Matthew 28.16-20
(1st Matins Gospel)
16But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had sent them.
17When they saw him, they bowed down to him; but some doubted.
18Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
19Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
1 Corinthians 6.12-20
(Epistle)
12“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are expedient. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be brought under the power of anything.
13“Foods for the belly, and the belly for foods,” but God will bring to nothing both it and them. But the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14Now God raised up the Lord, and will also raise us up by his power.
15Don’t you know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!
16Or don’t you know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body? For, “The two”, he says, “will become one flesh.”
17But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.
18Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
19Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
20for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Ephesians 2.4-10
(Epistle, St. Theodore)
4But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,
5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;
8for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9not of works, that no one would boast.
10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.
Luke 15.11-32
(Gospel)
11He said, “A certain man had two sons.
12The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them.
13Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.
14When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.
15He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
16He wanted to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any.
17But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger!
18I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.
19I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’
20“He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
23Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat and celebrate;
24for this, my son, was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.
25“Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
26He called one of the servants to him and asked what was going on.
27He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’
28But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and begged him.
29But he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.
30But when this your son came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’
31“He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.
32But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’”
Matthew 10.16-22
(Gospel, St. Theodore)
16“Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
17But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you.
18Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations.
19But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say.
20For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
21“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
22You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.