Readings for Tue, February 25th

Matins

Prophecies

Isaiah 1:19-end ; Isaiah 2:1-3

If you are willing and obedient,
        You shall eat the good of the land;
        But if you refuse and rebel,
        You shall be devoured by the sword";
        For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

How the faithful city has become a harlot!
        It was full of justice;
        Righteousness lodged in it,
        But now murderers.
        Your silver has become dross,
        Your wine mixed with water.
        Your princes are rebellious,
        And companions of thieves;
        Everyone loves bribes,
        And follows after rewards.
        They do not defend the fatherless,
        Nor does the cause of the widow come before them.
        Therefore the Lord says,
        The LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel,
        "Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries,
        And take vengeance on My enemies.
        I will turn My hand against you,
        And thoroughly purge away your dross,
        And take away all your alloy.
        I will restore your judges as at the first,
        And your counselors as at the beginning.
        Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city."
        Zion shall be redeemed with justice,
        And her penitents with righteousness.
        The destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together,
        And those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
        For they shall be ashamed of the terebinth trees
        Which you have desired;
        And you shall be embarrassed because of the gardens
        Which you have chosen.
        For you shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fades,
        And as a garden that has no water.
        The strong shall be as tinder,
        And the work of it as a spark;
        Both will burn together,
        And no one shall quench them. The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
        Now it shall come to pass in the latter days
        That the mountain of the LORD's house
        Shall be established on the top of the mountains,
        And shall be exalted above the hills;
        And all nations shall flow to it.
        Many people shall come and say,
        "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
        To the house of the God of Jacob;
        He will teach us His ways,
        And we shall walk in His paths."
       

Zechariah 8:7 - 13

"Thus says the LORD of hosts:
        "Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east
        And from the land of the west;
        I will bring them back,
        And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
        They shall be My people
        And I will be their God,
        In truth and righteousness.'

"Thus says the LORD of hosts:
        "Let your hands be strong,
        You who have been hearing in these days
        These words by the mouth of the prophets,
        Who spoke in the day the foundation was laid
        For the house of the LORD of hosts,
        That the temple might be built.
        For before these days
        There were no wages for man nor any hire for beast;
        There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in;
        For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.

But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,' says the LORD of hosts.
        "For the seed shall be prosperous,
        The vine shall give its fruit,
        The ground shall give her increase,
        And the heavens shall give their dew--
        I will cause the remnant of this people
        To possess all these.
        And it shall come to pass
        That just as you were a curse among the nations,
        O house of Judah and house of Israel,
        So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing.
        Do not fear,
        Let your hands be strong.'

Psalm

From the psalms of our teacher David the prophet, may his blessings be with us Amen.

Psalm 22:1 & Psalm 22:3

The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.

Gospel

Matthew 9:10-15

Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?"

And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

Liturgy

Pauline Epistle

From the epistle of teacher St. Paul the apostle to the (...), may his blessings be with us Amen.

Romans 9:14-29

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?" But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

As He says also in Hosea:
        "I will call them My people, who were not My people,
        And her beloved, who was not beloved."
        "And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them,
        "You are not My people,'
        There they shall be called sons of the living God."

Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel:
        "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea,
        The remnant will be saved.
        For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness,
        Because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth."

And as Isaiah said before:
        "Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed,
        We would have become like Sodom,
        And we would have been made like Gomorrah."

The grace of God the Father be with you all. Amen.

Catholic Epistle

The catholic epistle from the epistle of our teacher St. (...), may his blessings be with us Amen. My beloved.

1Peter 4:3-11

For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles--when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The Acts of our fathers the Apostles, may their holy blessings be with us all. Amen.

Acts 5:34-42

Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. And he said to them: "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it--lest you even be found to fight against God."

And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Psalm

From the psalms of our teacher David the prophet, may his blessings be with us Amen.

Psalm 25:16-17

Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
        For I am desolate and afflicted.
        The troubles of my heart have enlarged;
        Bring me out of my distresses!

Gospel

Luke 12:41-50

Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?"

And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, "My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

"I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!