True Prayer
“True prayer is undistracted, prolonged, performed with a contrite heart and alert intellect. The vehicle of prayer is everywhere humility, and prayer is a manifestation of humility. For being conscious of our own weakness, we invoke the power of God.”
Saint Nectarios of Aegina
Sunday March 30, 2025 / March 17, 2025
Fourth Sunday of the Great Lent. Tone seven.
Great Lent. Food with Oil
Venerable John Lestvichnik (movable holiday on the 4th Sunday of the Great Lent).
Venerable Alexis the Man of God, in Rome (411).
Venerable Macarius, abbot of Kalyazin (1483).
New Hieromartyr Alexander priest (1919).
New Hieromartyr Victor priest (1942).
Venerable Parthenius of Kiev (1855).
Martyr Marinus, soldier, at Caesarea in Palestine (260).
Venerable Patrick, enlightener of Ireland (451) (Celtic & British).
Monk-martyr Paul of Crete (767).
St. Withburga, solitary at Holkham and East Dereham (ca. 743) (Celtic & British).
St. Ambrose, deacon of Alexandria (400).
St. Gertrude, abbess of Nivelles (659) (Belgium).
St. Theosterictus the Confessor, abbot of Pelecete Monastery near Prusa (826).
Venerable Hieromartyr Gabriel the Lesser of Garesja (1802) (Georgia).
St. Beccan of Rhum (677) (Celtic & British).
The Scripture Readings
John 20:1-10 (7th Matins Gospel)
1
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
2
Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
3
Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb.
4
So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first.
5
And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in.
6
Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there,
7
and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.
8
Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.
9
For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
10
Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
13
For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,
14
saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”
15
And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
16
For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute.
17
Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath,
18
that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
19
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,
20
where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
17
Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.
18
And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.
19
He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”
20
Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
21
So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.
22
And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.
23
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
24
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
25
When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”
26
Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.”
27
But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
28
And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
29
So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
30
Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.
31
For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.”
Ephesians 5:9-19 (Venerable John Lestvichnik)
9
(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10
finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
12
For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13
But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
14
Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”
15
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16
redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17
Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
Matthew 4:25-5:12 (Venerable John Lestvichnik)
25
Great multitudes followed Him-from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
1
And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.
2
Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3
Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4
Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
5
Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
7
Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
8
Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
9
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
10
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.