Bright Week
Orthodox Study

Friday, April 17

Bright Friday

Fast-free

Appointed to be read.

  1. At the

    1. EpistleActs 3:1–8
    2. EpistlePhilippians 2:5–11
    3. GospelJohn 2:12–22
    4. GospelLuke 10:38–42, 11:27–28

More than one commemoration is kept today, so more than one Epistle and Gospel is appointed.

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Epistle.

Acts 3:1–8

1 min read

1Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

2And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple;

3who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.

4And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, 'Look at us.'

5So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.

6Then Peter said, 'Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.'

7And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

8So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.

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Epistle.

Philippians 2:5–11

1 min read

5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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Gospel.

John 2:12–22

1 min read

12After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

13Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

14And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.

15When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables.

16And He said to those who sold doves, 'Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!'

17Then His disciples remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.'

18So the Jews answered and said to Him, 'What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?'

19Jesus answered and said to them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.'

20Then the Jews said, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?'

21But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

22Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

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Gospel.

Luke 10:38–42, 11:27–28

1 min read

38Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.

39And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.

40But 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.'

41And Jesus answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.

42But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.'

11:27And 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!'

28But He said, 'More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!'

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What this is.

The Scripture the Orthodox Church reads each day, the saints it remembers, and a study aid that answers from Scripture and the Fathers and shows its sources.

Divine Liturgy. The Church's main service, at which Holy Communion is given. Its Epistle and Gospel are what most people mean by the day's readings.

Matins. The morning service of praise. On Sundays and feasts it has a Gospel of its own.

Vespers. The evening service. The Church's day begins at sunset, so a feast's Vespers is served the evening before.

Hours. Short services of psalms and prayer at set times of the day: the First, Third, Sixth and Ninth Hours.

Tone. The hymns of the week are sung in one of eight tones, or melodies, which follow each other week by week.

New Calendar. Fixed feasts are kept on the civil date, as in the OCA and the Antiochian Archdiocese. Churches on the Old Calendar keep them 13 days later. Pascha is the same for both.

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