2025

On Thursday | March 20

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THE PROPHECY

READER

Prokeimenon. Mode 4.

Psalm 53 (54).

Save me, O God, in Your name.

O God, hear my prayer. [SAAS]

The reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah.

PRIEST

Wisdom. Let us be attentive.

READER

Is 11:10 – 12:2

Thus says the Lord, “It shall come to pass in that day that there shall be a Root of Jesse who shall arise to rule nations. The Gentiles shall hope in Him, and His resting place shall be honorable.” It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord will show His hand again to be zealous for the remnant left of His people: left by the Assyrians and by Egypt, Babylon and Ethiopia, and by the Elamites, and from the rising of the sun, and out of Arabia. He shall set up a sign for the Gentiles and will assemble the lost ones of Israel. He shall gather together the dispersed of Judah, from the four corners of the earth. Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart, and the enemies of Judah shall be destroyed. Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not afflict Ephraim. But they shall spread sails on the ships of foreigners, and together they shall plunder the sea and the people of the East and Edom. They shall lay their hands first on Moab, but the sons of Ammon shall obey them first. The Lord shall make desolate the Sea of Egypt, and He will lay His hand on the river with a violent wind, and will strike the seven channels, that men might pass across it in sandals. “There shall be a highway for the remnant of My people in Egypt, and it will be for Israel as in the day he came out of the land of Egypt.” And in that day, you will say, “I will bless You, O Lord. Although You were angry with me, You turned away Your anger and had mercy on me. Behold, God is my Savior and Lord. I will trust in Him and be saved by Him. I will not be afraid, for the Lord is my glory and my praise. He has become my salvation.” [SAAS]

Prokeimenon. Mode 4.

Psalm 54 (55).

Give ear to my prayer, O God.

Attend to me, and hear me. [SAAS]

The Readings from Vespers

READER

Prokeimenon. Mode pl. 4.

Psalm 55 (56).

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for man tramples me down.

All day my enemies trample me down. [SAAS]

The reading is from the book of Genesis.

PRIEST

Wisdom. Let us be attentive.

READER

Gn 7:11 – 8:3

In the six-hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day, all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the floodgates of heaven were opened. Then it rained on the earth forty days and forty nights. On the very same day Noah and his wife, his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives entered the ark. Also, all the wild animals after their kind, all cattle after their kind, every creeping thing moving upon the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, entered the ark with Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God commanded him. Then the Lord God shut him in the ark. Now the flood was on the earth forty days and forty nights. The waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. So the waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth, and the ark moved about on the surface of the waters. The waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and covered all the high mountains. And all flesh died that moves on the earth: birds and cattle, wild animals, and every creeping thing that moves on the earth, and every man. Thus all things in whose nostrils was the breath of life, and everything on dry land, died. So He blotted out all living things on the face of the earth: both man and cattle, creeping things and the birds of heaven. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah and those with him in the ark remained alive. Now the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days. Then God remembered Noah, and whatever was with him in the ark: all the wild animals, all the cattle, all the birds, and all the creeping things. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. The fountains of the deep and the floodgates of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained. And the waters receded continually from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters decreased. [SAAS]

Prokeimenon. Grave Mode.

Psalm 56 (57).

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for my soul trusts in You.

And in the shadow of Your wings I will hope, until lawlessness shall pass away. [SAAS]

The reading is from the Proverbs of Solomon.

PRIEST

Wisdom. Let us be attentive.

READER

Pr 10:1 – 23

A wise son makes his father glad, but a son without discernment is a grief to his mother. Treasures do not benefit lawless men, but righteousness delivers from death. The Lord will not let the soul of the righteous man starve, but He overthrows the life of the ungodly. Poverty humbles a man, but the hands of courageous men enrich others. A son who is instructed will be wise, and he will use a man without discernment as a servant. A son with understanding is kept safe from the heat, but a lawless son is blasted by the wind at harvest time. The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of a righteous man, but untimely grief will cover the mouth of the ungodly. The remembrance of the righteous is with eulogies, but the name of an ungodly man is extinguished. The wise man in heart will receive the commandments, but the man unguarded in speech will be overthrown in his perverseness. He who walks in sincerity walks confidently, but he who perverts his ways will be known. He who winks his eyes deceitfully gathers grief for men, but he who reproves boldly is a peacemaker. A fountain of life is in the hand of a righteous man, but the mouth of an ungodly man will hide destruction. Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all who are not lovers of strife. He who brings forth wisdom from his lips beats a heartless man with a rod. The wise will hide perception, but the mouth of a rash man approaches destruction. The acquisition of riches is a fortified city, but poverty is the destruction of the ungodly. The works of the righteous produce life, but the fruits of the ungodly produce sins. Instruction guards righteous ways of life, but instruction incapable of criticism goes astray. Righteous lips cover hatred, but those who bring forth abuse are very lacking in discernment. You will not escape sin by a multitude of words, but you of discreet lips will be forbearing. The tongue of a righteous man is silver tried in the fire, but the heart of an ungodly man shall fail. The lips of righteous men understand lofty things, but men without discernment die in want. The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of a righteous man; it enriches him, and grief of heart will not be added to it. [SAAS]

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Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.

Synaxarion

From the Menaion.

On March 20 we commemorate the holy fathers who were murdered by the Bedouins in the Monastery of St. Savas the Sanctified.

On this day we also commemorate our devout father and confessor Niketas, Bishop of Apollonia.

On this day we also commemorate the holy seven women martyrs in Amisos: Alexandria, Claudia, Euphrasia, Matrona, Juliana, Euphimia, and Theodosia.

On this day the holy martyr Rodian died by the sword.

On this day St. Aquila the Eparch died by the sword.

On this day St. Lollion reposed after being beaten with fists.

On this day St. Emmanuel died by the sword.

The holy new martyr Myron the Cretan, who witnessed on Crete in the year 1793, died by hanging.

By the intercessions of Your Saints, O God, have mercy on us. Amen.

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Fasting Rule

Strict: Refrain from meat, fish, oil, dairy, and eggs.

It is a weekday in Lent.