Sunday Readings

Apostolic Reading – 2 Cor 11:21-12:9

Gospel – Mt 6:22-33

Troparion of the Resurrection (Tone 2)

When You descended to death, O immortal Life, You put Hades to death by the splendor of Your divinity. And when You raised the dead from below the earth, all the heavenly powers cried out to you: “O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to You!”

Troparion of the Apostles (Tone 4)

Peter and Paul, higher in rank than any other apostle, doctors of the world, intercede with the Master of All that He may give peace to the world and great mercy to us all.

Troparion of the Holy Cross (Tone 1)

O Lord save your people and bless your inheritance, granting peace to the world; and protect your community by the power of your Cross.

Kondakion (Tone 2)

O never failing Protectress of Christians and their ever-present intercessor before the Creator, despise not the petitions of us sinners, but in your goodness extend your help to us who call upon you with confidence. Hasten, O Mother of God, to intercede for us, for you have always protected those who honor you.

Prokimenon

Through all the earth, their voice resounds,

and to the ends of the world their message.

Stichon

The heavens declare God’s glory

and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands.

Reading from the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians (11:21-12:9)

Brethren, in matters in which man is bold (I am speaking foolishly), I too am bold. Are they Hebrews? So am I! Are they Israelites? So am I! Are they of the race of Abraham? So am I! Are they ministers of Christ? I (to speak as a fool) am more: in many more labors, in prisons more often, in lashes above measure, often exposed to death. From the Jews, five times I received forty lashes less one. Three times I was scourged, once I was stoned, three times I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was adrift on the sea; in frequent travels, in perils from floods, in perils from robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils on the sea, in perils from false brethren; in labor and hardships, in many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those outer things, there is my daily pressing anxiety, the care of all the churches! Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I am not inflamed? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows that I do not lie. In Damascus, the Governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me, but I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped his hands. It is not fitting for me to boast: but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I do not know, or out of the body, I do not know: God knows) was caught up into paradise and heard secret sayings that man may not repeat. Of such a man I will boast; but of myself I will glory in nothing except my weaknesses. For if I do wish to boast, I shall not be foolish, for I shall be speaking the truth. But I give up, lest any man have an idea of me beyond what he sees in me or hears from me. And lest the greatness of the revelation puff me up, there was given to me a thorn for the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me. Concerning this, I begged the Lord three times that it might leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for strength is made perfect in weakness.” Gladly, then, will I glory in my weaknesses, that the strength of Christ may dwell in me.

Alleluia

The heavens shall proclaim your wonders, 0 Lord, and your truth in the assembly of the saints. Stichon

God is glorified in the council of his saints,

great and awesome to all those around him.

The Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew the Evangelist (6:22-33)

The Lord said: The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore, if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness itself! No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will stand by the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore, I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat and drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall wear. Is not life a greater thing than food, and the body than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you of much more value than they? But which of you by being anxious about it can add to his stature a single cubit? And as for clothing, why are you anxious? See how the lilies of the field grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. But if God so clothes the wild flower of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more you, O you of little faith! Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or, ‘What shall we drink?’, or, ‘What are we to wear?’ (For all these things the Gentiles seek); for your heavenly Father knows you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all the rest shall be given you besides.”