From the calendar 2027

Saturday, August 14

Forefeast of Dormition

Appointed readings

2 passages

Epistle

Romans 13:1–10

1Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

2Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.

4For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

5Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake.

6For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing.

7Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

8Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

9For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

10Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Gospel

Matthew 12:30–37

Open Reader ↗

30He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

31'Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.

32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

33'Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

34Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

35A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

36But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

37For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.'

The rhythm of the day

Fasting: Wine & oil
Weekly tone: Tone 6

six stichera · forefeast

Forefeast of Dormition

In remembrance

The saints commemorated this day

Prophet MicahRead the life

Read his prophecies (which include the prophecy that Christ would be born in Bethlehem, Micah 5:2) in the Old Testament book that bears his name. He was a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah, Amos and Hosea, and is ranked sixth among the “minor” prophets. It was he who prophesied that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem. (This is a different Micah from the one mentioned in 1 Chronicles 22:8, who lived earlier). Micah was buried in his home village of Morasth in the land of Judah; his holy relics were found along with those of the prophet Habbakuk during the reign of St Theodosius the Great — their location was given by a revelation to Zebennus, Bishop of Eleutheropolis.

Translation of the Relics of St Theodosius of the Kiev Caves

Hieromartyr Marcellus, Bishop of Apamea (389)Read the life

He was born to an eminent family in Cyprus, and was well-educated. He was married and had children, but when his wife died he left his family to live as a monk in Syria. There he became known and loved for his learning, humility and kindness to all, and the people of Apamea chose him as their bishop. As bishop, he worked with evangelical fervor to bring the mostly-pagan people to Christ. When a pagan temple was burned down, some pagans blamed Marcellus, seized him, and threw him into the fire, where he perished.