Sunday Readings

Apostolic Reading – Hebrews 11:24-26; 32-40; 12:1-2

Gospel – John 1:43-51

Hymns: See our Church’s website for Audio Recordings: holycrossmelkite.org/hymns

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 has willed 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 Holy Icons (Tone 2)

Before Your most pure image, we bow in worship, O Good One, begging forgiveness of our stumbling, Christ God: because You chose of your own free will to ascend upon the cross in the flesh in order to deliver from the enemy’s yoke those You had created. For this reason we cry out to You in thanksgiving: “You our Savior have Filled all things with joy when You came to save the world.”

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 Annunciation (Tone 8)

Triumphant leader to you belongs our prize of victory! And since you saved us from adversity, we offer you, our thanks. We are your people O mother of God! So, as you have that invincible power, continue to deliver us from danger that we may cry out to you Hail, O Virgin and bride ever pure.

Prokimenon

Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our fathers, and your name is worthy of 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 to St. Paul to the Hebrews (11:24-26; 32-40; 12:1-2)

Brethren, by faith Moses, when he was grown up, denied he was a son of Pharaoh’s daughter choosing to be afflicted with God’s people rather than to have the enjoyment of sin for a time, estimating the indignities suffered by Christ to be of greater value than the Egyptians’ treasures: for he was considering the reward. By faith he left Egypt not fearing the king’s wrath: for he persevered as if he were seeing the One who cannot be seen. By faith, he celebrated the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the one who destroyed the first-born might not touch these. By faith, they passed through the Red Sea, as through dry land whereas the Egyptians attempting it were swallowed up. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell after people had gone around them for seven days. By faith, Rahab the prostitute who had received the spies in peace did not perish with the unbelievers. And what more shall I say? For time will be too short to speak of Gideon, of Barac, of Samson, of Jephthe, of David and of Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained the fulfillment of promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered strength from weakness, became valiant in battle routed foreign armies. Women had their dead restored to them through resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to yield for their release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others again suffered mockery and blows, even chains and jailing. They were stoned, cut to pieces, put to the question, killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, distressed, afflicted (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, mountains, caves and holes in the ground. And none of these, despite the positive witnessing of faith, received what was promised, for God had something better in store for us, so that they were not to reach their final perfection without us.

Alleluia

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

Stichon

They called upon the Lord, and he answered them; from the pillar of cloud he spoke to them.

The Holy Gospel According to St. John the Evangelist (1:43-51)

Call of Nathanael

At that time Jesus was about to leave for Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the one of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets wrote, Jesus the son of Joseph of Nazareth.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said of him, “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no guile!” Nathanael said to him, “Where do you know me from?” Jesus answered him and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him and said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are King of Israel.” Answering, Jesus said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, you believe. Greater things than these shall you see.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”