2026

On Monday | September 14

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The Readings from the Regular Cycle

The Epistle

Monday of the 16th Week

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

Gal. 4:28 – 31; 5:1 – 10

Brethren, we, like Isaac, are children of promise. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now. But what does the scripture say? “Cast out the slave and her son; for the son of the slave shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” So, brethren, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Now I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is bound to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love. You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine; and he who is troubling you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. [RSV]

The Gospel

Monday of the 16th Week of Matthew

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Mark.

Mk. 6:54 – 56; 7:1 – 8

At that time, when Jesus got out of the boat, the people of Gennesaret recognized him, and ran about the whole neighborhood and began to bring sick people on their pallets to any place where they heard he was. And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the market places, and besought him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well. Now when the Pharisees gathered together to him, with some of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they purify themselves; and there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze and beds.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.’” [RSV]

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The Readings for the Commemoration

2026

September 14

The Elevation of the Holy Cross

The Readings from Vespers the Previous Evening

From Menaion - - -

Ex 15:22 – 27,16:1

Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the desert and found no water to drink. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore he named that place Bitterness. Then the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” So he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. There He proved him and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is pleasing in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His ordinances, I will put none of the diseases on you that I brought on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord your God who heals you.” Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve fountains of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters. Now they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai. [SAAS]

Pr 3:11 – 18

My son, do not despise the instruction of the Lord, neither grow weary under His reproof. For whom the Lord loves He instructs, and chastises every son He receives. Blessed is a man who finds wisdom, and a mortal who sees discernment; for the profits gained from wisdom are better than the treasures of gold and silver. And wisdom is more valuable than precious stones, and nothing evil will withstand her; she is well known to all who come near her, and no honor is worthy of her. For length of days and years of life are in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and glory; righteousness proceeds from her mouth, and she carries law and mercy upon her tongue. Her ways are good ways, and all her paths are in peace. She is a tree of life for all who cleave to her, and she is security for those who lean upon her as upon the Lord. [SAAS]

Is 60:11 – 16

Thus says the Lord: “Your gates shall be opened continually, and they shall not be shut day or night, to bring you the power of the Gentiles, and their kings leading them. For the nations and their kings who will not serve you shall perish, and those nations will be utterly desolate. The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, with the cypress, the pine, and the cedar together, to glorify My holy place. The sons of those who humbled and provoked you shall go to you in fear, and you shall be called City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Because you were forsaken and hated, and there was no one to help you, therefore I will make you an eternal joy, the gladness of generations to generations. You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles and eat the wealth of kings. You shall know I am the Lord who saves you and the God of Israel who delivers you.” [SAAS]

The Epistle

For the Feast.

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

1 Cor. 1:18 – 24

Brethren, the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. [RSV]

The Gospel

For the Feast.

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to John.

Jn. 19:6 – 11, 13 – 20, 25 – 28, 30

At that time, the chief priests and the elders held counsel against Jesus, how to destroy him. And they went to Pilate, saying, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard these words, he was the more afraid; he entered the praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin.” When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King!” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. Then when Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished”; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. [RSV]

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Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.

Synaxarion

From the Menaion.

On September 14 is the worldwide Exaltation (i.e. Elevation) of the precious and life-giving Cross.

On this day was the repose of our father among the saints John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople. He reposed on this date, but because of the feast of the Holy Cross his feast was moved to November 13.

We also commemorate the most pious empress Placilla, the wife of emperor Theodosius the Great.

On this day we also commemorate our fathers among the saints who assembled at the holy Sixth Ecumenical Council, during the reign of Constantine IV Pogonatos, father of Justinian II Rhinotmetos, while Sergios led the Church of Constantinople and Agatho the Church of Rome. The Council convened in Trullo of the Palace called Ovatus, to anathematize Sergios, Pyrrhos and Peter and Paul, who had been Bishops of Constantinople, as well as Macrobios of Antioch, Cyrus of Alexandria, and Honorius of Rome, and Stephen and Polychronios and their followers. This Council convened during the reign of the above mentioned Constantine Pogonatos, but its canons were published during the reign of his son Justinian.

On this day we also commemorate the holy Martyr Papas.

On this day the holy Martyr Theocles died by the sword.

On this day Saint Valerian the infant died by the sword.

The holy new devout Martyr Macarius, who witnessed in Thessaloniki in the year 1527, and who had been a disciple of St. Niphon, Patriarch of Constantinople, died by the sword.

By their holy intercessions, 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 major feast.