Saint Theotimus, Bishop of Tomis in Moesia (Lesser Scythia) (407)
Blessed Gregory (593) and Anastasius I (599), Patriarchs of Antioch.
Hieromartyr Anastasius II, Patriarch of Antioch (609)
Venerable Anastasius Sinaita, Abbot of the Monastery of St. Catherine at Sinai (c. 700) (see also: April 21)
Venerable Ioannis the Palaiolavritis (“of the Old Lavra”), at St. Chariton’s Monastery, in the Judean Desert
Venerable Saints Athanasius (1380) and Ioasaph (1422) of Meteora, Abbots.
Translation of the relics (1991) of St. Nikolai (Velimirovich), Bishop of Ochrid and Zhicha (1956) from America to Serbia.
Repose of Schemamonk Ignatius of St. Nicephorus Monastery in Olonets (1852)
The holy Apostle Zacchaeus
by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
At first, Zacchaeus was a tax collector and a sinner. When our Lord saw him in Jericho in a tree and entered his home, Zacchaeus was brought to repentance. “He (Jesus) came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed the sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, Who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him: `Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.’ And he came down quickly and received Him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, `He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.’ But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, `Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” And Jesus said to him, ` today salvation has come to this house because this man is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost” (St. Luke 19: 1-10). Later on, Zacchaeus followed the Apostle Peter who appointed him bishop of Caesarea in Palestine where he faithfully served the Gospel and died peacefully.(*)
The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
http://livingorthodoxfaith.blogspot.com/2009/12/prologue-april-20-may-3.html
Hymn of Praise
Saint Anastasius
by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
Anastasius, the God-bearing father,
Upon himself assumed prayerful labor and fasting,
Mortification he maintained, long and persistent,
Until, with the spirit, he learned the mysteries.
Then, his honey-mouth he opened:
Christ is, says he, the rock of salvation.
Do not insanely say: He was a long time ago,
Where is He now in order to speak to me?
The Good News, his Covenant Holy,
Who is able to resist it?
It speaks to you in place of Christ Himself,
That is His All-Pure Mouth!
Again, you speak: I desire to see Him!
Look with your whole mind and heart
At Holy Communion, from wine and bread,
There, in the flesh is He; what else do you need?
Repent, O brother, repent of your sins,
A thousand deaths around you stand!
To your spiritual father, your sins confess,
After that, drink His Blood and eat His Body.
Only repent. If you begin with repentance
You will live with justice and shining hope.
Repent, O brother, repent of your sins,
A thousand deaths, around you stand!
The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
http://livingorthodoxfaith.blogspot.com/2009/12/prologue-april-20-may-3.html
St. Nikolai Velimirovic comments on the Gospel of Zacchaeus
“Christ said a number of times that He had come into this world for the sake of sinners, and especially for the greatest sinners. As a doctor does not visit the healthy but the sick, so the Lord visits those with the sickness of sin, not those with the health of righteousness. It is not said in the Gospel that the Lord, on this occasion, visited any righteous man in Jericho, but He made haste to visit the house of the sinful Zacchaeus. Does not every sensible doctor behave in this way when he goes into a hospital? Does he not go straight to the beds of the most gravely ill? The whole world represents a great hospital, full to overflowing with sick men and women infected by sin. All men are sick in comparison with Christ’s health; all are weak in comparison with Christ’s power; all are ugly in comparison with Christ’s beauty. But there are, among men, the sick and the sicker, the weak and the weaker, the ugly and the uglier. The former are considered righteous and the latter sinful.
And the heavenly Physician, who did not come on earth for His own satisfaction but for the urgent healing and salvation of the infected, hastened first to the aid of the worst infected. To this end, He ate and drank with sinners, permitted sinners to weep over His feet, and entered into Zacchaeus’ house.”
(Homilies, p. 339-340)
Becoming Zacchaeus, “Today, salvation has come to this house” Saint Nikolai Velimirovich and Fr. Zacharias Zacharou
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2019/01/26/zacchaeus-today-salvation-has-come-to-this-house-saint-nikolai-velimirovich-and-anthony-bloom-metropolitan-of-sourozh/
Apolytikion of Apostle Zachaias
Third Tone
Having justly hated unjust riches, thou didst lay up treasures of salvation; for, receiving the Saviour within thy house, thou, O Zacchaeus, wast truly made marvelous with all the fruits of repentance thou broughtest forth: deeds of mercy, the correction of wrongs, and godly life, because of which we honour thee and call thee blest.
Kontakion of Apostle Zachaias
Fourth Tone
When He that bowed the Heavens came to save sinners, Zacchaeus, great in zeal, but little of stature, beheld the Tree of Life from in the sycamore; lifted above the earth, he saw Jesus, Who called him: coming down in lowliness, he repenting, received Him; and so salvation came into his house, and he was shown forth a true son of Abraham.
Tropar Saint Nikolai Velimirovich (Tone 8)
O golden-tongued preacher, proclaiming the Risen Christ,
Everlasting guide of the Cross-bearing Serbian people,
Resounding harp of the Holy Spirit, and dear to monastics who rejoice in you,
Pride and boast of the priesthood, teacher of repentance, master for all nations,
Guide of those in the army of Christ as they pray to God,
Holy Nicholas, teacher in America and pride of the Serbian people,
With all the saints, implore the only Lover of Mankind
To grant us peace and joy in His Heavenly Kingdom.