KONTAKION

Th`/ uJpermavcw/ strathgw`/ tav nikhthvria, wJ~ lutrwqei`sa tw`n deinw`n eujcaristhvria, ajnagravfw soi hJ povli~ sou Qeotovke. JAll j wJ~ e[cousa tov kravto~ ajprosmavchton, ejk pantoivwn me kinduvnwn ejleuqevrwson, i{na kravzw soi: Cai`re, nuvmfh ajnuvmfeute.

KONTAKION

To you, Theotokos, invincible Defender, having been delivered from peril, I, your city, dedicate the victory festival as a thank offering. In your irresistible might, keep me safe from all trials, that I may call out to you: "Hail, unwedded bride!"

APOSTOLOS
( JEbraivou~ ST j 13<20)

jAdelfoiv, tw`/ jAbraavm ejpaggeilavmeno~ oJ Qeov~, ejpeiv kat j oujdenov~ ei\ce meivzono~ ojmovsai, w[mose kaqj j eJautou`, levgwn: ® \H mhvn eujlogw`n eujloghvsw se kaiv plhquvnwn plhqunw` se®: kaiv ou{tw makroqumhvsa~ ejpevtuce th`~ ejpaggeliva~. [Anqrwpoi mevn gavr katav tou` meivzono~ ojmnuvousi, kaiv pavsh~ aujtoi`~ ajntilogiva~ pevra~ eij~ bebaivwsin oJ o{rko~: ejn w/| perissovteron boulovmeno~ oJ Qeov~ ejpidei`xai toi`~ klhronovmoi~ th`~ ejpaggeliva~ tov ajmetavqeton th`~ boulh`~ aujtou`, ejmesivteusen o{rkw/, i{na diav duvo pragmavtwn ajmetaqevtwn, ejn oi|~ ajduvnaton yeuvsasqai Qeovn, ijscuravn paravklhsin e[cwmen oiJ katafugovnte~ krath`sai th`~ prokeimevnh~ ejlpivdo~: h{n wJ~ a[gkuran e[comen th`~ yuch`~ ajsfalh` te kaiv bebaivan kaiv eijsercomevnhn eij~ tov ejswvteron tou` katapetavsmato~, o{pou provdromo~ uJpevr hJmw`n eijsh`lqen jIhsou`~, katav thvn tavxin Melcisedevk ajrciereuv~ genovmeno~ eij~ tovn aijw`na.

Brethren, when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore to himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so that through two changeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

EUAGGELION
JEk tou` katav Mavrkon.
(Kef. Q j 17<31)

Tw`/ kairw`/ ejkeivnw/, a[nqrwpov~ ti~ prosh`lqe tw`/ jIhsou`, gonupetw`n aujtw`/, kaiv levgwn: Didavskale, h[negka tovn uiJovn mou prov~ sev, e[conta pneu`ma a]lalon: kaiv o{pou a[n aujtovn katalavbh/ rJhvssei aujtovn, kaiv ajfrivzei, kaiv trivzei touv~ ojdovnta~ aujtou`, kaiv xhraivnetai: kaiv ei\pon toi`~ Maqhtai`~ sou i{na aujtov ejkbavlwsi, kaiv oujk I[scusan. JO dev ajpokriqeiv~ aujtw`/ levgei: \W geneav a[pisto~, e{w~ povte prov~ uJma`~ e[somaiÉ e{w~ povte ajnevxomai uJmw`nÉ fevrete aujtovn prov~ me. Kaiv h[negkan aujtovn prov~ aujtovn. Kaiv ijdwvn aujtovn, eujqevw~ tov pneu`ma ejspavraxen aujtovn, kaiv peswvn ejpiv th`~ gh`~, ejkuliveto ajfrivzwn. Kaiv ejphrwvthse tovn patevra aujtou`: Povso~ crovno~ ejstivn wJ~ tou`to gevgonen aujtw`/É JO dev ei\pe: paidiovqen. Kaiv pollavki~ aujtovn kaiv eij~ pu`r e[bale kaiv eij~ u{data, i{na ajpolevsh/ aujtovn: ajll j ei[ ti duvnasai, bohvqhson hJmi`n splagcnisqeiv~ ejf j hJma`~. JO dev jIhsou`~ ei\pen aujtw`/ tov, Eij duvnasai pisteu`sai, pavnta dunatav tw`/ pisteuvonti. Kaiv eujqevw~ kravxa~ oJ pathvr tou` paidivou, metav dakruvwn e[lege: Pisteuvw, Kuvrie: bohvqei mou th`/ ajpistiva/. JIdwvn dev oJ jIhsou`~, o{ti ejpisuntrevcei oJ o[clo~, ejpetivmhse tw`/ pneuvmati, tw`/ ajkaqavrtw/, levgwn aujtw`/: Tov pneu`ma tov a[lalon kaiv kwfovn, ejgwv soi ejpitavssw: e[xelqe ejx aujtou`, kaiv mhkevti eijsevlqh/~ eij~ aujtovn. Kaiv kravxan, kaiv pollav sparavxan aujtovn, ejxh`lqe, kaiv ejgevneto wJseiv nekrov~, w{ste pollouv~ levgein o{ti ajpevqanen. JO dev jIhsou`~ krathvsa~ aujtovn th`~ ceirov~, h[geiren aujtovn, kaiv ajnevsth. Kaiv eijselqovnta aujtovn eij~ oi\kon, oiJ Maqhtaiv aujtou` ejphrwvtwn aujtovn kat j ijdivan: o{ti hJmei`~ oujk hjdunhvqhmen ejkbalei`n aujtov. Kaiv ei\pen aujtoi`~: Tou`to tov gevno~ ejn oujdeniv duvnatai ejxelqei`n, eijmhv ejn proseuch`/ kaiv nhsteiva/. Kaiv ejkei`qen ejxelqovnte~, pareporeuvonto diav th`~ Galilaiva~, kaiv oujk h[qelen i{na ti~ gnw`/. JEdivdaske gavr touv~ Maqhtav~ aujtou`, kaiv e]legen aujtoi`~: {Oti oJ UiJov~ tou` ajnqrwvpou paradivdotai eij~ cei`ra~ ajnqrwvpwn, kaiv ajpoktenou`si aujtovn, kaiv ajpoktanqeiv~, th`/ trivth/ hJmevra/ ajnasthvsetai.

At that time, a man came to Jesus and kneeling said to him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he said, "From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us." And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, " I believe, Lord; help my unbelief!" And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again." And after crying out and convulsing him it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting." They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise."