Services during the Week:

Monday, August 12, 6:00 p.m.: Paraklesis Hymn to the Theotokos

Wednesday, August 14, 5:30 p.m.: Vesperal Liturgy – Dormition of the Theotokos

THE EPISTLE

The Lord will give strength to His people.
Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of God, ascribe to the Lord honor and glory.
The Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (1:10-17)
Brethren, I appeal to you, by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissension among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispos and Gaius; lest anyone should say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, Ido not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

THE GOSPEL

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (14:14-22)
At that time, when Jesus went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to Him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish He looked up to Heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. Then Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds.

Commemorated Today:

Martyrs Floros and Lauros of Illyria; Venerable Sophronios of St. Anne Skete on Athos; Venerable Barnabas, Sophronios and Christopher of Mount Mela; Venerable John and George, patriarchs of Constantinople; Venerable Arsenios the New of Paros; Venerable John of Rila.

Click here for a more full listing of saints commemorated today, from oca.org.

Click below to read

The Life of Saint John of Rila

…from the web site of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church

Saint John of Rila

Icon of Saint John of Rila; Copy of 14th Century Icon from Rila Monastery, Bulgaria.

Tempera on wood. Copy by Silva Todorova, Sofia, Bulgaria (copy made early 1990s).

Troparion — Tone 1

Your life was a foundation of repentance

And a model of compunction,

An image of consolation and spiritual perfection,

Equal to the angels, O venerable one.

You persevered in prayer, fasting and tears, O Father John;

Intercede with Christ God for our souls.

Kontakion — Tone 8

Imitating the life of the angels and forsaking all earthly things,

You fled to Christ, O venerable one.

Protecting yourself with His commandments,

You were shown to be an unshakable pillar against the attacks of the enemy.

Therefore, we cry to you: “Rejoice, O Father John, most brilliant light”!

During the regular Sundays of the Church year, we each Sunday move through a repeating cycle of eight Tones, with different music and hymns for each tone, which celebrate the resurrection of Christ. This Sunday falls on Tone 7. Here is the Sunday troparion (hymn) of the Resurrection for this Sunday:

Thou didst shatter death by thy Cross;

thou didst open paradise to the thief;

thou didst turn the mourning of the ointment-bearing women into joy,

and didst bid thine Apostles proclaim warning that thou hast risen, O Christ,

granting the world Great Mercy.