Saturday September 20, 2025 / September 7, 2025
15th Week after Pentecost. Tone five.
Saturday before the Universal Elevation of the Precious and Life-Creating Cross of the Lord
Forefeast of the Nativity of the Theotokos.
Martyr Sozon of Cilicia (304).
St. John, archbishop and wonderworker of Novgorod (1186).
Martyrdom of St. Macarius, archimandrite of Kanev (1678).
Venerable Macarius of Optina (1860).
New Hieromartyrs Peter and Michael priests, Alexander deacon (1918).
New Hieromartyr Priest John Maslovsky of Verkhne-Poltavka, Amur (1921).
New Hieromartyrs Eugene metropolitan of Gorky, Stephan priest and Hieromartyrs Eugene, Nicholas and Pakhomius, New Hieromartyrs Gregory, Basil priests, Hieromartyr Leo (1937).
Venerables Alexander Peresvet and Andrew Osliaby (1380).
Venerable Serapion of Spaso-Eleazar Monastery in Pskov (1480).
Apostles Evodus (Euodias) (66) and Onesiphorus (67) of the Seventy.
Martyr Eupsychius of Caesarea in Cappadocia (2nd c.).
Venerable Luke and St. Peter the Cappadocian, abbots of the monastery of the Deep Stream (10th c.).
St. Cassia (Cassiane) the Hymnographer (9th c.).
Venerable Cloud (Clodoald), abbot-founder of Nogent-sur-Seine near Paris (560) (Gaul).
The Scripture Readings
17
For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.
18
Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.
19
But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.
20
For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.
21
What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
1
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles-that a man has his father’s wife!
2
And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3
For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed.
4
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5
deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1
Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.
2
And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
3
Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.
5
For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
6
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
8
All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9
Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
10
And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
11
Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
12
And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
13
But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
Ephesians 6:10-17 Martyr
10
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
John 15:17-16:2 Martyr
17
These things I command you, that you love one another.
18
If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19
If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20
Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21
But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
22
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
23
He who hates Me hates My Father also.
24
If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.
25
But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’
26
But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
27
And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
1
These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.
2
They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
1 Corinthians 2:6-9 Epistle, Saturday Before
6
However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
8
which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9
But as it is written: “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him,”
Matthew 10:37-11:1 Gospel, Saturday Before
37
He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
38
And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
39
He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
40
He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.
41
He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
42
And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.
1
Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.