Thursday August 13, 2026 / July 31, 2026
11th Week after Pentecost. Tone one.
Eve of the Dormition Fast.2Forefeast of the Procession of the Precious and Life-giving Cross of the Lord.
Righteous Eudocimus of Cappadocia (9th c.).
New Martyrs Benjamin, metropolitan of Petrograd, and those with him: Archimandrite Sergius and George and John f Petrograd (1922).
Martyr Maximus (1928).
New New Hieromartyr Vladimir priest (1937).
New Hieromartyr John priest, Martyr Constantine priest, Virgin-martyr Anna, and St. Elizabeth (after 1937).
New Hieromartyr Nicholas priest (1941).
New Hieromartyr Basil, bishop of Kineshma (1945)
Martyr Julitta at Caesarea (304).
St. Germanus, bishop of Auxerre (448) (Celtic & British).
Martyr Dionysius of Vatopedi, Mt. Athos (1822).
Righteous Joseph of Arimathea (1st c.).
Venerable Neot, hermit in Cornwall (877) (Celtic & British).
Twelve Martyrs of Rome (Greek).
Translation of the relics of Apostle Philip to Cyprus. (Greek).
Consecration of the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos of Blachernae (Greek).
St. John the Exarch of Bulgaria (900).
St. Arsenius the Bishop of Ninotsminda (1082) (Georgia).
The Scripture Readings
Matthew 10:16-22 Matins Gospel
16
Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
17
But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.
18
You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
19
But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;
20
for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
21
Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
22
And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
2 Corinthians 4:1-6
1
Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.
2
But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
3
But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4
whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
5
For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.
6
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 24:13-28
13
But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15
Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand),
16
then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17
Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.
18
And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.
19
But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
20
And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
21
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22
And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23
Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.
24
For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25
See, I have told you beforehand.
26
Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.
27
For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
28
For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
Friday Reading
2 Corinthians 4:13-18
13
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak,
14
knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.
15
For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
16
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18
while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Matthew 24:27-33, 42-51
27
For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
28
For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31
And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32
Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
33
So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near-at the doors!
42
Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
43
But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
44
Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
45
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?
46
Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.
47
Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.
48
But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’
49
and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,
50
the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,
51
and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Romans 8:28-39 Martyr Benjamin and those with him
28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
29
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
31
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33
Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36
As it is written:”For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39
nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Luke 21:12-19 Martyr Benjamin and those with him
12
But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake.
13
But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.
14
Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer;
15
for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.
16
You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.
17
And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.
18
But not a hair of your head shall be lost.
19
By your patience possess your souls.