Sunday December 15, 2024 / December 2, 2024
25th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone eight.
Nativity (St. Philip’s Fast). Fish Allowed
Prophet Habakkuk (Abbacum) (7th c. B.C.).
New Hieromartyr John priest (1919).
New Hieromartyr Mathew priest (1921).
New Hieromartyr Demetrius priest and Venerable Vera confessor (1932).
New Hieromartyrs Alexis, Constantine, Nicholas, Sergius, Vladimir, John, Theodore, Nicholas, John, Nicholas, Paul, Sergius priests, Hieromartyr Danact, Cosmas,, Woman Hieromartyrs Theuromia, Tamara, Antonina, and Nymphodora; and Virgin-martyrs Mary and Matrona (1937).
Virgin-martyr Mary (1938).
Martyr Boris (1942).
Venerable Athanasius “the Resurrected,” recluse of the Kiev Caves, whose relics are in the Near Caves (1176).
Venerable Athanasius, recluse of the Kiev Caves whose relics are in the Far Caves (13th c.).
Martyr Myrope of Chios (251).
Venerables John, Heraclemon, Andrew, and Theophilus of Egypt (4th c.).
Venerable Jesse (Ise), bishop of Tsilkani in Georgia (6th c.) (Georgia).
St. Stephen-Urosh IV, king (1371), and St. Helen of Serbia.
Icon of the Mother of God, named “Gerontissa”.
St. Solomon, archbishop of Ephesus.
Venerable Cyril of Philea (1110).
Venerable Ioannicius, monk of Devich (1430) (Greek).
St. Abibus the New (Greek).
The Scripture Readings
Mark 16:9-20 (3rd Matins Gospel)
9
Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.
10
She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.
11
And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
12
After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.
13
And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.
14
Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
15
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18
they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.
19
So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
20
And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
1
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2
with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3
endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6
one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
18
Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
19
So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
20
You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’
21
And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”
22
So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
23
But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
24
And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!
25
For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
26
And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”
27
But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”