Thursday August 7, 2025 / July 25, 2025
9th Week after Pentecost. Tone seven.
The Dormition of the Righteous Anna, mother of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Holy Women Olympias (Olympiada) the Deaconess of Constantinople (409), and the Virgin Eupraxia of Tabenna (413).
Venerable Macarius, abbot of Zheltovod and Unzha (1444).
New Hieromartyr Nicholas priest (1918).
New Hieromartyr Alexander priest (1927).
St. Gregory (Kallidis), metropolitan of Thessalonica and Heraclea (1925).
New Hieromartyrs Vukosav Milanovic and Rodoljub Samardzic of Kulen Bakufa, Serbia (1941-1945).
New Hieromartyr Theodore Tonkovid, priest of Lovets (Pskov) (1942).
St. Iraida confessor (1967).
Commemoration of the Holy 165 Fathers of the Fifth Ecumenical Council (553).
Martyrs Sanctus, Maturus, Attalus, Blandina, Vivlia, Vetius, Epagathus, Ponticus, Alexander and others at Lyons (177) (Gaul).
Venerable Christopher, abbot of Solvychegodsk (Vologda) (1572).
New Hieromartyrs Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, Nicholas (Johnson) and Peter (Remes).
The Scripture Readings
6
But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?
7
Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played?
8
For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?
9
So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.
10
There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance.
11
Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me.
12
Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.
13
Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
14
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.
15
What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
16
Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?
17
For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.
18
I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all;
19
yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
17
Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them,
18
Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death,
19
and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.
20
Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.
21
And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”
22
But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.”
23
So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”
24
And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.
25
But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.
26
Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.
27
And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-
28
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Galatians 4:22-31 Righteous Anna
22
For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.
23
But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,
24
which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar-
25
or this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children-
26
but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27
For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.”
28
Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
29
But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.
30
Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”
31
So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.
Luke 8:16-21 Righteous Anna
16
No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.
17
For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.
18
Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.
19
Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.
20
And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.”
21
But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”