Readings and saints

Wednesday, March 31, 2027

March 18 on the Old Calendar

Repose St Innocent, Metr. Moscow and Apostle to Americas

Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

Fasting: Wine and oil are allowed (Lenten Fast): no meat, fish, dairy, or eggs.Your priest can tell you how to keep the fast.
Tone: Tone 2This week’s Resurrection hymns are sung in the second of the Church’s eight tones.

The readings

TranslationTraditionalModernSide by side

Traditional: the King James Version (1611) for the New Testament. The Old Testament is Brenton’s English Septuagint (1844), from the Greek Old Testament the Church reads, in both settings; some of its verse numbers differ from other Bibles. Underlined words are explained in Words of Prayer.

Modern: the World English Bible for the New Testament. The Old Testament stays Brenton’s Septuagint (1844): there is no modern English translation of the Greek Old Testament that is free to publish. Your choice is remembered on this device.

Matins1 reading

Matins Gospel

John 10:1-9

Traditional

¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ²But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. ⁴And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. ⁵And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. ⁶This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. ⁷Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Modern

¹“Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, is a thief and a robber. ²But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ⁵They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.” ⁶Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them. ⁷Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door. ⁸All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. ⁹I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out and will find pasture.

The 6th Hour1 reading

Old Testament reading

Isaiah 10:12-20

¹²And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have finished doing all things on mount Sion and Jerusalem, that I will visit upon the proud heart, even upon the ruler of the Assyrians, and upon the boastful haughtiness of his eyes. ¹³For he said, I will act in strength, and in the wisdom of my understanding I will remove the boundaries of nations, and will spoil their strength. ¹⁴And I will shake the inhabited cities: and I will take with my hand all the world as a nest: and I will even take them as eggs that have been left; and there is none that shall escape me, or contradict me. ¹⁵Shall the axe glorify itself without him that hews with it? or shall the saw lift up itself without him that uses it, as if one should lift a rod or staff? but it shall not be so; ¹⁶but the Lord of hosts shall send dishonour upon thine honour, and burning fire shall be kindled upon thy glory. ¹⁷And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and he shall sanctify him with burning fire, and it shall devour the wood as grass. ¹⁸In that day the mountains shall be consumed, and the hills, and the forests, and fire shall devour both soul and body: and he that flees shall be as one fleeing from burning flame. ¹⁹And they that are left of them shall be a small number, and a child shall write them.

²⁰And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel shall no more join themselves with, and the saved of Jacob shall no more trust in, them that injured them; but they shall trust in the Holy God of Israel, in truth.

Vespers2 readings

Old Testament reading 1 of 2

Genesis 7:6-9

⁶And Noe was six hundred years old when the flood of water was upon the earth. ⁷And then went in Noe and his sons and his wife, and his sons' wives with him into the ark, because of the water of the flood. ⁸And of clean flying creatures and of unclean flying creatures, and of clean cattle and of unclean cattle, and of all things that creep upon the earth, ⁹pairs went in to Noe into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noe.

Old Testament reading 2 of 2

Proverbs 9:12-18 (LXX)

¹²Son, if thou be wise for thyself, thou shalt also be wise for thy neighbours; and if thou shouldest prove wicked, thou alone wilt bear the evil.

¹³A foolish and bold woman, who knows not modesty, comes to want a morsel. ¹⁴She sits at the doors of her house, on a seat openly in the streets, ¹⁵calling to passers by, and to those that are going right on their ways; ¹⁶saying, Whoso is most senseless of you, let him turn aside to me; and I exhort those that want prudence, saying, ¹⁷Take and enjoy secret bread, and the sweet water of theft.

¹⁸But he knows that mighty men die by her, and he falls in with a snare of hell.

The Divine Liturgy2 readings

Epistle for St. Innocent

Hebrews 7:26-8:2

Traditional

²⁶For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; ²⁷Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. ²⁸For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

¹Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; ²A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

Modern

²⁶For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; ²⁷who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself. ²⁸For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son forever who has been perfected.

¹Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ²a servant of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, not man.

Gospel for St. Innocent

John 10:9-16

Traditional

⁹I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. ¹¹I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. ¹²But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. ¹³The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. ¹⁵As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Modern

⁹I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out and will find pasture. ¹⁰The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. ¹¹“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹²He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. ¹³The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own; ¹⁵even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶I have other sheep which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.

Remembered on this day

Akakios the Confessor
Hieromartyr Hypatius, Bishop of Gangra (326)
St Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow (1461)

Calendar: Orthocal, following the Revised Julian (New) Calendar of the Orthodox Church in America. Parishes on the Old Calendar keep each day 13 days later. Check your own parish calendar.