Monday, May 11
SS Cyril and Methodius, Apostles to the Slavs
Appointed readings
7 passagesVespers · Old Testament
Proverbs 10:31–11:12
31A righteous man will never fail, But the ungodly shall not inhabit the earth.
32The mouth of a righteous man distills wisdom, But the tongue of an unrighteous man utterly destroys.
33The lips of righteous men distill grace, But the mouth of the ungodly is perverse.
1Deceitful scales are an abomination before the Lord, But a righteous weight is acceptable to Him.
2Wherever arrogance enters, there also is dishonor, But the mouth of the humble meditates on wisdom.
3When a righteous man dies, he leaves regret, But the destruction of the ungodly is immediate and brings joy.
4Righteousness cuts straight and blameless paths, But ungodliness embraces wrongdoing.
5The righteousness of upright men delivers them, But lawless men are taken to their destruction.
6When a righteous man dies, his hope does not perish, But the boast of the ungodly perishes.
7A righteous man escapes from a snare, But the ungodly man is handed over in his place.
8There is a snare for citizens in the mouth of the ungodly, But the perception of the righteous is prosperous.
9A city stays upright in the good things of the righteous, But it is razed to the ground by the mouths of the ungodly.
10A man in need of discernment treats citizens with contempt, But a man of discernment keeps quiet.
11A double-tongued man reveals deliberations heard in council, But a man faithful in spirit conceals matters.
12Those for whom there is no leadership fall like leaves, But there is salvation in much counsel.
Vespers · Old Testament
Wisdom of Solomon 4:7–15
7But though a righteous man may die before his time, He shall be at rest.
8For old age is not honored for its length of existence, Nor measured by its number of years;
9But discernment is gray hair for mankind, And a spotless life is the maturity of old age.
10There was once a man pleasing to God and loved by Him, And while living among sinners he was taken up.
11He was caught up lest evil change his understanding Or deceit deceive his soul.
12For envy arising from lack of judgment obscures what is good, And a whirling of desire undermines an innocent heart.
13He was made perfect, For in a short time he fulfilled long years,
14For his soul was pleasing to the Lord; Therefore, He took him early from the midst of evil. Yet peoples saw this but did not understand, Nor take such a thing to heart,
15That the Lord's grace and mercy are with His elect And that He watches over His holy ones.
Matins · Gospel
John 10:1–9
1Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
5Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.'
6Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.
7Then Jesus said to them again, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
9I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
Epistle
Acts 12:12–17
12So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
13And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer.
14When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate.
15But they said to her, 'You are beside yourself!' Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, 'It is his angel.'
16Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
17But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, 'Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.' And he departed and went to another place.
Epistle
Hebrews 7:26–8:2
26For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;
27who 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.
28For 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.
1Now 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,
2a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
Gospel
John 8:42–51
42Then they said to Him, 'We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.' Jesus said to them, 'If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
43Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.
44You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
45But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.
46Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?
47He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.'
48Then the Jews answered and said to Him, 'Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?'
49Jesus answered, 'I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.
50And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.
51Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.'
Gospel
Matthew 5:14–19
14'You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
17'Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
18For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
19Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.