Genesis 14.14-20
(Vespers, Fathers)
14And Abram having heard that Lot his nephew had been taken captive, numbered his own home-born servants three hundred and eighteen, and pursued after them to Dan.
15And he came upon them by night, he and his servants, and he struck them and pursued them as far as Choba, which is on the left of Damascus.
16And he recovered all the cavalry of Sodom, and he recovered Lot his nephew, and all his possessions, and the women and the people.
17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after he returned from the slaughter of Chodollogomor, and the kings with him, to the valley of Saby; this was the plain of the kings.
18And Melchisedec king of Salem brought forth loaves and wine, and he was the priest of the most high God.
19And he blessed Abram, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, who made heaven and earth,
20and blessed be the most high God who delivered your enemies into your power. And Abram gave him the tithe of all.
Deuteronomy 1.8-11, 15-17
(Vespers, Fathers)
8Behold, God has delivered the land before you; go in and inherit the land, which I swore to your fathers, Abraam, and Isaac, and Jacob, to give it to them and to their seed after them.
9And I spoke to you at that time, saying, I shall not be able by myself to bear you.
10The Lord your God has multiplied you, and, behold, youpl are today as the stars of heaven for multitude.
11The Lord God of your fathers add to you a thousand-fold more than you are, and bless you as he has spoken to you.
15So I took of you wise and understanding and prudent men, and I set them to rule over you as rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens, and officers to your judges.
16And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear causes between your brethren, and judge rightly between a man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.
17You shall not have respect to persons in judgment, you shall judge small and great equally; you shall not shrink from before the person of a man, for the judgment is God's; and whatever matter shall be too hard for you, youpl shall bring it to me, and I will hear it.
Deuteronomy 10.14-21
(Vespers, Fathers)
14Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens belong to the Lord your God, the earth and all things that are in it.
15Only the Lord chose your fathers to love them, and he chose out their seed after them, even you, beyond all nations, as at this day.
16Therefore youpl shall circumcise the hardness of your heart, and youpl shall not harden your neck.
17For the Lord your God, he is God of gods, and the Lord of lords, the great, and strong, and terrible God, who does not accept persons, nor will he by any means accept a bribe:
18executing judgment for the stranger and orphan and widow, and he loves the stranger to give him food and raiment.
19And youpl shall love the stranger; for youpl were strangers in the land of Egypt.
20You shall fear the Lord your God, and serve him, and shall cleave to him, and shall swear by his name.
21He is your boast, and he is your God, who has wrought in the midst of you these great and glorious things, which your eyes have seen.
Mark 16.9-20
(3rd Matins Gospel)
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.
Romans 5.1-10
(Epistle)
1Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
2through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance;
4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a good person someone would even dare to die.
8But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him.
10For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.
Titus 3.8-15
(Epistle, Fathers)
8This saying is faithful, and concerning these things I desire that you insist confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men;
9but shun foolish questionings, genealogies, strife, and disputes about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
10Avoid a factious man after a first and second warning,
11knowing that such a one is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned.
12When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me to Nicopolis, for I have determined to winter there.
13Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey speedily, that nothing may be lacking for them.
14Let our people also learn to maintain good works to meet necessary needs, that they may not be unfruitful.
15All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.
Romans 16.1-16
(Epistle, Apostle Aquila of the 70)
1I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the assembly that is at Cenchreae,
2that you receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and that you assist her in whatever matter she may need from you, for she herself also has been a helper of many, and of my own self.
3Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,
4who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the assemblies of the Gentiles.
5Greet the assembly that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first fruits of Achaia to Christ.
6Greet Mary, who labored much for us.
7Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners, who are notable among the apostles, who were also in Christ before me.
8Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord.
9Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved.
10Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus.
11Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet them of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord.
12Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Greet Persis, the beloved, who labored much in the Lord.
13Greet Rufus, the chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them.
15Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.
16Greet one another with a holy kiss. The assemblies of Christ greet you.
Matthew 6.22-33
(Gospel)
22“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.
23But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.
25Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?
27“Which of you by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?
28Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin,
29yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.
30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?
31“Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’
32For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 5.14-19
(Gospel, Fathers)
14“You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.
15Neither do you light a lamp and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house.
16Even so, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
17“Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.
18For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished.
19Therefore, whoever shall break one of these least commandments and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.