Plant Kindness
“A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.”
Saint Basil the Great
#love #kindness #friendship
Friday May 16, 2025 / May 3, 2025
Fourth Week of Pascha. Tone three.
Fast. Fish Allowed
Martyrs Timothy the Reader and his wife Maura of Antinoe in Egypt (286).
Venerable Theodosius, abbot of the Kiev Caves Monastery and founder of cenobitic monasticism in Russia (1074).
Venerable Peter the Wonderworker, bishop of Argos (10th c.).
New Hieromartyr Nicholas priest (1941).
Venerables Juliana (1393) and Eupraxia (1394) of Moscow.
St. Theophanes of Vatopedi, metropolitan of Peritheorion (14th c.).
Translation of the Dormition Icon of the Mother of God from Constantinople to the Kiev-Pechersk Far Caves (1073).
Pechersk Not-Wrought-by-Hand (1085), “Pechersk” (with Sts. Anthony and Theodosius) (1085), “Sven-Caves” (1288), “Yaskinsky” and Vlakhernsky” Icons of the Mother of God
St. Ansfried, bishop of Utrecht (1010).
Venerable Ecumenius the Wonderworker, bishop of Tricca (Greek).
Translation of the relics of Venerable Luke of Mt. Stirion (Greek).
New Martyr Ahmet the Calligrapher of Constantinople (Greek).
New Martyr Mary of Crete. (Greek).
St. Mamai, Catholicos of Georgia (744) (Georgia).
Venerable Fathers Michael and Arsenius the Georgians (9th c.) (Georgia).
Martyr Paul of Vilnius, Lithuania (17th c.).
Great-martyr Xenia the Wonderworker of Peloponnesus.
St. Glywys of Corwall.
The Scripture Readings
Luke 6:17-23 Matins Gospel17
And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,
18
as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.
19
And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.
20
Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God.
21
Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh.
22
Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake.
23
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
44
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
45
And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
46
For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,
47
Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?
48
And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
1
Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
2
And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him,
3
saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”
4
But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying:
5
I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me.
6
When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
7
And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’
8
But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’
9
But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’
10
Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.
21
Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”
22
So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?”
23
And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
24
Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.
25
Then they said to Him, “Who are You?” And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.
26
I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.
27
They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.
28
Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.
29
And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.
30
As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
Hebrews 13:7-16 Venerable
7
Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.
8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
9
Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
10
We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
11
For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp.
12
Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
13
Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
14
For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.
15
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
16
But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Matthew 11:27-30 Venerable
27
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
28
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.