Sunday Readings

Apostolic Reading – Acts 20:16-18, 27-36

Gospel – John 17:1-13

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

Troparion of the Resurrection (Tone 6)

The angelic powers appeared at Your tomb, and the guards became as dead men, and Mary stood by the Sepulcher seeking Your spotless Body. You despoiled Hades and yet were not tempted by it, You met the Virgin O Bestower of Life. O Lord Who rose from the dead glory to You.

Troparion of the Ascension (Tone 4)

You ascended in glory, O Christ our God, and gladdened Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit. Through Your blessing they were confirmed in their belief that You are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.

Troparion of the Fathers (Tone 8)

O Christ our God, You are infinitely glorified, for You established our Fathers as radiant stars on earth: You led us to the true faith though them. O Most Merciful One, glory to You!

Kondakion of the Ascension (Tone 6)

After fulfilling for us Your plan of redemption and joining the things of earth with those of heaven, O Christ our God, You gloriously ascended without abandoning us, but remained with us forever and reassured all who love You by telling them: “Behold, I am with you: no one has power against you.”

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 Acts of the Apostles (20:16-18, 27-36)

In those days Paul decided to sail past Ephesus so as not to waste time in Asia. For he was hurrying as much as he could in order to reach Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost. From Miletus, however, he had sent an invitation to Ephesus for the presbyters of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them, “Be careful about yourselves and the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has placed you as bishops, to herd the Church of God which He has redeemed through His own blood. For I know this, that after I am gone fierce wolves will get in among you and will not spare the flock. And from among you, some men will rise, speaking perverse doctrines, to draw away the disciples after them. “Watch, therefore, and remember that for three years, night and day, I did not cease to warn with tears every one of you. And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the Word of His grace, Who is able to edify and to grant you an inheritance among all His blessed ones. “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothing. You, yourselves, know these hands of mine have provided for my needs and those of my companions. In all things, I have shown you that by working in this way you should help the weak, and remember that the Lord Jesus said in person, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” And after saying this, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

Alleluia  

The God of gods, the Lord has spoken and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Stichon

Gather His faithful ones around Him, those who have made a covenant with Him through sacrifices.

The Holy Gospel According to St. John the Evangelist (17:1-13)

At that time Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come! Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You, even as You have given Him power over all flesh, in order that to all You have given Him, He may give everlasting life. Now this is everlasting life, that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent, Jesus Christ. I have glorified You on earth; I have accomplished the work You have given Me to do. And now do You, Father, glorify Me with Yourself, with the glory that I had with You before the world existed. I have manifested Your name to the men You have given me out of the world. They were Yours, and You have given them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have learned that whatever You have given Me is from You; because the words that You have given Me, I have given to them. And they have received them, and have known as a fact that I came forth from You, and they have believed that You did send Me. I pray for them; not for the world do I pray, but for those whom You have given Me, because they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep in Your name those You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those You have given Me, I guarded; and not one of them perished except the son of perdition, in order that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to You and these things I speak in the world, in order that they may have My joy made full in themselves.”