Daily Readings:
Saints/Martyrs/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: the Fast of the Nativity
December 19 / January 1. Martyr Boniface at Tarsus in Cilicia, and Righteous Aglae (Aglaida) of Rome. Martyrs Elias, Probus and Ares, in Cilicia. Martyrs Polyeuctus at Caesarea in Cappadocia, and Timothy the deacon in Mauretania. St. Boniface the Merciful, Bishop of Ferentino. St. Gregory, Archbishop of Omirits. St. Elias of Murom, Wonderworker of the Kiev Caves. Martyrs Hermylus and Phocas. Hieromartyr Capito, Bishop of Cherson. (Greek Calendar: Martyrs Eutyches and Thessalonica and with them 200 men and 70 women. Martyr Tryphon.) Repose of Priest-martyr Hermogenes, founder of Kirensk and Albazin Monasteries in Siberia (1690).
Воскресенье, 19 Декабря/ 6 Декабря (Церковный календарь)
Святителя Николая, архиепископа Мир Ликийских чудотворца (ок. 345). Блаж. Максима, митр. Киевскаго. Новомуч. Николая Карамана. Свят. Феофила исп., еп. Антиохийскаго. Св. Николая, еп. Патарскаго. Новосвмчч. пресвв. Михаила Успенского, Сергия Голощанова и Сергия Успенского в Бутове убиенных.
Sunday before the Nativity
The Sunday before the Nativity of the Lord (December 18-24) is known as the Sunday of the Holy Fathers. On this day the Church commemorates all those who were well-pleasing to God from all ages, from Adam to St Joseph the Betrothed of the Most Holy Theotokos, those who are mentioned in the geneology of Luke 3:23-38. The holy prophets and prophetesses are also remembered today, especially the Prophet Daniel and the three holy youths (December 17).
The Troparion to the Prophet Daniel and the three holy youths ("Great are the accomplishments of faith…) is quite similar to the Troparion for St Theodore the Recruit (February 17, and the first Saturday of Great Lent). The Kontakion to St Theodore, who suffered martyrdom by fire, reminds us that he also had faith as his breastplate (see I Thessalonians 5:8).
Kontakion - Tone 6
(For when the Sunday before the Nativity falls on December 18-19) You did not worship the graven image,
O thrice-blessed ones,
but armed with the immaterial Essence of God,
you were glorified glorified in a trial by fire.
From the midst of unbearable flames you called on God, crying:
Hasten, O compassionate One!
Speedily come to our aid,
for You are merciful and able to do as You will.
Kontakion - Tone 1
(For when the Sunday before the Nativity falls on December 20-24) Rejoice, Bethlehem! Prepare yourself, O Ephratha!
The Lamb is on her way to give birth to the Chief Shepherd she carries in her womb.
The God-bearing forefathers will rejoice, beholding Him,
and with the shepherds, they will glorify the Virgin nursing Him.
Troparion - Tone 2
Great are the accomplishments of faith,
for the Three Holy Youths rejoiced in the flames as though at the waters of rest,
and the prophet Daniel appeared,
a shepherd to the lions as though they were sheep.
So by their prayers, O Christ God, save our souls!
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Righteous Priest Aaron
Righteous Priest Aaron
Righteous Benjamin
Righteous Deborah
St Ezra
Righteous Isaac
Righteous Jacob
St Miriam
Prophet Nathan
Prophet Nehemiah
Righteous Noah
Righteous Rebecca
St Sarah
Prophet Solomon
St Susanna
Martyr Boniface at Tarsus, in Cilicia
The Holy Martyr Boniface was the slave of a rich young Roman woman named Aglaida and he dwelt with her in an iniquitous cohabitation. But they both felt the sting of conscience and they wanted somehow to be cleansed of their sin. And the Lord granted them the possibility to wash away their sin with their blood and to finish their life in repentance.
Aglaida learned that whoever keeps relics of the holy martyrs in the home and venerates them receives great help in gaining salvation. Under their influence, sin is diminished and virtue prevails. She arranged for Boniface to go to the East, where there was a fierce persecution against Christians, and she asked him to bring back the relics of some martyr, who would become a guide and protector for them.
As he was leaving, Boniface laughed and asked, "My lady, if I do not find any relics, and if I myself suffer for Christ, will you accept my body with reverence?" Aglaida scolded him, saying that he was setting off on a sacred mission, but he was not taking it seriously. Boniface pondered her words, and during the whole journey he thought that he was unworthy of touching the bodies of the martyrs.
Arriving at Tarsus in Cilicia, Boniface left his companions at the inn and proceeded to the city square, where they were torturing Christians. Struck by the beastly horrible torments, and seeing the faces of the holy martyrs radiant with the grace of the Lord, Boniface marveled at their courage. He embraced them and kissed their feet, asking them to pray that he might be found worthy to suffer with them.
The judge asked Boniface who he was. He replied, "I am a Christian," and then refused to offer sacrifice to idols. They stripped him and hung him upside down, beating him so hard that the flesh fell from his body, exposing the bone. They stuck needles under his nails, and finally they poured molten tin down his throat, but by the power of the Lord he remained unharmed. The people who witnessed this miracle shouted, "Great is the God of the Christians!" Then they began to throw stones at the judge, and then they headed for the pagan temple, in order to cast down the idols.
On the following morning, when things had quieted down somewhat, the judge directed that the holy martyr be thrown into a cauldron of boiling tar, but this also caused the sufferer no harm. An angel come down from Heaven and bedewed him as he stepped into the cauldron. The tar overflowed the cauldron, splattering and burning the torturers themselves. St Boniface was then sentenced to beheading by the sword. Blood and a milky fluid flowed from his wounds. Beholding such a miracle, about 550 men believed in Christ.
St Boniface's companions, waiting for two days at the inn for him in vain, began searching for him, thinking that he had gotten drunk somewhere. At first their search was without success, but finally they came across a man who had been an eyewitness to the martyr's death. The man also led them to the place where the decapitated body lay. St Boniface's companions tearfully begged his forgiveness for their unseemly thoughts about him. After they ransomed the martyr's remains, they brought them back to Rome.
On the eve of their arrival an angel appeared to Aglaida in her sleep and told her to prepare herself to receive her former slave, now the brother and fellow-servant of the angels. Aglaida summoned the clergy, and she received the holy relics with great reverence. Then she built a church on the site of his grave and dedicated it to the holy martyr. There she enshrined his relics, glorified by numerous miracles. After distributing all her wealth to the poor, she withdrew to a monastery, where she spent fifteen years in repentance, then fell asleep in the Lord. She was buried beside St Boniface. The sins of the one were washed away by his blood, the other was purified by her tears and asceticism. Both were found worthy to appear unsullied before our Lord Jesus Christ, Who desires not the death of a sinner, but that he should turn from his wickedness and live (Ezek. 33:11).
We pray to St Boniface for deliverance from drunkenness.
Martyr Boniface at Tarsus, in Cilicia
Kontakion - Tone 4
Willingly you offered yourself as a blameless sacrifice
to the One about to be born of the Virgin for our sake,
holy crown-bearer, all-wise Boniface.
Troparion - Tone 4
You fervently followed the way of the martyrs
Confessing Christ before unbelievers, O Boniface.
You gave your body to modest Aglae
As an imperishable treasure.
Healing and mercy flow from it for the world.
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Righteous Aglaida (Aglae) of Rome
Saint Aglaida (Aglae) was a rich Roman woman and carried on an immoral relationship with her slave St Boniface. But they both felt the sting of conscience and they wanted somehow to be cleansed of their sin. And the Lord granted them the possibility to wash away their sin with their blood and to finish their life in repentance.
Aglaida learned that whoever keeps relics of the holy martyrs in the home and venerates them receives great help in gaining salvation. Under their influence, sin is diminished and virtue prevails. She arranged for Boniface to go to the East, where there was a fierce persecution against Christians, and she asked him to bring back the relics of some martyr, who would become a guide and protector for them.
As he was leaving, Boniface laughed and asked, "My lady, if I do not find any relics, and if I myself suffer for Christ, will you accept my body with reverence?" Aglaida scolded him, saying that he was setting off on a sacred mission, but he was not taking it seriously. Boniface pondered her words, and during the whole journey he thought that he was unworthy of touching the bodies of the martyrs.
Arriving in Tarsus, Boniface witnessed the sufferings of the martyrs and his heart was changed. He cried out, "I am also a Christian." He was arrested, tortured, and put to death, then slaves took his body back to Aglaida in Rome.
On the eve of their arrival an angel appeared to Aglaida in her sleep and told her to prepare herself to receive her former slave, now the brother and fellow-servant of the angels. Aglaida summoned the clergy, and she received the holy relics with great reverence. Then she built a church on the site of his grave and dedicated it to the holy martyr. There she enshrined his relics, glorified by numerous miracles. After distributing all her wealth to the poor, she withdrew to a monastery, where she spent fifteen years in repentance, then fell asleep in the Lord. She was buried beside St Boniface. The sins of the one were washed away by his blood, the other was purified by her tears and asceticism. Both were found worthy to appear unsullied before our Lord Jesus Christ, Who desires not the death of a sinner, but that he should turn from his wickedness and live (Ezek. 33:11).
Kontakion - Tone 4
Willingly you offered yourself as a blameless sacrifice
to the One about to be born of the Virgin for our sake,
holy crown-bearer, all-wise Boniface.
Troparion - Tone 4
You fervently followed the way of the martyrs
Confessing Christ before unbelievers, O Boniface.
You gave your body to modest Aglae
As an imperishable treasure.
Healing and mercy flow from it for the world.
Venerable Elias of Murom the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves
Saint Elias Muromets of the Caves, nicknamed "Shoemaker" or "Cobbler," was from the city of Murom. Popular legend identifies him with the famous warrior hero Elias Muromets, who was the subject of Russian ballads and of Gliere's Symphony No. 3.
St Elias died with the fingers of his right hand formed to make the Sign of the Cross in the position accepted even today in the Orthodox Church: the first three fingers together, and the two outermost fingers folded onto the palm [in contrast to the Sign of the Cross used by the "Old Ritualists"]. During the struggle with the Old Ritualist Schism (seventeenth-nineteenth centuries). This information about the saint served as a powerful proof in favor of the present positioning of the fingers
Martyr Elias in Cilicia
The Martyrs Elias, Probus and Ares, natives of Egypt, and heedless of their own safety, cared for Christians locked up in prison during the persecution of Maximian (305-313). For this they were arrested, subjected to torture and given over to death (+ 308).
Martyr Probus in Cilicia
The Martyrs Probus, Elias, and Ares, natives of Egypt, and heedless of their own safety, cared for Christians locked up in prison during the persecution of Maximian (305-313). For this they were arrested, subjected to torture and given over to death (+ 308).
Martyr Ares in Cilicia
The Martyrs Ares, Elias, and Probus, natives of Egypt, and heedless of their own safety, cared for Christians locked up in prison during the persecution of Maximian (305-313). For this they were arrested, subjected to torture and given over to death (+ 308).
Martyr Polyeuctus at Caesarea, in Cappadocia
Martyr Timothy the Deacon in Mauretania
St Boniface the Merciful the Bishop of Ferentino
Saint Boniface the Merciful, Bishop of Firentium From his very childhood he was distinguished by his non-covetousness and love for the poor. When he saw a destitute man on the street, he took his own clothes and gave them away to those in need, to the chagrin of his widowed mother.
Once, he gave away a year's supply of grain, but the Lord worked a miracle through his prayer, and the family's granary was filled again. St Boniface became bishop of the city of Firentium (Florence), north of Rome (in Tuscany). Even in his lofty position as bishop he remained completely non-covetous and merciful towards people, and he directed his flock wisely, exhorting them to attend to even the least among their neighbors.
Kontakion - Tone 4
You offered yourself as a blameless sacrifice,
O wise crown–bearer, Boniface,
To the one who is about to be born of a Virgin for your sake.
Troparion - Tone 4
You fervently followed the way of the martyrs
Confessing Christ before unbelievers, O Boniface.
You gave your body to modest Aglae
As an imperishable treasure.
Healing and mercy flow from it for the world.
St Gregory the Archbishop of Omirits
Saint Gregory, Bishop of Homer (Omirits), the son of Agapius and Theodota, was filled with the grace of God and possessed gifts of healing and wonderworking even in his youth. The Providence of God led him to hierarchical service. While still a deacon at Mediolanum (Milan) he heard the foretelling of his destiny from a hermit, and then he received confirmation of these words from another spirit-bearing Elder who lived an ascetic life in the mountains.
When Gregory went to this holy schemamonk for guidance, a miracle occurred. As he approached the mountain, he saw a fiery column in the air. He soon realized that the fiery column was actually the man of God coming toward him. That night he saw the Elder standing in the air above the ground. The Elder revealed to St Gregory that he must go to Rome to pray in the church of Sts Boniface and Aglaida. Then he would go to Alexandria and to become a bishop. Then he would arrive in the city of Negran in the land of Homer (in southern Arabia) to proclaim the Gospel.
St Gregory felt himself unworthy of this, and wished to remain with the ascetic as his disciple. So that Gregory should have no doubts of the veracity of his words, the Elder revealed that he knew a secret about him. In a vision, Gregory had seen the First-Ranked Apostles Peter and Paul, and they had placed a bishop's omophorion upon him.
St Gregory stayed a short time in Carthage (North Africa) serving as a deacon, then arrived in Rome. He went to the church of Sts Boniface and Aglaida, then to the tomb of St Peter. There he was granted a vision of the holy Apostle, who told him to walk the path of virtue and to live according to God's will. That night he saw the Apostle Paul in a dream bringing to him a cup filled with oil, foretelling that he should receive the grace of the priesthood and the episcopacy.
During this time the armies of the Ethiopian emperor Elesbaan (October 24) vanquished the Himyarite king Dunaan, who was of Jewish background. The city of Negran was liberated, and Christianity restored in the land of Homer. But all the clergy had been cruelly exterminated by Dunaan, and therefore Elesbaan sent emissaries to the Patriarch of Alexandria asking him to send a bishop to Negran, and clergy for the churches. While he was praying, the holy Apostle Mark appeared to the patriarch, bidding him to find a deacon named Gregory, who was to be ordained to the priesthood, consecrated as a bishop, and then to be sent to Elesbaan. The patriarch did this. During the service a miracle took place. St Gregory's face shone with the grace of the Holy Spirit, and from his vestments came a sweet fragrance like myrrh or incense, filling the whole church with the scent.
Arriving in Homer, St Gregory began to set the Church in order, preaching to both pagans and Jews. After three years Elesbaan returned to Ethiopia, leaving the noble Abramius behind as King of Homer. St Gregory crowned and anointed Abramius as king. Soon he issued a decree that all his subjects be baptized. Then certain prominent Jews turned to the emperor saying that it was better for people to believe willingly rather than under compulsion. They requested that he should permit a debate on faith to be held between them and the Christians, vowing that if the Christians proved victorious in this debate, the Jews would then accept Baptism.
The Jews were given forty days to prepare for the debate, which lasted for several days. St Gregory refuted all the arguments of the head of the Hebrew elder, Rabbi Ervan, using only texts from the Old Testament. In a vision Ervan beheld the holy Prophet Moses, who worshipped the Lord Jesus Christ. The prophet told Ervan that Ervan was in opposition to the truth and would be defeated.
By the grace of God Christian truth prevailed in the debate, but Ervan would not acknowledge his defeat. He made a last desperate attempt. He said, "If you want me to believe in your Christ, and to acknowledge that yours is the true God, then show Him to me, bishop!" The saint replied: "Your request is impertinent. It is not with man that you contend now, but with God. However, the Lord can do what you have asked in order to convince you.
Everyone waited to see what would happen. St Gregory, having steadfast faith in God and trusting in Him, began to pray aloud. He recalled the mystery of the Incarnation of God the Word, the miracles of His earthly life, the Three-day Resurrection and the Ascension into Heaven, and he invoked the power of the Life-Creating Cross. "Show Thyself to these people, O Lord," he prayed, "and glorify Thy holy Name!"
When he finished the prayer, the earth quaked, and in the east the heavens were opened, and in a radiant cloud of light the Lord Jesus Christ came down on earth, and the Voice of the Lord was heard: "Through the prayers of Bishop Gregory, He Whom your fathers put to death will heal you."
Like Saul, who was struck blind by the Heavenly light on the road to Damascus, the Jews were struck blind. Then they believed in Christ and they implored the holy bishop to heal them. Upon receiving holy Baptism, all of them were healed. Rabbi Ervan received the Christian name Leo (meaning "lion").
After this most extraordinary miracle, St Gregory guided the flock of Homer for another thirty years. He reposed in the year 552 and was buried in a crypt in the cathedral of Afar.
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Venerable George the Scribe, of Khakhuli
Saints George and Sava of Khakhuli were brothers of Jacob, the father of St. George of the Holy Mountain. George and Sava labored as monks at Khakhuli Monastery in southern Georgia.
The holy fathers were filled with divine grace. The elder brother, George, was a spiritual adviser in the court of King Bagrat III Kuropalates and, along with the king, he became an active participant in the production of ecclesiastical literature. (This period is known as the Golden Age of Georgian Letters, when many translations and copies of ecclesiastical writings were made.) The younger brother, Sava, is remembered as a righteous and blameless man by the renowned Church figure George the Lesser. According to George the Lesser, the brothers were generously endowed with both spiritual blessings and material wealth.
When the holy fathers heard about the piety of their nephew, the young George (later of the Holy Mountain), they suggested that Jacob bring him to them in Khakhuli in Klarjeti. With exceeding gladness Jacob brought his son to the God-fearing brothers.
At that time a certain Peris Jojikisdze, a nobleman married to the daughter of King Bagrat III, governed the village of Tvartsatapi. Peris thought it wise to invite an intelligent and experienced monk to his palace to serve as an instructor and spiritual guide, and he selected St. George to fill this role. With great reluctance the venerable father consented, and he was entrusted with responsibility for all the spiritual and earthly affairs at the palace.
George of Khakhuli took the young George with him to the palace of Peris Jojikisdze. A year later, the Byzantine Emperor Basil II brought false accusations against Peris and ordered his execution. His wife and those in his court, among whom were St. George and the young George of the Holy Mountain, were captured and escorted to Constantinople.
After twelve years in Byzantium, the captives were finally permitted to return home. Upon his return to Georgia, George of Khakhuli sent his nephew to Khakhuli Monastery, entrusting him to the care of his brother Sava.
The holy fathers reposed peacefully in the mid-11th century.
Venerable Sava of Khakhuli
Saints George and Sava of Khakhuli were brothers of Jacob, the father of St. George of the Holy Mountain. George and Sava labored as monks at Khakhuli Monastery in southern Georgia.
The holy fathers were filled with divine grace. The elder brother, George, was a spiritual adviser in the court of King Bagrat III Kuropalates and, along with the king, he became an active participant in the production of ecclesiastical literature. (This period is known as the Golden Age of Georgian Letters, when many translations and copies of ecclesiastical writings were made.) The younger brother, Sava, is remembered as a righteous and blameless man by the renowned Church figure George the Lesser. According to George the Lesser, the brothers were generously endowed with both spiritual blessings and material wealth.
When the holy fathers heard about the piety of their nephew, the young George (later of the Holy Mountain), they suggested that Jacob bring him to them in Khakhuli in Klarjeti. With exceeding gladness Jacob brought his son to the God-fearing brothers.
At that time a certain Peris Jojikisdze, a nobleman married to the daughter of King Bagrat III, governed the village of Tvartsatapi. Peris thought it wise to invite an intelligent and experienced monk to his palace to serve as an instructor and spiritual guide, and he selected St. George to fill this role. With great reluctance the venerable father consented, and he was entrusted with responsibility for all the spiritual and earthly affairs at the palace.
George of Khakhuli took the young George with him to the palace of Peris Jojikisdze. A year later, the Byzantine Emperor Basil II brought false accusations against Peris and ordered his execution. His wife and those in his court, among whom were St. George and the young George of the Holy Mountain, were captured and escorted to Constantinople.
After twelve years in Byzantium, the captives were finally permitted to return home. Upon his return to Georgia, George of Khakhuli sent his nephew to Khakhuli Monastery, entrusting him to the care of his brother Sava.
The holy fathers reposed peacefully in the mid-11th century.
Scriptural Readings (in English):
Daily Scripture Readings
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Colossians 3:12-16
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Luke 17:12-19
And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia
Hebrews 13:17-21
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia
Luke 6:17-23
And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
Genesis 14:14-20 (Vespers, 1st Reading)
14 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
15 He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.
16 So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.
17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.
19 And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.
Deuteronomy 1:8-11,15-17 (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
8 See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers--to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--to give to them and their descendants after them.'
9 "And I spoke to you at that time, saying: 'I alone am not able to bear you.
10 The Lord your God has multiplied you, and here you are today, as the stars of heaven in multitude.
11 May the Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless you as He has promised you!
15 So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and made them heads over you, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes.
16 Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger who is with him.
17 You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man's presence, for the judgment is God's. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.'
Deuteronomy 10:14-21 (Vespers, 3rd Reading)
14 Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it.
15 The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day.
16 Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.
17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.
18 He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing.
19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name.
21 He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.
John 20:11-18 (8th Matins Gospel)
11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.
12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."
14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away."
16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher).
17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' "
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
Hebrews 11:9-10,17-23,32-40 (Epistle, Sunday Before)
9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;
10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,"
19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's command.
32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:
33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented-
38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
Matthew 1:1-25 (Gospel, Sunday Before)
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.
3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.
4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.
5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,
6 and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.
7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa.
8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah.
9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah.
10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah.
11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel.
13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor.
14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud.
15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob.
16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, "God with us."
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.
Scriptural Readings (in Russian):
Ежедневные Евангельские Чтения
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Молитва перед чтением Евангелия: http://www.pomog.org/before_russian.html
Послание к Колоссянам святого апостола Павла
3:12-16
Итак облекитесь, как избранные Божии, святые и возлюбленные, в милосердие, благость, смиренномудрие, кротость, долготерпение, снисходя друг другу и прощая взаимно, если кто на кого имеет жалобу: как Христос простил вас, так и вы. Более же всего облекитесь в любовь, которая есть совокупность совершенства. И да владычествует в сердцах ваших мир Божий, к которому вы и призваны в одном теле, и будьте дружелюбны. Слово Христово да вселяется в вас обильно, со всякою премудростью; научайте и вразумляйте друг друга псалмами, славословием и духовными песнями, во благодати воспевая в сердцах ваших Господу.
От Луки святое благовествование
17:12-19
И когда входил Он в одно селение, встретили Его десять человек прокаженных, которые остановились вдали и громким голосом говорили: Иисус Наставник! помилуй нас. Увидев их, Он сказал им: пойдите, покажитесь священникам. И когда они шли, очистились. Один же из них, видя, что исцелен, возвратился, громким голосом прославляя Бога, и пал ниц к ногам Его, благодаря Его; и это был Самарянин. Тогда Иисус сказал: не десять ли очистились? где же девять? как они не возвратились воздать славу Богу, кроме сего иноплеменника? И сказал ему: встань, иди; вера твоя спасла тебя.
Послание к Евреям святого апостола Павла
13:17-21
Повинуйтесь наставникам вашим и будьте покорны, ибо они неусыпно пекутся о душах ваших, как обязанные дать отчет; чтобы они делали это с радостью, а не воздыхая, ибо это для вас неполезно. Молитесь о нас; ибо мы уверены, что имеем добрую совесть, потому что во всем желаем вести себя честно. Особенно же прошу делать это, дабы я скорее возвращен был вам. Бог же мира, воздвигший из мертвых Пастыря овец великого Кровию завета вечного, Господа нашего Иисуса [Христа], да усовершит вас во всяком добром деле, к исполнению воли Его, производя в вас благоугодное Ему через Иисуса Христа. Ему слава во веки веков! Аминь.
От Луки святое благовествование
6:17-23
И, сойдя с ними, стал Он на ровном месте, и множество учеников Его, и много народа из всей Иудеи и Иерусалима и приморских мест Тирских и Сидонских, которые пришли послушать Его и исцелиться от болезней своих, также и страждущие от нечистых духов; и исцелялись. И весь народ искал прикасаться к Нему, потому что от Него исходила сила и исцеляла всех. И Он, возведя очи Свои на учеников Своих, говорил: Блаженны нищие духом, ибо ваше есть Царствие Божие. Блаженны алчущие ныне, ибо насытитесь. Блаженны плачущие ныне, ибо воссмеетесь. Блаженны вы, когда возненавидят вас люди и когда отлучат вас, и будут поносить, и пронесут имя ваше, как бесчестное, за Сына Человеческого. Возрадуйтесь в тот день и возвеселитесь, ибо велика вам награда на небесах. Так поступали с пророками отцы их.
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