Sunday March 29, 2026 / March 16, 2026
Fifth Sunday of the Great Lent. Tone one.
Great Lent. Food with Oil
Venerable Mary of Egypt (movable holiday on the 5th Sunday of the Great Lent).
Martyr Sabinas of Hermopolis, Egypt (303).
Martyr Papas of Lycaonia (305).
St. Serapion, archbishop of Novgorod (1516).
Apostle Aristobulus of the Seventy, bishop of Britain (1st c.).
Hieromartyr Alexander, pope of Rome (119).
Martyr Julian of Anazarbus (305).
Martyrs Trophimus and Thalus of Laodicea (300).
Venerable Christodulus, wonderworker of Patmos (1093).
Martyr Romanus at Parium on the Hellespont.
10 Martyrs in Phoenicia (Greek).
St. Pimen, Fool-for-Christ and Enlightener of Dagestan, and his companion Anton Meskhi, the Censurer of Kings (13th c.) (Georgia).
St. Ambrosi (Khelaia) the Confessor, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia (1927) (Georgia).
New Martyr Malachi of Rhodes, who suffered at Jerusalem (1500).
St. Abban of Kilabban (650) (Celtic & British).
The Scripture Readings
John 20:19-31 (9th Matins Gospel)
19
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
20
When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
22
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
23
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.
24
Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
25
The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26
And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”
27
Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
28
And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
29
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;
31
but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
Hebrews 9:11-14
11
But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
12
Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
13
For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,
14
how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Galatians 3:23-29 (Venerable Mary)
23
But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.
24
Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25
But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
26
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Mark 10:32-45
32
Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:
33
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 and deliver Him to the Gentiles;
34
and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.
35
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”
36
And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
37
They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”
38
But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
39
They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;
40
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.
41
And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.
42
But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
43
Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
44
And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.
45
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Luke 7:36-50 (Venerable Mary)
36
Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat.
37
And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,
38
and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.
39
Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
40
And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
41
There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42
And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?
43
Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.”
44
Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.
45
You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.
46
You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.
47
Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.
48
Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49
And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50
Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”