2026

On Thursday | May 21

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The Readings from the Regular Cycle

The Epistle

Thursday of the Ascension

The reading is from the Acts of the Apostles.

Acts 1:1 – 12

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Then they returned from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. [RSV]

The Gospel

Thursday of Ascension

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Luke.

Lk. 24:36 – 53

At that time, Jesus, having risen from the dead, stood in the midst of his disciples and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? See my hands and feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb, and he took it and ate before them. Then he said to them, “These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city of Jerusalem, until you are clothed with power from on high.” Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen. [RSV]

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The Readings for the Commemoration

2026

May 21

Memory of Sts. Constantine and Helen

The Readings from Vespers the Previous Evening

From Pentecostarion - - -

For the Feast.

Is 2:2 – 3

Thus says the Lord: Now it shall come to pass in the last days, the mountain of the Lord and the house of God shall be visible on the tops of the mountains and exalted above the hills. All the Gentiles shall come to it. Many Gentiles shall travel and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will proclaim His way to us, and we shall walk in it.” [SAAS]

Is 62:10 – 63:1

Thus says the Lord: “Go through My gates, make a way for My people, throw the stones off the road, and lift up a standard for the Gentiles.” For behold, the Lord caused this to be heard to the ends of the earth: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your Savior is come, and has His reward, and His work before His face.’” One shall call them a holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, and you shall be called a City Sought for and Not Forsaken. Who is this who comes from Edom with red garments from Bozrah, so beautiful in His apparel, with force of strength? “I speak of righteousness and saving judgment.” Why are Your garments red and Your apparel as one who treads in a winepress? “I am full of the treading of grapes, and there is no man with Me among the nations.” I remembered the Lord’s mercy, the praises of the Lord in all things in which the Lord recompenses us. The Lord is a good judge to the house of Israel, and He deals with us according to His mercy, and according to the multitude of His righteousness. He said, “Surely My people, My children, have not rejected Me?” So He became their salvation. Not an elder or an angel, but the Lord Himself saved them from all their tribulation, because He loved them and spared them. He redeemed and took them up, and lifted them up all the days of old. [SAAS]

From Menaion - - -

For the Equals-to-the-Apostles.

3Kg 8:20 – 21, 25 – 28

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven; and he said, “O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below. If the heaven and the heaven of heaven will not be sufficient for You, how much less even this temple I built in Your name? Yet, O Lord God of Israel, regard my prayer, which Your servant is praying before You today, that Your eyes may be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place of which You said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to hear the prayer Your servant prays in this place day and night. You will hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. You will hear in Your dwelling place in heaven, and You will be merciful.” [SAAS]

The Epistle

For the Equals-to-the-Apostles.

The reading is from the Acts of the Apostles.

Acts 26:1, 12 – 20

In those days, King Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: “I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and bear witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles — to whom I send you to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ After that, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of their repentance.” [RSV]

The Gospel

For the Equals-to-the-Apostles.

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to John.

Jn. 10:1 – 9

The Lord said to the Jews who had come to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” [RSV]

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Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.

Synaxarion

From the Menaion.

On May 21 we commemorate the holy, glorious, God-crowned and great Sovereigns Constantine and Helen, the Equals to the Apostles.

The holy Neo-martyr Pachomios, who witnessed in Ousaki, Philadelphia, died by the sword.

From the Pentecostarion.

On this day, Thursday of the sixth week of Pascha, we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Verses

O Word, You sat at the right of the Father,

Having granted initiates faith that is surer.

Christ our God, taken up in glory, have mercy on us. Amen.

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Fasting Rule

Fast Free: All foods allowed.

It is a major feast.