Apostolic Reading – Romans 2:10-16

Gospel – Mt 4:18-23

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

Troparion of the Resurrection (Tone 1)

After the stone was sealed by the Jews and the while the soldiers were watching Your spotless body, You rose, O Savior, on the third day, bestowing life to the world. Therefore, the heavenly powers cried out to You, O Giver of life: “Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ! Glory to Your kingdom! Glory to Your economy, O You who alone are the lover of mankind!”     

Troparion of the Divine Body (Tone 1)

Christ, having loved His own, loved them until the end and gave them His Body and Blood as food and drink. Wherefore let us offer them our veneration and say with fear: “O Christ, glory to Your presence, glory to Your compassion, glory to Your condescension: for You alone are the Lover of Mankind.”

Troparion of the Holy Cross (Tone 1)

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

Kondakion of the Feast (Tone 2)

O Christ, do not turn Your face away from me: for I partake of the bread which is Your Body and of the wine which is Your Blood. O Lord, let my sharing in these august mysteries be not for my judgment and condemnation, but for my eternal and everlasting life.

Prokimenon

May Your kindness, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in You.

Stichon

Exult, you just, in the Lord; praise from the upright is fitting.

Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans (2:10-16)

Brethren, glory, honor and peace to everyone who does good works, first to the Jew, then to the Greek, since with God there is no favoritism. For all those who have sinned without the Law will perish without the Law, and all those who have sinned under the Law will be judged under the Law. (Before God, indeed, it is not those who hear the Law who are just, but those who follow the Law who will be justified. When the Gentiles who do not have the Law do by nature what the Law commands, while they do not have the Law, they are their own law: they show the work of the Law written in their hearts. The conscience bears witness to them, even when conflicting thoughts accuse or defend them) on the day when God will judge the hidden secrets of men according to what I preach, through Jesus Christ.

Alleluia  

O God, You granted me retribution and made peoples subject to me and saved me from my raging enemies.

Stichon

Therefore, I will proclaim You, O Lord, among the nations and I will sing praise to Your name.

The Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew the Evangelist (4:18-23).

Call of the First Disciples

At that time as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen). And He said to them, “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And at once they left the nets and followed Him. And going farther on, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. And immediately they left their nets and their father, and followed Him. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Good News of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.