Be kind and compassionate — two qualities that seem to be in short supply. Maybe it's because we hold up the wrong heroes. Unfortunately these two qualities are often seen as signs of weakness rather than strength. To forgive as God forgave us requires great courage and great strength. So let's be strong!
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 42 : 5 - 5
Chapter 42
| 5 | Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. |
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Our Lord God, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.
Amen.
Vespers Gospel
Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.
A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint Mark the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Mark 16 : 17 - 20
Chapter 16
| 17 | And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; |
| 18 | they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." |
| 19 | So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. |
| 20 | And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. |
And Glory be to God forever.
Matins
Matins Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 43 : 3 - 3
Chapter 43
| 3 | Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle. |
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Our Lord God, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.
Amen.
Matins Gospel
Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.
A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint Mark the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Mark 4 : 30 - 34
Chapter 4
| 30 | Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? |
| 31 | It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; |
| 32 | but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade." |
| 33 | And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. |
| 34 | But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. |
And Glory be to God forever.
Liturgy Gospel
Paulines Epistle
Paul, the servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, appointed to the Gospel of God.
A reading from the Epistle of our teacher Paul to the Romans .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Romans 4 : 4 - 8
Chapter 4
| 4 | Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. |
| 5 | But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, |
| 6 | just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: |
| 7 | "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; |
| 8 | Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin." |
The grace of God the Father be with you all.
Amen.
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle 1 of St. John .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
1 John 3 : 8 - 12
Chapter 3
| 8 | He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. |
| 9 | Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. |
| 10 | In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. |
| 11 | For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, |
| 12 | not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous. |
Do not love the world or the things in the world.
The world passes away, and its desires; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Amen.
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of our fathers the apostles, may their blessings be with us.
Acts 5 : 21 - 25
Chapter 5
| 21 | And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. |
| 22 | But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, |
| 23 | saying, "Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!" |
| 24 | Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. |
| 25 | So one came and told them, saying, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!" |
The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God.
Amen.
Divine Psalm
Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.
A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint John the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet, and the Good King.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 119 : 105,135
Chapter 119
| 105 | Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. |
| 135 | Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes. |
Hallelujah.
Divine Gospel
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Our Lord God, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.
Amen.
John 8 : 39 - 42
Chapter 8
| 39 | They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. |
| 40 | But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. |
| 41 | You do the deeds of your father." Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father--God." |
| 42 | Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. |
And Glory be to God forever.