Week 17 after Pentecost ·
Orthodox Study

Monday, September 25

Repose of Ven. Sergius of Radonezh

Fish allowedFish, wine and oil are allowed. No meat, dairy or eggs.

Epistle.

Ephesians 1:22–2:3

1 min read

22And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,

23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

2:1And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

2in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

3among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

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Epistle.

Galatians 5:22–6:2

1 min read

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

24And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

6:1Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

2Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

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Gospel.

Luke 4:37–44

1 min read

37And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

38Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house. But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.

39So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.

40When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.

41And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, 'You are the Christ, the Son of God!'

42Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.

43but He said to them, 'I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.'

44And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

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Gospel.

Luke 6:17–23

1 min read

17And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,

18as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.

19And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

20'Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God.

21Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh.

22Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake.

23Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

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Matins Gospel.

Matthew 11:27–30

1 min read

27All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

28Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.'

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Vespers Old Testament.

Proverbs of Solomon 10:31–11:12 (Proverbs)

1 min read

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.

11:1Deceitful 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.

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Vespers Old Testament.

Wisdom of Solomon 3:1–9

1 min read

1But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, And no torture will ever touch them.

2In the eyes of the undiscerning they seemed to have died, And their departure was considered to be misfortune,

3And their passage from us to be their destruction; But they are at peace.

4For though in man's view they were punished, Their hope is full of immortality.

5Though chastened in a few things, Great kindness will be shown them, For God tested them and found them worthy of Himself.

6He tested them like gold in a furnace And accepted them as a whole burnt offering.

7In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, And they will run about like sparks through straw.

8They will judge nations and rule over peoples, And the Lord shall reign over them unto the ages.

9Those who trust in Him will understand truth, And the faithful shall continue with Him in love, Because grace and mercy are upon His elect.

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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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