Prayer Before Reading Holy Scripture
O Master Who loves mankind, illuminate our hearts with the pure light of Your divine knowledge and open the eyes of our mind to understand the teachings of Your Gospel. Instill in us also the fear of Your blessed commandments, that we may overcome all carnal desires, entering upon a spiritual life and understanding and acting in all things according to Your holy will. For You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, O Christ God, and to You we give glory together with Your eternal Father and Your all-holy, gracious and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.
Epistle Reading: Romans 8:14-21
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons
of God.
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are
children of God,
and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs
with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified
together.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are
not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for
the revealing of the sons of God.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly,
but because of Him who subjected it in hope;
because the creation itself also will be delivered from the
bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 9:9-13
Then as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named
And so it was, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that
behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His
disciples.
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "
Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
But when Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are
well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
"But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not
sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to
repentance."
Saints and Feasts
3rd Sunday of Matthew; Finding of the Relics of Cyrus and John the Unmercenaries; Pappias the Martyr; Righteous Fathers Sergius and Herman, Founders of Valaam Monastery; Synaxis of the Icon of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos ; Paul the Physician of Corinth; Sergios the Magister
