Thursday October 16, 2025 / October 3, 2025
19th Week after Pentecost. Tone one.
Hieromartyr Dionysius (Dennys) the Areopagite, and with him Martyrs Rusticus and Eleutherius (96).
New Hiero-confessor Agathangelus (Preobrazhensky), metropolitan of Yaroslavl (1928).
Finding of the relics (1988) of Venerable Ambrose of Optina (1911).
St. Jerome of Aegina (1966).
Venerable Dionysius, recluse of the Kiev Caves (15th c.).
Venerable John the Chozebite, bishop of Caesarea in Palestine (532).
Blessed Hesychius the Silent of Mt. Horeb (6thc.).
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Trubchevsk” (1765).
Hieromartyr Dionysius, archbishop of Alexandria and eight martyrs with him (257-8).
St. Leger of Autun (679) (Gaul).
Hieromartyrs Hewald the White and Hewald the Black, at Cologne.
Martyr Theoctistus (Greek).
Martyr Theagenes (Greek).
The Scripture Readings
20
according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
21
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22
But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
23
For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
24
Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.
25
And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,
26
that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.
27
Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,
17
And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.
18
Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.
19
And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
20
When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ ”
21
And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.
22
Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.
23
And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.
24
When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
25
But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts.
26
But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
27
This is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’
28
For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
29
And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.
30
But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.
Acts 17:16-34 Hieromartyr
16
Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.
17
Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.
18
Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.
19
And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak?
20
For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.
21
For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
22
Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;
23
for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:
24
God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.
25
Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
26
And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
27
so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28
for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
Matthew 13:44-54 Hieromartyr
44
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
46
who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,
48
which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.
49
So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,
50
and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
51
Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
52
Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”
53
Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.
54
When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?