SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020, THIRD SUNDAY OF ST. MATTHEW. THE SYNAXIS OF THE ICON OF OUR MOST HOLY LADY THE THEOTOKOS “OF THE THREE HANDS.” THE TRANSLATION OF THE SACRED RELICS OF THE HOLY AND WONDERWORKING UNMERCENARIES CYRUS AND JOHN. OUR RIGHTEOUS FATHERS SERGIUS AND HERMAN, FOUNDERS OF VALAAM MONASTERY, whose memory we commemorate today and all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as a Good and Loving and Merciful God.

Tone 2. Eothinon 3.
HYMNS FOR THE SMALL ENTRANCE.

APOLYTIKION OF THE RESURRECTION, SECOND TONE. When Thou didst descend unto death, O Life Immortal, then didst Thou slay Hades with the lightning of Thy Divinity. And when Thou didst also raise the dead out of the nethermost depths, all the powers in the Heavens cried out: O Life-giver, Christ our God, glory be to Thee.

APOLYTIKION OF THE DORMITION, FIRST TONE. In giving birth, thou didst preserve thy virginity; in thy dormition, thou didst not forsake the world, O Theotokos. Thou wast translated unto life, since thou art the Mother of Life and by thine intercessions dost thou redeem our souls from death.

APOLYTIKION OF THE CHAPEL, STS. RAPHAEL, NICHOLAS AND IRENE, FOURTH TONE. On Lesbos, ye strove in contest for the sake of Christ God; * ye also have hallowed her with the discovery of your relics, O blessed ones. * O God-bearer Raphael, with thee, we all honor * Nicholas the deacon and Irene the chaste virgin, * as our divine protectors, who now intercede with the Lord.

KONTAKION, SECOND TONE. O protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the Creator most constant: O despise not the suppliant voices of those who have sinned; but be thou quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who in faith cry unto thee: Hasten to intercession and speed thou to make supplication, thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honour thee.

SERMON

And on the same day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured: “It is the Sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. (Gospel St. John 5;9-10). Oh, what quibbling souls! Oh, what blunted hearts! Unlike like todays mobs and ungrateful humans without heart or intelligence, but mindless commotion. Instead of rejoicing that a slithering worm has stood upright and become a man again: instead of congratulating him on his restoration to health; instead of rousing the whole city and calling it together to glorify the living and loving God—instead of all this, they are furious with the man for having shouldered his poor mattress and headed for home! Were a dead man, on the Sabbath, to have risen from the grave before their eyes, they would not have marveled at his rising but have scolded him, asking: “Why are you all dusty on the Sabbath?” This is the miracle at Bethseda which is celebrated on this third Sunday after Pascha, read about it in the Gospel of St. John, chapter 5: verses 1-16. Amen.

SUNDAY, May :

MONDAY, May :

TUESDAY, May :

WEDNESDAY,
May :

THURSDAY, May :

FRIDAY,
May :

SATURDAY, May :

SUNDAY, May :