Monday, May 2, 2011

Greek Orthodox Church Daily Readings For Sunday, 17 April

From goarch.com:

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +




Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Sunday, April 17, 2011



Fast Day (Fish Allowed)



Readings for today:



Matthew 21:1-11; 15-17

Philippians 4:4-9

John 12:1-18



Feasts and Saints celebrated today:



Palm Sunday

Symeon the Holy Martyr & Bishop of Persia

Makarios, Bishop of Corinth

Agapetos of Rome





Orthros Gospel Reading



The reading is from Matthew 21:1-11; 15-17



At that time, when Jesus drew near to Jerusalem and came to

Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples, saying to them,

"Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a

donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If

any one says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of

them,' and he will send them immediately." This took place to fulfill

what was spoken by the prophet, saying,



"Tell the daughter of Zion,

Behold, your king is coming to you,

/>humble and mounted on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a

donkey."



The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought

the donkey and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat

thereon. Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others

cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the

crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, "Hosanna to

the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest!" And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was

stirred, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds said, "This is the prophet

Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee." But when the chief priests and scribes

saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in

the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant; and

they said to him, "Do you hear what they are saying?" And Jesus said

to them, "Yes; have you never read,



'Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings,

you have brought

perfect praise'?"



And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged

there.



(C) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America



Epistle Reading



The reading is from Philippians 4:4-9



BRETHREN, rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all

men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about

anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving

let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which

passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ

Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,

whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is

gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of

praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and

heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.



(C) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America



Gospel Reading



The reading is from John 12:1-18



Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazaros was,

whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made him a supper;

Martha served, and Lazaros was one of those at table with him. Mary took

a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of

Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with

the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of his

disciples (he who was to betray him), said "Why was this ointment not sold

for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" This he said, not

that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had

the money box he used to take what was put into it. Jesus said, "Let

her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you

always have with you, but you do not always have me."



When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came,

not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazaros, whom he had

raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazaros also

to death, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away

and believing in Jesus.



The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus

was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went

out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the

name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" And Jesus found a young

donkey and sat upon it; as it is written, "Fear not, daughter of Zion;

behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" His disciples

did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then

they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to

him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazaros out of

the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why

the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.



(C) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America





Palm Sunday



Reading from the Synaxarion:



On Sunday, five days before the Passover of the Law, the Lord came

from Bethany to Jerusalem. Sending two of His disciples to bring Him a

foal of an ass, He sat thereon and entered into the city. When the

multitude there heard that Jesus was coming, they straightway took up the

branches of palm trees in their hands, and went forth to meet Him. Others

spread their garments on the ground, and yet others cut branches from

the trees and strewed them in the way that Jesus was to pass; and all

of them together, especially the children, went before and after

Him, crying out: "Hosanna: Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of

the Lord, the King of Israel" (John 12:13). This is the radiant and

glorious festival of our Lord's entry into Jerusalem that we celebrate

today.



The branches of the palm trees symbolize Christ's victory over the

devil and death. The word Hosanna means "Save, I pray," or "Save, now."

The foal of an ass, and Jesus' sitting thereon, and the fact that

this animal was untamed and considered unclean according to the Law,

signified the former uncleanness and wildness of the nations, and their

subjection thereafter to the holy Law of the Gospel.



Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone

O Christ, Our God, we have been Buried with You through Baptism,

and by Your Resurrection made worthy of Life immortal. Praising You,

we cry out, "Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the

name of the Lord."



Kontakion in the Plagal of the Second Tone

In Heaven, He is seated upon a Throne and on earth He rides upon a

foal. O Christ our God, accept the praise of the Angels and the hymn of

the Children who cry out to You, "Blessed are You who comes to recall

Adam."



Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA

Apolytikion courtesy of Narthex Press - Northridge, CA

Kontakion courtesy of Narthex Press - Northridge, CA





Symeon the Holy Martyr & Bishop of Persia



Reading from the Synaxarion:



This Martyr was Bishop of the royal cities Seleucia and Ctesiphon in

Persia. As the number of Christians increased in Persia, building

churches and appointing clergy, the Magi, guardians of the Persian

religion, and the Jews, who also envied them, accused Symeon to Sapor II,

King of Persia, saying that Symeon was a friend of the Roman Emperor

and his spy. Then began Sapor's persecution of the Christians of

Persia, about the year 343. The Magi together with the Jews destroyed the

churches. Saint Symeon was brought before Sapor, and, refusing to worship

the sun, was imprisoned. On Holy and Great Friday of that year, Saint

Symeon was brought out of prison with a hundred others, bishops,

priests, and deacons. As each was taken to be slain, Saint Symeon exhorted

him to be of good courage; he was slain last of all. It is said that

1,150 Martyrs were slain; an innumerable multitude of Christians were

slain throughout Persia during this persecution, among them Saints

Acepsimas, Joseph, and Aethalas (see Nov. 3).



Apolytikion in the Plagal of the First Tone

All the powers of Heaven were awestruck and amazed at the

achievements and deeds of the holy Martyrs of Christ; for contending well in

mortal bodies clothed with flesh, they overcame the fleshless foe by the

power of the Cross and invisibly subdued him. And now they pray to the

Lord, that He might bestow His mercy on our souls.



Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA

Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA

No comments:

Post a Comment