Orthodox Daily Readings

Old Testament: Genesis 28:10-17

Vespers, 1st reading

10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran.

11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.

12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.

14 “Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

15 “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”

16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”

17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

Old Testament: Ezekiel 43:27-44:4

Vespers, 2nd reading

27 ‘When these days are over it shall be, on the eighth day and thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar; and I will accept you,’ says the Lord God.”

1 Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces toward the east, but it was shut.

2 And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.

3 “As for the prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.”

4 Also He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple; so I looked, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord; and I fell on my face.

Old Testament: Proverbs 9:1-11

Vespers, 3rd reading

1 Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars;

2 she has slaughtered her meat, she has mixed her wine, she has also furnished her table.

3 She has sent out her maidens, she cries out from the highest places of the city,

4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,

5 “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.

6 Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding.

7 He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, and he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.

8 Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;

9 give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

11 For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.”

Epistle: Hebrews 9:1-7

Epistle, Theotokos

1 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary.

2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary;

3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All,

4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;

5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.

7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance;

Epistle: Ephesians 5:33-6:9

33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

2 Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise:

3 that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.

4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;

6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,

8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Gospel: Luke 1:39-49, 56

Matins Gospel

39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,

40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,

47 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.

56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

Gospel: Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28

Gospel, Theotokos

38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.

39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.

40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.

42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”

28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Gospel: Luke 6:12-19

12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

13 And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:

14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;

15 Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot;

16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.

17 And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,

18 as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.

19 And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

Commemorated on this day

The Protection (Pokrov) of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary . Apostle of the Seventy Ananias (1st c.). Ven. Romanus the Melodist (“Sweet-singer”—5th c.). Ven. Savva (Sabbas), Abbot of Vishera (Novgorod—1461). Martyr Domninus of Thessalonica (4th c.). Martyr Michael, Abbot in Armenia, and 36 Fathers with him (780-790). Ven. John (Koukouzelis) the Hymnographer of Mt. Athos (Albanian—12th c.). Ven. Gregory of Lavra (Mt. Athos—12th c.). “Pskov-Protection” Icon of the Mother of God.