Tuesday, January 25
St Gregory the Theologian
Appointed readings
6 passagesVespers · 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
James 3:1–10
1My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
2For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
3Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.
4Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.
5Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
6See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.
7For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.
8But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.
10Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
Epistle
1 Corinthians 12:7–11
7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
8for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Gospel
Mark 11:11–23
11And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.
12Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.
13And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
14In response Jesus said to it, 'Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.'
15And His disciples heard it. So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
16And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.
17Then He taught, saying to them, 'Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.' '
18And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.
19When evening had come, He went out of the city.
20Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21And Peter, remembering, said to Him, 'Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.'
22So Jesus answered and said to them, 'Have faith in God.
23For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
Gospel
John 10:9–16
9I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
12But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
13The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.
14I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
15As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
16And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.