Saturday
Vespers: 3:00pm
Sunday
Matins: 8:45am
Liturgy: 10:00am
This Saint, who was from Neapolis of Palestine, was a follower of Plato the philosopher. Born in 103, he came to the Faith of Christ when he was already a mature man, seeking to find God through philosophy and human reasoning. A venerable elder appeared to him and spoke to him about the Prophets who had taught of God not through their own wisdom, but by revelation; and he led him to knowledge of Christ, Who is the fulfillment of what the Prophets taught. Saint Justin soon became a fervent follower of Christ, and an illustrious apologist of the Evangelical teachings. To the end of his life, while preaching Christ in all parts, he never put off his philosopher's garb. In Rome, he gave the Emperor Antoninus Pius (reigned 138-161) an apology wherein he proved the innocence and holiness of the Christian Faith, persuading him to relieve the persecution of Christians. Through the machinations of Crescens, a Cynic philosopher who envied him, Saint Justin was beheaded in Rome in 167 under Antoninus' successor, Marcus Aurelius (reigned 161-180). Besides his defense of Christianity (First and Second Apologies), Saint Justin wrote against paganism (Discourse to the Greeks, Hortatory Address to the Greeks), and refuted Jewish objections against Christ (Dialogue with Trypho).
Saint Nicephorus was born in Constantinople about the year 758, of pious parents; his father Theodore endured exile and tribulation for the holy icons during the reign of Constantine Copronymus (741-775). Nicephorus served in the imperial palace as a secretary. Later, he took up the monastic life, and struggled in asceticism not far from the imperial city; he also founded monasteries on the eastern shore of the Bosphorus, among them one dedicated to the Great Martyr Theodore.
After the repose of the holy Patriarch Tarasius, he was ordained Patriarch, on April 12, 806, and in this high office led the Orthodox resistance to the Iconoclasts' war on piety, which was stirred up by Leo the Armenian. Because Nicephorus championed the veneration of the icons, Leo drove Nicephorus from his throne on March 13, 815, exiling him from one place to another, and lastly to the Monastery of Saint Theodore which Nicephorus himself had founded. It was here that, after glorifying God for nine years as Patriarch, and then for thirteen years as an exile, tormented and afflicted, he gave up his blameless soul in 828 at about the age of seventy. See also March 8.
Formerly a priest of the idols near Nicomedia, the Saint came to the Christian Faith in his old age; this was during the reign of Aurelian (270-275). Lucillian was brought before Silvan the Count; when he refused to return to the service of the idols, his jaw was broken, he was beaten with rods, and hanged upside down, then imprisoned with four Christian children, Claudius, Hypatius, Paul, and Dionysius. All of them were brought out again before Silvan, and remaining constant in their faith, were cast into a raging furnace. Preserved unharmed, they were sent to Byzantium, where the children were beheaded, and Lucillian was crucified. The virgin Paula, a Christian, buried their holy relics. For this, she was taken before the Count, and refusing to sacrifice to the idols, was stripped naked and mercilessly thrashed; after other torments, she was beheaded, in 270. There was a church in their honor in Constantinople.
Saint Metrophanes was born of pagan parents, but believed in Christ at a young age, and came to Byzantium. He lived at the end of the persecution of the Roman Emperors, and became the Bishop of Byzantium from about 315 to 325, during which time Saint Constantine the Great made it the capital of the Roman Empire, calling it New Rome. Saint Metrophanes sent his delegate, the priest Alexander, to the First Ecumenical Council in 325, since he could not attend because of old age. He reposed the same year and was buried by Saint James of Nisibis (celebrated Jan. 13), one of the Fathers present at the First Ecumenical Council. The Canons to the Trinity of the Octoechos are not the work of this Metrophanes but another, who was Bishop of Smyrna about the middle of the ninth century, during the life of Saint Photius the Great.
The Holy Myrrh-bearers Mary and Martha, together with their brother Lazarus, were especially devoted to our Savior, as we see from the accounts given in the tenth chapter of Saint Luke, and in the eleventh and twelfth chapters of Saint John. They reposed in Cyprus, where their brother became the first Bishop of Kition after his resurrection from the dead. See also the accounts on Lazarus Saturday and the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women.
Third Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Mark 16:9-20
When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.
9 في ذلك الزمان بَعْدَمَا قَامَ يسوع بَاكِراً فِي أَوَّلِ الأُسْبُوعِ ظَهَرَ أَوَّلاً لِمَرْيَمَ الْمَجْدَلِيَّةِ، الَّتِي كَانَ قَدْ أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا سَبْعَةَ شَيَاطِينَ. 10فَذَهَبَتْ هَذِهِ وَأَخْبَرَتِ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا مَعَهُ وَهُمْ يَنُوحُونَ وَيَبْكُونَ. 11فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ أُولَئِكَ أَنَّهُ حَيٌّ، وَقَدْ نَظَرَتْهُ، لَمْ يُصَدِّقُوا. 12وَبَعْدَ ذَلِكَ ظَهَرَ بِهَيْئَةٍ أُخْرَى لاِثْنَيْنِ مِنْهُمْ وَهُمَا يَمْشِيَانِ مُنْطَلِقَيْنِ إِلَى الْبَرِّيَّةِ. 13وَذَهَبَ هَذَانِ وَأَخْبَرَا الْبَاقِينَ فَلَمْ يُصَدِّقُوا وَلاَ هَذَيْنِ. 14أَخِيراً ظَهَرَ لِلأَحَدَ عَشَرَ وَهُمْ مُتَّكِئُونَ، وَوَبَّخَ عَدَمَ إِيمَانِهِمْ وَقَسَاوَةَ قُلُوبِهِمْ، لأَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يُصَدِّقُوا الَّذِينَ نَظَرُوهُ قَدْ قَامَ. 15وَقَالَ لَهُمُ: ((اذْهَبُوا إِلَى الْعَالَمِ أَجْمَعَ وَاكْرِزُوا بِالإِنْجِيلِ لِلْخَلِيقَةِ كُلِّهَا. 16مَنْ آمَنَ وَاعْتَمَدَ خَلَصَ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنْ يُدَنْ. 17وَهَذِهِ الآيَاتُ تَتْبَعُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ: يُخْرِجُونَ الشَّيَاطِينَ بِاسْمِي وَيَتَكَلَّمُونَ بِأَلْسِنَةٍ جَدِيدَةٍ. 18يَحْمِلُونَ حَيَّاتٍ، وَإِنْ شَرِبُوا شَيْئاً مُمِيتاً لاَ يَضُرُّهُمْ، وَيَضَعُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَرْضَى فَيَبْرَأُونَ)). 19ثُمَّ إِنَّ الرَّبَّ بَعْدَمَا كَلَّمَهُمُ ارْتَفَعَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، وَجَلَسَ عَنْ يَمِينِ اللَّهِ. 20وَأَمَّا هُمْ فَخَرَجُوا وَكَرَزُوا فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ، وَالرَّبُّ يَعْمَلُ مَعَهُمْ وَيُثَبِّتُ الْكَلاَمَ بِالآيَاتِ التَّابِعَةِ. آمِينَ.
Prokeimenon. 2nd Tone. Psalm 117.14,18.
The Lord is my strength and my song.
Verse: The Lord has chastened me sorely.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 5:1-10.
Brethren, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access by faith to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man -- though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
البروكيمنون. 2nd Tone. مزمور 117: 14، 18.
الرب قوتي وتسبيحتي
أدباُ أدّبني الرب
فصل من رسالة القديس بولس الرسول الى اهل رومية 5: 1-10.
يَُّا إِخْوَة، إِذْ قَدْ تَبَرَّرْنَا بِالإِيمَانِ لَنَا سَلاَمٌ مَعَ اللهِ بِرَبِّنَا يَسُوعَ الْمَسِيحِ الَّذِي بِهِ أَيْضاً قَدْ صَارَ لَنَا الدُّخُولُ بِالإِيمَانِ إِلَى هَذِهِ النِّعْمَةِ الَّتِي نَحْنُ فِيهَا مُقِيمُونَ وَنَفْتَخِرُ عَلَى رَجَاءِ مَجْدِ اللهِ. وَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ فَقَطْ بَلْ نَفْتَخِرُ أَيْضاً فِي الضِّيقَاتِ عَالِمِينَ أَنَّ الضِّيقَ يُنْشِئُ صَبْراً وَالصَّبْرُ تَزْكِيَةً وَالتَّزْكِيَةُ رَجَاءً وَالرَّجَاءُ لاَ يُخْزِي لأَنَّ مَحَبَّةَ اللهِ قَدِ انْسَكَبَتْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا بِالرُّوحِ الْقُدُسِ الْمُعْطَى لَنَا. لأَنَّ الْمَسِيحَ إِذْ كُنَّا بَعْدُ ضُعَفَاءَ مَاتَ فِي الْوَقْتِ الْمُعَيَّنِ لأَجْلِ الْفُجَّارِ. فَإِنَّهُ بِالْجَهْدِ يَمُوتُ أَحَدٌ لأَجْلِ بَارٍّ. رُبَّمَا لأَجْلِ الصَّالِحِ يَجْسُرُ أَحَدٌ أَيْضاً أَنْ يَمُوتَ. وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ بَيَّنَ مَحَبَّتَهُ لَنَا لأَنَّهُ وَنَحْنُ بَعْدُ خُطَاةٌ مَاتَ الْمَسِيحُ لأَجْلِنَا. فَبِالأَوْلَى كَثِيراً وَنَحْنُ مُتَبَرِّرُونَ الآنَ بِدَمِهِ نَخْلُصُ بِهِ مِنَ الْغَضَبِ. لأَنَّهُ إِنْ كُنَّا وَنَحْنُ أَعْدَاءٌ قَدْ صُولِحْنَا مَعَ اللهِ بِمَوْتِ ابْنِهِ فَبِالأَوْلَى كَثِيراً وَنَحْنُ مُصَالَحُونَ نَخْلُصُ بِحَيَاتِهِ.
3rd Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 6:22-33
The Lord said, "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well."
22 قال الرب سِرَاجُ الْجَسَدِ هُوَ الْعَيْنُ ،فَإِنْ كَانَتْ عَيْنُكَ بَسِيطَةً فَجَسَدُكَ كُلُّهُ يَكُونُ نَيِّراً ، 23وَإِنْ كَانَتْ عَيْنُكَ شِرِّيرَةً فَجَسَدُكَ كُلُّهُ يَكُونُ مُظْلِماً فَإِنْ كَانَ النُّورُ الَّذِي فِيكَ ظَلاَماً فَالظَّلاَمُ كَمْ يَكُونُ!24لاَ يَقْدِرُ أَحَدٌ أَنْ يَخْدِمَ سَيِّدَيْنِ ، لأَنَّهُ إِمَّا أَنْ يُبْغِضَ الْوَاحِدَ وَيُحِبَّ الآخَرَ ، أَوْ يُلاَزِمَ الْوَاحِدَ وَيَحْتَقِرَ الآخَرَ. لاَ تَقْدِرُونَ أَنْ تَخْدِمُوا اللَّهَ وَالْمَالَ. 25لِذَلِكَ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ: لاَ تَهْتَمُّوا لِحَيَاتِكُمْ بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَبِمَا تَشْرَبُونَ ، وَلاَ لأَجْسَادِكُمْ بِمَا تَلْبَسُونَ. أَلَيْسَتِ الْحَيَاةُ أَفْضَلَ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ ، وَالْجَسَدُ أَفْضَلَ مِنَ اللِّبَاسِ؟ 26 اُنْظُرُوا إِلَى طُيُورِ السَّمَاءِ: إِنَّهَا لاَ تَزْرَعُ وَلاَ تَحْصُدُ وَلاَ تَجْمَعُ إِلَى مَخَازِنَ،وَأَبُوكُمُ السَّمَاوِيُّ يَقُوتُهَا. أَلَسْتُمْ أَنْتُمْ بِالْحَرِيِّ أَفْضَلَ مِنْهَا؟27وَمَنْ مِنْكُمْ إِذَا اهْتَمَّ يَقْدِرُ أَنْ يَزِيدَ عَلَى قَامَتِهِ ذِرَاعاً وَاحِدَةً؟ 28وَلِمَاذَا تَهْتَمُّونَ بِاللِّبَاسِ؟ تَأَمَّلُوا زَنَابِقَ الْحَقْلِ كَيْفَ تَنْمُو! لاَ تَتْعَبُ وَلاَ تَغْزِلُ. 29وَلَكِنْ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ : إِنَّهُ وَلاَ سُلَيْمَانُ فِي كُلِّ مَجْدِهِ كَانَ يَلْبَسُ كَوَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهَا. 30فَإِنْ كَانَ عُشْبُ الْحَقْلِ الَّذِي يُوجَدُ الْيَوْمَ وَيُطْرَحُ غَداً فِي التَّنُّورِ،يُلْبِسُهُ اللَّهُ هَكَذَا ، أَفَلَيْسَ بِالْحَرِيِّ جِدّاً يُلْبِسُكُمْ أَنْتُمْ يَا قَلِيلِي الإِيمَانِ؟ 31فَلاَ تَهْتَمُّوا قَائِلِينَ: مَاذَا نَأْكُلُ ؟ أَوْ مَاذَا نَشْرَبُ ؟ أَوْ مَاذَا نَلْبَسُ؟ 32فَإِنَّ هَذِهِ كُلَّهَا تَطْلُبُهَا الأُمَمُ. لأَنَّ أَبَاكُمُ السَّمَاوِيَّ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكُمْ تَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَى هَذِهِ كُلِّهَا. 33لَكِنِ اطْلُبُوا أَوَّلاً مَلَكُوتَ اللَّهِ وَبِرَّهُ ، وَهَذِهِ كُلُّهَا تُزَادُ لَكُمْ.
For the struggles you endured for Christ God, a royal diadem crowns your head, O First Champion of Martyrs. For you refuted the folly of the Jews and beheld your Savior on the right of the Father. Ever beseech Him, therefore, for our souls.