2025

On Wednesday | October 1

----------

The Readings from the Regular Cycle

The Epistle

Wednesday of the 17th Week

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

Eph. 3:8 – 21

Brethren, to me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through our faith in him. So l ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, to him be glory in the church in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen. [RSV]

The Gospel

Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Luke

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Luke.

Lk. 5:33 – 39

At that time, Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Why do the disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?” And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” He told them a parable also: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it upon an old garment; if he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’” [RSV]

__________

The Readings for the Commemoration

The Epistle

For the Apostle.

The reading is from the Acts of the Apostles.

Acts 9:10 – 19

In those days, there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he is praying, and he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to thy saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon thy name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized, and took food and was strengthened. [RSV]

The Gospel

For the Apostle.

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Luke.

Lk. 10:16 – 21

The Lord said to his disciples, “He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” In that same hour he rejoiced in the spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing before you.” [RSV]

2025

October 28

Holy Protection of the Theotokos

The Readings from Vespers the Previous Evening

From Menaion - - -

Nm 9:15 – 23

Now on the day the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the house of the testimony; from eventide until morning it was on the tabernacle, like the form of fire. So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the form of fire by night. Whenever the cloud ascended from the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel broke camp; and in the place where the cloud stood, there the children of Israel made camp. At the command of the Lord the children of Israel would make camp, and at the command of the Lord they would break camp. All the days the cloud overshadowed the tabernacle, the children of Israel would encamp. Even when the cloud would continue many days on the tabernacle, the children of Israel would obey God’s orders, and not break camp. So it would be, whenever the cloud would overshadow the tabernacle a number of days, at the voice of the Lord they would encamp, and at the command of the Lord they would break camp. So it would be, when the cloud would continue from eventide until morning, and the cloud would ascend in the morning, then they would break camp; and if the cloud would continue a day or a night, or a month, or an abundance of days overshadowing it, the children of Israel would encamp and not break camp. At the command of the Lord they would break camp, and at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses they would obey the Lord’s orders. [SAAS]

Ex 40:15 – 19, 22 – 32

Then it came to pass in the first month of the second year after their departure from Egypt, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was set up. So Moses set up the tabernacle, placed the capitals, inserted the bars, and set up the posts. He spread out the curtains over the tabernacle and put the veil of the tabernacle on it above, as the Lord commanded Moses. Then he took the testimonies, put them into the ark, and inserted the poles under the ark. He then brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung up the veil of the covering, and partitioned off the ark of the testimony, as the Lord commanded Moses. Then he put the lampstand in the tabernacle of testimony, on the south side of the tabernacle; and he placed its lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses. He also put the gold altar in the tabernacle of testimony in front of the veil; and he burned the incense compound on it, as the Lord commanded Moses. Then he put the altar of burnt offering before the doors of the tabernacle. He also set up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar. So Moses finished all the work. Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of testimony, and the tabernacle was filled with the Lord’s glory. But Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of testimony because the cloud overshadowed it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud ascended from the tabernacle, the children of Israel prepared to depart with their belongings. But if the cloud did not ascend, they did not prepare to depart until the cloud ascended. For before all Israel, throughout all their journeys, the cloud was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night. [SAAS]

Ezk 43:27 – 44:4

Thus says the Lord: “When they have completed these days, then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer upon the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, says the Lord God.” Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east; and it was shut. And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it; for the Lord, the God of Israel, shall enter by it; therefore it shall remain shut. Only the prince shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gate, and shall go out by the same way.” Then he brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple; and I looked, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. [SAAS]

The Epistle

For the Theotokos.

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

Heb. 9:1 – 7

Brethren, the first tent had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. For a tent was prepared, the first one, in which were the lamp stand and the table and the bread of the Presence; it is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain stood a tent called the Holy of Holies, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, which contained a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. These preparations having thus been made, the priests go continually into the outer tent, performing their ritual duties; but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood which he offers for himself and for the sins committed unintentionally by the people. [RSV]

The Gospel

For the Theotokos.

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Luke.

Lk. 10:38 – 42; 11:27 – 28

At that time, Jesus entered a village; and a woman called Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve you alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.” As he said this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that nursed you!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” [RSV]

__________

Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.

Synaxarion

From the Menaion.

On October 1, we commemorate the holy Apostle Ananias.

On this day we commemorate our devout father Romanos, the Poet of Kontakia.

On this day we commemorate the holy martyrs Michael of the Monastery of Zovi and with him thirty-six holy monks who were martyred in the parish of Sevastoupolis.

On this day we commemorate the six holy monastic martyrs who died by the sword.

On this day we commemorate the holy martyr Domninus.

On this day we remember the holy Protection of our all-holy Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary.

Devout St. John Koukouzelis, the sweet voice, who lived an ascetic life in the environs of Great Lavra on Athos, reposed in peace.

Devout St. Gregory, the domestikos, who lived an ascetic life at Great Lavra on Athos and received a gold coin from the Theotokos, reposed in peace.

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

__________

Fasting Rule

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

It is a Wednesday or Friday.