Apostolic Reading – Col 3:4-11

Gospel – Luke 14:16-24

Troparion of the Resurrection (Tone 5)

Let us O Faithful, praise and worship the Word coeternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation. For He was pleased to be lifted in the flesh upon the Cross, and to endure death, and to raise the dead by his glorious Resurrection.

Troparion of the Forefathers (Tone 2)

Through faith, You have justified Your Ancestors, O Christ our God, and through them You have espoused in advance the Church set apart from the Gentiles. The saints rejoice in glory because, from the seed of these Ancestors, has come forth the glorious fruit, who gave You birth without seed. Through their intercession, O Christ God, save our souls.

Troparion of the Holy Cross (Tone 1)

O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance, granting peace to the world. And preserve your community by the power of your Cross.

Kondakion of the Preparation of the Nativity of our Lord (Tone 3)

Today the Virgin is on her way to the cave where she will give birth to the Eternal Word of God in an ineffable manner. Rejoice, therefore, O universe, when you hear this news, and glorify with the angels and the shepherds Him who shall appear as a new Child, being God from all eternity.

Prokimenon

Blessed are You, O Lord, God of our fathers, and Your name is worthy praise and glorious forever.

Stichon

For You are just in all You have done to us, and all Your works are true and Your ways right.

Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians (3:4-11)

Brethren, when Christ, our life, appears, then you too shall appear in glory. Put to death whatever in your members is of the earth: immorality, uncleanness, lust, evil desire, covetousness, which is a form of idol-worship. Because of these passions, God’s wrath comes upon the sons of disobedience and you yourselves once walked in them when they were your (way of) life. But now, you too put them all away; anger, wrath, malice, abusive language and foul-mouthed utterances. Do not lie to one another. Strip off the old man with his deeds and put on the new, one that is being renewed toward perfect knowledge according to his creator’s image. Here there is no Gentile and Jew, no circumcised and uncircumcised, no Barbarian and Scythian, no slave and freeman, but Christ is all things, and in all.

Alleluia

Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel among those who called upon His name.

Stichon

The just cried out, and the Lord heard them, and He delivered them from all their trials.

The Holy Gospel According to St. Luke the Evangelist (14:16-24)

The Lord told this parable, “A certain man gave a great supper, and he invited many. And he sent his servant at supper time to tell those invited to come, for everything is now ready. And they all with one accord began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a farm, and I must go out and see it; I pray you hold me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am on my way to try them; I pray you hold me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ And the servant returned, and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant. ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor, and the crippled, and the lame, and the blind.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, your order has been carried out, and still there is room.’ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and make them come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you that none of those who were invited shall taste of my supper.' For many are called but few are chosen.”