From the calendar, 2028.

Saturday, October 21

Memorial (Demetrius) Saturday

Fast-free

Appointed to be read.

At the

More than one commemoration is kept today, so more than one Epistle and Gospel is appointed.

Ask about these readings in Study

Epistle.

2 Corinthians 1:8–11

1 min read

8For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.

9Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,

10who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,

11you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.

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Epistle.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–17

1 min read

13But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

17Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

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Gospel.

Luke 7:1–10

1 min read

1Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum.

2And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.

3So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.

4And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving,

5'for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.'

6Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, 'Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.

7Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.

8For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it.'

9When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, 'I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!'

10And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.

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Gospel.

John 5:24–30

1 min read

24'Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

25Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.

26For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,

27and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.

28Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice

29and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

30I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

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six stichera.

Memorial (Demetrius) Saturday

In remembrance.

Ven. Hilarion the GreatRead the life

He was born in Palestine to pagan parents who sent him to Alexandria to be educated. There he learned of the Christian faith and was baptized. Hearing of the fame of St Anthony the Great, he met the great “Father of monks,” and determined to devote himself to the ascetical life. For the rest of his life he traveled from place to place, engaging in the most austere life of solitude, prayer and fasting. But wherever he went, his holiness shone like a beacon, and he became known to the people, who flocked to him for counsel, nurture and healing. He would then flee to another place and begin again. His travels took him to Egypt, Libya, Sicily, and finally Cyprus, where he reposed at a great age. As he lay on his deathbed, he cried out ‘Go forth, O my soul. What do you fear? Go forth! Why are you disquieted within me?

Read the full life

Holy New Martyr John of Monembasia (1773)Read the life

“Saint John was from Monembasia in the Peloponnese. At that time the region was under the Turkish yoke and subject to frequent raids from Albanians who captured Christians to sell them as slaves. In the course of one such attack, John’s father was killed and the young boy and his mother were taken as captives to Larissa, where they were sold to a Turk from Thessalonica. This man, who had no son, wanted to adopt John and make him a Muslim. But nothing was able to persuade the fifteen-year-old youth: attractive promises, threatened beatings, the magic arts the Turk’s wife used to make him lose his chastity, all were in vain. John remained as immovable as a rock and preferred to starve for days on end than break the fasts of the Church. The Turk became enraged at his failure to prevail over his young slave, and ran a sword into his stomach.

Read the full life

Further.

The Library

The Fathers, the services and the lives of the saints.

Study

Ask a question about a passage. Answers cite their sources.

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.