22And Solomon stood up in front of the altar before all the congregation of Israel; and he spread out his hands toward heaven:
23and he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above and on the earth beneath, keeping covenant and mercy with your servant who walks before you with all his heart;
27But will God indeed dwell with men upon the earth? if the heaven and heaven of heavens will not suffice you, how much less even this house which I have built to your name?
28Yet, O Lord God of Israel, you shall look upon my petition, to hear the prayer which your servant prays to you in your presence this day,
29that your eyes may be open toward this house day and night, even toward the place which you said, My name shall be there, to hear the prayer which your servant prays at this place day and night.
30And you shall listen to the prayer of your servant, and of your people Israel, which they shall pray toward this place; and you shall hear in your dwelling-place in heaven, and you shall do and be gracious.
Proverbs 3.19-34 (Vespers)
19God by wisdom founded the earth, and by prudence he prepared the heavens.
20By understanding were the depths broken up, and the clouds dropped water.
21My son, let them not pass from you, but keep my counsel and understanding:
22that your soul may live, and that there may be grace round your neck; and it shall be health to your flesh, and safety to your bones:
23that you may go confidently in peace in all your ways, and that your foot may not stumble.
24For if you rest, you shall be undismayed; and if you sleep, you shall slumber sweetly.
25And you shall not be afraid of alarm coming upon you, neither of approaching attacks of ungodly men.
26For the Lord shall be over all your ways, and shall establish your foot that you be not moved.
27Forbear not to do good to the poor, whenever your hand may have power to help him.
28Say not, Come back another time, to-morrow I will give; while you are able to do him good: for you know not what the next day will bring forth.
29Devise not evil against your friend, living near you and trusting in you.
30Be not ready to quarrel with a man without a cause, lest he do you some harm.
31Procure not the reproaches of bad men, neither do you covet their ways.
32For every transgressor is unclean before the Lord; neither does he sit among the righteous.
33The curse of God is in the houses of the ungodly; but the habitations of the just are blessed.
34The Lord resists the proud; but he gives grace to the humble.
Proverbs 9.1-11 (Vespers)
1Wisdom has built a house for herself, and set up seven pillars.
2She has killed her beasts; she has mingled her wine in a bowl, and prepared her table.
3She has sent forth her servants, calling with a loud proclamation to the feast, saying,
4Whoso is foolish, let him turn aside to me: and to them that lack understanding she says,
5Come, eat of my bread, and drink wine which I have mingled for you.
6Leave folly, that you⌃ may reign for ever; and seek wisdom, and improve understanding by knowledge.
7He that reproves evil men shall get dishonor to himself; and he that rebukes an ungodly man shall disgrace himself.
8Rebuke not evil men, lest they should hate you: rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
9Give an opportunity to a wise man, and he will be wiser: instruct a just man, and he will receive more instruction.
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the counsel of saints is understanding: for to know the law is the character of a sound mind.
11For in this way you shall live long, and years of your life shall be added to you.
Galatians 2.21-3.7 (Epistle)
21I don’t reject the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!”
1Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed among you as crucified?
2I just want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?
3Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh?
4Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeed in vain?
5He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you and does miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?
6Even so, Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.”
7Know therefore that those who are of faith are children of Abraham.
Hebrews 3.1-4
(Epistle, Church)
1Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession: Jesus,
2who was faithful to him who appointed him, as also Moses was in all his house.
3For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, because he who built the house has more honor than the house.
4For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God.
Mark 6.1-7 (Gospel)
1He went out from there. He came into his own country, and his disciples followed him.
2When the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things?” and, “What is the wisdom that is given to this man, that such mighty works come about by his hands?
3Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended at him.
4Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house.”
5He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.
6He marveled because of their unbelief. He went around the villages teaching.
7He called to himself the twelve, and began to send them out two by two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
Matthew 16.13-18
(Gospel, Church)
13Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
14They said, “Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
18I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
Commemorations
Commemoration of the Founding of the Church of the Resurrection (Holy Sepulchre) at Jerusalem (335)
The Church is located on Golgotha, where our Lord was crucified and buried. The true Cross and the place of the Resurrection were covered over by those hostile to Christ and His Apostles, and in the reign of Hadrian a temple to Aphrodite was built over the holy sites. St Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, personally commanded and oversaw the excavations that restored the site and recovered the Cross itself. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was begun at the Empress Helena’s command, but she reposed before it could be completed. The Church was completed by Constantine and consecrated on this date in 335. Makarios archbishop of Jerusalem, presided at the consecration and also exalted the precious Cross (September 14). It is at this church that the miracle of the Holy Fire occurs every Pascha.
Holy Hieromartyr Cornelius the Centurion (1st c. )
This is the Cornelius who received St Peter into his household in Caesarea (Acts ch.10). He was then instructed in the Faith and baptised by St Peter, though he had been a pagan and a Gentile: a great turning point in the growth of the Church, for before this time many (including St Peter) had believed that the Church was meant only for the Jews. Tradition holds that St Cornelius later became a bishop and died a martyr.
Holy Great Martyr Ketevan, Queen of Georgia (1624)
In the seventeenth century, the Kingdom of Georgia was cruelly pressed by the Ottoman Empire on one side and Persia, under Shah Abbas the Great, on the other. King Theimuraz was taken captive by the Persians during an invasion and held captive in the fortress of Shiraz until, after many tortures, he was strangled.
The King’s mother, Queen Ketevan, travelled to the Persian court at Shiraz along with her grandsons Levan and Alexander, to plead with the Shah to spare the Kingdom. The Shah agreed, but the three were kept as hostages, where all were cruelly tortured.
Queen Ketevan endured ten years of captivity, throughout which the Shah attempted to convert her to Islam, first by persuasion and threats, then by torture. The Queen refused every effort to drive her into apostasy, and before each new torture would make the sign of the Cross and say ‘In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ At the end a brazier of burning coals was fixed to her head and, in the midst of her extreme torment, she was strangled with a bow-string on September 13 1624. After her glorious martyrdom a divine light surrounded her tomb.