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: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the
Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ.
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren,
as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of
every one of you all abounds toward each other,
so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches
of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and
tribulations that you endure,
which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment
of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you
also suffer;
since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with
tribulation those who trouble you,
and to give you who are troubled rest with us when
the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,
in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not
know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
These shall be punished with everlasting destruction
from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His
saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony
among you was believed.
Gospel Reading: Luke 17:20-25
Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God
would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come
with observation;
"nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed,
the kingdom of God is within you."
Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you
will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see
it.
"And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!' Do
not go after them or follow them.
"For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under
heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will
be in His day.
"But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this
generation.
Saints and Feasts
Obadiah the Prophet; Martyrs Barlaam of Caesarea and Heliodorus; Anthimos, Thallalaeos, Christopher, Euphemia & her children, the Martyrs
