The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Schedule for this week:

·         Wednesday, October 2, 5:30 p.m.: Great Compline, followed by Bible Study (led by Fr. Henry)

·         Saturday, October 5, 5:00 pm: Great Vespers

·         Sunday, October 6, 10:00 am: Divine Liturgy (preceded by Orthros, 9:00 am)

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Quote for the Week:

“Do not be irritated either with those who sin or those who offend; do not have a passion for noticing every sin in your neighbor, and for judging him, as we are in the habit of doing. Everyone shall give an answer to God for himself. Everyone has a conscience; everyone hears God’s Word, and knows God’s Will either from books or from conversation with other people. Especially do not look with evil intention upon the sins of your elders, which do not regard you; ‘to his own master he standeth or falleth.’ Correct your own sins, amend your own life.”

—St. John of Kronstadt

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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 6. Here is the Sunday troparion (hymn) of the Resurrection for this Sunday:

When Mary stood at thy grave

looking for thy sacred body,

angelic powers shone above thy revered tomb,

and the soldiers who were to keep guard became as dead men.

Thou led Hades captive

and wast not tempted thereby.

Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst give life to the world.

Thou who art risen from the dead,

O Lord, glory to Thee.

(Click here to hear the troparion sung; click here for sheet music)

The Resurrection Gospel of Matins

Fourth Orthros Gospel

The Gospel of Luke 24:1-12

On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered in to the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened.

THE EPISTLE

St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians 4:6-15

Brethren, it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we too believed, and so we speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into His presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

THE GOSPEL

The Gospel of Luke 7:11-16

At that time, Jesus went to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”

Commemorated this Sunday:

Holy, Glorious Apostle Thomas

(Icon from The Orthodox Pages by Father Christopher Klitou)

Troparion — Tone 2

You were a disciple of Christ,

and a member of the divine college of Apostles.

Having been weak in faith you doubted the Resurrection of Christ,

but by feeling the wounds you believed in His all-pure Passion:

pray now to Him, O all-praised Thomas, to grant us peace and great mercy.

Kontakion — Tone 4

Thomas, the faithful servant and disciple of Christ,filled with divine grace, cried out from the depth of his love:“You are my Lord and my God!”