Orthodox Calendar

Thursday, April 15, 2106
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Lent

Lenten Fast — Abstain from meat, fish, dairy, eggs, wine, and oil

Scripture Readings

Commemorations

Scripture Readings

Isaiah 65.8-16 (6th Hour)

8Thus says the Lord, As a grape-stone shall be found in the cluster, and they shall say, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for the sake of him that serves me, for his sake I will not destroy them all. 9And I will lead forth the seed that came of Jacob and of Juda, and they shall inherit my holy mountain: and my elect and my servants shall inherit it, and shall dwell there. 10And there shall be in the forest folds of flocks, and the valley of Achor shall be for a resting-place of herds for my people, who have sought me. 11But you⌃ are they that have left me, and forget my holy mountain, and prepare a table for the devil, and fill up the drink-offering to Fortune. 12I will deliver you up to the sword, you⌃ shall all fall by slaughter: for I called you, and you⌃ listened not; I spoke, and you⌃ refused to hear; and you⌃ did evil in my sight, and chose the things wherein I delighted not. 13Therefore thus says the Lord, Behold, my servants shall eat, but you⌃ shall hunger: behold, my servants shall drink, but you⌃ shall thirst: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you⌃ shall be ashamed: 14behold, my servants shall exult with joy, but you⌃ shall cry for the sorrow of your heart, and shall howl for the vexation of your spirit. 15For you⌃ shall leave your name for a loathing to my chosen, and the Lord shall destroy you: but my servants shall be called by a new name, 16which shall be blessed on the earth; for they shall bless the true God: and they that swear upon the earth shall swear by the true God; for they shall forget the former affliction, it shall not come into their mind.

Genesis 46.1-7 (Vespers)

1And Israel departed, he and all that he had, and came to the well of the oath; and he offered sacrifice to the God of his father Isaac. 2And God spoke to Israel in a night vision, saying, Jacob, Jacob; and he said, What is it? 3And he says to him, I am the God of your fathers; fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will make you there a great nation. 4And I will go down with you into Egypt, and I will bring you up at the end; and Joseph shall put his hands on your eyes. 5And Jacob rose up from the well of the oath; and the sons of Israel took up their father, and the baggage, and their wives on the wagons, which Joseph sent to take them. 6And they took up their goods, and all their property, which they had gotten in the land of Chanaan; they came into the land of Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him. 7The sons, and the sons of his sons with him; his daughters, and the daughters of his daughters; and he brought all his seed into Egypt.

Proverbs 23.15-24.5 (Vespers)

15Son, if your heart be wise, you shall also gladden my heart; 16and your lips shall converse with my lips, if they be right. 17Let not your heart envy sinners: but be you in the fear of the Lord all the day. 18For if you should keep these things, you shall have posterity; and your hope shall not be removed. 19Hear, my son, and be wise, and rightly direct the thoughts of your heart. 20Be not a wine-bibber, neither continue long at feasts, and purchases of flesh: 21for every drunkard and whoremonger shall be poor; and every sluggard shall clothe himself with tatters and ragged garments. 22Listen, my son, to your father which begot you, and despise not your mother because she is grown old. 24A righteous father brings up his children well; and his soul rejoices over a wise son. 25Let your father and your mother rejoice over you, and let her that bore you be glad. 26My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways. 27For a strange house is a vessel full of holes; and a strange well is narrow. 28For such a one shall perish suddenly; and every transgressor shall be cut off. 29Who has woe? who trouble? who has quarrels? and who vexations and disputes? who has bruises without a cause? whose eyes are livid? 30Are not those of them that stay long at wine? are not those of them that haunt the places where banquets are? Be not drunk with wine; but converse with just men, and converse with them openly. 31For if you should set your eyes on bowls and cups, you shall afterwards go more naked than a pestle. 32But at last such a one stretches himself out as one struck by a serpent, and venom is diffused through him as by a horned serpent. 33Whenever your eyes shall behold a strange woman, then your mouth shall speak perverse things. 34And you shall lie as in the midst of the sea, and as a pilot in a great storm. 35And you shall say, They struck me, and I was not pained; and they mocked me, and I knew it not: when will it be morning, that I may go and seek those with whom I may go in company?

1My son, envy not bad men, nor desire to be with them. 2For their heart meditates falsehoods, and their lips speak mischiefs. 3A house is built by wisdom, and is set up by understanding. 4By discretion the chambers are filled with all precious and excellent wealth. 5A wise man is better than a strong man; and a man who has prudence than a large estate.

Commemorations

Holy Martyr Sabbas the Goth (372)

In the kingdom of Wallachia (in modern-day Romania) the Goths undertook a brutal persecution of Christians. A Gothic prince came to the village of Buzau and asked the villagers if any Christians lived there. They swore to him that there were none. At this, Sabbas came before the Prince and said ‘Let no one swear an oath on my behalf. I am a Christian.’ Touched by his courage, the prince let Sabbas go, saying ‘This one can do neither harm nor good.’

The following year a priest named Sansal came to the village and celebrated Pascha with Sabbas (who was truly the only Christian there). When the pagans heard of this, they attacked Sabbas’ house and seized both men. They dragged Sabbas naked through thorns, then tied both him and Sansal to trees and tried to make them eat meat offered to idols. Neither man would touch the sacrifices. The prince then sentenced Sabbas to death and gave him over to the soldiers. Sabbas walked to the place of execution joyfully, singing and praising God. Seeing his goodness, the soldiers tried to free him on the way, but Sabbas refused, telling them that it was their duty to carry out the prince’s command.

The soldiers took him to a river, tied a rock to his neck and cast him into the waters, where he gave back his soul to God. Some Christians later recovered his body and gave it honorable burial. The saint was 31 years old at the time of his martyrdom. In the reign of the Emperor Valens, the Greek commander Ionnios Soranos found the Saint’s body during a war against the Goths, and took it to Cappadocia.