Daily Readings

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Our Venerable Father Titus the Wonderworker.

Day 31 of the Great Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 8: The divine image was faithfully preserved in you, O father,* for taking up the Cross you followed Christ.* By your deeds you have taught us to see beyond flesh, which passes,* and care for the soul, a thing immortal.* and so, O Venerable Titus,* your spirit rejoices with the angels.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 4: You forsook the tumlt of life;* you lived your life in tranquillity, wise one!* You have passed over to God, venerable wonderworker, Titus our father.

Sixth Hour Reading

Isaiah 41:4-14

Who worked and performed these things? He called righteousness, He who calls it from generations of old. I, God, am the first, and into the future I Am. The Gentiles saw His righteousness and feared. The ends of the earth drew near and came together, each one judging for his neighbor, that he might help his brother. One will say, ‘The craftsman is strong, as is the metalworker who strikes with the hammer and forges at the same time.’ Sometimes one will say, ‘It is put together well, and they fastened it with nails. They arranged them, and they shall not be moved.’

“But you, O Israel, are My servant, and Jacob, whom I chose, the seed of Abraham, whom I loved. I took you from the ends of the earth, and called you from its height. I said to you, ‘You are My servant. I chose you, and have not forsaken you. Fear not, for I am with you. Do not go astray, for I am your God who strengthens you; and I will help and secure you with My righteous right hand.’ Behold, all your adversaries shall be put to shame and disgraced. For they shall be as though they did not exist, and all who oppose you shall perish. You shall seek but not find the men who rage against you, for those who war against you shall be as though they did not exist. For I am your God who holds your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not.’ O Jacob, O Israel, few in number, I will help you, and I will redeem you, O Israel,” says God.

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS ON WEDNESDAY EVENING

At Psalm 140

Tone 3

Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.

Even more than all others, I have sinned of my own will,* and for that, I am condemned;* the arrogance of my flesh is the enemy of my soul.* O guide for those who have lost their way* and light for those without hope,* save me, O Lord, before I completely perish.

The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.

For the Prophet says,* my soul shall live and shall praise You, O Lord.* I am the lost sheep;* call me back and number me among Your flock.* Give me time to repent that I may sigh and cry out to You:* Save me, O Lord, before I completely perish.

Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!

Greatly despising Your commandments,* I have sinned, O Christ our God.* Spare me, O Benefactor,* that my inner eye may be freed from darkness;* and in fear I shall cry out to You:* Save me, O Lord, before I completely perish.

Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.

Having been encircled by wild beasts,* I beseech You to deliver me from their clutches, O Lord.* You wish that all be saved* and come to the knowledge of the truth;* save all Your people, O Creator,* that I may be saved with them;* save me, O Lord, before I completely perish.

If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.

I am lying here in sin;* heal me, O Redeemer and Benefactor;* be not far from me, O Saviour.* Raise me up, O almighty One,* that I may confess all my sins and cry to You:* Save me, O Lord, before I completely perish.

I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.

Just as the foolish servant,* I have hidden the talent You gave me;* I have buried it in the ground.* I have been condemned as useless,* and I dare not ask for anything more.* In Your goodness, spare me,* that I may also cry to You:* Save me, O Lord, before I completely perish.

From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.

Kindly, You dried up the marsh of her passions,* when the woman with the flow of blood touched Your garment.* I have received the forgiveness of my sins* by drawing near to You in complete faith;* receive me, as You accepted her, and heal me of my grief;* save me, O Lord, before I completely perish.

For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

Lord, Your word has made heaven and earth,* and You shall come to sit upon a throne;* and we shall all stand in Your presence and confess our sins.* Before that day comes, receive my repentance;* save me, O Lord, before I completely perish.

Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.

Mercifully look upon me and spare me, O Saviour;* pour out the streams of healing upon my poor and afflicted soul.* Purify it from all stain* so that I may sing to You:* Save me, O Lord, before I completely perish.

Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.

Now my soul has been quickly assailed by the sword that the devil prepared;* he has made me a stranger to the light of Your face, O Lord.* But, by the power of Your arm,* draw me up from his jaws;* save me, O Lord, before I completely perish.

Glory…

Your love is beyond expression, O merciful and good Lord!* You alone are without sin!* Do not reject me far from Your face,* that, with thanksgiving and with joy,* I may sing and cry out to You:* Save me, O Lord, before I completely perish.

Now…

Zealously, we sing of the ineffable condescension of God!* It is a miraculous and wondrous birth!* How has the Virgin carried You in her arms as a child,* for You are her Creator and her God?* O Benefactor, who willed to become incarnate from her,* save me before I completely perish, O Lord.

Prokeimenon I, Tone 4

O Lord, God of vengeance,* show Yourself.

verse: Rise up, O Judge of the earth; give the proud what they deserve!

Reading I

Genesis 17:1-9

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am your God; be pleasing before Me and blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be your God and the God of your seed after you. Also I will give you and your seed after you the land you are occupying as a sojourner, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.”

Prokeimenon II, Tone 6

O sing to the Lord a new song,* sing to the Lord all the earth!

verse: O sing to the Lord; bless His name.

Reading II

Proverbs 15:20-16:9

A longsuffering man will extinguish condemnations,
But the ungodly man stirs up more.
The ways of idle men are strewn with thorny plants,
But the thorny plants of the courageous are worn smooth.
A wise son gladdens a father,
But a son without discernment treats his mother with contempt.
The paths of one without understanding are in need of discernment,
But a man with discernment walks uprightly.
Those not honoring councils defer their deliberations,
But counsel remains in the hearts of those who resolve to do it.
The evil man will not obey counsel,
Nor will he speak anything appropriate, even something for the common good.
The thoughts of a wise man are his ways of life,
That he might turn aside and be saved from Hades.
The Lord will destroy the houses of the arrogant,
But He will strengthen the boundary of a widow.
The thinking of the unrighteous man is an abomination to the Lord,
But the words of the holy are sacred.
He who receives bribes utterly destroys himself,
But he who hates the receiving of bribes saves himself.
Sins are cleansed by almsgiving and faithfulness,
And by the fear of the Lord everyone turns aside from evil.
The hearts of the righteous care about faithfulness,
But the mouth of the ungodly answers evil things.
The ways of righteous men are acceptable before the Lord,
And through them even enemies become friends.
God is far from the ungodly,
But He hears the prayers of the righteous.
Better is a small yield with the righteous
Than abundant fruits with the unrighteous.
Let the heart of a man think righteous things
That he may make his steps straight under God.
The eye that beholds good things gladdens the heart,
But a good report enriches the bones.
He who rejects instruction hates himself,
But he who gives heed to reproofs loves his soul.
The fear of God is instruction and wisdom,
And the beginning of glory will respond to it.
All the works of the humble are evident before the Lord,
But the ungodly will be destroyed in the evil day.
Every high-hearted man is unclean before the Lord,
And he who joins hands with the unrighteous will not go unpunished.
The beginning of a good way is to do righteous things,
And this is more acceptable to God than to offer sacrifices.
He who seeks the Lord will find knowledge with righteousness,
And those who seek Him rightly will find peace.
All the works of the Lord are with righteousness,
But the ungodly man is kept for an evil day.
There is an oracle on the lips of a king,
And his mouth does not err in judgment.
The weight of a scale is righteousness before the Lord,
For His works are righteous standards.
He who does evil things is an abomination to a king,
For the throne of a ruler is prepared with righteousness.
Righteous lips are acceptable to a king,
And he loves upright words.

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Our Venerable Father and Confessor Nicetas, Hegumen of the Monastery of Medicius.

Day 32 of the Great Fast.

Troparia and Kontakia

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: Divinely armed with purity of spirit* and mightily wielding the lance of unceasing prayers,* you overcame the powers of demons,* Venerable Nicetas, pray without ceasing for all of us.

Sixth Hour Reading

Isaiah 42:5-16

Thus says the Lord God, who made heaven and established it, who made firm the earth and the things in it, and who gives breath to the people in it, and spirit to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord God, called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand. I will strengthen You, and give You as the covenant of a race, as the light of the Gentiles, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners who are bound, and those who sit in darkness from the prison house. I am the Lord God; this is My name. I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to carved images.† Behold, things from of old came to pass, and new things I will declare. Before they spring forth, I will tell you of them.”

Sing to the Lord a new song, you His realm. Glorify His name from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea and sail on it, you coastlands and you who inhabit them. Be glad, O desert and its villages, the homesteads and those inhabiting Kedar. Those who dwell in Petra shall be glad; they shall shout from the tops of the mountains. They will give glory to God and declare His virtues in the coastlands. The Lord God of powers shall go forth and crush war. He shall stir up His zeal, and cry out against His enemies with strength. I held My peace, and I will not always be silent and restrain Myself. Now I will be steadfast, like a woman in labor. I shall amaze and dry up together. I will make the rivers into coastlands and dry up marsh-meadows. I will bring the blind by a way they did not know, and will cause them to tread paths they have not known. I will turn darkness into light for them, and make crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.

Vespers Reading I

Genesis 18:20-33

Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah has been completed, and their sins are exceedingly great. Therefore, I will go down now and see whether or not they are carrying out the outcry coming to Me concerning them.”

Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained before the Lord. So Abraham drew near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the ungodly? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous in it? 5Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Then the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.” So Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: But suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?” He replied, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.” Again he spoke to Him and said, “But suppose there should be forty found there?” So He said, “I would not destroy it for the sake of forty.” Then he said, “Let not the Lord be offended, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?” So He said, “I would not destroy it if I should find thirty there.” Again he said, “Since I have permission to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty should be found there?” So He said, “I would not destroy it for the sake of twenty.” Then he said, “Let not the Lord be offended, and I will speak but once more, suppose ten should be found there?” So He said, “I would not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”

So the Lord went His way as soon as He finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

Vespers Reading II

Proverbs 16:17-17:17

A gentle mind with humility is better
Than he who divides spoils with the arrogant.
A man wise in his deeds is a discoverer of good things,
But he who trusts in God is the most blessed.
Men call the wise and understanding worthless,
But those pleasing in speech will increase in understanding.
Understanding is a fountain of life to those who possess it,
But the instruction of those without discernment is evil.
The heart of a wise man shall understand the things from his own mouth,
And he shall carry knowledge upon his lips.
Good words are a honeycomb,
And their sweetness is a healing of the soul.
There are ways that seem right to a man;
However, their ends look to the depths of Hades.
A man labors diligently for himself
And expels destruction from himself;
However, a perverse man carries destruction on his lips.
A man without discernment digs up evil things for himself
And stores up fire on his own lips.
A perverse man spreads evil things,
And a torch of deceit kindles evils and separates friends.
A lawless man makes a trial of friends
And leads them in ways not good.
A man sets his eyes to calculate perverse things
And determines every evil thing with his lips;
This man is a furnace of wickedness.
Old age is a crown of dignity,
But it is found in the ways of righteousness.
A patient man is better than a strong man,
And he who controls his temper is better than he who captures a city.
All evil things come into the bosoms of the unrighteous,
But all righteous things come from the Lord.

Better is a morsel with enjoyment in peace
Than a house full of many good things and unrighteous sacrifices with quarreling.
A servant with discernment shall rule over masters without discernment,
And will divide portions among brethren.
As silver and gold are tested in a furnace,
So are chosen hearts before the Lord.
An evil man heeds the tongue of the lawless,
But a righteous man pays no attention to false lips.
He who laughs at the poor provokes the One who made him,
And he who rejoices in destruction will not be unpunished;
But he who has compassion will be shown mercy.
The crown of old men is children of children,
And the boasting of children is their fathers.
The entire world of goods belongs to the faithful,
But to the faithless, not even a penny.
Faithful lips will not adapt to a man without discernment,
Nor lying lips to a righteous man.
Instruction awards benefits to those using it,
And wherever it turns, it prospers them.
He who hides wrongdoings seeks love,
But he who hates to cover them will separate friends and close relatives.
A threat breaks the heart of a man with discernment,
But a man without discernment, though flogged, has no perception.
Every evil man stirs up controversy,
But the Lord will send him a merciless messenger.
Care will befall a thoughtful man,
But men without discernment devise evil things.
He who repays evil for good,
Evil will not be removed from his house.
The foundation of righteousness gives authority to words,
But discord and quarreling precede poverty.
He who judges the unrighteous as righteous, and the righteous as unrighteous,
He is unclean and abominable before God.
Why do goods belong to a man without discernment?
For a heartless man is unable to gain wisdom.

Friday, April 4, 2025

Our Venerable Fathers Joseph the Hymnographer and George of Maleum.

Day 33 of the Great Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 8: The divine image was faithfully preserved in you, O fathers,* for taking up the Cross you followed Christ.* By your deeds you have taught us to see beyond flesh, which passes,* and care for the soul, a thing immortal.* and so, O venerable fathers,* your spirits rejoice with the angels.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 4: You are a never-ending fountain of lasting penance,* an uneding river of comfort, and a depth of goodness, O Joseph.* Give us tears of celestial repentance* by which we might cry out in seeking your help* and find comfort from God through you, O holy one.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 3: You sought to be a friend of Christ,* and so you tunred from worldly distractions.* You lived like an angel on earth, O George.* Therefore, we are in awe of your holy passing.* Beg Christ our God to have mercy on us.

Sixth Hour Reading

Isaiah 45:11-17

Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, who made the things that are to come: “Ask Me concerning My sons and daughters; and command Me concerning the works of My hands. I made the earth and mankind upon it. With My hand I established heaven and commanded all the stars. I raised him up to be a king with righteousness, and all his ways are right. He shall build My city and return the captivity of My people, not with ransoms or gifts,” says the Lord of hosts.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Egypt labored for you, and the merchandise of the Ethiopians and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall pass over to you. They shall be your servants and follow behind you, bound with handcuffs. They shall bow down and make supplication to you, because God is with you; and they shall say, ‘There is no God besides You. For You are God, the God of Israel, the Savior, yet we knew it not.’ All who oppose him shall be ashamed and disgraced and shall walk in shame. Be restored to Me, O coastlands. Israel is saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation. They will not be ashamed or disgraced forever.”

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS ON FRIDAY EVENING

At Psalm 140

Tone 6

Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.

Departing from Your divine precepts as from Jerusalem,* and going down to the passions of Jericho,* travelling by way of the cares of this life* on the pathways of dishonour,* I fell prey to the thievery of thoughts;* they stripped me of my noble garment,* which You gave me by the grace of adoption.* I was left half-dead and covered with wounds;* a priest passed by and saw my misfortune, but he paid no attention;* a Levite felt nothing but disgust, and so he turned away from me;* but You, O Lord, who were born ineffably from the Virgin,* You poured as oil and wine,* the blood and water which flowed freely from Your life-giving side,* to dress and bind up my wounds.* In Your compassionate love, O Christ our God,* grant me a place in Your Kingdom.

The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.

Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!

Your martyrs did not reject You,* nor did they renounce Your commandments.* Through their prayers, have mercy on us.

Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.

Gabriel stood in your presence, O holy Virgin,* and revealed the pre-eternal plan to you.* He greeted you and announced:* Rejoice, O earth that had not been sown!* Rejoice, O burning bush that was not consumed!* Rejoice, O unsearchable depth!* Rejoice, O bridge which leads to heaven;* O high ladder which Jacob saw!* Rejoice, O vessel of divine manna!* Rejoice, O invocation of Adam!* The Lord is with you.

If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.

I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.

From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.

The blameless Maiden said to the captain of the heavenly hosts:* You appear to me as a mortal,* and your words go beyond human thought.* You have said that God is with me,* and that He shall take up abode in my womb.* Tell me then, how am I to become a holy temple for the infinite One,* the Lord who rides on the Cherubim?* Do not mislead me with deceit,* for I have known no pleasure and have not approached wedlock.* Therefore, how shall I give birth to a child?

For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.

The Archangel then said to her:* Whenever God wills, the order of nature is overcome,* and that which is beyond human power is accomplished.* Therefore, O most pure and ever-holy One, believe my true words.* She then cried out, saying:* Let it now be done to me according to you word,* and I will give birth to the One who is without flesh.* He will take flesh from me,* so that by the union He may raise the human race to the original dignity,* for He alone is all-powerful.

Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.

Tone 2

Glory… Now…

That mystery which is from all eternity* is being revealed today.* The Son of God becomes the Son of Man.* He accepted the lowliest in order to give us the highest.* In times of old, Adam was deceived;* he desired to become like God and did not.* Now God becomes human that He may make Adam God.* Let all creation be happy:* let nature dance with joy* because the Archangel stands in awe before the Virgin and greets her.* He brings the greeting which changes our grief into joy.* Through the mercy of Your compassion, You became incarnate;* O our God, glory to You!

Prokeimenon I, Tone 4

The Lord is compassion and love,* slow to anger and rich in mercy.

verse: My soul, give thanks to the Lord; all my being, bless His holy name.

Reading I

Genesis 22:1-18

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham! Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your beloved son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains I tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey; and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split firewood for the whole burnt offering, and arose and went to the place God told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. Thus Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

So Abraham took the firewood of the whole burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. Then he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. Then Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the firewood, but where is the sheep for a whole burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the sheep for a whole burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. They came to the place where God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the firewood in order; and he bound Isaac his son hand and foot and laid him on the altar, upon the firewood.

Then Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham! Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” He then replied, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him, for now I know you fear God, since for My sake you have not spared your beloved son.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him a ram was caught in a thicket by its horns. So he brought it for a whole burnt offering in the place of his son. Thus Abraham called the name of the place The-Lord-Has-Appeared; as it is said to this day, “In the mountain the Lord was seen.” Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said, “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you did this thing, and for My sake did not spare your beloved son, I will certainly bless you, and assuredly multiply your seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the seashore; and your seed shall inherit the cities of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you obeyed My voice.”

Prokeimenon II, Tone 4

How great are Your works, O Lord;* You have made all things in wisdom.

verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are exceedingly great.

Reading II

Proverbs 17:17-18:5

Why do goods belong to a man without discernment?
For a heartless man is unable to gain wisdom.
He who makes his own house lofty seeks destruction,
And the one who turns away from learning will fall into evils.
Let a friend be with you on every occasion,
And let brethren be useful in necessities,
For they are begotten for this reason.
A man without discernment applauds and rejoices over himself,
As also the one who gives himself as surety for his friend.
He who loves sin rejoices in quarrels,
And the hard-hearted man does not assemble with good men.
A changeable man will fall into evils with his tongue,
And a heart without discernment is grief to the one possessing it.
A father does not delight in an uninstructed son;
But a son with discernment gladdens his mother.
A cheerful heart makes a man healthy,
But the bones of a sorrowful man dry him up.
The ways of a man who receives gifts unrighteously do not prosper,
And the ungodly man shuns the ways of righteousness.
The face of a wise man shows understanding,
But the eyes of the man without discernment are upon the ends of the earth.
A son without discernment is wrath to a father
And grief to her who bore him.
It is not good to punish a righteous man,
Nor is it holy to plot against righteous princes.
He who refrains from uttering a harsh word is intelligent,
And a longsuffering man has discernment.
Wisdom shall be imputed to a man without understanding who asks for wisdom,
And anyone who holds his peace will seem to have discernment.
A man seeks a pretext when he wishes to separate from his friends,
But he shall be reproached at every opportunity.
A man lacking understanding has no need of wisdom,
For he is rather led by lack of discernment.
When an ungodly man comes into the depth of evil things, he acts contemptuously,
But dishonor and reproach come upon him.
A word in the heart of a man is deep water,
And a river and a fountain of life spring up from it.
It is not good to admire the person of the ungodly,
Nor is it holy to pervert righteousness in judgment.

Saturday, April 5, 2025

Akathist Saturday; The Holy Martyrs Theodulus and Agathopedes and those with them.

Day 34 of the Great Fast.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 8: When the bodiless angel learned the secret command* he hastened and stood before the house of Joseph* and said to her who had known wedlock,* “The One who has bowed the heavens by His condescension* is wholly contained in you without change.* In your womb I see Him taking the form of a slave.* Therefore, I cry to you in fearful awe:* Rejoice, O bride and virgin.”

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 8: To you, O Mother of God,* the invincible leader,* we, your servants, ascribe these victory hymns* in thanksgiving for our deliverance from evil.* With your invincible power free us from all dangers* that we may cry out to you:* “Hail, O Bride, and pure Virgin!”

Prokeimenon, Tone 3

My soul magnifies the Lord,* and my spirit has rejoiced in God, My Saviour.

verse: Because he has regarded the humility of His handmaid; for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. (Luke 1:46,48)

Epistle

Hebrews 9:24-28; Hebrews 9:1-7

Brothers and Sisters, Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Brothers and Sisters, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance.

Alleluia, Tone 8

verse: Rise up, O Lord, to the place of Your rest, You and the ark of Your holiness.

verse: O Lord, remember David and all his meekness. (Psalm 131:8,1)

Gospel

Mark 8:27-31; Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28

At that time, Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?”

So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”

Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

At that time, Jesus entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”

But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Communion Hymn

I will take the chalice of salvation;* and I will call upon the name of the Lord.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 116:13)

Sunday, April 6, 2025

Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast: Our Venerable Mother, Mary of Egypt; Octoechos Tone 5;🕂 The Repose of Our Holy Father Methodius, Teacher of the Slavs; Our Holy Father Eutychius, Archbishop of Constantinople.

Day 35 of the Great Fast. Resurrectional Gospel 2. Polyeleos Feast.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 5: Let us the faithful acclaim and worship the Word,* co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit,* and born of the Virgin for our salvation.* For He willed to be lifted up on the cross in the flesh, to suffer death* and to raise the dead by His glorious resurrection.

Troparion, Tone 4: O Christ, bestow from above Your mercies* to those who radiantly feast Your bishop’s falling asleep.* Through the intercession of our father Methodius,* Your holy disciple,* open to us the doors of the Kingdom* and loose the chains of our many sins.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: Let us hymn the godly and faithful Methodius,* and lovingly call him blessed;* the pastor of the Slavs and the precious servant of the Trinity,* the one who banished heresy,* for he prays on behalf of all of us.

Prokeimenon, Tone 5

You, O Lord, will guard us and will keep us* from this generation and for ever.

verse: Save me, O Lord, for there is no longer left a just man. (Psalm 11:8,2)

Prokeimenon, Tone 1

My mouth shall speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart understanding.

Epistle

Hebrews 9:11-14; Hebrews 7:26-8:2

Brothers and Sisters, Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Brethren, such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

Alleluia, Tone 5

verse: Your mercies, O Lord, I will sing for ever; from generation to generation I will announce Your truth with my mouth.

verse: For You have said: Mercy shall be built up for ever; in the heavens Your truth shall be prepared. (Psalm 88:2,3)

Gospel

Mark 10:32-45; John 10:9-16

At that time, Jesus took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”

And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”

But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

They said to Him, “We are able.”

So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.”

And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

The Lord said to the Jews that came to Him: “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”

Hymn to the Mother of God

In you, O Full of Grace, all creation rejoices: the angelic ranks and all the human race. Sanctified temple and spiritual paradise, virgins’ pride and boast, from whom God is made flesh and became a little Child; and He who is our God before all ages, He made your womb a throne, and He made it wider that all the heavens. In you, O Full of Grace, all creation rejoices. Glory be to you.

Communion Hymn

Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1)* The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)

Monday, April 7, 2025

Our Venerable Father George, Bishop of Mitylene.

Day 36 of the Great Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients.

Troparia and Kontakia

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: Divinely armed with purity of spirit* and mightily wielding the lance of unceasing prayers,* you overcame the powers of demons,* Venerable George, pray without ceasing for all of us.

Sixth Hour Reading

Isaiah 48:17-49:4

Thus says the Lord who delivers you, the Holy One of Israel: “I am your God, who showed you how to find the way wherein you should walk. If only you had heeded My commandments, then your peace would be like a river, and your righteousness as a wave of the sea. Your seed would also be like the sand, and the offspring of your womb like the dust of the ground. Neither would you be utterly destroyed now, nor would your name perish before Me.”

Go forth from Babylon, you who are fleeing from the Chaldeans. Proclaim a voice of gladness and let it become well known. Proclaim it to the end of the earth, and say, “The Lord delivered His servant Jacob.” If they shall thirst, He will lead them through the desert, and water shall flow from the rock for them. He will split the rock, the water shall flow, and My people will drink. “There is no rejoicing,” says the Lord, “for the ungodly.”

“Listen to Me, O coastlands, and take heed, you Gentiles. It will stand for a long time,” says the Lord. “He called My name from My mother’s womb. He made My mouth like a sharp sword, and hid Me under the shadow of His hand. He made Me as a chosen arrow and covered Me in His quiver. He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’ Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain and spent My strength for nothing. Therefore My judgment is from the Lord, and my labor is before My God.’

Vespers Reading I

Genesis 27:1-41

Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim he could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” And he answered him, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Behold now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. Now therefore, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. Then make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”

Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son; and Esau went to the field to hunt game for his father. So Rebekah spoke to Jacob her younger son, saying, “Indeed, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, ‘Bring me game and make savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’ Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to what I command you. Go now to the sheep and bring me from there two kids, choice and good, and I will make savory food from them for your father, such as he loves. Then you shall take it to your father, that he may eat it and bless you before his death.”

Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.” But his mother said to him, “Your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.” So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and his mother made savory food, such as his father loved. Then Rebekah took the choice clothes of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. She also put the skins of the kids on his hands and on the exposed part of his neck. Then she gave the savory food and the bread she had prepared into the hands of her son Jacob.

Thus he went to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done just as you told me; arise, sit and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” But Isaac said to his son, “How is it you have found it so quickly, my son?” He said, “Because the Lord your God brought it to me.” Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are my son Esau or not.” So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s.” Thus he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. Then he said, “Are you my son Esau?” He said, “I am.”

He said, “Bring your game to me, my son, and I will eat from it, that my soul may bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” So he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing.

Thus he blessed him and said:
“Surely, the smell of my son
Is like the smell of a field the Lord has blessed.
Therefore, may God give you of the dew of heaven
And of the fatness of the earth,
And plenty of grain and wine.
Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brethren,
And let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
And cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be those who bless you.”

Now it happened, as soon as Isaac finished blessing Jacob his son, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. He also had made savory food, and brought it to his father, and said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that your soul may bless me.” And his father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” So he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”

Then Isaac trembled exceedingly, and said, “Who? Where is the one who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, and I have blessed him—and indeed, he shall be blessed.” When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me—me also, O my father!” But he said, “Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing.” Then Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing.” So he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”

Then Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Indeed, I have made him your lord, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with grain and wine I have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?” Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me—me also, O my father!” But when Isaac was troubled, Esau lifted up his voice and wept. Then Isaac his father answered and said to him:

“Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth,
And of the dew of heaven from above.
By your sword you shall live,
And you shall serve your brother;
And it shall come to pass, when you become restless,
That you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

Thus Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him; and Esau said in his mind, “Let the days of mourning for my father draw near, then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

Vespers Reading II

Proverbs 19:16-25

He who guards the commandment keeps his soul,
But he who despises his ways shall perish.
The one who has mercy on the poor lends to God,
And He will repay him according to his gift.
Instruct your son, for thus he shall be hopeful,
But do not lift up your soul in arrogance.
A malicious man shall be punished severely,
And if he commits injury, he will also add this to his soul.
Hear, my son, the instruction of your father,
That you may become wise in your last days.
There are many thoughts in the heart of a man,
But the counsel of the Lord abides forever.
Mercy is fruit to a man,
And a poor righteous man is better than a rich liar.
The fear of the Lord is unto life for a man,
And he shall lodge without fear in places where knowledge is not examined.
A man who hides his hands in his bosom unrighteously,
He will not even bring them up to his mouth.
When a pestilent man is punished, a man without discernment becomes more astute,
But if you reprove a discerning man, he will understand perception.

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

The Holy Apostles Herodion, Agabus, Rufus, Asyncretus, Phlegontus, and Hermes.

Day 37 of the Great Fast.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 3: Holy apostles, intercede with the merciful God* to grant to our souls forgiveness of sins.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 4: You became branches of Christ’s vineyard, o wise ones,* bearing the grapes of good works,* and pouring forth for us* the wine of salvation.* Receiving it and filled with gladness,* we celebrate your precious memorial.* Therefore pray that we may be granted great mercy and forgiveness of sins,* O apostles of the Lord.

Sixth Hour Reading

Isaiah 49:6-10

Thus says the Lord, ‘It is a great thing for You to be called My Servant, to establish the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the dispersion of Israel. Behold, I give You as the covenant of a race and as the light of the Gentiles, that You should be the salvation to the ends of the earth.’ “

Thus says the Lord, who delivers You, the God of Israel: “Sanctify Him who despises His life, who is abhorred by the nations and by the servants of rulers. Kings shall see Him and rise, and rulers also shall worship Him for the Lord’s sake. For the Holy One of Israel is faithful, and He chose You.” Thus says the Lord: “In an acceptable time I heard You, and in the day of salvation I helped You. I give You as a covenant to the Gentiles, to establish the earth and to inherit the inheritance of the desert; saying to those in bonds, ‘Go forth,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Reveal yourselves.’ They shall feed along all their roads, and their pasture shall be along all the paths. They shall not hunger, neither shall they thirst, nor shall the burning heat of the sun strike them; but He who has mercy on them will comfort them; and He shall lead them by the fountains of waters.

Vespers Reading I

Genesis 31:3-16

Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to your father’s land and to your family, and I will be with you.”

So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field where the flocks were, and said to them, “I see your father’s countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. Now you know that with all my might I served your father. Yet your father deceived me and changed my wages ten times with respect to the male lambs, but God did not allow him to harm me. If he said thus, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled. But if he said thus, ‘The white shall be your wages,’ then all the sheep bore white. So God has taken away all your father’s cattle and given them to me. Now it came to pass, when the flocks conceived, I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats and the rams that were speckled, spotted, and ash-colored speckled were mating with the sheep and the goats. Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ Thus I said, ‘Here I am.’ So He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the male goats and the rams mating with the sheep and the goats are speckled, spotted, and ash-colored speckled; for I have seen everything Laban is doing to you. I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a vow to Me. Now then, arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your nativity, and I will be with you.’ “

Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? Are we not considered strangers by him? For he sold us, and also completely consumed our money. For all the riches and glory God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”

Vespers Reading II

Proverbs 21:3-21

To do righteous things and to speak the truth
Are more pleasing before God than the blood of sacrifices.
A high-minded man is bold-hearted in his arrogance,
And the lamp of the ungodly is sin.
He who produces treasures with a lying tongue
Pursues worthless things upon the snares of death.
Destruction shall entertain the ungodly,
For they are not willing to do righteous things.
To the crooked, God sends crooked ways,
For His works are pure and upright.
It is better to dwell in a corner in the open air
Than with wrongdoing in plastered rooms and in a shared house.
The soul of the ungodly will not be shown mercy by anyone among men.
When the intemperate man is punished, the simple man becomes more astute,
And a wise man of understanding shall receive knowledge.
A righteous man understands the hearts of the ungodly,
And he despises the ungodly in their evils.
He who closes his ears that he might not listen to the weak,
He will also call upon someone, and there will be no one listening.
A secret gift calms anger,
But he who refrains from giving gifts stirs up strong anger.
It is the joy of the righteous to do judgment,
But a holy man is unclean before evildoers.
A man who wanders from the way of righteousness
Shall rest in an assembly of giants.
A man in need loves merriment,
Loving wine and oil as wealth.
A lawless man is the outcast of a righteous man.
It is better to live in a desert
Than with a contentious, talkative, and quick-tempered woman.
A treasury of desire will rest upon the mouth of a wise man,
But men without discernment shall swallow it.
The way of righteousness and mercy shall find life and glory.
A wise man assaults fortified cities
And pulls down the stronghold the ungodly trust.

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

The Holy Martyr Eupsichius.

Day 38 of the Great Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: Your martyr, Eupsichius, O Lord,* by his passion acquired the crown of incorruptibility from You, our God.* For possessing Your power he overcame the torturers* and shattered the feeble insolence of demons.* By his supplications, save our souls.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: As a bright and unerring star you appeared to the world* proclaiming with your rays the Sun, that is, Christ, O martyr, Eupsichius,* and you have extinguished all error.* But to us you give light, praying without ceasing for all of us.

Sixth Hour Reading

Isaiah 58:1-11

Thus says the Lord, “Cry aloud with strength, and spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet, and declare to My people their sins, and to the house of Jacob their lawlessness. They seek Me day by day, and desire to know My ways. As a people who did righteousness, and did not forsake the judgment of their God, they now ask Me about righteous judgment, and desire to draw near to God, saying, ‘Why have we fasted, but You did not see it? Why have we humbled our souls, but You did not know it?’ Because in the days of your fasts, you seek your own wills, and mistreat those under your authority. If you fast for condemnations and quarrels, and strike a humble man with your fists, why do you fast to Me as you do today, so your voice may be heard in crying? I did not choose this fast, and such a day for a man to humble his soul; nor if you should bow your neck like a ring and spread sackcloth and ashes under yourself, could you thus call such a fast acceptable. I did not choose such a fast,” says the Lord; “rather, loose every bond of wrongdoing; untie the knots of violent dealings; cancel the debts of the oppressed; and tear apart every unjust contract. Break your bread for the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house. If you see a naked man, clothe him, nor shall you disregard your offspring in your own household. Then your light shall break forth as the morning, and your healing shall spring forth quickly. Your righteousness shall go before you, and the glory of God shall cover you. Then you shall cry out, and God will hear you. While you are still speaking, He will say, ‘Behold, I am here.’ If you take away your fetter and the pointing of the finger, and the word of grumbling, and if you give bread to the hungry from your soul, and satisfy the humble soul, then your light shall rise up in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as midday. God shall be with you continually, and you shall be satisfied as your soul desires. Your bones shall be enriched, and you shall be like a well-watered garden and like a spring of water that does not fail. Your bones will arise and be enriched like a green plant, and they shall inherit generations of generations.

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS ON WEDNESDAY EVENING

At Psalm 140

Tone 5

Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.

I am rich in all sorts of passions,* and I am clothed in a garment of hypocrisy,* as I revel in the intemperance of sin.* My lack of mercy is beyond measure,* and I disregard my spirit lying before the gates of repentance.* Starved of every good thing, I suffer from illness.* But You, O Lord, make me like Lazarus who was poor in sin,* so that I will not have to beg for a drop of water* for my tongue suffering from thirst in the eternal fire.* Make me dwell in the bosom of the patriarch Abraham, O Lover of humankind.

The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.

Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!

With your souls filled with unquenchable love, O holy martyrs,* you endured the most terrible sufferings without ever denying Christ;* and you laid low the impudence of the torturers.* You kept the faith unwavering and unharmed* and have gone to dwell in heaven.* Therefore, having the boldness to approach the Lord,* beg Him to grant us His great mercy.

Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.

As You walked in the flesh, O Jesus,* in the land beyond the Jordan,* You said to those who were with You:* Our friend Lazarus has died and has been placed in the tomb.* But I rejoice for you, my friends,* for you will learn that I know all things,* and that with God, I am one,* even though by nature I appear in human form.* Therefore, let us go and give life to Lazarus* so that Death may recognize this victory,* and the perfect consummation I shall bring about* by granting great mercy to the world.

If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.

O faithful, let us imitate Martha and Mary,* and offer virtuous deeds as ambassadors before the Lord,* that when He comes, He may uplift our minds full of misery which now lie dead in the tomb.* Without life, they have no sense of what they are neglecting,* and they are unaware of the awesomeness of God.* Behold, O Lord, now give life to all and grant us Your great mercy,* as once You had pity on Your friend Lazarus,* and by Your awesome power, You raised him from the dead.

Tone 6

I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.

Now Lazarus has been in the tomb for two days,* and he sees all generations of the dead.* He beholds such strange and awesome things* and a countless number held within the power of death.* His relatives weep bitterly before his tomb;* but Christ is on His way to give life to His friend,* that He may stir up the same joy in the hearts of all.* Blessed are You, O Saviour; have mercy on us.

Tone 4

From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.

The company of athletes of many names* steadfastly endured multifarious tortures,* and rejoicing, they passed over to our one God,* and rejoice with the myriads of the sacred incorporeal hosts;* for they vanquished the many myriads of the serpent* by their firm opposition* and the grace of the Spirit.

For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.

Let the all-glorious Maximus and the great Terence,* the all-wise Pompeius, the godly Mircanus and Macarius,* be honoured with hymns,* and with them the rest of the company of martyrs* who with their own blood purchased the kingdom on high* and are full of everlasting glory.

Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.

Neither starvation, nor tribulations,* neither life nor death, O glorious ones,* was able to separate you from the love of the Creator;* wherefore, you have inherited the kingdom of heaven,* inexhaustible delight and gladness without end.* Yet you also ask for us the cleansing of grace and mercy.

Tone 5

Glory… Now…

Come, all faithful, and rejoice in the Holy Scriptures!* Rejoice in the preaching of the apostles!* Rejoice in the Virgin who gave birth to God!* She is the Queen of Heaven.* In her we exult with hymns and songs,* for she is our fervent intercessor before God.

Prokeimenon I, Tone 4

I walk in the presence of the Lord* in the land of the living.

verse: I love the Lord, for He has heard the cry of my appeal.

Reading I

Genesis 43:26-31 and 45:1-16

When Joseph came home, they brought the present in their hand to him in the house, and bowed down before him to the earth. Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” So they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” Then he said, “Blessed be that man in God”; and they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves. Then Joseph lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother you said you would bring to me?” So he said, “May God grant you mercy, my son.” Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. Then he went into his inner chamber and wept there. He then washed his face and came out; and he composed himself, and said, “Serve the bread.” Now Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. Then he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph then said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were stunned in his presence. But Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now therefore, do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to save life. For this is the second year of famine in the land, and five years still remain in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. For God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth, and to sustain you as a great remnant. So now, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. “Hurry then and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, “God made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your sheep and oxen, and all you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all you have, come to poverty; for five years of famine still remain.’” And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see it is my mouth that speaks to you. Therefore, you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.” Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after this his brothers talked with him. Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well.

Prokeimenon II, Tone 4

I will pay my vows to the Lord,* in the presence of all His people.

verse: I trusted, even when I said: I am sorely afflicted.

Reading II

Proverbs 21:23-22:4

A troublemaker is called rash, arrogant, and boastful,
And he who bears malice is called lawless.
Desires kill a slothful man,
For his hands choose not to do anything.
The ungodly man desires evil all day long,
But the righteous man shows mercy and compassion unsparingly.
The sacrifices of the ungodly are an abomination to the Lord,
For they offer them lawlessly.
A false witness shall perish,
But an obedient man will speak guardedly.
An ungodly man resists shamelessly to the face,
But the upright man himself understands his ways.
There is no wisdom, there is no courage,
There is no counsel for the ungodly.
The horse is prepared for the day of war,
But help is from the Lord.
A good name is to be chosen more than much wealth,
And good grace more than silver and gold.
The rich man and the poor man meet with one another,
But the Lord made both.
An astute man, seeing an evil man severely punished, is himself instructed,
But those passing by without discernment suffer loss.
The fear of the Lord and riches and glory and life
Are the offspring of wisdom.

Thursday, April 10, 2025

The Holy Martyrs Terence, Pompeius and others with them.

Day 39 of the Great Fast.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 1: Be swayed by the pains that the saints have suffered for You, O Lord,* and heal all our pains,* O Lover of mankind, for this we pray.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: Appearing as radiant lights, O godly martyrs,* you illumine all creation with the brilliance of your miracles,* healing infirmities, always dispelling deep darkness* and praying unceasingly to Christ our God for all of us.

Sixth Hour Reading

Isaiah 65:8-16

Thus says the Lord: “As the grape shall be found in a cluster, and they shall say, ‘Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing from the Lord in it,’ so shall I do for the sake of him who serves Me. For his sake I will not destroy them all. I will bring forth the seed of Jacob and the seed of Judah, and they shall inherit My holy mountain. My elect shall inherit it, and My servants shall dwell there. There shall be in the forest a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor shall be for the resting place of herds for My people who sought Me. But you are those who forsook Me, and forget My holy mountain, and prepare a table for the devil, and fill a drink-offering to Fortune. I will deliver you to the sword, and all of you shall fall in the slaughter; because I called you, but you did not obey; I spoke, but you refused to listen. You did evil in My sight, and did not choose the things I willed.”

Therefore, thus says the Lord: “Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall hunger. Behold, My servants shall drink, but you shall thirst. Behold, My servants shall be glad, but you shall be ashamed. Behold, My servants shall rejoice exceedingly in gladness, but you shall cry out because of the pain in your heart; and you shall wail from the crushing of your spirit. For you shall leave your name as an example of excess to My elect, and the Lord shall destroy you. But those who serve Him shall be called by a new name, which shall be blessed upon the earth. For they shall bless the true God, and those who swear upon the earth shall swear by the true God; for they shall forget their former tribulation, and it shall not come into their heart.

Vespers Reading I

Genesis 46:1-7

Now Israel took his journey with all he had, and came to the Well of Oath, and offered a sacrifice to the God of his father Isaac. Then God spoke to Israel in a vision of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” So he said, “Here I am.” So God said to him, “I am the God of your fathers; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again, and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.” Then Jacob arose from the Well of Oath, and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their baggage, and their wives in the carts Pharaoh had sent to carry him. So they took their livestock and their goods which they had acquired in the land of Canaan and went to Egypt, Jacob and all his seed with him. His sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, and all his seed he brought with him to Egypt.

Vespers Reading II

Proverbs 23:15-24:5

My son, if your heart becomes wise,
You will also gladden my heart;
And your lips shall spend time with the words on my lips,
If they be upright.
Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But be in fear of the Lord the whole day long.
For if you keep these words, you shall have offspring,
And your hope will not depart from you.

Hear, my son, and become wise,
And direct aright the thoughts of your heart.
Do not be a wine-bibber,
Neither provide contributions of meats or goods at drinking parties.
For every drunkard and fornicator shall become impoverished,
And every sluggard shall clothe himself with tattered and ragged garments.
Hear, my son, your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother because she has grown old.
A righteous father rears his child well,
And his soul rejoices in a wise son.
Let your father and mother be glad in you,
And let her who bore you rejoice.
My son, give me your heart,
And let your eyes observe my ways;
For a house of prostitution is a pierced vessel
And a strange and empty well;
For he shall perish suddenly,
And every lawless man shall be destroyed.
Who has woe? Who has tumult? Who has condemnation?
Who has unpleasantness and gossip?
Who has afflictions with no purpose?
Whose eyes are pale?
Is it not those who linger long with wines?
Is it not those who hunt for the whereabouts of drinking parties?
Do not be drunk with wine, but keep company with righteous men,
And keep company in public walks;
For if you set your eyes to the bowls and cups,
Afterward you will walk about more naked than ground meat.
And at last, he stretches himself out as one bitten by a serpent,
And the venom spreads through him as one bitten by a horned serpent.
When your eyes behold a strange woman,
Then your mouth will speak twisted things;
And you will lie down as in the heart of the sea
And as a pilot in a great storm;
And you will say, “They beat me, but I did not suffer,
And they mocked me, but I knew it not;
When will it be morning,
That I may go seek those with whom I may company?”

My son, do not envy evil men,
Neither desire to be with them;
For their heart ponders a lie,
And their lips speak of sufferings.
A house is built with wisdom,
And it is built up with understanding.
Storehouses are filled with perception
From all honorable and good riches.
It is better to be a wise man of strength
And a man having discernment, than to be a man who has a large estate.

Friday, April 11, 2025

The Holy Hieromartyr Antipas, Bishop of Pergamos in Asia.

Day 40 of the Great Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: Having shared the way of life of the apostles,* and having become a successor to their thrones,* labouring you found the divinely inspired way to contemplation.* Therefore, forthrightly ministering the word of truth,* you shed your blood for the faith, O hieromartyr, Antipas.* Intercede with Christ our God for the salvation of our souls.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 4: Having piously lived among the hierarchs,* and having trod the path of suffering,* you extinguished the sacrifices to idols* and were a defender for your flock, O godly one.* Therefore, venerating you, we sincerely cry to you:* “Rescue us from dangers by your prayers, O our father, Antipas.

Sixth Hour Reading

Isaiah 66:10-24

Thus says the Lord, “Be glad, O Jerusalem, and celebrate holy days in her. All you who love her, rejoice exceedingly, and all you who mourn over her; that you may nurse and be satisfied by the breast of her consolation; that you may take pleasure in nursing because of the entrance of her glory.” For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will turn to them like a river of peace and like a brook, to flood them with the glory of the Gentiles. Their children shall be taken up on shoulders and comforted on knees. Like someone a mother comforts, so also will I comfort you, and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” You shall see, and your heart will rejoice. Your bones shall rise up like a pasture, and the Lord’s hand shall be known by those who fear Him; but He shall threaten the disobedient.

For behold, the Lord shall come like a fire, and His chariots like a sudden blast of wind, to render His vengeance with anger and His renunciation with a flame of fire. For all the earth shall be judged in the fire of the Lord, and all flesh with His sword; and many shall be wounded by the Lord. “Those who purify and cleanse themselves in the gardens and porches, who eat the meat of a pig or any abomination, they shall be destroyed together at the same time,” says the Lord; “and I know their works and their reasoning. I am coming to gather all the nations and tongues, and they shall come and see My glory. And I will leave signs upon them, and those among them who are saved, I will send forth to the Gentiles: to Tarshish, and Pul and Lud and Tubal, and to Greece and to the coastlands far off, to those who have not heard My name, nor seen My glory; and they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. They shall bring your brethren from among all the Gentiles as a gift to the Lord, with horses and chariots, in litters drawn by mules and covered with sunshades, to the holy city of Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the children of Israel would bring Me their sacrifices with psalms into the house of the Lord. I shall take some of them to be My priests and Levites,” says the Lord. “For just as the new heaven and the new earth which I make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord, “so shall your seed and your name remain. It shall come to pass from month to month and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall worship before Me in Jerusalem,” says the Lord. “They shall go forth and see the dead bodies of the men who transgressed against Me, for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be extinguished; and they shall be a vision to all flesh.”

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS ON FRIDAY EVENING

At Psalm 140

Tone 8

Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.

Having come to the end of the forty days,* we beseech You, O Lord and Lover of humankind:* May we also behold the holy week of Your passion,* and glorify in it Your lofty deeds* and Your ineffable work of salvation,* as we sing with one voice:* O Lord, glory to You.

The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.

Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!

O martyrs of the Lord,* we entreat you to beseech our God,* and ask great mercy for our souls* and forgiveness of our many offences.

Tone 6

Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.

Desiring to see the tomb of Lazarus, O Lord,* since You were soon going to dwell willingly in the tomb,* You asked: Where have you placed him?* And, when You learned that which You already knew,* You called to the one whom You loved:* Lazarus, come forth from the tomb!* And Death obeyed the Giver of life,* the Saviour of our souls.

If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.

I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.

Having arrived at the tomb of Lazarus on the fourth day,* You wept for Your friend, O Lord.* You gave life to the one who had been dead four days;* Death was bound up by Your voice,* and the grave-clothes were unbound by Your hands.* Therefore, the company of apostles were filled with joy,* and all the choirs sang with one voice:* Blessed are You, O Saviour; have mercy on us.

From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.

For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

The kingdom of Hades was demolished at the sound of Your voice, O Lord;* Your powerful word awakened from the tomb one who had been dead four days.* Lazarus becomes a saving prelude of our regeneration.* Nothing is impossible for the King of the universe;* O Lord, grant to Your servants forgiveness and great mercy.

Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.

Desiring to assure Your disciples of Your own Resurrection from the dead,* You came to the tomb of Lazarus.* And when You called him, Hades was despoiled,* and it gave up the one who had been dead four days;* and he cried out to You, O Saviour:* Blessed are You, O Lord, glory to You!

Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.

Taking Your disciples with You, O Lord,* You came to Bethany to awaken Lazarus from the dead;* and, weeping over him in accordance with your human nature,* as God, You raised the one who had been dead four days;* and he cried out to You, O Saviour:* Blessed are You, O Lord, glory to You!

Tone 8

Glory…

You have come to the tomb of Lazarus, O Lord,* and You called the dead one to awaken as from his sleep.* He shook off the dust of the tomb at Your immortal words;* and, still bound by the grave-clothes,* he came forth at the sound of Your voice.* For You have power and lordship over all things,* and You are the Master of the whole world, O Lover of humankind:* O Lord, glory to You.

Now…

Having come to the end of the forty days, we cry out:* Rejoice, O city of Bethany, the home of Lazarus.* Rejoice, Martha and Mary, for Christ shall come to you tomorrow;* by His word, He shall give life to your departed brother.* Hearing His voice, the cruel and insatiable Hades will give up Lazarus after four days.* Struck with admiration, the Hebrew people will carry palms and branches,* and they shall go before Him.* The children shall praise the One whom their parents looked upon with envy:* Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!

Prokeimenon I, Tone 6

Our help is in the name of the Lord,* who made heaven and earth.

verse: If the Lord had not been on our side— this is the song of Israel.

Reading I

Genesis 49:33-50:26

When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was added to his people. Now Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him, and kissed him. Then Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. So when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the princes of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found grace in your sight, speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, in the grave I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.’” Then Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.” So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their sheep and oxen they left in the land of Goshen. There also went up with him both chariots and horses, and it was a very great gathering. Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father.

So when the inhabitants of the land of Canaan saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called the Mourning of Egypt, which is beyond the Jordan. Thus his sons did for him just as he commanded them. For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, opposite Mamre, which Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place. After he buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father. When Joseph’s brothers saw their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil we did to him.” So they came to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “I beg you, forgive the injustice of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.’ “ Now, forgive the injustice of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”

So Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for I belong to God. But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your households.” Thus he comforted them and spoke to their heart. So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his brothers. Then Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation and the children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph’s knees. Then Joseph said to his brethren, “I am about to die; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land God swore to our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Thus Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and put him in a coffin in Egypt.

Prokeimenon II, Tone 4

Those who put their trust in the Lord* are like Mount Sion.

verse: They cannot be shaken, for it stands unmoved forever.

Reading II

Proverbs 31:8-31

Open your mouth for the word of God,
And judge all men fairly;
Open your mouth and judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and helpless.
Who will find a courageous wife?
For such a one is more valuable than precious stones.
The heart of her husband trusts in her;
She will not be at a loss for fine spoils,
For she provides good things for her husband all her life.
She weaves wool and linen cloth
And is productive with her hands.
She is like a ship trading afar off,
So she procures her livelihood.
She also rises before dawn
And gives food to her household,
And appoints tasks for her maidservants.
Seeing a farm, she buys it,
And from the fruits of her hands she plants her plot of land.
Strongly girding her loins,
She strengthens her arms for work.
She experiences work as a good thing,
And her lamp is not quenched all night.
She extends her arms to do profitable things,
And she applies her hands to the spindle.
She opens her hands to the poor
And reaches out with her fruit to the needy.
Her husband is not anxious about those at home
When he spends a long time elsewhere,
For all her household are clothed.
She makes a double upper garment for her husband
And garments of fine linen and purple for herself.
Her husband is respected at the gates
And when he sits in council with the elders who inhabit the land.
She makes and sells fine linens
And girdles to the Canaanites.
She opens her mouth carefully and lawfully
And controls her tongue.
She clothes herself with strength and dignity
And rejoices in the last days.
She runs her household carefully,
And she does not eat the bread of idleness.
She opens her mouth wisely and lawfully,
And her charity raises her children, and they become rich,
And her husband praises her,
“Many daughters acquire riches; many do mighty things,
But you excel and surpass all.”
Desires to please are deceitful, and the beauty of a wife is vain;
For a wise wife is blessed,
And let her in fear praise the Lord.
Give to her from the fruits of her hands,
And let her husband praise her at the gates.

The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear*. Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)

Saturday, April 12, 2025

Lazarus Saturday.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone1: Assuring us before Your Passion of the general resurrection,* You raised Lazarus from the dead, o Christ God:* and so, like the children we also carry signs of victory* and cry to You, the conqueror of death:* Hosanna in the highest!* Blessed is He who comes* in the name of the Lord.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: Christ, the joy of all, the truth, the light,* the life, the resurrection of the universe,* in His goodness has revealed Himself to those on earth;* He Himself has become the pattern of the Resurrection,* granting divine forgiveness to all.

Instead of “Holy God,” we sing:

All you who have been baptized into Christ, you have put on Christ. Alleluia.

Prokeimenon, Tone 3

The Lord is my light and my Saviour;* whom shall I fear?

verse: The Lord is the protector of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 26:1)

Epistle

Hebrews 12:28-13:8

Brothers and Sisters, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.

Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say:

“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”

Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Alleluia, Tone 5

verse: The Lord is King; He is robed in majesty.

verse: For He has established the world which shall not be shaken. (Psalm 92:1)

Gospel

John 11:1-45

At that time, a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”

Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, “Where have you laid him?”

They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”

Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”

And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”

Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

Hymn to the Mother of God

Irmos, Tone 8: Let us honour with glory the pure Mother of God;* though she received the Divine Fire within her womb she was not consumed.* With never ceasing hymns, O people,* we magnify her.

Communion Hymn

Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies* You have perfected praise.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 8:3)

Sunday, April 13, 2025

Palm Sunday: The Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem.

Feast of our Lord.

First Antiphon

I am filled with love* for the Lord will hear the voice of my plea.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.

For He has inclined His ear to me,* and I will call to Him all the days of my life.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us

The pangs of death encircled me,* the trials of Hades befell me.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us

I met with anguish and pain,* and called upon the name of the Lord.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Only-begotten…

Third Antiphon

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,* for His mercy endures forever.

Troparion, Tone 1: Assuring us before Your Passion of the general resurrection,* You raised Lazarus from the dead, O Christ God:* and so, like the children we also carry signs of victory* and cry to You, the conqueror of death:* Hosanna in the highest!* Blessed is He who comes* in the name of the Lord.

Therefore, let the house of Israel say that He is good,* for His mercy endures forever.

Therefore, let the house of Aaron say that He is good,* for His mercy endures forever.

Let all who feat the Lord say that He is good,* for His mercy endures forever.

Entrance

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, we bless you from the house of the Lord,* the Lord is God and has appeared to us.

Troparia and Kontakia

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Troparion, Tone 4: Buried with You through Baptism, O Christ our God,* we have been granted immortal life by Your resurrection,* and we sing Your praises, crying out:* Hosanna in the highest!* Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 6: Mounted on the throne in heaven, O Christ God,* and on a colt here on earth,* You accepted the praise of the angels,* and the hymn of the children who cried to You:* Blessed are You who have come to call Adam back.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;* God the Lord has appeared to us.

verse: Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever. (Psalm 117:26-27)

Epistle

Philippians 4:4-9

Brothers and Sisters, rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Alleluia, Tone 1

verse: Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has worked wonders.

verse: All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. (Psalm 97:1)

Gospel

John 12:1-18

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
The King of Israel!”

Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:

“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
Behold, your King is coming,
Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.

Hymn to the Mother of God

O my soul, magnify Christ who seated on a foal.

And the Irmos: The Lord is God and has appeared to us:* together let us celebrate.* Come with great rejoicing; let us magnify Christ* with palms and olive branches, and with sings let us cry aloud to Him:* Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

Communion Hymn

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;* God the Lord has appeared to us.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 117:26-27)

UPCOMING EVENTS