Sunday Readings

Apostolic Reading – 2 Cor 1:21-2:4

Gospel – Mt 22:2-14

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 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 Nativity (Tone 4)

Through your holy birth, O Immaculate One, Joachim and Anne were delivered from the shame of childlessness, and Adam and Eve from the corruption of death. Your people, redeemed from the debt of their sins, cry out to you to honor your birth: “the barren one gives birth to the Mother of God the Sustainer of our life!”

Prokimenon (Tone 5)

You, O Lord, will keep us and preserve us always from this generation.

Stichon

Save me, O Lord, for there is no longer any holy man, for truthfulness has vanished from among the children of men.

Reading from the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians (1:21-2:4)

Brethren, the one who strengthened you and us in Christ, who anointed us, is God, who also stamped us with his seal and gave us the Spirit as a pledge in our hearts. Now, I call God to witness against my soul that it was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but rather we are fellow-workers in your joy, for in faith you stand. I made up my mind not to come to you again in sorrow. For if I make you sad, who can gladden me; save the very one who is grieved by me? And I wrote to you as I did, that when I come, I may not have sorrow upon sorrow from those who ought to give me joy: for I trust in all of you that my joy is a joy to all of you. For I wrote to you in much affliction and anguish of heart, with many tears, not that you might be grieved, but that you might know the great love I have for you.

Alleluia (Tone 5)

Your favor, O Lord, I will sing forever; from generation to generation, my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.

Stichon

For you have said, “My kindness is established forever.” In heaven, you have confirmed your faithfulness.

The Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew the Evangelist (22:2-14)

The Lord told this parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a king who made a marriage feast for his son. And he sent his servants to call in those invited to the marriage feast, but they would not come. Again, he sent out other servants saying: ‘Tell those who are invited, behold. I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and fatlings arc killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.’ But they made light of it, and went off, one to his own farm and another to his business; and the rest laid hold of his servants treated them shamefully, and killed them. But when the king heard of it, he was angry; and he sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The marriage feast indeed is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy; go therefore to the crossroads, and invite to the marriage feast whomever you shall find.’ And his servants went out into the roads and gathered all those they found, both good and bad; and the marriage feast was filled with guests. Now the king went in to see the guests, and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, take hold of him, and throw him out into the darkness, where there will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”