The holy martyr Agathonicus was a citizen of Nicomedia and a Christian by faith. With great zeal he converted the Hellenes from idolatry, and instructed them in the true Faith. At emperor Maximian’s orders, the regional governor cruelly persecuted Christians. The deputy captured St. Zoticus in a place called Carpe. He crucified Zoticus’ disciples and brought Zoticus himself to Nicomedia where he also captured and bound Agathonicus, Princeps, Theoprepius, Acindynus, Severianus, Zeno and many others. Securely bound, they were all taken to Byzantium. As they traveled, Saints Zoticus, Theoprepius, and Acindynus died of their many wounds and exhaustion. Severianus was slain near Chalcedon. Agathonicus and the others were taken to Silybria in Thrace. There, after being tortured in the emperor’s presence, they were beheaded, and entered into eternal life and the joy of their Lord. 

Troparion

O Lord our God, your holy martyrs have deserved the crown of immortality on account of their good fight. Armed with your strength, they have vanquished their persecutors and crushed Satan’s dreadful might. Through their supplications, O Christ our God, save our souls. 

Kontakion

O holy martyr, you have gained a good name for yourself; you put an end to the worship of the evil ones without fearing the suffering that you would bear. Therefore, you have inherited the eternal gifts, O Agathonicus, and together with your companions, you were worthy to obtain the crowns of heaven. 

Epistle

2 Corinthians 4: 13-18

Brothers and sisters: We have that spirit of faith of which the Scripture says, “Because I believed, I spoke out.” We believe and so we speak, knowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up along with Jesus and place both us and you in his presence. Indeed, everything is ordered for your benefit, so that the grace bestowed in abundance may bring greater glory to God because they who give thanks are many. 

We do not lose heart, because our inner being is renewed each day even though our body is being destroyed at the same time. The present burden of our trial is light enough, and earns for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. We do not fix our gaze on what is seen but on what is unseen. What is seen is transitory; what is unseen lasts forever.

Gospel

Matthew 24: 27-33, 42-51

The Lord said: “As lightning from the east flashes to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Where the carcass lies, there the vultures gather. Immediately after the stress of that period, ‘the sun will be darkened, the moon will not shed her light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the hosts of heaven will be shaken loose.’ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and ‘all the clans of the earth will strike their breasts’ as they see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory. He will dispatch his angels ‘with a mighty trumpet blast, and they will assemble his chosen from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.’ From the fig tree learn a lesson. When its branch grows tender and sprouts leaves, you realize summer is near. Likewise, when you see all these things happening, you will know that he is near, standing at your door.

“Stay awake, therefore! You cannot know the day your Lord is coming. Be sure of this: if the owner of the house knew when the thief was coming he would keep a watchful eye and not allow his house to be broken into. You must be prepared in the same way. The Son of Man is coming at the time you least expect. Who is the faithful, farsighted servant whom the master has put in charge of his household to dispense food at need? Happy the servant whom his master discovers at work on his return! I assure you, he will put him in charge of his property. But if the servant is worthless and tells himself, ‘My master is a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, to eat and drink with drunkards, that man’s master will return when he is not ready and least expects him. He will punish him severely and settle with him as is done with hypocrites. There will be wailing then and grinding of teeth.”

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

The holy apostle Thaddeus was one of the Seventy, not the same as the Jude Thaddeus who was one of the Twelve. He went to Edessa in Syria and preached the gospel, there and throughout Syria and Phoenicia, and fell asleep in the Lord in Beirut. 

The holy martyr Bassa, who was the wife of a pagan priest, was a secret Christian. She brought up her sons in the Faith as well. Her husband handed her over to the torturers with her sons. They were beheaded in the persecutions of Maximian in the 3rd century.

Troparion – Apostle

Edessa rejoices today as its baptism through you. Abgar has been freed from passion and praises you. We join in his hymn, and we sing to you: Fill our lives with spiritual happiness and heal our passions through your prayers, O apostle Thaddeus. 

Troparion – Martyr

Your lamb Bassa, O Jesus, cries out in a loud voice: I love You my Bridegroom; I seek You with painful longing; I am crucified with You; in Your baptism, I am buried with You; I suffer for You that I may reign with You; and I die for You that I may live with You. Receive me as a spotless sacrifice immolated with love for You. By her prayers, O merciful One, save our souls. 

Kontakion – Apostle

O Apostle Thaddeus, the Church recognizes you as a brilliant star and she is ever illumined by your miracles. Save those who keep your memory with faith. 

Kontakion – Martyr

You put out the fires of the torments by the dew of the Spirit,  O blessed saint. You were taken into the divine and spiritual light, and after your passing, you shower cures upon us, suppressing the urge of passions through your prayers. 

Epistle

2 Corinthians 4: 1-6

Brothers and sisters: Because we possess this ministry through God’s mercy, we do not give in to discouragement. Rather, we repudiate shameful, underhanded practices. We do not resort to trickery or falsify the word of God. We proclaim the truth openly and commend ourselves to every man’s conscience before God. If our gospel can be called “veiled” in any sense, it is such only for those who are headed toward destruction. Their unbelieving minds have been blinded by the god of the present age so that they do not see the splendor of the gospel showing forth the glory of Christ, the image of God. It is not ourselves we preach but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts, that we in turn might make known the glory of God shining on the face of Christ. 

Gospel

Matthew 24: 13-28

The Lord said to his disciples: “The man who holds out to the end is the one who will see salvation. This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a witness to all the nations. Only after that will the end come. 

“When you see the abominable and destructive thing which the prophet Daniel foretold standing on the holy ground (let the reader take note!), those in Judea must flee to the mountains. If a man is on the roof terrace, he must not come down to get anything out of his house. If a man is in the field, he must not turn back to pick up his cloak. It will be hard on pregnant or nursing mothers in those days. Keep praying that you will not have to flee in winter or on a sabbath, for those days will be more filled with anguish than any from the beginning of the world until now or in all ages to come. Indeed, if the period had not been shortened, not a human being would be saved. For the sake of the chosen, however, the days will be shortened. If anyone tells you at that time, ‘Look, the Messiah is here,’ or ‘He is there,’ do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will appear, performing signs and wonders so great as to mislead even the chosen if that were possible. Remember, I have told you all about it beforehand; so if they tell you, ‘Look, he is in the desert,’ do not go out there; or ‘He is in the innermost rooms,’ do not believe it. As the lightning from the east flashes to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Where the carcass lies, there the vultures gather.”

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

Fifteenth and last of the Judges of Israel, the holy prophet Samuel lived approximately eleven hundred years before Christ. Born in the tribe of Levi, son of Elkanah and Hannah, he was promised to the Lord by his till-then barren mother. At the age of twelve, Samuel had his first revelation from the Lord God. Samuel preached repentance to the children of Israel, and led the people to victory over the Philistines. Asked by the people to give them a king, he warned that God was the only true king of Israel, but they insisted. It was Samuel who anointed Saul son of Kish as the first king of Israel, and David son of Jesse as its second and greatest ruler. He died in Ramah and was buried there. 

Troparion

As we celebrate the memory of your prophet Samuel, O Lord, we implore You to save our souls through his prayers. 

Kontakion

Like a precious gift you were given to God before your birth and you served Him like an angel from the time of your youth. You were made worthy to look into the future, O blessed one, and so we sing to you: O Samuel, prophet and servant of God. 

Epistle

2 Corinthians 3: 4-11

Brothers and sisters: This great confidence in God is ours, through Christ. It is not that we are entitled of ourselves to take credit for anything. Our sole credit is from God, who has made us qualified ministers of a new covenant, a covenant not of a written law but of spirit. The written law kills, but the Spirit gives life.

If the ministry of death, carved in writing on stone, was inaugurated with such glory that the Israelites could not look on Moses’ face because of the glory that shone on it (even though it was a fading glory), how much greater will be the glory of the ministry of the Spirit? If the ministry of the covenant that condemned had glory, greater by far is the glory of the ministry that justifies. Indeed, when you compare that limited glory with this surpassing glory, the former should be declared no glory at all. If what was destined to pass away was given in glory, greater by far is the glory that endures. 

Gospel

Mathew 23: 29-39

The Lord said: “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you frauds! You erect tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the saints. You say, “Had we lived in our forefathers’ time we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ Thus you show that you are sons of the prophets’ murderers. Now it is your turn: fill up the vessel measured out by your forefathers. Vipers’ nest! Brood of serpents! How can you escape condemnation to Gehenna? For this reason I will send you prophets and wise men and scribes. Some you will kill and crucify, others you will flog in your synagogues and hunt down from city to city; until the retribution overtakes you for all the blood of the just ones shed on earth, from the blood of holy Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple building and the altar. All this, I assure you, will be the fate of the present generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, murderess of prophets and stoner of those who were sent to you! How often have I yearned to gather your children, as a mother bird gathers her young under her wings, but you refused me. Recall the saying, ‘You will find your temple deserted.’ I tell you, you will not see me from this time on until you declare, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

The holy martyr Andrew Stratelates was a military commander in the Roman army during the reign of the emperor Maximian (284-305). They loved him in the Roman army because of his bravery, invincibility, and sense of fairness. When a large Persian army invaded the Syrian territories, the governor entrusted St. Andrew with the command of the army, giving him the title of “Stratelates” (commander). His soldiers were pagans, and St. Andrew himself had still not accepted Baptism, but he believed in Jesus Christ. Before the conflict he persuaded the soldiers that the pagan gods were demons and could not help them in battle. He proclaimed to them Jesus Christ, omnipotent God of Heaven and earth, giving help to all who believe in Him. The soldiers went into battle, calling on the help of the Savior. The small detachment routed numerous hosts of Persians. St. Andrew returned from the campaign in glory, having gained a total victory. But jealous men denounced him to the governor, saying he was a Christian who had converted the soldiers under his command to his faith. Later they were slaughtered under Maximian in the narrows of the Taurus Mountains by the army of the governor Seleucus. 

Troparion

You forsook the glory of earthly prestige and inherited the kingdom of heaven. Drops of your blood gleam like rubies in the everlasting crowns which Christ gave you. You led a whole company of martyrs to Christ and found Him in the company of angelic hosts. There you join Him in the never-fading light, O Andrew, true leader and soldier. Along with all of your men, pray unceasingly for all of us.

Kontakion

Standing at prayer before the Lord like a star which heralds the sun, you see the treasure of the kingdom of heaven before you. Filled with joy which no one can describe, with the chorus of chanting angels, O Andrew, you sing a never-ending hymn to the Immortal King. Therefore, beg Christ to save our souls. 

Epistle

2 Corinthians 2:14 – 3:3

Brothers and sisters: Thanks be to God, who unfailingly leads us on in Christ’s triumphal train, and employs us to diffuse the fragrance of his knowledge everywhere! We are an aroma of Christ for God’s sake, both among those who are being saved and those on the way to destruction; to the latter an odor dealing death, to the former a breath bringing life. For such a mission as this, is anyone really qualified? We at least are not like so many who trade on the word of God. We speak in Christ’s name, pure in motivation, conscious of having been sent by God and of standing in his presence. 

Am I beginning to speak well of myself again? Or do I need letters of recommendation to you or from you as others might? You are my letter, known and read by all men, written on your hearts. Clearly you are a letter of Christ which I have delivered, a letter written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh in the heart. 

Gospel

Matthew 23: 23-28

The Lord said: “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you frauds! You pay tithes on mint and herbs and seeds while neglecting the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and good faith. It is these you should have practiced, without neglecting the others.

“Blind guides! You strain out the gnat and swallow the camel! Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you frauds! You cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, and leave the inside filled with loot and lust! Blind Pharisees! First cleanse the inside of the cup so that its outside may be clean. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you frauds! You are like whitewashed tombs, beautiful to look at on the outside but inside full of filth and dead men’s bones. Thus you present to view a holy exterior while hypocrisy and evil fill you within.”

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

The holy martyrs Florus and Laurus were brothers by birth not only in flesh but in spirit. They lived in the 2nd century in Byzantium, and afterwards they settled in Illyria [now Yugoslavia]. By occupation they were stone masons. The prefect of Illyria, Likaion, sent the brothers to a nearby district for work on the construction of a pagan temple. The saints toiled at the structure, distributing to the poor the money they earned, while they kept strict fast and prayed without ceasing. When the construction of the temple was completed, the brothers gathered the Christians together, and going through the temple, they smashed the idols. In the eastern part of the temple they set up the Holy Cross. They spent all night praying, illumined with heavenly light. Having learned of this, the head of the district condemned to burning the former pagan priest Mamertin and his son and 300 Christians. Florus and Laurus were sent back to the prefect Likaion and were thrown down an empty well and covered with earth. After many years, the relics of the holy martyrs were uncovered, incorrupt, and transferred to Constantinople.

Troparion

O faithful, let us praise the blessed Florus and Laurus, for they preached the Trinity without hesitation. Spilling their blood as a sign of their conviction, they have received laurels as God’s seal of approval. Pray to Christ our God to save our souls.

Kontakion

Today the world glorifies Florus and Laurus as holy and long-suffering martyrs for God. We hope to find grace and mercy from their prayers. We ask to be free from temptation, afflictions, anger, and pain on Judgment Day.

Epistle

2nd Corinthians 2: 3c-15

Brothers and sisters: My happiness is yours. That is why I wrote you in great sorrow and anguish, with copious tears – not to make you sad but to help you realize the great love I bear you.

If anyone has given offense he has hurt not only me, but in some measure, to say no more, everyone of you. The punishment already inflicted by the majority on such a one is enough; you should now relent and support him so that he may not be crushed by too great a weight of sorrow. I therefore beg you to reaffirm your love for him. The reason I wrote you was to test you and learn whether you are obedient in all matters. If you forgive a man anything, so do I. Any forgiving I have done has been for your sakes and, before Christ, to prevent Satan – whose guile we know too well – from outwitting us. 

When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, the door of opportunity was opened wide for me by the Lord. Yet I was inwardly troubled because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went off to Macedonia. Thanks be to God, who unfailingly leads us on in Christ’s triumphal train, and employs us to diffuse the fragrance of his knowledge everywhere! We are an aroma of Christ for God’s sake, both among those who are being saved and those on the way to destruction. 

Gospel

Matthew 23: 13-22

The Lord said: “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you frauds! You shut the doors of the kingdom of God in men’s faces, neither entering yourselves nor admitting those who are trying to enter. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you frauds! You travel over sea and land to make a single convert, but once he is converted you make a devil of him twice as wicked as yourselves. It is an evil day for you, blind guides! You declare, ‘If a man swears by the temple it means nothing, but if he swears by the gold of the temple he is obligated.’ Blind fools! Which is more important, the gold or the temple which makes it sacred? Again, you declare, ‘If a man swears by the altar it means nothing, but if he swears by the gift on the altar he is obligated.’ How blind you are! Which is more important, the offering or the altar which makes the offering sacred? The man who swears by the altar is swearing by it and everything on it. The man who swears by the temple is swearing by it and by him who dwells there. The man who swears by heaven is swearing by God’s throne and by him who is seated on that throne.”

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

The holy martyr Myron was a priest in the town of Achaia. He was of wealthy and prominent origin, yet was kind and meek by nature- a lover of both God and man. During the reign of Emperor Decius, on the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, pagans charged into the church, dragged Myron out of the service, and subjected him to torture by fire. During this torture, and angel appeared to him and encouraged him. The pagans began to peel his skin in strips from his head to his feet. The martyr grabbed one such strip of skin and struck his torturer, the judge, on his face with it. As though possessed, the judge grabbed a sword and killed himself. Finally, the pagans took Myron to the city of Cyzicus, and slew him there with the sword, in the year 250.

Troparion

Your martyr Myron, O Lord our God, in his struggle received an incorruptible crown from You. With Your strength, he brought down the tyrants and broke the cowardly valor of demons. Through his prayers, O Christ our God, save our souls.

Kontakion

From your tenderest years you loved Christ and kept all His commandments, O most glorious Myron. You followed Him quickly with your innocence, and it is fitting that you now keep company with angels. Seek the forgiveness of sins for those who honor you.

Epistle

1 Corinthians 4: 9-16

Brothers and sisters: As I see it, God has put us apostles at the end of the line, like men doomed to die in the arena. We have become a spectacle to the universe, to angels and men alike. We are fools on Christ’s account. Ah, but in Christ you are wise! We are the weak ones, you the strong! They honor you, while they sneer at us! Up to this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, poorly clad, roughly treated, wandering about homeless. We work hard at manual labor. When we are insulted we respond with a blessing. Persecution comes our way: we bear it patiently. We are slandered, and we try conciliation. We have become the world’s refuse, the scum of all; that is the present state of affairs. 

I am writing you in this way not to shame you but to admonish you as my beloved children. Granted you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you have only one father. It was I who begot you in Christ Jesus through my preaching of the gospel. I beg you, then, be imitators of me.

Gospel

Matthew 17: 14-22

At that time a man came up to Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord,” he said, “take pity on my son, who is demented and in a serious condition. For example, he often falls into the fire and frequently into the water. I have brought him to your disciples but they could not cure him.” In reply Jesus said: “What an unbelieving and perverse lot you are! How long must I remain with you? How long can I endure you? Bring him here to me!” Then Jesus reprimanded the demon and it came out of the boy. That very moment the boy was cured.

The disciples approached Jesus at that point and asked him privately, “Why could we not expel it?” “Because you have so little trust,” he told them. “I assure you, if you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you would be able to say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible for you. This kind does not leave but by prayer and fasting.”

When they met again in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men who will put him to death, and he will be raised up on the third day.”

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

The Translation of the Icon of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, the icon “not made by human hands,” from Edessa to Constantinople in 944: Tradition related that Abgar, prince of the city of Edessa, suffered from leprosy. Having heard of Jesus the healer in Palestine, he sent a portrait painter named Ananias with a letter to Jesus, asking him to come and cure his leprosy. Being unable to come, the Lord took a napkin and wiped his face, leaving the perfect reproduction of the Holy Face on it. Ananias took the napkin back to Abgar, along with the message that he would be partially cured of his disease, and later completely. The Apostle Thaddeus of the Seventy, preaching the Gospel, came to Abgar and healed him.

The holy martyr Diomedes was a physician from Tarsus who taught people the Christian faith as he ministered to their suffering bodies. The emperor Diocletian ordered him to be beheaded in Nicea in the year 298.

Troparion – Holy Veil

We bow before your sacred image, O gracious Lord, and beg forgiveness for our offenses, O Christ our God; for You, of Your own good will, ascended the cross in Your human nature to deliver from the enemy’s bondage those whom You created. Therefore we gratefully cry out to You: By your coming to save the world, O Savior, You have filled all with joy.

Troparion – Martyr

Your martyr, Diomedes, O Lord our God, in his struggle received an incorruptible crown from You. With Your strength, he brought down the tyrants and broke the cowardly valor of demons. Through his prayers, O Christ our God, save our souls. 

Kontakion – Holy Veil

We have come to realize the extent of your victory, the inexpressible plan of your perfect incarnation, and to recognize this miraculous and unpainted icon as a banner of that divine triumph. With hearts full of love we kiss it in homage and piety.

Kontakion – Martyr

You vanquished the torturer and became a champion, crowned with the laurels of victory, O Diomedes. You are an initiate in the heavenly mysteries of grace and faith and an unconquerable and faithful martyr. 

Readings for the Holy Veil

Epistle

Galatians 3:23 – 4:5

Brothers and sisters: Before the faith came we were under the constraint of the law, locked in until the faith that was coming should be revealed. In other words, the law was our monitor until Christ came to bring about our justification through faith. But now that faith is here, we are no longer in the monitor’s charge. Each one of you is a son of God because of your faith in Christ Jesus. All of you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with him. There does not exist among you Jew or Greek, slave or freeman, male or female. All are one in Christ Jesus. Furthermore, if you belong to Christ you are the descendants of Abraham, which means you inherit all that was promised. 

Brothers and sisters: as long as a designated heir is not of age his condition is no different from that of a slave, even though in name he is master of all his possessions; for he is under the supervision of guardians and administrators until the time set by his father. In the same way, while we were not yet of age we were like slaves subordinated to the elements of the world; but when the designated time had come, God sent forth his Son born of a woman, born under the law, to deliver from the law those who were subjected to it, so that we might receive our status as adopted sons. 

Gospel

Luke 9: 51-56

As the time approached when Jesus was to be taken from this world, he firmly resolved to proceed toward Jerusalem, and sent messengers on ahead of him. These entered a Samaritan town to prepare for his passing through, but the Samaritans would not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, would you have us call down fire from heaven and destroy them?” Jesus turned toward them only to reprimand them. Then they set off for another town. 

Readings for the day

Epistle

Romans 15: 30-33

Brothers and sisters, I beg you, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of the Spirit, join me in the struggle by your prayers to God on my behalf. Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea, and that the offerings I bring to Jerusalem may be well received by the saints there; so that, God willing, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in spirit by your company. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. 

Gospel

Matthew 17:24 – 18:4

At that time the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Does your master not pay the temple tax?” “Or course he does,” Peter replied. Then Jesus on entering the house asked, without giving him time to speak: “What is your opinion, Simon? Do the kings of the world take tax or tolls from their sons, or foreigners?” When Peter replied, “From foreigners,” Jesus observed: “Then their sons are exempt. But for fear of disedifying the collectors go to the lake, throw in a line, and take out the first fish you catch. Open its mouth and you will discover there a coin worth twice the temple tax. Take it and give it to them for you and me.”

Just then the disciples came up to Jesus with the questions, “Who is of greatest importance in the kingdom of God?” Jesus called a little child over and stood him in their midst and said: “I assure you, unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of God. Whoever makes himself lowly, becoming like this child, is of greatest importance in that heavenly reign.”

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

The Dormition of the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary: Tradition relates that the Mother of God died in Jerusalem, after a visit with all of Christ’s apostles. They carried her coffin to the Garden of Gethsemane where it was placed into a tomb. The apostle Thomas came late and asked that the tomb be opened so that he could revere her body. When opened, the tomb was found empty except for the winding burial shroud. 

Troparion

O Theotokos, in giving birth you preserved virginity; and in your falling asleep you did not forsake the world. You are the Mother of Life and have been transferred to life, and through your prayers you deliver our souls from death.

Kontakion

The grave and death did not detain the Theotokos. She intercedes without rest and is our unfailing hope of protection; for he who dwelt in the womb of the Ever Virgin transferred to life the Mother of Life. 

Readings for the feast

Epistle

Philippians 2: 5-11

Brothers and sisters: Your attitude must be that of Christ: Though he was in the form of God, he did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather, he emptied himself and took the form of a slave, and it was thus that he humbles himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross! Because of this, God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name about every other name, so that at Jesus’ name every knee must bend in the heavens, on the earth, and under the earth, and every tongue proclaim to the glory of God the Father: JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!

Gospel

Luke 10: 38-42, 11: 27-28

At that time Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him to her home. She had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and listened to his words. Martha, who was busy with all the details of hospitality, came to Jesus and said, “Lord, are you not concerned that my sister has left me to do the household tasks all alone? Tell her to help me.”

The Lord in reply said to her: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and upset about many things; one thing only is required. Mary has chosen the better portion and she shall not be deprived of it.”

While he was saying this a woman from the crowd called out, “Blest is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” Jesus replied, “Rather, blest are they who hear the word of God and keep it.”

Readings for the day

Epistle

2 Corinthians 1: 12-20

Brothers and sisters: Conscience gives testimony to the boast that in our behavior toward all and especially toward you we have always acted from God-given holiness and candor; this has been prompted, not by debased human wisdom, but by God’s goodness. We never write anything that you cannot read and understand. I hope that, just as you know us to a certain degree already, you will in time come to know us well, and will recognize that we shall be your boast, and you ours, on the day of our Lord Jesus. 

Confident as I am about this, I wanted to visit you first so that a double grace might be yours. I planned to visit you, both on my way to Macedonia and on my return, that I might receive your help on my journey to Judea. DO you suppose that in making those plans I was acting insincerely? Or that my plans are so determined by self-interest that I change my mind from one minute to the next? As God keeps his word, I declare that my word to you is not “yes” one minute and “no” the next. Jesus Christ, whom Silvanus, Timothy, and I preached to you as Son of God, was not alternately “yes” and “no”; he was never anything but “yes.” Whatever promises God has made have been fulfilled in him; therefore it is through him that we address our Amen to God when we worship together. 

Gospel

Matthew 22: 23-33

At that time some Sadducees, who hold there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question: “Teacher, Moses declared, ‘If a man dies without children, his brother must take the wife and produce offspring for his brother.’ Once there were seven brothers. The eldest died after marrying, and since he had no children, left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second, the third, and so on, down to the seventh. Last of all the woman died too. At the resurrection, whose wife will she be, since all seven of them married her?” Jesus replied: “You are badly misled because you fail to understand the Scriptures and the power of God. When people rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but live like angels in heaven. As to the fact that the dead are raised, have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob’? He is the God of the living, not of the dead.” The crowds who listened were spellbound by his teaching. 

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com

The holy prophet Micah was of the tribe of Judah and from the village of Morasth. He was a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea. He denounced the vices of the people, foretold the fall of Samaria, and was a seer of the coming Messiah. He named Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah. He was buried in his own village, and his relics were found in the 4th century. 

Our venerable father Theodosius of the Caves was the Father of monasticism in Russia. At the age of twenty-four, he secretly left his parental home and St. Anthony at the Kiev Caves monastery blessed him to receive monastic tonsure with the name Theodosius. The saint was not afraid to denounce the mighty of this world. Those unjustly condemned always found a defender in him, and judges would review matters at the request of the igumen. He was particularly concerned for the destitute. He built a special courtyard for them at the monastery where anyone in need could receive food and drink. Sensing the approach of death, St. Theodosius peacefully fell asleep in the Lord in the year 1074. He was buried in a cave which he dug, where he secluded himself during fasting periods. The relics of the ascetic were found incorrupt in the year 1091. St. Theodosius was numbered among the saints in 1108. 

Troparion – Micah

As we celebrate the memory of your prophet Micah, O Lord, we implore You to save our souls through his prayers.

Troparion – Theodosius

Guide to Orthodoxy, teacher of piety and holiness, luminary for the world, inspired adornments of monks, O wise Theodosius, Harp of the Spirit, you enlightened all by your teachings; intercede with Christ our God to save our souls. 

Kontakion – Prefestive

Celebrating your glorious memory today, the world mystically dances for joy and cries out to you, O Theotokos: Rejoice, Virgin, Boast of Christians.

Kontakion – Micah

You were enlightened by the blessing of the Holy Spirit, setting forth in prophecy the pure and immaculate condescension of Christ our God, O blessed Micah, and messenger of Christ. Therefore, pray for us who worthily honor your memory. 

Kontakion – Theodosius

You are a successor to the fathers, O holy monk, and you followed them in your life and teachings, your character and temperance, prayer and intercession. Since you have found favor with God, obtain the remission of our sins and salvation for those who sing to you: Rejoice, O father Theodosius. 

Epistle

2 Corinthians 1: 1-7

Paul, by God’s will an apostle of Jesus Christ, and Timothy his brother, to the church of God that is at Corinth and to all the holy ones of the church who live in Achaia. Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Praised be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation! He comforts us in all our afflictions and thus enables us to comfort those who are in trouble, with the same consolation we have received from him. As we have shared much in the suffering of Christ, so through Christ so we share abundantly in his consolation. If we are afflicted it is for your encouragement and salvation, and when we are consoled it is for your consolation, so that you may endure patiently the same sufferings we endure. Our hope for you is firm because we know that just as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the consolation. 

Gospel

Matthew 21: 43-46

The Lord said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will yield a rich harvest. The man who falls upon the stone will be smashed to bits; and he on whom it falls will be crushed.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard these parables, they realized he was speaking about them. Although they sought to arrest him, they had reason to fear the crowds who regarded him as a prophet. 

Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com