Sunday December 28, 2025 / December 15, 2025
29th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone four.
Nativity (St. Philip’s Fast). Fish Allowed
Week of Holy Forefathers
Hieromartyr Eleutherius, bishop of Illyria, and his mother, Martyr Anthia and Martyr Corivus the Eparch (126).
Venerable Paul of Mt. Latros (956).
St. Stephen the Confessor, archbishop of Surozh in the Crimea (790).
Synaxis of All Saints of Crimea.
New Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky), bishop of Verey (1929).
New Hieromartyrs Alexander, Basil, Victorinus priests (1937).
New Hieromartyrs Joseph, metropolitan of Petrograd (1938).
Venerable Tryphon, of Pechenga or Kola (1583), and his martyred disciple Venerable Jonah.
Martyr Eleutherius at Constantinople (4th c.).
Venerable Pardus, hermit of Palestine (6th c.).
Monk-martyr Bacchus of Mar Saba (8th c.).
Martyr Susanna the Deaconess of Palestine (4th c.).
Venerable Nektarius of Bitel’sk (1500).
St. Aubertus, bishop (668) (Neth.).
The Scripture Readings
John 20:1-10 (7th Matins Gospel)
1
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
2
Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
3
Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb.
4
So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first.
5
And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in.
6
Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there,
7
and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.
8
Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.
9
For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
10
Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
Colossians 3:4-11 Epistle (29th Sunday)
4
When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
5
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6
Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
7
in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
8
But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
9
Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
10
and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
11
where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Luke 14:16-24 Gospel (28th Sunday)
16
Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,
17
and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’
18
But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’
19
And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’
20
Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
21
So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’
22
And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’
23
Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24
‘For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ “