Orthodox Calendar

Wednesday, March 13, 1912
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

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

Service Notes

  • Presanctified Liturgy

Scripture Readings

Commemorations

  • Ven. John Cassian

Scripture Readings

Isaiah 26.21-27.9 (6th Hour)

21For, behold, the Lord is bringing wrath from his holy place upon the dwellers on the earth: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall not cover her slain.

1In that day God shall bring his holy and great and strong sword upon the dragon, even the serpent that flees, upon the dragon, the crooked serpent: he shall destroy the dragon. 2In that day there shall be a fair vineyard, and a desire to commence a song concerning it. 3I am a strong city, a city in a siege: in vain shall I water it; for it shall be taken by night, and by day the wall shall fall. 4There is no woman that has not taken hold of it; who will set me to watch stubble in the field? because of this enemy I have set her aside; therefore on this account the Lord has done all that he appointed. 5I am burnt up; they that dwell in her shall cry, Let us make peace with him, let us make peace, 6they that are coming are the children of Jacob. Israel shall bud and blossom, and the world shall be filled with his fruit. 7Shall he himself be thus struck, even as he struck? and as he killed, shall he be thus slain? 8Fighting and reproaching he will dismiss them; did you not meditate with a harsh spirit, to kill them with a wrathful spirit? 9Therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be taken away; and this is his blessing, when I shall have taken away his sin; when they shall have broken to pieces all the stones of the altars as fine dust, and their trees shall not remain, and their idols shall be cut off, as a thicket afar off.

Genesis 9.18-10.1 (Vespers)

18Now the sons of Noe which came out of the ark, were Sem, Cham, Japheth. And Cham was father of Chanaan. 19These three are the sons of Noe, of these were men scattered over all the earth. 20And Noe began to be a husbandman, and he planted a vineyard. 21And he drank of the wine, and was drunk, and was naked in his house. 22And Cham the father of Chanaan saw the nakedness of his father, and he went out and told his two brothers without. 23And Sem and Japheth having taken a garment, put it on both their backs and went backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their face was backward, and they saw not the nakedness of their father. 24And Noe recovered from the wine, and knew all that his younger son had done to him. 25And he said, Cursed be the servant Chanaan, a slave shall he be to his brethren. 26And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Sem, and Chanaan shall be his bond-servant. 27May God make room for Japheth, and let him dwell in the habitations of Sem, and let Chanaan be his servant. 28And Noe lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 29And all the days of Noe were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.

1Now these are the generations of the sons of Noe, Sem, Cham, Japheth; and sons were born to them after the flood.

Proverbs 12.23-13.9 (LXX) (Vespers)

23An understanding man is a throne of wisdom; but the heart of fools shall meet with curses. 24The hand of chosen men shall easily obtain rule; but the deceitful shall be for a prey. 25A terrible word troubles the heart of a righteous man; but a good message rejoices him. 26A just arbitrator shall be his own friend; but mischief shall pursue sinners; and the way of ungodly men shall lead them astray. 27A deceitful man shall catch no game; but a blameless man is a precious possession. 28In the ways of righteousness is life; but the ways of those that remember injuries lead to death.

1A wise son is obedient to his father: but a disobedient son will be destroyed. 2A good man shall eat of the fruits of righteousness: but the lives of transgressors shall perish before their time. 3He that keeps his own mouth keeps his own life: but he that is hasty with his lips shall bring terror upon himself. 4Every slothful man desires, but the hands of the active are diligent. 5A righteous man hates an unjust word: but an ungodly man is ashamed, and will have no confidence. 7There are some who, having nothing, enrich themselves: and there are some who bring themselves down in the midst of much wealth. 8A man's own wealth is the ransom of his life: but the poor endures not threatening. 9The righteous always have light: but the light of the ungodly is quenched. Crafty souls go astray in sins: but just men pity, and are merciful.

1 John 2.18-3.10 (Epistle, St John)

18Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour. 19They went out from us, but they didn’t belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us. 20You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23Whoever denies the Son doesn’t have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also.

24Therefore, as for you, let that remain in you which you heard from the beginning. If that which you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son, and in the Father. 25This is the promise which he promised us, the eternal life.

26These things I have written to you concerning those who would lead you astray. 27As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in him.

28Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

1See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. 2Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him just as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

4Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. 5You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and no sin is in him. 6Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him.

7Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him, and he can’t sin, because he is born of God. 10In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother.

Mark 11.1-11 (Gospel, St John)

1When they came near to Jerusalem, to Bethsphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2and said to them, “Go your way into the village that is opposite you. Immediately as you enter into it, you will find a young donkey tied, on which no one has sat. Untie him and bring him. 3If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs him;’ and immediately he will send him back here.”

4They went away, and found a young donkey tied at the door outside in the open street, and they untied him. 5Some of those who stood there asked them, “What are you doing, untying the young donkey?” 6They said to them just as Jesus had said, and they let them go.

7They brought the young donkey to Jesus and threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat on it. 8Many spread their garments on the way, and others were cutting down branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. 9Those who went in front and those who followed cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

11Jesus entered into the temple in Jerusalem. When he had looked around at everything, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.