Wednesday 26th March 2025
Lenten Fast: wine and oil allowed
Synaxis of Archangel Gabriel
Afterfeast of The Annunciation to the Mother of God
Today we commemorate:
Holy Martyrs Manuel and Theodosius (304). New Martyr George of Adrianople (1437). St. Basil the New, anchorite near Constantinople (10th C). St. Malchus of Chalcis in Syria (4th C).
British Isles and Ireland:
St. Sincheall, abbot of Killeigh (5th C). St. Mochelloc of Killmallock (639). St. Garbhan (7th C).
Isaiah 26:21-27:9; Genesis 9:18-10:1; Proverbs 12:23-13:9
For the Commemoration: Hebrews 2:2-10; Luke 10:16-21
Isaiah 26:21-27:9
The Lord brings wrath from his holy place upon those who live on the earth, and the earth will reveal her blood and not cover her slain. On that day God will bring his great and strong holy sword upon the dragon, the serpent that flees, upon the dragon, that crooked serpent, and he will destroy the dragon. On that day there will be a beautiful vineyard and the desire to sing about it. I am a strong city, a city under siege. I water it in vain for it will be taken by night, and by day the wall will fail. There are none who have not conquered it. Who will set me to watch stubble in the field? Because of this warfare I have set it aside, and for this reason the Lord has done everything, all that he has ordained. I have been burnt up. Those who dwell in her will cry, ‘Let us make peace with him, let us make peace.’ Those who come are the children of Jacob. Israel will bud and blossom and the world will be filled with his fruit. Will he be thus stricken as he himself struck, and will he be killed as he has killed? Fighting and reproaching, he will send them away. With a harsh spirit did you not scheme to slay them with a spirit of wrath? The lawlessness of Jacob will therefore be taken away. And this is his blessing when I take away his sin, when they have broken all the stones of the altars in pieces as fine as dust and their trees no longer remain, and their idols are cut down like a thicket far away.
Genesis 9:18-10:1
The sons of Noah who went out from the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. Ham was father of Canaan. These three are the sons of Noah and from them people were scattered over the whole earth. Noah began to till the ground and he planted a vineyard. He drank the wine and became drunk, and he was naked in his house. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and went out and told his two brothers outside. Shem and Japheth took a garment and put it on both their backs and, walking backwards, covered the nakedness of their father. As they had their backs turned they did not see their father’s nakedness. Noah recovered from the wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, and he said, ‘Cursed be the bondservant Canaan; he will be a bondservant to his brothers.’ And he said, ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; Canaan will be his bondservant. May God make room for Japheth and let him reside in the houses of Shem and let Canaan be his bondservant.’ Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. All the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years and then he died. Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth, and to them sons were born after the flood.
Proverbs 12:23-13:9
An intelligent man is a throne of wisdom, but the hearts of fools meet with curses. The hand of the chosen governs with ease, but the deceitful fall prey. A fearful word troubles the heart of a righteous man, but a good word cheers him. A just arbitrator is his own friend, but mischief pursues the sinful and the path of the ungodly leads them astray. The deceitful catch no game, but the possession of a pure man is precious. In the paths of righteousness there is life, but the paths of those who bear grudges lead to death. A wise son is obedient to his father, but a disobedient son will perish. The good will eat the fruits of righteousness, but the souls of transgressors will die before their time. Whoever guards his mouth keeps his soul, but those who are hasty with their lips bring terror upon themselves. Every sluggard has desires, but the hands of the active are diligent. The righteous hate an unjust word, but the godless are shamed and will lack confidence. Righteousness guards the innocent, but sin renders the ungodly worthless. There are those who have nothing and yet are enriched, and there are those who drag themselves down in the midst of great riches. A man’s own riches are a ransom for his life, but the poor endure no threats. The righteous always have light, but the light of the godless is snuffed out. Deceitful souls go astray into sin, but the righteous have compassion and show mercy.
The text and chapter and verse references of the Old Testament readings are those of the Septuagint
Hebrews 2:2-10
If the message spoken by angels had force, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation that was first announced by the Lord and confirmed to us by those who heard, with God also bearing witness through signs and wonders and miracles and various gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his will? But it was not to angels that he subjected the world to come of which we speak, because somewhere someone bore witness, saying, ‘What are human beings that you are mindful of them? Or the Son of Man that you watch over him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honour; you put everything in subjection under his feet.’ Since he subjected everything to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him, though as yet we do not see everything in subjection to him. We do however see Jesus, the one who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honour through the suffering of death so that by the grace of God he might taste death on behalf of everyone. It was fitting for him, for whom and through whom all things came into existence, in bringing many children to glory to make perfect through sufferings the author of their salvation.
Luke 10:16-21
The Lord told them … ‘Whoever listens to you, listens to me; and whoever rejects you, rejects me; and whoever rejects me, rejects him who sent me.’ The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are obedient to us in your name.’ And he told them, ‘I was watching Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Understand that I give you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy so that nothing may harm you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits obey you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’ At that moment Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the clever and intelligent and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this was your delight.’