From the calendar, 2027.
Saturday, May 8
Bright Saturday
Fast-free
Epistle.
Acts 3:11–16
1 min read
11Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed.
12So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: 'Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
13The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go.
14But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
15and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
16And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Epistle.
1 John 1:1–7
1 min read
1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—
2the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—
3that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
4And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
5This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Gospel.
John 3:22–33
1 min read
22After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.
23Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.
24For John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.
26And they came to John and said to him, 'Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!'
27John answered and said, 'A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
28You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'
29He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
30He must increase, but I must decrease.
31He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
32And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.
33He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.
Gospel.
John 19:25–27, 21:24–25
1 min read
25Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
26When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold your son!'
27Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold your mother!' And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
21:24This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.
25And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
Matins Gospel.
John 21:15–25
2 min read
15So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to him, 'Feed My lambs.'
16He said to him again a second time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to him, 'Tend My sheep.'
17He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?' Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, 'Do you love Me?' And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed My sheep.'
18Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.'
19This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, 'Follow Me.'
20Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, 'Lord, who is the one who betrays You?'
21Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, 'But Lord, what about this man?'
22Jesus said to him, 'If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.'
23Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, 'If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?'
24This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.
25And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
Vespers Epistle.
1 John 3:21–4:6
1 min read
21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
22And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
23And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
24Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
4:1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
4You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
5They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.
6We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Vespers Epistle.
1 John 4:11–16
1 min read
11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
13By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
16And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Vespers Epistle.
1 John 4:20–5:5
1 min read
20If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
21And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
5:1Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.
3For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
4For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
5Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
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.