KONTAKION

Your birth sanctified a Virgin’s womb and fittingly blessed the hands of Symeon. You have now come and saved us O Christ, our God. In troubled times, as the only loving One, give peace to Your commonwealth and strength to those in civil authority, whom You love.

APOSTOLOS
Tou` JAgivou Eujqumivou
(B Korinqivou~ d j 6<15)

jAdelfoiv, oJ Qeov~ oJ eijpwvn ejk skovtou~ fw`~ lavmyai, o{~ e[lamyen ejn tai`~ kardivai~ hJmw`n prov~ fwtismovn th`~ gnwvsew~ th`~ dovxh~ tou` Qeou` ejn proswvpw/ jIhsou` Cristou`. [Ecomen dev tovn qhsaurovn tou`ton ejn ojstrakivnoi~ skeuvesin, i{na hJ uJperbolhv th`~ dunavmew~ h\/ tou` Qeou` kaiv mhv ejx hJmw`n, ejn pantiv qlibovmenoi ajll j ouj stenocwrouvmenoi, ajporouvmenoi ajll j oujk ejxaporouvmenoi, diwkovmenoi ajll j oujk ejgkataleipovmenoi, kataballovmenoi ajll j oujk ajpolluvmenoi, pavntote thvn nevkrwsin tou` Kurivou jIhsou` ejn tw`/ swvmati perifevronte~, i{na kaiv hJ zwhv tou` jIhsou` ejn tw`/ swvmati hJmw`n fanerwqh`/. JAeiv gavr hJmei`~ oiJ zw`nte~ eij~ qavnaton paradidovmeqa diav jIhsou`n, i{na kaiv hJ zwhv tou` jIhsou` fanerwqh`/ ejn th`/ qnhth`/ sarkiv hJmw`n. {Wste oJ mevn qavnato~ ejn hJmi`n ejnergei`tai, hJ dev zwhv ejn uJmi`n. [Econte~ dev tov aujtov pneu`ma th`~ pivstew~ katav tov gegrammevnon, ® jEpivsteusa, diov ejlavlhsa®, kaiv hJmei`~ pisteuvomen, diov kaiv lalou`men, eijdovte~ o{ti oJ ejgeivra~ tovn Kuvrion jIhsou`n kaiv hJma`~ diav jIhsou` ejgerei` kaiv parasthvsei suvn uJmi`n. Tav gavr pavnta di j uJma`~, i{na hJ cavri~ pleonavsasa diav tw`n pleiovnwn thvn eujcaristivan perisseuvsh/ eij~ thvn dovxan tou` Qeou`.

EPISTLE
Venerable Father Euthymios
2 Corinthians 4: 6-15

Brethren, it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, "I believed, and so I spoke," we too believed, and so we speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.