From the calendar, 2028.

Sunday, November 12

23rd Sunday after Pentecost

St John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria

Fast-free

Appointed to be read.

At the
1. EpistleEphesians 2:4–10
2. GospelLuke 10:25–37
At
1. GospelMatthew 28:16–20

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Epistle.

Ephesians 2:4–10

1 min read

4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

6and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

7that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

9not of works, lest anyone should boast.

10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

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Gospel.

Luke 10:25–37

2 min read

25And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, 'Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?'

26He said to him, 'What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?'

27So he answered and said, ''You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.''

28And He said to him, 'You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.'

29But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'

30Then Jesus answered and said: 'A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.

33But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.

34So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

35On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'

36So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?'

37And he said, 'He who showed mercy on him.' Then Jesus said to him, 'Go and do likewise.'

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Matins Gospel.

Matthew 28:16–20

1 min read

16Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.

17When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

18And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen.

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In remembrance.

St John the Merciful, Patriarch of AlexandriaRead the life

He was the son of a noble family in Cyprus. He married and had several children, but when his wife and children all died at nearly the same time, he took his loss as a call to forsake worldly cares, and committed his life entirely to God. In time he was consecrated Archbishop of Alexandria, where he became known for his zeal for the Orthodox faith and his struggles against the various heresies that prevailed in Egypt at that time. Most of all, though, he was known for the amazing purity of his generosity and compassion toward all.

Read the full life

Our Father among the Saints Martin, Bishop of Tours (397)Read the life

This holy and beloved Western Saint, the patron of France, was born in Pannonia (modern-day Hungary) in 316, to a pagan military family stationed there. Soon the family returned home to Italy, where Martin grew up. He began to go to church at the age of ten, and became a catechumen. Though he desired to become a monk, he first entered the army in obedience to his parents.

Read the full life

Our Holy Father Nilus the Ascetic of Sinai (430)Read the life

He served as Prefect of Constantinople during the reign of the Emperor Theodosius. He was married and had two children, a son and a daughter. Despising their eminent worldly position, Nilus and his wife agreed to take up the monastic life in Egypt, she taking their daughter to a women’s monastery, he taking their son to Mount Sinai. Together Nilus and his son Theodoulos lived in hesychia on the slopes of the mountain with the other monks, who spent their lives in solitude, only gathering once a week to partake of the Mysteries. One day some Saracen raiders attacked the monks, killing many and capturing others; Nilus’ own son Theodoulos was among those taken. Nilus, to overcome his sorrow at losing his son, redoubled his prayers and ascetical labors, and became widely-known for his gifts of prophecy and discernment.

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St Nilus the Myrrh-Gusher of Mt Athos (1651)Read the life

He was born around the end of the sixteenth century in southern Greece. At an early age he entered into monastic life and in time found an isolated cave on the southern cliffs of Mt Athos, devoting his days to prayer, unknown to almost everyone. He reposed in peace in 1651 and was buried near his cave. A fragrant myrrh flowed from his body so copiously that it formed a stream flowing into the sea below; many people came in boats to collect the myrrh, which healed many ailments. One of his disciples, disturbed by the steady procession of visitors, complained in prayer to the Saint, and the flow of myrrh instantly stopped, never to resume.

Further.

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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.