First Sunday After Pentecost – The Sunday of All Saints

The Epistle for the Sunday of All Saints is Hebrews 11:33-12:2 (WEB):

³³who, through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,* ³⁴quenched the power of fire,* escaped the edge of the sword,* from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee. ³⁵Women received their dead by resurrection.* Others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. ³⁶Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment. ³⁷They were stoned.* They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword.* They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated ³⁸(of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and the holes of the earth. ³⁹These all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn't receive the promise, ⁴⁰God having provided some better thing concerning us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

¹Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, ²looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 11:33 (WEB)

³³who, through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,*

Daniel 6:20-23 (WEB)

²⁰When he came near to the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice; the king spoke and said to Daniel, Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions? ²¹Then said Daniel to the king, O king, live forever. ²²My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me; because as before him innocence was found in me; and also before you, O king, have I done no hurt. ²³Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Hebrews 11:34 (WEB)

³⁴quenched the power of fire,* escaped the edge of the sword,* from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee.

Daniel 3:19-28 (WEB)

¹⁹Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. ²⁰He commanded certain mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. ²¹Then these men were bound in their pants, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. ²²Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. ²³These three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. ²⁴Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste: he spoke and said to his counselors, Didn't we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered the king, True, O king. ²⁵He answered, Look, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the aspect of the fourth is like a son of the gods. ²⁶Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace: he spoke and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came forth out of the midst of the fire. ²⁷The satraps, the deputies, and the governors, and the king's counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power on their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed, neither were their pants changed, nor had the smell of fire passed on them. ²⁸Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel, and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

Hebrews 11:35 (WEB)

³⁵Women received their dead by resurrection.* Others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

1 Kings 17:22-24 (WEB)

²²Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. ²³Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, Behold, your son lives. ²⁴The woman said to Elijah, Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of Yahweh in your mouth is truth.

2 Kings 4:27-37 (WEB)

²⁷When she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. Gehazi came near to thrust her away; but the man of God said, Let her alone: for her soul is troubled within her; and Yahweh has hid it from me, and has not told me. ²⁸Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? Didn't I say, Do not deceive me? ²⁹Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up your waist, and take my staff in your hand, and go your way: if you meet any man, Don't greet him; and if anyone greets you, don't answer him again: and lay my staff on the face of the child. ³⁰The mother of the child said, As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. He arose, and followed her. ³¹Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Therefore he returned to meet him, and told him, saying, The child has not awakened. ³²When Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid on his bed. ³³He went in therefore, and shut the door on them both, and prayed to Yahweh. ³⁴He went up, and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands: and he stretched himself on him; and the flesh of the child grew warm. ³⁵Then he returned, and walked in the house once back and forth; and went up, and stretched himself on him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. ³⁶He called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. When she was come in to him, he said, Take up your son. ³⁷Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground; and she took up her son, and went out.

Hebrews 11:36-37 (WEB)

³⁶Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment.  ³⁷They were stoned.* They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword.* They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated

1 Kings 21:13-15 (WEB)

¹³The two men, the base fellows, came in and sat before him: and the base fellows bore witness against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did curse God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him to death with stones. ¹⁴Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. ¹⁵It happened, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.

Hebrews 11:38-40 (WEB)

³⁸(of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and the holes of the earth.  ³⁹These all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn't receive the promise, ⁴⁰God having provided some better thing concerning us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (WEB)

¹Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, ²looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Pentecost

The Gospel for Pentecost is John 7:37-52, 8:12:

 (Jn 7:37-52) ³⁷Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! ³⁸He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water." ³⁹But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn't yet glorified.

⁴⁰Many of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, said, "This is truly the prophet." ⁴¹Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "What, does the Christ come out of Galilee? ⁴²Hasn't the Scripture said that the Christ comes of the seed of David,* and from Bethlehem,* the village where David was?" ⁴³So there arose a division in the multitude because of him. ⁴⁴Some of them would have arrested him, but no one laid hands on him. ⁴⁵The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why didn't you bring him?"

⁴⁶The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this man!"

⁴⁷The Pharisees therefore answered them, "You aren't also led astray, are you? ⁴⁸Have any of the rulers believed in him, or of the Pharisees? ⁴⁹But this multitude that doesn't know the law is accursed."

⁵⁰Nicodemus (he who came to him by night, being one of them) said to them, ⁵¹"Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?"

⁵²They answered him, "Are you also from Galilee? Search, and see that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.*"

…

(Jn 8:12) ¹²Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world.* He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life."

Notes:

John 7:37-38:

(Ps 62(63):1-8) ¹God, you are my God.

I will earnestly seek you.

My soul thirsts for you.

My flesh longs for you,

in a dry and weary land, where there is no water.

²So I have seen you in the sanctuary,

watching your power and your glory.

³Because your loving kindness is better than life,

my lips shall praise you.

⁴So I will bless you while I live.

I will lift up my hands in your name.

⁵My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food.

My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,

⁶when I remember you on my bed,

and think about you in the night watches.

⁷For you have been my help.

I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.

⁸My soul stays close to you.

Your right hand holds me up.

John 7:40:

(Dt 18:15-19) ¹⁵Yahweh your God will raise up to you a prophet from the midst of you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him. ¹⁶This is according to all that you desired of Yahweh your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Yahweh my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I not die. ¹⁷Yahweh said to me, They have well said that which they have spoken. ¹⁸I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. ¹⁹It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

John 7:41-43:

(Mi 5:2) ²But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

being small among the clans of Judah,

out of you one will come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel;

whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.

John 8:12:

(Jn 1:4-9) ⁴In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn't overcome it. ⁶There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light. ⁹The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.

(1Jn 1:5) ⁵This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

(Mt 5:14) ¹⁴You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can't be hidden.

(Phl 2:15) ¹⁵that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,

(Jn 9:1-7) ¹As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. ²His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

³Jesus answered, "Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him. ⁴I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." ⁶When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man's eyes with the mud, ⁷and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means "Sent"). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing.

Seventh Sunday of Pascha – Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council

The Epistle for the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council is Acts 20:16-18, 28-36:

¹⁶For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

¹⁷From Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to himself the elders of the assembly. ¹⁸When they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you all the time,

…

²⁸Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood. ²⁹For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn't cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears. ³²Now, brothers, I entrust you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build up, and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³I coveted no one's silver, or gold, or clothing. ³⁴You yourselves know that these hands served my necessities, and those who were with me. ³⁵In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "

³⁶When he had spoken these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

Notes:

Acts 20:28:

(Jn 21:15-17) ¹⁵So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?"

He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you."

He said to him, "Feed my lambs." ¹⁶He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?"

He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you."

He said to him, "Tend my sheep." ¹⁷He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?"

Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, "Do you have affection for me?" He said to him, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you."

Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.

Acts 20:29-30:

(Mt 7:15) ¹⁵"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.

Sixth Sunday of Pascha – Sunday of the Blind Man

The Epistle for the Sunday of the Blind Man is Acts 16:16-34:

¹⁶It happened, as we were going to prayer, that a certain girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. ¹⁷Following Paul and us, she cried out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation!" ¹⁸She was doing this for many days.

But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" It came out that very hour. ¹⁹But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. ²⁰When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men, being Jews, are agitating our city, ²¹and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."

²²The multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore their clothes off of them, and commanded them to be beaten with rods. ²³When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely, ²⁴who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks.

²⁵But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were loosened. ²⁷The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, "Don't harm yourself, for we are all here!"

²⁹He called for lights and sprang in, and, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas, ³⁰and brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

³¹They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." ³²They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house.

³³He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household. ³⁴He brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God.