Thursday July 17, 2025 / July 4, 2025
6th Week after Pentecost. Tone four.
Holy Royal Martyrs of Russia: Tsar Nicholas II, Tsarit-sa Alexandra, Crown Prince Alexis, and Grand-duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia, and those martyred with them (1918).
St. Andrew, archbishop of Crete (712-726).
Venerable Martha, mother of St. Symeon Stylites the Younger (551).
Venerable Andrew (Rublev), iconographer (1430).
New Hieromartyr Hieromonk Nilus of Poltava (1918).
New Hieromartyr Demetrius priest (1942).
New Hieromartyrs Sava (Trlajic), Bishop of Gornji Karlovac and George of Serbia (1941).
Burial of St. Andrew, prince of Bogoliubsk (1174).
Uncovering of the relics (1507) of Venerable Euthymius the Wonderworker, archimandrite f Suzdal (1404).
Martyrs Theodotus and Theodota at Caesarea in Cappadocia (108).
Hieromartyr Theodore, bishop of Cyrene in Libya, and with him Martyrs Cyprilla, Aroa, and Lucia (310).
Icon of the Mother of Godof “Galatea”.
Venerables Tikhon, Basil and Nikon Monks of Solovki.
St. Andrew the Russian of Cairo (1174).
St. Donatus of Libya, bishop (Greek).
St. Asclepias the Wonderworker (Greek).
Hieromartyr Theophilus (Greek).
St. Menignus, monk (Greek).
Hieromartyr Theodotus (Greek).
Hieromartyrs Innocent and Sabbatius and 30 others with them in Sirmium of Pannonia (304).
Translation of the relics of St. Martin the Merciful, bishop of Tours (397).
St. Urlich of Augsburg and Bavaria (973).
The Scripture Readings
Matthew 10:16-22 Matins Gospel (St. Andrew, archbishop of Crete)
16
Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
17
But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.
18
You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
19
But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;
20
for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
21
Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
22
And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
8
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.
19
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”;
20
and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”
21
Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours:
22
whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come-all are yours.
23
And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
29
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
31
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33
Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36
As it is written:”For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39
nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:28-39 Royal Martyrs
28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
29
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
31
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33
Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36
As it is written:”For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39
nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 15:17-16:2 Royal Martyrs
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 8:3-6 St. Andrew, archbishop of Crete
3
For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer.
4
For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;
5
who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
6
But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
Matthew 7:12-21 St. Andrew, archbishop of Crete
12
Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
13
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
15
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16
You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17
Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20
Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.