March 22, 2020

Events of the day

• The Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste

  Polyeleos rank

• Third Sunday of Great Lent. Veneration of the Cross

  Commemoration

Fasting

Fast day · Great Lent

Great Lent, Saturday and Sunday: food with oil and wine.

• Meat: not allowed
• Dairy & eggs: not allowed
• Fish: not allowed
• Oil: allowed
• Wine: allowed

Food rules are reference church information. Agree your personal measure of fasting with a priest; consult a doctor if you are ill.

Readings of the day

• Vespers · Martyrs

  Isaiah 43:9–14

• Vespers · Martyrs

  Wisdom of Solomon 3:1–9

• Vespers · Martyrs

  Wisdom of Solomon 5:15–6:3

• 7th Matins Gospel

  John 20:1–10

  Show the text

  ¹Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw the stone taken away from the tomb.

  ²Therefore she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid him!”

  ³Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they went toward the tomb.

  ⁴They both ran together. The other disciple outran Peter, and came to the tomb first.

  ⁵Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying, yet he didn’t enter in.

  ⁶Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying,

  ⁷and the cloth that had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself.

  ⁸So then the other disciple who came first to the tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed.

  ⁹For as yet they didn’t know the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

  ¹⁰So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

• Epistle

  Hebrews 4:14–5:6

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  ¹⁴Having then a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let’s hold tightly to our confession.

  ¹⁵For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.

  ¹⁶Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need.

  ¹For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

  ²The high priest can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, because he himself is also surrounded with weakness.

  ³Because of this, he must offer sacrifices for sins for the people, as well as for himself.

  ⁴Nobody takes this honor on himself, but he is called by God, just like Aaron was.

  ⁵So also Christ didn’t glorify himself to be made a high priest, but it was he who said to him, “You are my Son. Today I have become your father.”

  ⁶As he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

• Epistle · Martyrs

  Hebrews 12:1–10

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  ¹Therefore let’s also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with perseverance the race that is set before us,

  ²looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

  ³For consider him who has endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, that you don’t grow weary, fainting in your souls.

  ⁴You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin.

  ⁵You have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children, “My son, don’t take lightly the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by him;

  ⁶for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

  ⁷It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline?

  ⁸But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then you are illegitimate, and not children.

  ⁹Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live?

  ¹⁰For they indeed, for a few days, punished us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.

• Gospel

  Mark 8:34–9:1

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  ³⁴He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them, “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

  ³⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it.

  ³⁶For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?

  ³⁷For what will a man give in exchange for his life?

  ³⁸For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in his Father’s glory, with the holy angels.”

  ¹He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death until they see God’s Kingdom come with power.”

• Gospel · Martyrs

  Matthew 20:1–16

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  ¹“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

  ²When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

  ³He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.

  ⁴He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way.

  ⁵Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.

  ⁶About the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’

  ⁷“They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ “He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.’

  ⁸When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’

  ⁹“When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.

  ¹⁰When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius.

  ¹¹When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household,

  ¹²saying, ‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’

  ¹³“But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius?

  ¹⁴Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you.

  ¹⁵Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?’

  ¹⁶So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Source: Orthocal: lectionary data — Slavic tradition, Julian calendar. Text: World English Bible.

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Prayer of St Ephrem the Syrian