Sunday 31st August 2025
Tone 3 - Eothinon 1
12th after Pentecost, 12th of Matthew
Placing of the Sash of the Mother of God in the Church of the Virgin in Halkoprateia, Constantinople
Today we commemorate:
Hieromartyr Cyprian, bishop of Carthage (258). St. Gennadius, patriarch of Constantinople (471). St. John, metropolitan of Kiev (1089).
British Isles and Ireland:
St. Eanswythe, abbess of Folkestone (c.640). St. Aidan, bishop of Lindisfarne (651). SS Cuthburgh (c.725) and Cwenburgh (c.735), abbesses of Wimborne.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Matthew 19:16-26
For the Commemoration: Hebrews 9:1-7; Luke 10:38-42,11:27-28
Readings in bold type are those appointed by the Typikon for use at the Liturgy
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Brothers and sisters, I am explaining to you the Gospel that I proclaimed to you, which you accepted, in which you are established, and through which you are being saved as long as you hold firmly to the message that I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. At the beginning I handed on to you just what I received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Kephas and then to the Twelve. Afterwards on one occasion he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters, most of whom are still here but some also have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James and then to all the apostles, and last of all, as if to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me as well, for I am the least of the apostles. I am not worthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the Church of God, but by God’s grace I am what I am. And his grace for me was not in vain because I have laboured more than them all, yet it was not I, but God’s grace that is with me. Whether it is I or they, this is what we preach and this is what you believed.
Matthew 19:16-26
At that time a man approached Jesus and asked, ‘Good teacher, what good shall I do so that I may have everlasting life?’ He said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good except one, and he is God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He asked him, ‘Which ones?’ And Jesus replied, ‘You shall not commit murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honour father and mother, and you shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ The young man said to him, ‘All these I have kept from my youth. What am I still missing?’ Jesus told him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ But when the young man heard these words he went away sorrowful because he had many possessions. Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you that the rich will enter the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty. What is more, I tell you that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.’ When his disciples heard this, they were utterly astounded and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked straight at them and said, ‘For people this is impossible, but for God everything is possible.’
Hebrews 9:1-7
Even the first Tent had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. A chamber was prepared, the first one, which was called Holy. In it were the lamp stand, the table and the shewbread. Beyond the second curtain was a chamber called the Holy of Holies. It held the golden censer, and the Ark of the Covenant that was entirely covered in gold on every side. In this were a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. Above it, cherubim of glory overshadowed the mercy seat. Now is not the time to speak about this in detail. With these things so arranged, the priests always went into the first chamber to fulfil the rites of worship, and into the second the High Priest entered once a year, alone, and not without the blood that he offered for himself and for the sins committed in ignorance by the people.
Luke 10:38-42,11:27-28
At that time Jesus entered a village and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to what he said. Martha however was distracted with much serving. She came up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister left me to serve alone? Then speak to her so that she may help me.’ But in reply Jesus told her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. Only one thing is needed and Mary made the right choice. It shall not be taken from her.’ … As he was saying these things, a woman called out from the crowd, saying to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you.’ And he replied, ‘Yes, and more than that. Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.’