September 26, 2021

Events of the day

• Dedication of the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem; Hieromartyr Cornelius the Centurion

  Commemoration

• Forefeast: Exaltation of the Precious and Life-giving Cross

Fasting

No fast

No fast today.

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

  3[1] Kings 8:22–23, 27–30

• Vespers

  Proverbs 3:19–34

• Vespers

  Proverbs 9:1–11

• 3rd Matins Gospel

  Mark 16:9–20

  Show the text

  ⁹Now when he had risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.

  ¹⁰She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

  ¹¹When they heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they disbelieved.

  ¹²After these things he was revealed in another form to two of them, as they walked, on their way into the country.

  ¹³They went away and told it to the rest. They didn’t believe them, either.

  ¹⁴Afterward he was revealed to the eleven themselves as they sat at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they didn’t believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

  ¹⁵He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation.

  ¹⁶He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned.

  ¹⁷These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages;

  ¹⁸they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

  ¹⁹So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

  ²⁰They went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.

• Epistle · Sunday before Elevation

  Galatians 6:11–18

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  ¹¹See with what large letters I write to you with my own hand.

  ¹²As many as desire to make a good impression in the flesh compel you to be circumcised; just so they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

  ¹³For even they who receive circumcision don’t keep the law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh.

  ¹⁴But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

  ¹⁵For in Christ Jesus neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

  ¹⁶As many as walk by this rule, peace and mercy be on them, and on God’s Israel.

  ¹⁷From now on, let no one cause me any trouble, for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus branded on my body.

  ¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

• Epistle

  2 Corinthians 1:21–2:4

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  ²¹Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,

  ²²who also sealed us, and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.

  ²³But I call God for a witness to my soul, that I didn’t come to Corinth to spare you.

  ²⁴We don’t control your faith, but are fellow workers with you for your joy. For you stand firm in faith.

  ¹But I determined this for myself, that I would not come to you again in sorrow.

  ²For if I make you grieve, then who will make me glad but he who is made to grieve by me?

  ³And I wrote this very thing to you, so that, when I came, I wouldn’t have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy would be shared by all of you.

  ⁴For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made to grieve, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you.

• Epistle · Church

  Hebrews 3:1–4

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  ¹Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession: Jesus,

  ²who was faithful to him who appointed him, as also Moses was in all his house.

  ³For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, because he who built the house has more honor than the house.

  ⁴For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God.

• Gospel · Sunday before Elevation

  John 3:13–17

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  ¹³No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.

  ¹⁴As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

  ¹⁵that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

  ¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

  ¹⁷For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

• Gospel

  Matthew 22:1–14

  Show the text

  ¹Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying,

  ²“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a wedding feast for his son,

  ³and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.

  ⁴Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding feast!” ’

  ⁵But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise,

  ⁶and the rest grabbed his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them.

  ⁷When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

  ⁸“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy.

  ⁹Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the wedding feast.’

  ¹⁰Those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests.

  ¹¹But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn’t have on wedding clothing,

  ¹²and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless.

  ¹³Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’

  ¹⁴For many are called, but few chosen.”

• Gospel · Church

  Matthew 16:13–18

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: The Symbol of Faith (Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed)