2025

On Sunday | February 16

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The Readings from the Regular Cycle

The Epistle

Thirty-Fourth Sunday, of the Prodigal

The reading is from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians.

1 Cor. 6:12 – 20

Brethren, “all things are permitted for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are permitted for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food” — and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two shall become one flesh.” But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body and in your spirit which belong to God. [RSV]

The Gospel

17th Sunday of the Prodigal Son

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Luke.

Lk. 15:11 – 32

The Lord said this parable: “There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his belly with the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry. Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’” [RSV]

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Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.

Synaxarion

From the Menaion.

On February 16, we commemorate the holy Martyrs Pamphilos, Valens, Paul, Seleucus, Porphyrios, Julian, Theodoulos, Elias, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Samuel, and Daniel.

On this day we also commemorate the holy Martyrs in Martyropolis; and also devout Saint Marouthas, who rebuilt the city and named it after the Martyrs.

On this day we also commemorate our devout father Flavian.

On this day we also commemorate our father among the saints Flavian, Patriarch of Constantinople.

From the Triodion.

On this day we remember the parable of the Prodigal Son from the holy Gospel, which the most divine Fathers placed second in the Triodion.

Verses

If anyone be prodigal like me, take courage,

For to all is the door of divine mercy now open.

In Your ineffable benevolence, O Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

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Fasting Rule

Fast Free: All foods allowed.