Saturday
May 20, 2023
7 May (Old Style) · 5th week of Pascha
Russian Orthodox Church (Old Calendar)
Events of the day
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Apparition of the Cross in the sky over Jerusalem (351); Martyr Acacius
Commemoration
- Afterfeast: Pascha. The Bright Resurrection of Christ
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
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Vespers
Composite reading — Proverbs 10, 3, 8
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Vespers
Composite reading — Proverbs 10; Wisdom of Solomon 6, 7, 8, 9
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Vespers
Composite reading — Wisdom of Solomon 4, 6, 7, 2
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Matins Gospel
John 10:9–16
Show the text
9I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.
10The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.
11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them.
13The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep.
14I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own;
15even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.
16I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.
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Epistle
Acts 15:35–41
Show the text
35But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
36After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”
37Barnabas planned to take John, who was called Mark, with them also.
38But Paul didn’t think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and didn’t go with them to do the work.
39Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,
40but Paul chose Silas and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God.
41He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.
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Epistle · St Alexis
Galatians 1:11–19
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11But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man.
12For I didn’t receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.
13For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and ravaged it.
14I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace
16to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood,
17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus.
18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days.
19But of the other apostles I saw no one except James, the Lord’s brother.
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Gospel
John 10:27–38
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27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
28I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
29My Father who has given them to me is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
30I and the Father are one.”
31Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?”
33The Jews answered him, “We don’t stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
34Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’
35If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture can’t be broken),
36do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’
37If I don’t do the works of my Father, don’t believe me.
38But if I do them, though you don’t believe me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”
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Gospel · St Alexis
John 10:1–9
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1“Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, is a thief and a robber.
2But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.
4Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
5They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.”
6Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them.
7Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door.
8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them.
9I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.
Source: Orthocal: lectionary data — Slavic tradition, Julian calendar. Text: World English Bible.
Saints and icons
- Prayer of the day: Prayer for the departed