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Wednesday, March 22, 2028

On the Old (Julian) Calendar this is 9 March.

Readings for March 22, 2028: Wednesday of the 4th week of Great Lent

Tone 6

The Scripture readings appointed for the Divine Liturgy, following the practice of the Orthodox Church in America.

New Calendar Old Calendar

Commemorated today: Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste

A prayer before reading the Scriptures

The priest says this prayer quietly before the Gospel at the Divine Liturgy. Many Orthodox Christians also say it before reading the Bible at home.

Illumine our hearts, O God who lovest mankind, with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our understanding to the comprehension of the proclamation of thy Gospel. Implant in us, likewise, the fear of thy blessed commandments; that, trampling down all carnal desires, we may pursue a godly life, both thinking and performing such things as are well-pleasing unto thee. For thou art the light of our souls, and of our bodies, O Christ our God, and unto thee do we ascribe glory, together with thy Father who is from everlasting, and thy holy, and blessed, and life-giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

From the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, in Isabel F. Hapgood's translation (Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic (Greco-Russian) Church, Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, 1906, pp. 88–89; public domain). See the scan

At the Divine Liturgy

For Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste

Epistle Hebrews 12:1–10 WEB

1 Therefore let’s also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him who has endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, that you don’t grow weary, fainting in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin. 5 You have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children, “My son, don’t take lightly the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by him; 6 for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then you are illegitimate, and not children. 9 Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days disciplined us as seemed good to them, but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.

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Gospel Matthew 20:1–16 WEB

1 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace. 4 He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 About the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’ 7 “They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ “He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.’ 8 “When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’ 9 “When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius. 10 When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household, 12 saying, ‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you. 15 Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

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Great Lent: Old Testament readings

On the weekdays of Great Lent the Church reads the Old Testament: Isaiah at the Sixth Hour, Genesis and Proverbs at Vespers. When the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served (usually on Wednesdays and Fridays), it begins with Vespers, so its readings are the Genesis and Proverbs ones. Today a Divine Liturgy is also served (above); the Lenten readings of the weekday are still appointed:

Old Testament Isaiah 26:21–27:9 · Sixth Hour Brenton

Isaiah 26

21 For, behold, the Lord is bringing wrath from [his] holy place upon the dwellers on the earth: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall not cover her slain.

Isaiah 27

1 In that day God shall bring [his] holy and great and strong sword upon the dragon, even the serpent that flees, upon the dragon, the crooked serpent: he shall destroy the dragon. 2 In that day [there shall be] a fair vineyard, [and] a desire to commence [a song] concerning it. 3 I am a strong city, a city in a siege: in vain shall I water it; for it shall be taken by night, and by day the wall shall fall. 4 There is no woman that has not taken hold of it; who will set me to watch stubble in the field? because of this enemy I have set her aside; therefore on this account the Lord has done all that he appointed. 5 I am burnt up; they that dwell in her shall cry, Let us make peace with him, let us make peace, 6 they that are coming are the children of Jacob. Israel shall bud and blossom, and the world shall be filled with his fruit. 7 Shall he himself be thus smitten, even as he smote? and as he slew, shall he be thus slain? 8 Fighting and reproaching he will dismiss them; didst thou not meditate with a harsh spirit, to slay them with a wrathful spirit? 9 Therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be taken away; and this is his blessing, when I shall have taken away his sin; when they shall have broken to pieces all the stones of the altars as fine dust, and their trees shall not remain, and their idols shall be cut off, as a thicket afar off.

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Old Testament Genesis 9:18–10:1 · Vespers Brenton

Genesis 9

18 Now the sons of Noe which came out of the ark, were Sem, Cham, Japheth. And Cham was father of Chanaan. 19 These three are the sons of Noe, of these were men scattered over all the earth. 20 And Noe began to be a husbandman, and he planted a vineyard. 21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunk, and was naked in his house. 22 And Cham the father of Chanaan saw the nakedness of his father, and he went out and told his two brothers without. 23 And Sem and Japheth having taken a garment, put it on both their backs and went backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their face [was] backward, and they saw not the nakedness of their father. 24 And Noe recovered from the wine, and knew all that his younger son had done to him. 25 And he said, Cursed be the servant Chanaan, a slave shall he be to his brethren. 26 And he said, Blessed [be] the Lord God of Sem, and Chanaan shall be his bond-servant. 27 May God make room for Japheth, and let him dwell in the habitations of Sem, and let Chanaan be his servant. 28 And Noe lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 29 And all the days of Noe were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.

Genesis 10

1 Now these [are] the generations of the sons of Noe, Sem, Cham, Japheth; and sons were born to them after the flood.

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Old Testament Proverbs 12:23–13:9 · Vespers Brenton

Proverbs 12

23 An understanding man is a throne of wisdom; but the heart of fools shall meet with curses. 24 The hand of chosen men shall easily obtain rule; but the deceitful shall be for a prey. 25 A terrible word troubles the heart of a righteous man; but a good message rejoices him. 26 A just arbitrator shall be his own friend; but mischief shall pursue sinners; and the way of ungodly men shall lead them astray. 27 A deceitful man shall catch no game; but a blameless man is a precious possession. 28 In the ways of righteousness is life; but the ways of those that remember injuries [lead] to death.

Proverbs 13

1 A wise son is obedient to his father: but a disobedient son will be destroyed. 2 A good [man] shall eat of the fruits of righteousness: but the lives of transgressors shall perish before their time. 3 He that keeps his own mouth keeps his own life: but he that is hasty with his lips shall bring terror upon himself. 4 Every slothful man desires, but the hands of the active are diligent. 5 A righteous man hates an unjust word: but an ungodly man is ashamed, and will have no confidence. 7 There are [some] who, having nothing, enrich themselves: and there are [some] who bring themselves down in [the midst of] much wealth. 8 A man's own wealth is the ransom of his life: but the poor endures not threatening. 9 The righteous always have light: but the light of the ungodly is quenched. 9a Crafty souls go astray in sins: but just men pity, and are merciful.

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All readings of the day

Vespers, Matins, the Hours and the Liturgy, as listed in our tables.

Sixth Hour

Vespers

Matins

Divine Liturgy

About these readings

The readings follow the usage of the Orthodox Church in America (Slavic practice) and are calculated from the MIT-licensed tables of Paul Kachur's orthodox_calendar, checked day by day against the OCA's published readings for 2023 to 2027. Greek practice differs on many days and is not offered yet, because no openly licensed table of it exists. Your parish calendar always comes first.

Psalms are numbered as in the Septuagint, with the Hebrew numbering in brackets.

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