Sunday November 8, 2026 / October 26, 2026
23rd Sunday after Pentecost. Tone six.
Holy and Glorious Great-martyr Demetrius the Myrrh-gusher of Thessalonica (306).
Commemoration of the Great Earthquake at Constantinople in 740 A.D.
Venerable Theophilus of the Kiev Caves, bishop of Novgorod (1482).
Martyr Luppos (306).
Venerable Athanasius of Medikion Monastery (814).
Venerable Demetrius of Basarbov in Bulgaria (1685).
Venerable Demetrius (14th c.).
St. Anthony, bishop of Vologda (1588).
St. Cedd, bishop of Lastingham (664) (Celtic & British).
St. Eata, bishop of Hexham and abbot of Lindisfarne (686) (Celtic & British).
Martyr Ioasaph, monk of Mt. Athos, disciple of St. Niphon of Constantinople (1536) (Greek).
St. Alexander Okropiridze, bishop of Guria and Mingrelia, Georgia (1907) (Georgia).
Martyrs Artemidorus and Basil (Greek).
Martyr Leptina (Greek).
Martyr Glycon (Greek).
The Scripture Readings
Matthew 28:16-20 (1st Matins Gospel)
16
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.
17
When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
18
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.
Ephesians 2:4-10
4
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5
even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6
and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7
that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Luke 16:19-31
19
There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
20
But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
21
desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22
So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23
And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24
Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’
25
But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
26
‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
27
Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house,
28
‘for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’
29
Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’
30
And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
31
But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’
2 Timothy 2:1-10 Epistle, St. Demetrius
1
You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2
And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
3
You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4
No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
5
And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
6
The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.
7
Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
8
Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,
9
for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.
10
Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
John 15:17-16:2 Gospel, St. Demetrius
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.
Hebrews 12:6-13; 25-27 Epistle, Earthquake
6
For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”
7
If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?
8
But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
9
Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
10
For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.
11
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
12
Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,
13
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
25
See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,
26
whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”
27
Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Matthew 8:23-27 Gospel, Earthquake
23
Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.
24
And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.
25
Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
26
But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27
So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”