12But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he departed to his home, wondering what had happened.
13Behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia from Jerusalem.
14They talked with each other about all of these things which had happened.
15While they talked and questioned together, Jesus himself came near, and went with them.
16But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
17He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk, and are sad?”
18One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things which have happened there in these days?”
19He said to them, “What things?” They said to him, “The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people;
20and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.
21But we were hoping that it was he who would redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.
22Also, certain women of our company amazed us, having arrived early at the tomb;
23and when they didn’t find his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.
24Some of us went to the tomb and found it just like the women had said, but they didn’t see him.”
25He said to them, “Foolish people, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
26Didn’t the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?”
27Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28They came near to the village where they were going, and he acted like he would go further.
29They urged him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is almost evening, and the day is almost over.” He went in to stay with them.
30When he had sat down at the table with them, he took the bread and gave thanks. Breaking it, he gave it to them.
31Their eyes were opened and they recognized him; then he vanished out of their sight.
32They said to one another, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us along the way, and while he opened the Scriptures to us?”
33They rose up that very hour, returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them,
34saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
35They related the things that happened along the way, and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
Romans 10.1-10 (Epistle)
1Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved.
2For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
3For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
4For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
5For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, “The one who does them will live by them.”
6But the righteousness which is of faith says this, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down);
7or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)”
8But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart;” that is, the word of faith which we preach:
9that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation.
Galatians 4.22-31
(Epistle, St Anna)
22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant, and one by the free woman.
23However, the son by the servant was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise.
24These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar.
25For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children.
26But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear. Break out and shout, you who don’t travail. For the desolate women have more children than her who has a husband.”
28Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
29But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.
30However, what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.”
31So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant, but of the free woman.
Matthew 8.28-9.1 (Gospel)
28When he came to the other side, into the country of the Gergesenes, two people possessed by demons met him there, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that nobody could pass that way.
29Behold, they cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
30Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding far away from them.
31The demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs.”
32He said to them, “Go!” They came out and went into the herd of pigs; and behold, the whole herd of pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea and died in the water.
33Those who fed them fled and went away into the city and told everything, including what happened to those who were possessed with demons.
34Behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged that he would depart from their borders.
1He entered into a boat and crossed over, and came into his own city.
Luke 8.16-21
(Gospel, St Anna)
16“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light.
17For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
18Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has.”
19His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd.
20Some people told him, “Your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to see you.”
21But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
Commemorations
Dormition Righteous Anna, Mother of Theotokos
According to tradition, both Anna and her husband Joachim had reposed by the time the Most Holy Theotokos was about eleven years old and living in the Temple; thus when she reached maturity she was an orphan, and was given into the care of the noble Joseph. The prayers of St Anna are invoked for conceiving children and for help in difficult childbirth. Her main feast is on September 9th.
Commemoration of the holy 165 Fathers of the Fifth Ecumenical Council (553)
This council was held in Constantinople during the reign of Justinian the Great. The council condemned the various forms of monophysitism, the heretical writings of Theodore of Mopsuestia and Theodoret, and the writings of Origen (particularly on universal salvation).
St Olympias the Deaconess (408)
She was born to a noble family in Constantinople: her father Anysius Secundus was a senator. She was betrothed to a nobleman who died before they could be wed; resisting all advice to take another husband, Olympias devoted herself entirely to God, giving her large inheritance to the Church and to the poor. She served as a deaconess, first under the Patriarch Nektarios, then under St John Chrysostom. When St John was sent into exile, he advised her to remain in Constantinople, and to continue to serve the Church whatever patriarch took his place. But as soon as the holy hierarch went into exile, a fire destroyed a large part of the City, and St John’s enemies accused the holy Olympias of setting the fire. She in turn was exiled to Nikomedia, where she reposed in 408. She left instructions that her body be placed in a coffin and thrown into the sea, to be buried wherever it was cast up. The coffin came to shore at Vrochthoi and was buried there at a church dedicated to the Apostle Thomas. Her relics have continued to be a source of great miracles of healing.
During his exile, St John Chrysostom wrote a number of letters to St Olympias, seventeen of which have been preserved through the centuries. In one he writes: ‘Now I am deeply joyful, not only because you have been delivered from sickness, but even more because you are bearing adversities with such fortitude, calling them trifles — a characteristic of a soul filled with power and abounding in the rich fruits of courage. You are not only enduring misfortune with fortitude, but are making light of it in a seemingly effortless way, rejoicing and triumphing over it — this is a proof of the greatest wisdom.’