Sunday October 26, 2025 / October 13, 2025
20th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone three.
Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787).
Translation into Moscow of the Iveron Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (1648).
Martyrs Carpus, bishop at Thyateira, Papylus the deacon, Agathadorus, and Agathonica at Pergamus (251).
New Hieromartyrs Innocent and Nicholas priests (1937).
Returning of the relics Venerable and God-bearing Father Sabbas the Sanctified (439-532) to the monastery of Massaba in Jordan on October 24, 1965.
Uncovering of the relics of Hieromartyr Thaddeus, archbishop of Tver (1993).
Venerable Benjamin of the Kiev Caves (14th c.).
Martyr Florentius of Thessalonica (1st-2nd c.).
Martyr Benjamin, deacon, of Persia (ca. 424).
Venerable Nicetas the Confessor of Paphlagonia (838).
St. Meletius, archbishop of Alexandria (1601).
Great Martyr Zlata (Chryse) of Meglin, Bulgaria and Serbia (1795) (Bulgaria and Serbia).
Kazan “Of the Seven Lakes” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (17th c.).
St. Vanantius of Tours (400) (Gaul).
St. Anthony Metropolitan of Chkondidi and his disciple Hieromonk Jacob the Elder (18th-19th c.) (Georgia).
St. Cogman, abbot of Lochalsh.
The Scripture Readings
John 20:19-31 (9th Matins Gospel)
19
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
20
When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
22
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
23
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.
24
Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
25
The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26
And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”
27
Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
28
And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
29
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;
31
but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
11
But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12
For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
13
For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.
14
And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15
But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace,
16
to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,
17
nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
18
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.
19
But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.
5
A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.
6
Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.
7
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.
8
But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold. When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
9
Then His disciples asked Him, saying, “What does this parable mean?”
10
And He said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘Seeing they may not see, And hearing they may not understand.’
11
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12
Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13
But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.
14
Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
15
But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
Philippians 2:5-11 Theotokos
5
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6
who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7
but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28 Theotokos
38
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.
39
And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.
40
But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
41
And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
42
But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.
27
And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”
28
But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Hebrews 13:7-16 Fathers
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.
John 17:1-13 Fathers
1
Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,
2
as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
3
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
4
I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.
5
And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
6
I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
7
Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You.
8
For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.
9
I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.
10
And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.
11
Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
12
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
13
But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.