Sunday Readings
Apostolic Reading – Hebrews 9:1-7
Gospel – Mt 19:16-26
Troparion of the resurrection (Tone 3)
Let all in heaven rejoice and all on earth be glad, for the Lord has exerted power with His arm: By death He has trampled upon Death and has become the firstborn from the dead. He has delivered us from the bosom of Hades and has granted to the world great mercy.
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.
Final Kontakion of the Nativity of the Theotokos (Tone 4)
Through your holy birth, O Immaculate One, Joachim and Anne were delivered from the shame of childlessness, and Adam and Eve from the corruption of death. Your people, redeemed from the debt of their sins, cry out to you to honor your birth: “the barren one gives birth to the Mother of God the Sustainer of our life!”
Prokimenon
My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
Stichon
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid, for behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians (9:2-12)
Brethren, the first tabernacle also had ritual ordinances and a sanctuary, though an earthly one. For there was set up a tabernacle in the outer part of which were the lamp-stand and the table and the showbread, and this is called the Holy Place.
But beyond the second veil was the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, having a golden censer and the Ark of the Covenant, overlaid on every side with gold. In the ark was a golden vessel containing the manna, and the rod of Aaron which had budded, and the tablets of the covenant and above it was the Cherubim of glory, overshadowing the mercy-seat. But of all these we cannot now speak in detail.
Such then being the arrangements, the priests always used to enter into the first tabernacle to perform the sacred rites; but into the second tabernacle, the high priest alone entered once a year, not without blood, which he offered for his own and the people’s sins of ignorance.
Alleluia
Listen, daughter, and behold and lend your ear, and forget your people and your father’s house.
Stichon
The rich among the people shall seek Your favor.
The Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew the Evangelist (19:16-26)
At that time a certain young man came to Jesus and said, “Good Master, what good work shall I do to have eternal life?” He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but God. But if you will enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which?” And Jesus answered, - ‘Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, honor thy father and mother, and, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” The young man said to Him, “All these I have kept; what is still lacking in me?” Jesus said to him, “If you will be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard these words, he went away sad, for he had great possessions. But Jesus said to His disciples, “Amen I say to you, with difficulty will a rich man enter the kingdom of heaven. And further I say to you it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” The disciples, hearing this, were exceedingly astonished, and said, “Who then can be saved?” And looking upon them, Jesus said: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."