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Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Strict Fast
Readings for today:
Matthew 22:15-46; 23:1-39
Matthew 24:36-51; 25:1-46; 26:1-2
Feasts and Saints celebrated today:
Holy Tuesday
Paphnoutios the Holy Martyr
George the Confessor
Gospel Reading
The reading is from Matthew 22:15-46; 23:1-39
At that time, the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle
him in his talk. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the
Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of
God truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the
position of men. Tell us, then, what do you think. Is it lawful to pay
taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why
put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the money for the tax."
And they brought him a coin. And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness
and inscription is this?" They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to
them, "Render, therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to
God the things that are God's. " When they heard it, they marveled;
and they left him and went away.
The same day the Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no
resurrection; and they asked him a question saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a
man dies, having no children, his brother must marry the widow, and
raise up children for his brother.' Now there were seven brothers among
us; the first married, and died, and having no children left his wife
to his brother. So too the second and third, down to the seventh.
After them all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, to
which of the seven will she be wife? For they all had her."
But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the
scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry
nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for
the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you
by God, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob?' He is not God of the dead, but of the living. " And when
the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they
came together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to
test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" And he
said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and
first commandment. And a second is like it. You shall love your
neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the
prophets."
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a
question, saying: "What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?" They
said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that
David, inspired by the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,
'The Lord
said to my Lord,sit at my right hand,till I put your enemies under
your feet?'
If David thus calls him Lord, how is he his son?" And
no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did any one
dare to ask him any more questions.
Then said Jesus to the crowds
and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses'
seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they
do; for they preach but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens,
hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves
will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be
seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes
long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in
the synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being
called rabbi by men, but you are not to be called rabbi, for you have
one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on
earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called
masters, for you have one master, the Christ. He who is greatest among you
shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and
whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
"But woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men;
for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to
go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you
traverse sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a
proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of Gehenna as
yourselves.
"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If any one swears by the temple,
it is nothing; but if any one swears by the gold of the temple, he
is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! For which is greater, the
gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, 'If any
one swears by the altar, it is nothing; but if any one swears by the
gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men!
For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift
sacred? So he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on
it; and he who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who
dwells in it; and he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God
and by him who sits upon it.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the
weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought
to have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides,
straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
"Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the
plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity. You blind
Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the
outside also may be clean.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for you are like white-washed tombs, which outwardly appear
beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
So you also outwardly appear to men, but within you are full of
hypocrisy and iniquity.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of
the righteous, saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers,
we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the
prophets.' Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those
who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your
fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being
sentenced to Gehenna? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and
scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will scourge
in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, that upon you
may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of
innocent Zacharias the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the
sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all this will come upon this
generation.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who
are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children
together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!
Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate. For I tell you, you will not
see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of
the Lord.'"
(C) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Gospel Reading
The reading is from Matthew 24:36-51; 25:1-46; 26:1-2
The Lord said to his disciples, "Of that day and hour no one knows,
not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. As
were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. For as
in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,
and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away,
so will be the coming of the Son of man. Then two men will be in the
field; one is taken and one is left. Two of them will be grinding at the
mill; one is taken and one is left. Watch therefore, for you do not
know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the
householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he
would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into.
Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour
you do not expect.
"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set
over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing.
Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if
that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' and
begins to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with the
drunken, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not
expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put
him with the hypocrites; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.
"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took
their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish,
and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took
no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. But at
midnight there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'
Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish
said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going
out.' But the wise replied, 'Perhaps there will not be enough for us
and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And
while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready
went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.
Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.'
But he replied, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch
therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man
shall come.
"For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants
and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to
another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he
went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and
traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the
two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one
talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after
a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts
with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward,
bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five
talents; here I have made five talents more.' His master said to him,
'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a
little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' And
he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you
delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' His master
said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been
faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of
your master.' He also who had received the one talent came forward,
saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not
sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I
went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'
But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You
knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not
winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at
my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So
take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have
abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men
will weep and gnash their teeth.'
"When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him,
then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered
all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep
at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say
to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I
was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed
me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to
me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you
hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see
you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did
we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will
answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of
these my brethren, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those at his
left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared
for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no
food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you
did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in
prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord,
when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick
or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer
them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of
these, you did it not to me.' And they will go away into eternal
punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples,
"You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of
man will be delivered up to be crucified."
(C) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Holy Tuesday
Reading from the Synaxarion:
Today we bring to mind the parable of the ten virgins, which our
Saviour related as He was coming to His Passion. This parable teaches us
that the accomplishment of the great work of virginity should not make
us careless in other matters, especially in almsgiving, wherewith
the lamp of virginity is made radiant. Furthermore, it teaches us
that we should not be remiss about the end of our life, but should be
prepared for it at every moment, like the wise virgins, so that we may
meet the Bridegroom, lest He come suddenly and the doors of the
heavenly bridechamber be shut, and we also, like the foolish virgins, hear
that dread sentence: "Amen, I say unto you, I know you not" (Matt.
25:1-13).
Kontakion in the Second Tone
Soul, mindful of your final hour, and dreading the fate of the fig
tree, cultivate with diligence the talent you were given. Endure, be
vigilant, and say: "May we not be shut out of the bridal chamber!"
Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Narthex Press - Northridge, CA
Paphnoutios the Holy Martyr
Reading from the Synaxarion:
All that is known concerning this Saint is that he was a bishop and
that he suffered many torments by fire, the sword, and wild beasts.
Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
As a sharer of the ways and a successor to the throne of the
Apostles, O inspired of God, thou foundest discipline to be a means of
ascent to divine vision. Wherefore, having rightly divided the word of
truth, thou didst also contest for the Faith even unto blood, O
Hieromartyr Paphnoutios. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls be
saved.
Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA
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Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Strict Fast
Readings for today:
Matthew 22:15-46; 23:1-39
Matthew 24:36-51; 25:1-46; 26:1-2
Feasts and Saints celebrated today:
Holy Tuesday
Paphnoutios the Holy Martyr
George the Confessor
Gospel Reading
The reading is from Matthew 22:15-46; 23:1-39
At that time, the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle
him in his talk. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the
Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of
God truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the
position of men. Tell us, then, what do you think. Is it lawful to pay
taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why
put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the money for the tax."
And they brought him a coin. And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness
and inscription is this?" They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to
them, "Render, therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to
God the things that are God's. " When they heard it, they marveled;
and they left him and went away.
The same day the Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no
resurrection; and they asked him a question saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a
man dies, having no children, his brother must marry the widow, and
raise up children for his brother.' Now there were seven brothers among
us; the first married, and died, and having no children left his wife
to his brother. So too the second and third, down to the seventh.
After them all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, to
which of the seven will she be wife? For they all had her."
But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the
scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry
nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for
the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you
by God, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob?' He is not God of the dead, but of the living. " And when
the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they
came together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to
test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" And he
said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and
first commandment. And a second is like it. You shall love your
neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the
prophets."
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a
question, saying: "What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?" They
said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that
David, inspired by the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,
'The Lord
said to my Lord,sit at my right hand,till I put your enemies under
your feet?'
If David thus calls him Lord, how is he his son?" And
no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did any one
dare to ask him any more questions.
Then said Jesus to the crowds
and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses'
seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they
do; for they preach but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens,
hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves
will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be
seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes
long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in
the synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being
called rabbi by men, but you are not to be called rabbi, for you have
one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on
earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called
masters, for you have one master, the Christ. He who is greatest among you
shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and
whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
"But woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men;
for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to
go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you
traverse sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a
proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of Gehenna as
yourselves.
"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If any one swears by the temple,
it is nothing; but if any one swears by the gold of the temple, he
is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! For which is greater, the
gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, 'If any
one swears by the altar, it is nothing; but if any one swears by the
gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men!
For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift
sacred? So he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on
it; and he who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who
dwells in it; and he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God
and by him who sits upon it.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the
weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought
to have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides,
straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
"Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the
plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity. You blind
Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the
outside also may be clean.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for you are like white-washed tombs, which outwardly appear
beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
So you also outwardly appear to men, but within you are full of
hypocrisy and iniquity.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of
the righteous, saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers,
we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the
prophets.' Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those
who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your
fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being
sentenced to Gehenna? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and
scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will scourge
in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, that upon you
may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of
innocent Zacharias the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the
sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all this will come upon this
generation.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who
are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children
together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!
Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate. For I tell you, you will not
see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of
the Lord.'"
(C) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Gospel Reading
The reading is from Matthew 24:36-51; 25:1-46; 26:1-2
The Lord said to his disciples, "Of that day and hour no one knows,
not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. As
were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. For as
in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,
and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away,
so will be the coming of the Son of man. Then two men will be in the
field; one is taken and one is left. Two of them will be grinding at the
mill; one is taken and one is left. Watch therefore, for you do not
know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the
householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he
would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into.
Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour
you do not expect.
"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set
over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing.
Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if
that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' and
begins to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with the
drunken, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not
expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put
him with the hypocrites; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.
"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took
their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish,
and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took
no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. But at
midnight there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'
Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish
said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going
out.' But the wise replied, 'Perhaps there will not be enough for us
and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And
while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready
went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.
Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.'
But he replied, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch
therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man
shall come.
"For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants
and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to
another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he
went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and
traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the
two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one
talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after
a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts
with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward,
bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five
talents; here I have made five talents more.' His master said to him,
'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a
little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' And
he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you
delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' His master
said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been
faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of
your master.' He also who had received the one talent came forward,
saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not
sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I
went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'
But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You
knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not
winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at
my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So
take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have
abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men
will weep and gnash their teeth.'
"When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him,
then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered
all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep
at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say
to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I
was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed
me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to
me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you
hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see
you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did
we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will
answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of
these my brethren, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those at his
left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared
for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no
food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you
did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in
prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord,
when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick
or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer
them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of
these, you did it not to me.' And they will go away into eternal
punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples,
"You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of
man will be delivered up to be crucified."
(C) 2011 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Holy Tuesday
Reading from the Synaxarion:
Today we bring to mind the parable of the ten virgins, which our
Saviour related as He was coming to His Passion. This parable teaches us
that the accomplishment of the great work of virginity should not make
us careless in other matters, especially in almsgiving, wherewith
the lamp of virginity is made radiant. Furthermore, it teaches us
that we should not be remiss about the end of our life, but should be
prepared for it at every moment, like the wise virgins, so that we may
meet the Bridegroom, lest He come suddenly and the doors of the
heavenly bridechamber be shut, and we also, like the foolish virgins, hear
that dread sentence: "Amen, I say unto you, I know you not" (Matt.
25:1-13).
Kontakion in the Second Tone
Soul, mindful of your final hour, and dreading the fate of the fig
tree, cultivate with diligence the talent you were given. Endure, be
vigilant, and say: "May we not be shut out of the bridal chamber!"
Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA
Kontakion courtesy of Narthex Press - Northridge, CA
Paphnoutios the Holy Martyr
Reading from the Synaxarion:
All that is known concerning this Saint is that he was a bishop and
that he suffered many torments by fire, the sword, and wild beasts.
Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
As a sharer of the ways and a successor to the throne of the
Apostles, O inspired of God, thou foundest discipline to be a means of
ascent to divine vision. Wherefore, having rightly divided the word of
truth, thou didst also contest for the Faith even unto blood, O
Hieromartyr Paphnoutios. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls be
saved.
Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA
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