Hebrews 3.5-11, 17-19 (Epistle)

5Cât despre Moise, el a fost „credincios în toată casa lui Dumnezeu” ca slugă, ca să mărturisească despre lucrurile care aveau să fie vestite mai târziu. 6Dar Hristos este credincios ca Fiu, peste casa lui Dumnezeu. Şi casa Lui suntem noi, dacă păstrăm până la sfârşit încrederea nezguduită şi nădejdea cu care ne lăudăm. 7De aceea, cum zice Duhul Sfânt: „Astăzi, dacă auziţi glasul Lui, 8nu vă împietriţi inimile, ca în ziua răzvrătirii, ca în ziua ispitirii în pustiu, 9unde părinţii voştri M-au ispitit şi M-au pus la încercare şi au văzut lucrările Mele patruzeci de ani! 10De aceea M-am dezgustat de neamul acesta şi am zis: „Ei totdeauna se rătăcesc în inima lor. N-au cunoscut căile Mele! 11Am jurat, dar, în mânia Mea că nu vor intra în odihna Mea!” 17Şi cine au fost aceia de care S-a dezgustat El patruzeci de ani? N-au fost oare cei ce păcătuiseră şi ale căror trupuri moarte au căzut în pustiu? 18Şi cui S-a jurat El că n-au să intre în odihna Lui? Nu S-a jurat oare celor ce nu ascultaseră?

19Vedem, dar, că n-au putut să intre din pricina necredinţei lor.

Luke 20.27-44 (Gospel)

27Unii din saduchei, care zic că nu este înviere, s-au apropiat şi au întrebat pe Isus: 28„Învăţătorule, iată ce ne-a scris Moise: „Dacă moare fratele cuiva, având nevastă, dar fără să aibă copii, fratele lui să ia pe nevasta lui şi să ridice urmaş fratelui său.” 29Au fost, dar, şapte fraţi. Cel dintâi s-a însurat, şi a murit fără copii. 30Pe nevasta lui, a luat-o al doilea; şi a murit şi el fără copii. 31A luat-o şi al treilea şi tot aşa toţi şapte; şi au murit fără să lase copii. 32La urma tuturor, a murit şi femeia. 33Deci, la înviere, nevasta căruia dintre ei va fi femeia? Fiindcă toţi şapte au avut-o de nevastă.” 34Isus le-a răspuns: „Fiii veacului acestuia se însoară şi se mărită; 35dar cei ce vor fi găsiţi vrednici să aibă parte de veacul viitor şi de învierea dintre cei morţi, nici nu se vor însura, nici nu se vor mărita. 36Pentru că nici nu vor putea muri, căci vor fi ca îngerii. Şi vor fi fiii lui Dumnezeu, fiind fii ai învierii. 37Dar că morţii învie, a arătat însuşi Moise, în locul unde este vorba despre „Rug” când numeşte pe Domnul: „Dumnezeul lui Avraam, Dumnezeul lui Isaac şi Dumnezeul lui Iacov.” 38Dar Dumnezeu nu este un Dumnezeu al celor morţi, ci al celor vii, căci pentru El toţi sunt vii.” 39Unii din cărturari au luat cuvântul şi au zis: „Învăţătorule, bine ai zis.” 40Şi nu mai îndrăzneau să-I mai pună nicio întrebare. 41Isus le-a zis: „Cum se zice că Hristosul este fiul lui David? 42Căci însuşi David zice în cartea Psalmilor: „Domnul a zis Domnului meu: „Şezi la dreapta Mea, 43până voi pune pe vrăjmaşii Tăi sub picioarele Tale.” 44Deci David Îl numeşte Domn; atunci cum este El fiul lui?”

Prophet Malachi (ca. 400 BC)

He is the last of the twelve Minor Prophets and the last of all the Prophets of the Old Testament. His name means ‘My Angel’ or ‘My Messenger.’ He returned with the exiled Jews from Babylon and took part in the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. His prophecy announces to the ear of faith that the Lord will soon bring the Hebrew priesthood to an end in the coming of Christ, the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2), the eternal Priest.

Holy Martyr Gordius of Caesarea (4th c.)

“The Martyr Gordius, who was from Caesarea of Cappadocia, was a centurion by rank. Unable to bear the impiety of the heathen, he withdrew to the wilderness to purify himself through prayer and fasting. After he perceived that his ascetical training had prepared him sufficiently, he came down from the mountains when a certain pagan festival was held in Caesarea, attended by all, and presented himself to the multitude. Although the spectacles of the festival continued, no one paid them any heed, but all eyes were turned upon him. From his sojourn in the mountains, his look was wild, his beard was long, his raiment squalid, his body like a skeleton; yet a certain grace shone round about him. He was recognized, and a loud shout and tumult was made, as his fellow Christians rejoiced, and the enemies of the truth cried out for his death. He boldly professed his faith before the Governor, and after torments was beheaded, in the reign of Licinius in the year 314. Saint Basil the Great delivered a homily on Saint Gordius, mentioning that some of those in his audience had been present at the Saint’s martyrdom.” (Great Horologion)

Our Holy Mother Genevieve of Paris (ca. 502)

She was born near Paris to a family of wealthy landowners. When she was about ten years old St Germanus of Auxerre (July 31), passing through the region on his way to Britain, discerned a special divine purpose for her, and told her parents that she had been chosen for the salvation of many. “He asked her that day, and early the next, if she would consecrate herself to holy virginity for Christ and, on both occasions, she answered that it was her dearest wish. Then he blessed her and gave her a copper coin inscribed with the Cross to wear around her neck, telling her never to wear gold, silver or pearls, but to elevate her mind above the small beauties of this world in order to inherit eternal and heavenly adornments.” (Synaxarion)

Convents were unknown at that time in Gaul, so Genevieve lived as a solitary, in a cell in her own house, first with her parents then, after their death, with her godmother in Paris. She devoted herself to the poor, giving away everything that came into her hands, except the small amount that she needed to feed herself on bread and beans. (When she passed the age of fifty, she was commanded by the bishops to add some fish and milk to her diet). She kept Lent from Theophany to Pascha, during which time she never left her house. She was never afraid to rebuke the powerful for their oppression of the weak and the poor, and thus earned many powerful enemies; but the people’s love for her, and the support of the Church, kept her from persecution.

It became her custom to walk to church on Sundays in procession with her household and many pious laypeople. Once the candle borne at the front of the procession (it was still dark) blew out in a rainstorm. The Saint asked for the candle and, when she took it in her hand, it re-lit and stayed lighted until they reached the church. At several other times, candles lit spontaneously in her hand; for this reason her icon shows her holding a candle.

She traveled throughout Gaul (modern-day France) on church business, being greeted with all the honors usually accorded a bishop. Several times she saved the city of Paris from the assaults of barbarian tribes through her prayers, by pleading with barbarian chieftains, and once by organizing a convoy to bring grain to the besieged city.

Saint Genevieve reposed in peace at the age of eighty. Through the centuries since then, she has shown her holy protection of the city of Paris countless times, and her relics in the Church of Saint Genevieve have wrought innumerable healings. Her relics were many times carried in huge processions in times of war, pestilence or other national trial. These relics were mostly burned and thrown into the River Seine by the godless Revolutionaries in 1793, but, as the Synaxarion concludes, “those who continue to invoke Saint Genevieve with faith, find her to be well and truly alive.”