2025

On Tuesday | July 22

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The Readings from the Regular Cycle

The Epistle

Tuesday of the 7th Week

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

1 Cor. 6:20; 7:1 – 12

Brethren, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. Now concerning the matters about which you wrote. It is well for a man not to touch a woman. But because of the temptation to immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not rule over her own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not rule over his own body, but the wife does. Do not refuse one another except perhaps by agreement for a season, that you may devote yourselves to fasting and prayer; but then come together again, lest Satan tempt you through lack of self-control. I say this by way of concession not of command. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain single as I do. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion. To the married I give charge, not I but the Lord, that the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, let her remain single or else be reconciled to her husband) — and that the husband should not divorce the wife. To the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. [RSV]

The Gospel

Tuesday of the 7th Week of Matthew

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.

Mt. 14:1 – 13

At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus; and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead; that is why these powers are at work in him.” For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison, for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; because John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” And the king was sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came and took the body and buried it; and they went and told Jesus. Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. [RSV]

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The Readings for the Commemoration

Memory of Saint Mary Magdalene

The Epistle

For the Holy Woman.

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

1 Cor. 9:2 – 12

Brethren, you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to our food and drink? Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife as sister, as the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law say the same? For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop. If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material things? If others share this rightful claim upon you, do not we still more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. [RSV]

The Gospel

For the Holy Woman.

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Luke.

Lk. 8:1 – 3

At that time Jesus went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for him out of their means. [RSV]

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2025

July 22

Memory of St. Markella of Chios

The Readings from Vespers the Previous Evening

Menaion Supplement - - -

WSol 5:15 – 6:3

The righteous live forever, and their reward is with the Lord; and their care is by the Most High. Therefore they shall receive a kingly dwelling of dignity and a crown of beauty from the hand of the Lord, because He will shelter them with His right hand and protect them with His arm. He will take His zeal as His full armor and will turn His creation into weapons against His enemies. He will wear righteousness as a breastplate and put on impartial judgment as a helmet. He will take holiness as an unconquerable shield and sharpen His relentless wrath for a sword; and creation will fight with Him against the senseless. Well-aimed flashes of lightning will strike and leap to their object as from a well-drawn bow of clouds; and hailstones full of anger will be hurled as from an engine of war. The water of the sea will be vexed with them, and the rivers will wash over them severely. A powerful wind will oppose them, and like a storm it will winnow them away. Lawlessness will lay waste all the earth, and wrongdoing will overturn the thrones of rulers. Listen therefore, O kings, and understand; learn, O judges of the ends of the earth. Give ear, you that rule over multitudes, and take pride in yourself over a multitude of nations. For power was given to you from the Lord, and your lordship from the Most High. [SAAS]

WSol 3:1 – 9

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torture will ever touch them. In the eyes of the undiscerning they seemed to have died, and their departure was considered to be misfortune, and their passage from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in man’s view they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Though chastened in a few things, great kindness will be shown them, for God tested them and found them worthy of Himself. He tested them like gold in a furnace and accepted them as a whole burnt offering. In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and they will run about like sparks through straw. They will judge nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord shall reign over them unto the ages. Those who trust in Him will understand truth, and the faithful shall continue with Him in love, because grace and mercy are upon His elect [and He watches over His holy ones]. [SAAS]

Pr 31:10, 12 – 19, 25

Who will find a courageous [woman]? For such a one is more valuable than precious stones. She weaves wool and linen cloth and is productive with her hands. She is like a ship trading afar off, so she procures her livelihood. She also rises before dawn and gives food to her household, and appoints tasks for her maidservants. Seeing a farm, she buys it, and from the fruits of her hands she plants her plot of land. Strongly girding her loins, she strengthens her arms for work. She experiences work as a good thing, and her lamp is not quenched all night. She extends her arms to do profitable things, and she applies her hands to the spindle. She opens her hands to the poor and reaches out with her fruit to the needy. She clothes herself with strength and dignity and rejoices in the last days. [SAAS]

The Epistle

For the Virgin Martyr.

The reading is from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.

Gal. 3:23 – 29; 4:1 – 5

Brethren, before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed. So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian; for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no better than a slave, though he is the owner of all the estate; but he is under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to the elemental principles of the universe. But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. [RSV]

The Gospel

For the Virgin Martyr.

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Mark.

Mk. 5:24 – 34

At that time, a great crowd followed Jesus and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well.” And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” [RSV]

Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.

Synaxarion

From the Menaion.

On July 22, we commemorate Saint Mary Magdalene, the Myrrh-bearer and Equal to the Apostles.

On this day we also commemorate Saint Markella, the devout Martyr.

By their holy intercessions, O God, have mercy on us. Amen.

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Fasting Rule

Fast Free: All foods allowed.