Wednesday 30th November 2022
Nativity Fast: wine and oil allowed
Holy and All-Praised Apostle Andrew the First-called (62)
Today we commemorate:
St. Frumentius, archbishop of and Enlightener of Ethiopia (c.380). St. Alexander, bishop of Mithymna on Lesbos.
British Isles and Ireland:
St. Tudwal, bishop in Wales and Brittany (6th C).
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Luke 20:1-8
For the Commemoration: 1 Corinthians 4:9-16; John 1:35-51
Readings in bold type are those appointed by the Typikon for use at the Liturgy
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken from what you know, nor to be troubled – not by the Spirit, not by a message, not by a letter supposedly from us saying that the day of Christ has arrived. Let no one deceive you in any way, for the apostasy must come first when the man of sin is revealed. He is the Son of Damnation, the adversary who exalts himself over whatever is called a god or an object of worship with the intention of taking his seat as a god in the Temple of God, representing himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you about this? And now you know what is restraining him so that he may be revealed when his time comes. For the lawless one is already secretly at work, but only until the one now holding him back is out of contention. Then at that time the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth, and destroy at his appearance when he comes. He is present through the activity of Satan with all his power, false signs and wonders, and with all the treachery of unrighteousness in those who are perishing because they have not accepted the love of the truth for their salvation. Because of this, God will send them a strong delusion to believe what is false, so that all who have not believed the truth but delight in unrighteousness may be condemned.
Luke 20:1-8
On one of those days when Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple and preaching the Gospel, the priests and scribes with the elders were present. They said to him, ‘Tell us by what authority you are doing this. Who gave you this authority?’ He replied, saying to them, ‘I will ask you one question as well. Tell me about the baptism of John. Was it from heaven or of human origin?’ They discussed it among themselves. ‘If we say it was from heaven, he will reply, “Why then did you not believe him?” But if we say it was of human origin, all the people will stone us because they are convinced that John was a prophet.’ They therefore replied that they did not know where it was from. And Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing this.’
1 Corinthians 4:9-16
I think that God has exhibited us, the apostles, in last place, like those appointed to die, because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, while you are strong. You are the honoured, and we the dishonoured. Right up to the present time we hunger and thirst. We are ragged, battered and homeless. We labour, working with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure it; when vilified, we offer encouragement. We have become the scum of the earth, like everyone’s scraped off dirt, right up to the present time. I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you, my beloved children. You may have ten thousand tutors in Christ, but you do not have many fathers; and in Christ Jesus through the Gospel I became your father. I beg you, therefore, be imitators of me.
John 1:35-51
John was standing with two of his disciples. Seeing Jesus walking by, he said, ‘You are looking at the Lamb of God.’ The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Turning and seeing them following, Jesus asked them, ‘What do you want?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi,’ which means Teacher, ‘where are you staying?’ He told them, ‘Come and see.’ They went and saw where he was staying and remained with him that day. It was about the tenth hour. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah,’ which means the Anointed. He brought him to Jesus who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon, the son of Jonah. You shall be called Kephas,’ which means Rock. On the following day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee where he found Philip. He said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one of whom Moses in the law, the prophets too, have written: Jesus, the son of Joseph, who is from Nazareth.’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ And Philip replied, ‘Come and see.’ Jesus saw Nathanael approaching him, and he said about him, ‘Here is an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile.’ Nathanael asked him, ‘How do you know me?’ Jesus replied, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ In response Nathanael said to him, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.’ Jesus replied, saying to him, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, truly I tell you that from now on you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’