Sunday, 25 August 2024

9th Sunday after Pentecost

112 days after Pascha · Tone 8 · Black squigg (6-stich typikon symbol) · No Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy Apostle Titus of the Seventy, Bishop of Crete

Saint Titus is numbered among the seventy apostles of the Lord. Born in Crete to a noble pagan family and well learned in Hellenic philosophy, he was drawn to faith in the one true God after reading the Hebrew Scriptures, and was sent by the proconsul of Crete to Jerusalem to inquire concerning the wonders being told of Christ. There he beheld the Saviour, heard his teaching, and after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was baptised by the Apostle Paul, becoming his beloved fellow worker and companion in many of his journeys. Saint Paul addressed to him one of his pastoral epistles, instructing him in the ordering of the Cretan Church, of which he had been consecrated the first bishop. There Saint Titus preached the gospel, ordained priests in every city, and laboured to root out the remnants of pagan worship, falling asleep in peace at a great age. The Church keeps this day in honour of the translation of his holy relics; his principal feast is on 25 August together with another commemoration on 4 January with the seventy apostles.

Saint Epiphanius, Patriarch of Constantinople

Saint Epiphanius was Patriarch of Constantinople from 520 to 535 during the reign of the Emperor Justin I and the early years of his nephew Justinian. A presbyter of the Great Church renowned for his learning, his almsgiving and his ascetic life, he was raised to the patriarchal throne after the repose of Saint John of Cappadocia. Saint Epiphanius worked to restore communion between the see of Constantinople and the see of Rome after the Acacian schism, and confirmed the Orthodox faith in the canons proclaimed in his time. After ruling the Church of Constantinople for fifteen years he reposed in the Lord in 535. He is commemorated together with the other holy patriarchs of Constantinople honoured on this day.

Saint Menas, Patriarch of Constantinople

552

Saint Menas, surnamed the Wonderworker, served as Patriarch of Constantinople from 536 to 552 during the reign of the Emperor Justinian the Great. Before his elevation he was the priest in charge of the church and hospice of the holy Martyr Sampson the Hospitable. As patriarch he consecrated the new church of the Holy Wisdom of God, the great Hagia Sophia, on Christmas Day 537, and laboured zealously to uphold the Orthodox faith in the troubled period of the Three Chapters controversy. He fell asleep in the Lord in the year 552 and is honoured by the Church for his pastoral wisdom, his almsgiving and his many miracles.

Translation of the Relics of the Holy Apostle Bartholomew

The Holy Apostle Bartholomew, one of the Twelve, suffered for Christ at Albanopolis in Armenia in the year 71. The faithful gathered up his body and laid it in a stone reliquary in the city of Albanopolis, and many were healed at his tomb. Under the Emperor Anastasius (491-518) the relics were translated to the newly built city of Anastasiopolis, also called Dura, in Mesopotamia. When that city fell to the Persian king Chosroes at the close of the sixth century, Christians took up the chest containing the relics and bore it away to the shores of the Black Sea; pursued by pagan priests, they were forced to commit the chest to the waves. By the providence of God it crossed the seas and came to land at the island of Lipari near Sicily, where Bishop Agatho received it after a vision. The relics were enshrined in the cathedral of Lipari, and from there in the ninth century they were translated again to Beneventum and afterwards to Rome. The Orthodox Church keeps this day in commemoration of the translation of his holy relics.

Also commemorated: Relics of Apostle Bartholomew

Daily readings

9th Matins Gospel

John — John 20.19-31

¹⁹Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

¹⁹When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. ²⁰And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. ²⁰And when he had said this, he showed unto them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. ²¹Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. ²¹Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. ²²And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: ²²And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit: ²³whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. ²³Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

²⁴But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

²⁴But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. ²⁵The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.

²⁶And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

²⁶And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. ²⁷Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. ²⁷Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. ²⁸Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. ²⁸And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. ²⁹Jesus saith unto him, Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. ²⁹Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

³⁰And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

³⁰Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book: ³¹but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name. ³¹But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Epistle

weekly cycle

1 Corinthians — 1 Corinthians 3.9-17

⁹For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. ⁹For we are God’s fellow-workers: ye are God’s husbandry, God’s building. ¹⁰According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

¹⁰According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon. ¹¹For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹¹For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; ¹²But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble; ¹³Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. ¹³each man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man’s work of what sort it is. ¹⁴If any man’s work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward. ¹⁴If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. ¹⁵If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire. ¹⁵If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. ¹⁶Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

¹⁶Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? ¹⁷If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. ¹⁷If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 14.22-34

²²And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

²²And straightway he constrained the disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the other side, till he should send the multitudes away. ²³And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. ²³And after he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain apart to pray: and when even was come, he was there alone. ²⁴But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. ²⁴But the boat was now in the midst of the sea, distressed by the waves; for the wind was contrary. ²⁵And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. ²⁵And in the fourth watch of the night he came unto them, walking upon the sea. ²⁶And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a ghost; and they cried out for fear. ²⁶And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. ²⁷But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. ²⁷But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. ²⁸And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. ²⁸And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the waters. ²⁹And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. ²⁹And he said, Come. And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters to come to Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. ³⁰But when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me. ³¹And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? ³¹And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? ³²And when they were gone up into the boat, the wind ceased. ³²And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. ³³Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. ³³And they that were in the boat worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

³⁴And when they had crossed over, they came to the land, unto Gennesaret.

³⁴And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.