Daily Reading:

Saturday June 19th/July 2nd
Second Week After Pentecost

Apostles Fast

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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:

Illumine my heart, O Master who lovest mankind, with the pure light of Thy divine knowledge. Open Thou the eyes of my mind to the understanding of Thy Gospel teachings. Implant also in me a love for Thy blessed commandments. Grant me the grace to overcome all my carnal desires, so that I may enter more completely into a spiritual manner of living, both thinking and doing such things as are well pleasing to Thee. For Thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and unto Thee do we ascribe glory, together with Thine all-holy, good and life-creating Spirit; now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ, open Thou the eyes of my heart, that I may hear Thy word and understand and do Thy will, for I am a sojourner upon the earth. Hide not Thy commandments from me, but open mine eyes, that I may perceive the wonders of Thy law. Speak unto me the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom. On Thee do I set my hope, O my God, that Thou shalt enlighten my mind and understanding with the light of Thy knowledge, not only to cherish those things which are written, but to do them; that in reading the lives and sayings of the Saints I may not sin, but that such may serve for my restoration, enlightenment and sanctification, for the salvation of my soul, and the inheritance of life everlasting. For Thou art the enlightenment of those who lie in darkness, and from Thee cometh every good deed and every gift. Amen.

By the intercessions of Thine All-immaculate Mother and of all Thy Saints, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen

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Saturday

LITURGY

Romans 3:19-26

Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Matthew 7:1-8

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. "

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HOLY APOSTLE JUDE, THE LORD'S BROTHER
ST PAISIUS THE GREAT OF EGYPT
ST JOHN THE WONDERWORKER OF SHANGHAI AND SAN FRANCISCO

Troparion of the Apostle Jude Tone 1
We know thee as Christ's kinsman and martyr/ and praise thee with holy chant./ O Apostle Jude, thou didst trample on error/ and preserve the Faith./ As today we celebrate thy memory,/ through thy prayers may our sins be forgiven.

Troparion of St Paisius Tone 4
The sublime monk and incarnate angel,/ the bodiless man and citizen of heaven/ grants grace to all who honour him/ as today he celebrates with us./ Let us fervently ascribe glory to him.

Troparion to St John Tone 6
Glorious apostle to an age of coldness and unbelief,/ invested with the grace-filled power of the saints of old,/ divinely illumined seer of heavenly mysteries,/ feeder of orphans, hope of the hopeless,/ thou didst enkindle on earth the fire of love for Christ/ upon the dark eve of the day of judgement./ Pray now that this sacred flame/ may also rise from our hearts.

Kontakion of the Apostle Jude Tone 1
Thou hast sprung as a divine branch from a noble root, O Apostle and Brother of God,/ wise herald of Christ and the Lord's eye-witness,/ thou hast nourished the world with thy words/ and as the Lord's initiate thou dost teach the Orthodox Faith.

Kontakion of the Apostle Barnabas Tone 3
Thou wast the Lord's servant and the first of the Seventy,/ and thy preaching shone with Paul's./ Thou didst proclaim Christ the Savior to all,/ O Barnabas./ Wherefore we celebrate thy memory with hymns.

Kontakion of St Paisius Tone 8
Let us the faithful sing praises to divinely-wise Paisius/ the desert's adornment, equal-to-the-Angels, Christ's friend and the glory of monks./ Let us cry to him: Rejoice, O Father Paisius.

Kontakion of St John Tone 8
Chosen wonderworker and superb servant of Christ/ who pourest out in the latter times/ inexhaustible streams of inspiration and multitude of miracles,/ we praise thee with love and call out to thee:/ Rejoice, holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter times.