Prayer Before Reading Holy Scripture

O Master Who loves mankind, illuminate our hearts with the pure light of Your divine knowledge and open the eyes of our mind to understand the teachings of Your Gospel. Instill in us also the fear of Your blessed commandments, that we may overcome all carnal desires, entering upon a spiritual life and understanding and acting in all things according to Your holy will. For You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, O Christ God, and to You we give glory together with Your eternal Father and Your all-holy, gracious and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

Epistle Reading: 1 John 1:8-2:6

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Gospel Reading: Mark 13:31-14:2

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

“But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

“Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.

“It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.

“Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming; in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning;

“lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.

“And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.

But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”

Saints and Feasts

Isidore of Pelusium; Nicholas the Confessor; Hieromartyr Abramius; John the Righteous, Bishop of Irinopolis; Theodosios the Righteous; Joseph the New Martyr of Aleppo; Afterfeast of the Presentation of Our Lord and Savior in the Temple