Friday, May 31, 2030
Friday of the 5th Sunday of Pascha

Fast — Wine and Oil are Allowed — Abstain from meat, fish, dairy, and eggs

Scripture Readings

Acts 15.5-12 (Epistle)
John 10.17-28 (Gospel)

Commemorations

Apostle Hermes of the Seventy
Hermias the Martyr at Comana
Eustathios, Patriarch of Constantinople
Eusebius and Haralambos the Monk-martyrs

Scripture Readings

Translation:

Acts 15.5-12 (Epistle)

5But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

6The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter. 7When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News and believe. 8God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us. 9He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”

12All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them.

John 10.17-28 (Gospel)

17Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. 18No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”

19Therefore a division arose again among the Jews because of these words. 20Many of them said, “He has a demon and is insane! Why do you listen to him?” 21Others said, “These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It isn’t possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is it?”

22It was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. 23It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. 24The Jews therefore came around him and said to him, “How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

25Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you don’t believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, these testify about me. 26But you don’t believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you. 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.

Commemorations

Apostle Hermes of the Seventy

He is mentioned in the Epistles of St Paul (Romans 16:14). He served as a bishop in the first-century Church, and died a martyr. His book, The Shepherd, is one of the earliest Christian writings outside of the New Testament, and was held in such esteem by the early Church that it is sometimes found in ancient collections of the Holy Scriptures.

Hermas had been a wealthy man, but had fallen into poverty through his sins. A man, clad all in white and holding a staff, appeared to St Hermas and, telling him that he was an angel of repentance, gave St Hermas twelve commandments:

To believe in God
To live in simplicity and innocence
To love truth and flee from falsehood
To guard his thoughts in chastity
To learn patience and magnanimity of soul
To know that a good and an evil spirit attend every man
To fear God, but not the devil
To perform every good deed and to restrain himself from every evil one
To pray to God in faith from the depths of his heart, so that his prayer might be heard
To preserve himself from melancholy, the daughter of doubt, and from anger
To try true and false prophecies
To preserve himself from every evil desire.