SUNDAY SCRIPTURES
Sunday Scriptures
When we pray we speak to God; when we read the Scriptures God speaks to us. When we read the Scriptures in the Liturgy God speaks to the Church. These reflections on themes in the Sunday readings help point the way to hearing God speak to our Church today.
At every Divine Liturgy there are two readings from the New Testament (Old Testament readings are often heard at Vespers). The second reading, from one of the Gospels, often is the source of the Sunday’s title (for example, the Sunday of the Blind Man) and the subject of the priest’s homily. The first reading, from an Epistle or the Acts of the Apostles, is often overlooked. These reflections may be drawn from either reading.
The references for these readings are on the Church calendar. You may enhance your hearing of God’s Word at the Liturgy by reading the Scriptural texts and the corresponding reflection before the Liturgy.
A
- A Fastless Fast? - Feb 10 2013
- A Missed Opportunity - Nov 3 2013
- A Modern Myrrhbearer? - Apr 15 2018
- A Place of Healing - Apr 29 2012
- A Priest Like Melchizedek - Mar 18 2012
- A Priest's "Believing Wife" - Aug 24 2014
- A Rich Young Man - Nov 27 2011
- A Shadow of Things to Come - Mar 25 2012
- A Support Group for our Weaknesses - Jul 15 2012
- A Table in the Wilderness - Jul 22 2012
- A Trinity of Hierarchs (January 30) - Jan 29 2017
- A True Temple Of God - Oct 5 2014
- A Week of Giants - Jan 26 2014
- Abolishing the Wall of Separation - Sep 29 2019
- Another Lazarus at Your Gate - Jul 5 2020
- Are There "Other Gospels"? - Dec 29 2013
- Are We Ashamed of Christ? - Sep 16 2018
- Are You Invited? - Aug 25 2013
- Are You the Older Brother? - Feb 9 2020
- Asking the Wrong Question - Aug 19 2012
B
- Behold the Redeemer of the World - Jan 4 2015
- Behold Your King - Apr 1 2012
- Behold, the Bridegroom Is Coming - Apr 13 2014
- Being “One in Us” - May 12 2013
- Being in the One Body - Nov 18 2012
- Being Strong in Christ - Feb 9 2014
- Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit - Jun 25 2017
- Boasting in the Holy Cross - Sep 9 2018
- “Brethren who are of the Gentiles” - May 14 2017
- Bringing Christ to the Nations - Nov 2 2014
- By Whose Spirit? - Jul 10 2016
C
- Challenge of the Sabbath - Dec 7 2014
- Cheesefare Sunday - Feb 23 2020
- Children and the Church Today - Mar 28
- Christ Calls a Demoniac - Oct 20 2013
- Christ in Prophetic Song - Mar 8 2015
- Christ our Healer - Jan 23 2011
- Christ Our Passover - Apr 5 2015
- Christ the Eternal High Priest - Mar 11 2012
- Christ the Tree of Life - Dec 25 2011
- Christ's Prophecy Fulfilled - Oct 5 2019
- Christ, Our Eternal Hope - Mar 11 2018
- Circumcising the Sins of Men (January 1) - Jan 1 2012
- Come to Quench the Thirst of Adam - Dec 24 2017
- Coming from East and West - Jul 7 2019
- Commending One’s Whole Life to Christ - Nov 24 2019
- Conception of St. Anne (December 9) - Dec 9 2018
- Conception of the Forerunner (September 23) - Sep 21 2014
- Confronting Sin and Sinners - May 10 2020
- “Consecrate a Fast” - Feb 8 2015
- Continue in What You Have Learned - Feb 5 2017
D
- Death Could Not Hold Him - Apr 1 2018
- December Saints - Dec 6 2015
- “Depart from Me, O Lord.” - Sep 28 2014
- Devoutly Glorifying the Mystery - May 17 2015
- “Does Anyone Envy the Leper?” - Jan 15 2017
- Does God Speak Through Our Dreams? - Dec 18 2011
- Dominating or Leading from Within? - Aug 30 2015
- Dormition of St. John the Theologian (September 26) - Sep 29 2013
E
- Eating Bread in the Kingdom of God - Oct 27 2019
- Enough vs. Abundance - Nov 20 2016
- Enthroned in the Heavenly Realm - Oct 23 2016
- Entrance of the Theotokos (November 21) - Nov 22 2020
- Equipping the Saints - Jan 8 2012
- Everywhere Present, Filling All Things - May 24 2015
- “Expel by Your awesome name” - Jul 9 2017
- Expiation for the World - Sep 15 2019
F
- Faithful People Able to Teach Others - Oct 26 2014
- Fasting From Myself - Feb 19 2012
- Fathering a Local Church - Aug 13 2017
- Fearing but Faithful: Joseph and the Myrrh Bearers - May 5 2019
- Feast of Pentecost - May 31 2020
- Feast of the Annunciation - Mar 22 2020
- Feast of the Ascension - May 26 2019
- Feast of the Encounter (February 2) - Feb 2 2020
- Feast of the Nativity (December 25) - Dec 30 2018
- Feast of the Visition of the Theotokos (June 23) - Jun 21 2015
- Feasting with the Forefathers - Dec 15 2013
- Feasts of St. Anne (December 9) - Jul 26 2015
- Finding the Head of St. John the Baptist (February 24) - May 25 2014
- “Fire Immersed in Water” - Jan 12 2020
- Fishers of Men - May 29 2016
- Food for the Gods - Feb 3 2013
- Food for the No-gods - Feb 19 2017
- Fools for Christ - Aug 5 2012
- For His Name’s Sake - Oct 13 2019
- Forgive Others - Mar 2 2014
- Forgive Us as We Forgive - Aug 12 2012
- Forgiveness by Christ - Feb 28 2021
- Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste (March 9) - Mar 9 2014
- From Bethlehem to the Jordan - Jan 2 2011
- From Slavery to Freedom - Jun 16 2013
- From Stone Rejected to Lord of Glory - Nov 11 2012
- Fulfilled in Your Hearing - Jul 16 2017
G
- Galilee of the Gentiles - Jun 28 2015
- Gazing on the Image of His Face - Aug 16 2020
- Giving Their Lives in Service - Jul 19 2020
- Glorified In His Saints - Jun 15 2014
- Glorify God in Your Body - Jan 28 2018
- Glory to Your Kingdom! (Sunday After Theophany) - Jan 8 2017
- Glory to Your Precious Cross - Sep 16 2012
- God is Wondrous in His Saints - May 22 2016
- God With Us, Deifying Us - Dec 30 2012
- God’s Glory in Christ’s Face - Sep 2 2018
- God’s Hidden Saints - Apr 2 2017
- Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete - Feb 15 2015
- Growing into Ministry - Jan 9 2011
H
- “Has God Rejected His People?” - Jun 19 2016
- He Shall Come Again - May 20 2012
- He Who Descended - Jan 12 2014
- Healing of Bleeding Woman - Nov 8 2020
- History of the Israelites - Dec 15 2019
- Holding up the Church in Prayer - Jun 3 2018
- Holy Apostle Jude (June 19) - Jun 14 2015
- Holy Ground - Sep 23 2012
- Holy Martyrs Cyrus and John (January 31) - Jan 31 2016
- Holy Relics - Feb 25 2018
- Hosanna to the Son of David! - Apr 9 2017
- How to Be a Bishop - Jan 22 2017
- Humility and Wealth - Nov 29 2020
I
- “I AM the Life of the Dead” - Apr 21 2019
- “I have been crucified with Christ” - Sep 17 2017
- “I Have Destroyed Death” - Apr 8 2012
- “I planted, Apollos watered” - Jul 30 2017
- Icons in the Bible - Nov 27 2016
- Imitating the Father of Compassion - Aug 5 2018
- Imperial Power in the Service of Christ - May 27 2018
- In the Bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - Dec 16 2012
- In the Fullness of Time - Apr 23 2017
- “In thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light.” - Dec 25 2016
- In Your Light We See Light - Aug 6 2017
- Infants Harvested Like Wheat - Dec 28 2014
- Into the Wilderness - Jun 21 2020
- Isaiah the Prophet (May 9) - May 3 2015
J
- Jesus and the Sabbath Rest - Oct 11 2015
- John- Apostle, Evangelist, Theologian (May 8) - May 8 2016
K
- Knowing the Will of God - Dec 1 2013
- Kolyva and the Memory of the Departed - Oct 21 2018
L
- Laborers for the Harvest - Nov 1 2015
- Lazarus and the Rich Man - Nov 1 2020
- Lazarus Saturday - Apr 6 2014
- Learning to Love - Sep 30 2012
- Let Down in a Basket - Oct 7 2012
- “Let Him Who Thirsts Come” - Apr 26 2015
- Let Us Honor the Holy Apostles - Jun 30 2019
- Letting Christ Live in Me - Oct 21 2012
- Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts - Feb 22 2015
- Lives of Consecrated Service - Jul 12 2020
- Living in God’s Kingdom - Dec 13 2015
- Look at Me – I’m Fasting - Jan 20 2013
- Look at Me –I’m Fasting! - Feb 10 2019
- Looking for the Way Home - Jan 27 2013
- Love and Forgiveness - Oct 4 2020
M
- Made Perfect with Us - Feb 14 2016
- Mary Magdalene (July 22) - Jul 23 2017
- Mary of Egypt - Mar 21 2021
- Meatfare Sunday - Feb 16 2020
- Mediator of a New Covenant - Mar 18 2018
- Mid-Pentecost - May 12 2019
- Mustard Seed Faith - Jul 28 2013
- “My Lord and My God” - Apr 8 2018
- Myrrh Bearers at the Tomb - Apr 26 2020
- Mystery of the Pool at Bethesda - Apr 17 2016
N
- “N” Is for Nazarene - Jan 11 2015
- Nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24) - Jun 23 2019
- “Nice” Is Not Enough - Oct 28 2012
- No Longer “Afar Off” - Oct 30 2016
O
- “O Lord, save Your people” - Jul 2 2017
- Of Demons and Pigs - Jul 1 2012
- Of Hierarchs and Prophets - Nov 16 2014
- Of True and False Apostles - Jun 1 2014
- Offerings to God’s Servants - Aug 9 2015
- On Holy Ground - Sep 3 2017
- On the Mountain or in Jerusalem? - May 6 2012
- “On this day…” - Jan 13 2013
- On Touching the Hem of His Garment - Nov 6 2011
- Orders of Widows and Deaconesses - May 7 2017
- Our Radiant Light - May 13 2012
- Our Salvation Proclaimed in Time - Sep 9 2012
- Our True Riches - Nov 20 2011
P
- Parabale of the Sower - Oct 14 2018
- Paralyzed by Sins and Thoughtless Acts - Apr 22 2018
- Peter Raises Tabitha - Apr 21 2013
- Pharisee and the Publican - Jan 24 2021
- Praise Him, All His Angels (November 8) - Nov 10 2013
- Praising God in the Eight Tones - Apr 18 2021
- Praising the Holy Maccabees - Jul 31 2016
- Prayer, Fasting and Asceticism - Mar 10 2013
- Prepare for Nativity - Dec 8 2019
- Prepare for the Great Fast - Mar 3 2019
- Priest, Victim and Sacrifice - Mar 19 2017
- Priesthood in God’s Plan - Nov 13 2016
- Proclaiming the Resurrection - Mar 27 2016
- Protection of the Theotokos (October 1) - Oct 1 2017
- Pursuing Godliness - Jan 26 2020
- Put on a Radiant Face - Jul 8 2012
- Put on the New Man - Dec 14 2014
- Putting on the New Man - Jan 19 2020
R
- Radiating the Light of Christ - Jul 17 2016
- Remembering Our Leaders - Jul 19 2015
- Repentance and the Baptism of John (Sunday before Theophany) - Jan 3 2016
- Repentance: the Way Home - Feb 17 2019
- Restoring Our Likeness to God - Mar 10 2019
- Restoring the Tradition - Oct 15 2017
- Revealed Guidance and Conscience - Jun 7 2015
- Righteousness through Faith in Christ - Jun 23 2013
- Risen as Lord - Apr 15 2012
S
- Saint Theodore’s Meat Substitute - Feb 23 2014
- Samuel the Prophet (August 20) - Aug 20 2017
- Sanctifying the Universe - May 15 2016
- Saul Becomes Paul (June 29) - May 21 2017
- Sealed with the Spirit - Sep 2 2012
- “See, see that I am God” - Mar 1 2015
- Seeing the Light of God - Aug 9 2020
- Seeking What Is Above - Jan 15 2012
- “Sell all you have!” - Jan 16 2011
- Serving Christ the Unwanted - Apr 22 2012
- Shining the Light of Knowledge - Dec 27 2015
- Signs of the Future Resurrection - Oct 19 2014
- Signs of the Messiah - Jun 24 2012
- Signs, Wonders and Wonder Workers - Nov 29 2015
- Singing a New Song - Dec 23 2012
- Singing in the Midst of the Flames - Mar 15 2015
- Source of Living Water - Jun 4 2017
- Spreading the Good News - Oct 25 2020
- St Demetrios and the Gift of Myrrh - Oct 22 2017
- St Demetrius the Great Martyr (October 26) - Oct 28 2013
- St. Andrew (November 30) - Nov 30 2014
- St. Anthony the Great (January 17) - Jan 17 2021
- St. Barbara the Martyr and St. Nicholas - Dec 1 2019
- St. Benedict (March 14) - Mar 13 2016
- St. Catherine the Great Martyr (November 25) - Nov 25 2012
- St. Christina of Tyre (July 24) - Jul 24 2016
- St. Elijah the Prophet (July 20) - Jul 21 2019
- St. George the Great Martyr (April 23) - Apr 27 2014
- St. Gregory of Palamas - Mar 17 2019
- St. Gregory the Theologian (January 25) - Jan 25 2015
- St. Gregory the Wonderworker (November 17) - Feb 21 2016
- St. Innocent of Alaska (March 31) - Nov 22 2015
- St. James (October 23) - Apr 30 2017
- St. John Chrysostom (November 13) - Nov 9 2014
- St. John Climacus - Mar 14 2021
- St. Justin Martyr (June 1) - Jun 2 2013
- St. Lucian of Antioch (January 7) - Oct 9 2016
- St. Luke the Evangelist (October 18) - Oct 12 2014
- St. Mark the Evangelist (April 25) - Apr 19 2015
- St. Nicholas (December 6) - Dec 6 2020
- St. Panteleimon (July 27) - Jul 27 2014
- St. Peter the Apostle (June 29) - Jun 29 2014
- St. Philip and St. Matthew (November 14 and 16) - Nov 8 2015
- St. Saba the Sanctified (December 5) - Dec 3 2017
- St. Sophronius of Jerusalem (March 11) - Mar 6 2016
- St. Stephen the First Martyr (December 27) - Dec 27 2020
- St. Techla (September 24) - Sep 24 2017
- St. Thomas the Apostle (October 6) - Oct 6 2013
- Stories That Tell a Story - Sep 4 2016
- Story of a Royal Wedding - Sep 6 2020
- Striving for Parish Unity - Dec 4 2011
- Sts. Anthanasius & Cyril of Alexandria (January 18) - Jan 18 2015
- Sts. Constantine & Helen (May 21) - May 19 2019
- Sts. Vladimir & Olga (July 15) - Jul 12 2015
- Sunday After Nativity - Dec 29 2019
- Sunday After Theophany - Jan 10 2021
- Sunday Before Nativity - Dec 20 2020
- Sunday of All Saints - Jun 7 2020
- Sunday of Orthodoxy - Feb 21 2021
- Sunday of the Forefathers (Second Sunday Before Nativity) - Dec 13 2020
- Sunday-After-Theophany - Jan 13 2019
T
- Taking a Stand - Sep 7 2014
- Taking Up the Cross - Sep 15 2013
- Tale of the Rich Man and Lazarus - Nov 4 2018
- Teaching Compassion by Example - Nov 12 2017
- Teaching through Parables - Aug 26 2012
- That Those Who Do Not See May See - May 1 2016
- The Son of Man Will Come - Feb 12 2012
- The "Proto-Creed" of Christians - Aug 31 2014
- The Akathist to the Theotokos - Mar 21 2015
- The Apostles Fast - Jun 14 2020
- The Apostolic Tradition - Jun 18 2017
- The Barren One Becomes a Mother - Sep 8 2019
- The Beginning of Deacons - Apr 14 2013
- The Bodiless Powers of Heaven (November 8) - Nov 3 2019
- The Brazen Serpent High on a Pole (Sunday Before the Cross) - Sep 13 2015
- The Bridal Chamber of Christ - Sep 11 2016
- The Burning Bush Now Blossoms - Dec 9 2012
- The Byzantine Calendar - Sep 1 2019
- The Choir of the Holy Unmercenaries - Nov 6 2016
- The Church in the Apostle’s Eyes - Jun 26 2016
- The Church as Darkness and Light - Oct 28 2018
- The Church Councils - Oct 11 2020
- The Church in Your House - Aug 23 2015
- The Confession of Thomas - Apr 28 2019
- The Date of Theophany - Jan 5 2020
- The Day God Took Flesh (March 25) - Mar 25 2012
- The Death and Resurrection of the Virgin - Aug 19 2018
- The Dormition Fast - Aug 4 2019
- The Dormition of the Theotokos (August 15) - Aug 15 2021
- The End of Slavery to Sin - Jun 12 2016
- The Fast of the Theotokos - Aug 2 2020
- The Fathers before Christ - Dec 16 2018
- The Fathers Reaffirmed - Feb 24 2013
- The First Athenian to Believe - Aug 3 2014
- The First Ecumenical Council - Jun 2 2019
- The First Six Ecumenical Councils - Jul 14 2019
- The Font of Our Salvation - Mar 4 2012
- The Food of Paradise - Feb 24 2019
- The Forerunner and His Message - Jan 7 2018
- The Forerunner in Hades (August 29) - Aug 29 2021
- The Fruit of Spiritual Love - Oct 7 2018
- The Geneology of Christ - Dec 22 2019
- The Giver of All Good Gifts - Sep 27 2020
- The Good Samaritan - Nov 15 2020
- “The Gospel I Received” - Oct 2 2016
- The Gospel is Proclaimed - Apr 7 2013
- The Gospel of the Kingdom - Jun 10 2012
- The Gospel Reaches Europe - May 5 2013
- The Gospels of St Luke - Sep 23 2018
- The Great High Priest - Mar 31 2019
- The Harrowing of Hades - Apr 4 2021
- The Healing of the Paralytic - Apr 25 2021
- The Heart of the Gospel - Aug 25 2019
- The Hidden Messiah - Jul 28 2019
- The Hope of Glory - Jun 9 2013
- The Island of Saints - Nov 19 2017
- The Journey Begins - Feb 11 2018
- The Joyful Pentecostarion – Fifty Days of Grace - Apr 19 2020
- The Kingdom of God Is Proclaimed - Apr 14 2019
- “The Lamp of the Body Is the Eye” - Jun 10 2018
- The Leprous Nature Of Man - Jan 20 2019
- The Light of Tabor (August 6) - Aug 11 2019
- The Lord Manifested in the Jordan - Jan 6 2019
- The Lucan Cycle - Sep 22 2019
- The Man Born Blind - May 17 2020
- The Marriage of the Lamb - Aug 26 2018
- The Messianic Banquet - Jul 26 2020
- The Mother of the Virtues - Jan 29 2012
- The Nativity Fast - Nov 10 2019
- The New Creation - Sep 8 2013
- The One Foretold - Dec 11 2011
- The One Thing You Need - Nov 26 2017
- The One Who Gives Life to the World - Jun 17 2012
- The Other Paraclete - May 20 2018
- The Prayers of the Saints - Jun 11 2017
- The Prelude to the Benevolence of God (November 21) - Nov 17 2019
- The Prodigal Son - Jan 31 2021
- The Promise of My Father - Oct 20 2019
- The Repose of the Theotokos (August 15) - Aug 18 2019
- The Rich Young Man - Aug 23 2020
- The Road to Jerusalem - Mar 17 2013
- The Sacrifice of the Cross - Sep 20 2020
- The Sacrifice of the Cross - Mar 4 2018
- The Saints of Antioch - May 31 2015
- The Samaritan Woman - May 2 2021
- The Seal on Our Repentance - Mar 29 2015
- The Son of David - Mar 25 2018
- The Son of Man Forgives Sins - Jul 5 2015
- The Sower of All that is Good - Oct 13 2013
- The Sprout from Israel’s Root - Dec 20 2015
- The True Glory of God - Sep 22 2013
- The True Jihad - Dec 2 2012
- The Virgin Has Conceived - Dec 11 2016
- The Week of Palms: a Prelude to Salvation - Apr 7 2019
- Theotokos – She Who Bore God - Dec 18 2016
- Those Who Fought the Good Fight - Jun 16 2019
- Those Who Saw the Risen Lord - Aug 27 2017
- Three Saturday Gospels of Luke - Oct 4 2015
- Tilling God's Field - Jul 29 2012
- Tithing - Oct 18 2020
- “To Caesar You Shall Go” - May 28 2017
- To the Church of God at Corinth - Aug 14 2016
- “Today my soul eats twice” - Mar 20 2016
- Touching the Fringe of His Garment - Oct 29 2017
- Trampling Upon Death By Death - Apr 20 2014
- Transfiguration (August 6) - Aug 1 2021
U
- Under the Power of the Passions - Feb 16 2014
- Undoing the Fall - Jun 5 2016
- Unwavering Faith - Feb 3 2019
V
- Vehicles for Unity - Jul 13 2014
- Veneration of the Cross - Mar 7 2021
- Veneration of the Holy Cross - Mar 3 2013
W
- Walking in the Light - Nov 17 2013
- Walking in the Midst of the Fire - Dec 21 2014
- We Glory in Your Cross - Sep 13 2020
- We Have Received the Heavenly Spirit - Jun 8 2014
- We Shall See Him as He Is - Feb 18 2018
- We Venerate Your Cross - Mar 23 2014
- Wearing the Robe of Light - Feb 7 2016
- What is the Armor of God? - Nov 25 2018
- What Was Hidden Is Revealed - Oct 25 2015
- When God Works in Us - Sep 20 2015
- When Icons Were Condemned - Oct 14 2012
- When Romans Turned to Christ - Jul 6 2014
- When Saints Argue (June 29) - Jun 30 2013
- Where the Disciples Were First Called “Christians” - Apr 28 2013
- Who is able to walk on the sea? - Jul 21 2013
- Who is David's Son? - Sep 6 2015
- Who Is the Blind Man? - May 6 2018
- Why Are Icons Orthodox? - Feb 17 2013
- Why Are There Two Paschas? - Apr 12 2015
- Wonderworking Ascetics - Jun 28 2020
Y
- “You Are All One in Christ Jesus” - Dec 4 2016
- “You Should Do as I Have Done to You” - Nov 5 2017
- You Will See Angels - Feb 26 2012
Z
- “Zacchaeus, Come Down!” - Jan 27 2019