Monday 9th March 2026
Lenten Fast: wine and oil allowed
Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste
Today we commemorate:
Righteous Caesarios, brother of St. Gregory the Theologian (369).
British Isles and Ireland:
St. Bosa, bishop of York (705). St. Sanctan, bishop (5th C). St. Constantine, Hieromartyr & King of Cornwall (576).
Isaiah 8:13-9:7; Genesis 6:9-22; Proverbs 8:1-21
For the Commemoration: Hebrews 12:1-10; Matthew 20:1-16
Isaiah 8:13-9:7
Revere the Lord and he himself will be your fear. For if you put your trust in him he will be to you for holiness, and you will not find him to be a stone to stumble over or a falling rock. But the house of Jacob is caught in a snare and those in Jerusalem are sitting in a pit. Many of them will therefore be powerless; they will stumble or be crushed, and people in places of safety who venture near will be captured. Then those who seal up the law so as not to learn from it will be revealed, and someone will say, ‘I shall wait upon God who has turned his face away from the house of Jacob, and I shall put my trust in him. Here am I with the children whom God has given me. They will become signs and portents for the house of Israel from the Lord of hosts who dwells on Mount Zion.’ Although they tell you to seek out those who deliver oracles from the depths of the earth and the babbling ventriloquists who produce sounds from their bellies, should a nation not turn to their God? Why do they enquire of the dead concerning the living? For he has given the law to help us in order that they should not speak in this way, for these things have no gifts to offer. A harsh famine will come upon you, and when you come to suffer hunger you will be distressed and speak evil of the ruler and the idols. Then they will look up to the heaven above, and they will look at the earth below and see distress and gloom, tribulation and desperate straits, and such darkness that they are unable to see. But the one who is in distress will not be in doubt for long. Do this first, do it quickly, O country of Zabulon, O land of Nephthali by the sea road, and others who live on the coast and beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles and parts of Judaea. The people walking in darkness will see a great light. Those who live in the land and in the shadow of death, upon you a light will shine. Most of the people whom you have brought back in your joy will also rejoice before you like those who make merry at harvest time, like those who divide the spoils. For the yoke lying upon them is taken away, and the rod that is on their neck, for the Lord has shattered the rod of their oppressors as on the day of Midian. They will make restitution for every cloak and for every robe acquired by deceit; and they will be willing even if they have been burned with fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. His authority is upon his shoulder, and his name is Messenger of Great Counsel, Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Sovereign, Prince of Peace, Father of the Age to Come, for I will bring peace upon the rulers, peace and health to him. His authority is great, and of his peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to establish it and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Genesis 6:9-22
These are the descendants of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generation, and he was well pleasing to God. Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and full of unrighteousness. The Lord God looked upon the earth, and it had been utterly corrupted because all flesh on the earth had brought corruption upon itself. And the Lord God said to Noah, ‘The time for all human beings has come before me, for the earth is full of unrighteousness because of them, and now I shall destroy them with the earth. Therefore make for yourself an ark of squared timber. You are to make the ark with compartments and seal it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make the ark: the length is to be three hundred cubits and the breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You are to make the ark tapered and finish it to within a cubit at the top. You are to make a door for the ark in its side, and construct lower, second and third decks. Understand that I am bringing a flood of water upon the earth to destroy all flesh under heaven in which there is the breath of life, and every one of them on earth will die. I shall establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark, you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. From all the livestock and from all that moves on the ground and from all the wild beasts and of all flesh, two by two from all of them, you are to bring them into the ark in order to sustain them as well as yourself. They will be male and female. From each kind of winged bird and from each kind of domestic animal and from each kind of creature that lives on the ground, two by two from all of them, male and female, they will come in to you to be sustained with you. You are to take with you some of all the foods that you eat. Provide yourself with what you and they will eat.’ Noah did all this. Whatever the Lord God commanded him he did.
Proverbs 8:1-21
You will proclaim Wisdom so that your mind may obey you, for she is on the high summits and stands where paths meet. She takes her seat by the gates of rulers and sings aloud in the doorways: ‘I exhort you, O people, I lift my voice to mankind. You innocent, observe deception; and you who are untaught, take heart. Listen to me, for I will speak of solemn things, and dispense from the lips what is right. My throat will be careful with the truth, for lying lips are an abomination in my sight. All the words of my mouth are of righteousness, and there is nothing perverse or twisted in them. They are all in plain sight to those who comprehend, and upright to those who find knowledge. Take hold of discipline rather than silver, and knowledge over refined gold. For wisdom is better than precious stones; there is nothing of value to match her. I, Wisdom, dwelt with counsel, and it was I who summoned knowledge and purpose. The fear of the Lord hates unrighteousness, and arrogance and pride and the ways of those who are evil; and I hate the perverted ways of the wicked. Counsel and security are mine; prudence is mine, and strength is mine. Through me kings reign and the powerful dispense justice. Through me the great become greater, and through me monarchs rule the earth. I love those who love me, and those who seek me will find favour. Riches and glory belong to me, with abundant possessions and righteousness. To enjoy my fruits is better than gold and precious stones, and what I provide is better than fine silver. I walk in the ways of righteousness and I am to be found where the paths of justice meet, that I may share my wealth with those who love me, and fill their treasuries with good things.’
The text and chapter and verse references of the Old Testament readings are those of the Septuagint
Hebrews 12:1-10
Brothers and sisters, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses around us, let us lay aside every burden and the sin that so easily entangles us and run with perseverance the race set before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the initiator and completer of faith, who, setting it against the joy that lay before him, endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and took his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Contemplate anew the one who endured from sinners such hostility towards himself, so that you may not grow weary and faint-hearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed, and you have forgotten the appeal that calls to you, as to children, ‘My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when you are rebuked by him. For those whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and he chastises every child whom he accepts.’ If you are under discipline, God is treating you as sons and daughters, for what child is there whom a father does not discipline? But if you are without the discipline that everyone has come to share, then you are illegitimate offspring and not sons and daughters. What is more, we had our human fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not be so much readier to submit to the Father of Spirits and live? In their case, they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he, for our benefit, that we might share in his holiness.
Matthew 20:1-16
The Lord told this parable … ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a property owner who went out as day was breaking to hire labourers for his vineyard. He agreed with the labourers for a denarius a day and then sent them into his vineyard. He went out at about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to these he said, “You too, go to the vineyard and I shall give you what is right.” And off they went. Going out again at about the sixth and the ninth hours, he did the same. And at about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and he asked them, “Why have you been standing here idle the whole day?” They told him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You too, go to the vineyard and you will receive what is right.” At nightfall the master of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the labourers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last and ending with the first.” Those of the eleventh hour came forward, and they each received a denarius. Then when the first came forward they supposed that they would receive more, but they too each received a denarius. As they took it, they grumbled against the property owner and said, “These last ones laboured for one hour, yet you made them equal with us who bore the burden of the day and the fierce heat.” In reply to one of them he said, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree a denarius with me? Take what is yours and leave. I want to give this last one the same as you. Am I not allowed to do as I wish with what is mine? Is your eye envious because I am generous?” In this way the last will be first and the first last, for many are called but few are chosen.’