Our Venerable Father Thomas of Maleum and Acacius who is mentioned in “The Ladder of Divine Ascent.”

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: God of our fathers, You always treat us fairly.* Deprive us not of Your mercy* but by their prayers direct our lives in peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: Passing through the swell of the waves without being wet*, you mightily engulfed the incorporeal enemies* in the streams of your tears, O godly venerable martyrs.* Having received the gift of miracles,* pray without ceasing for all of us.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7

The venerable ones will exult in glory* and they shall by joyful in their beds.

verse: Sing to the Lord a new song; let His praise be in the assembly of the venerable ones. (Psalm 149:5,1)

Epistle

1 Corinthians 6:20-7:12

Brothers and Sisters, you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is well for a man not to touch a woman.” But because of cases of sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except perhaps by agreement for a set time, to devote yourselves to prayer, and then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. This I say by way of concession, not of command. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has a particular gift from God, one having one kind and another a different kind.

To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain unmarried as I am. But if they are not practicing self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion.

To the married I give this command—not I but the Lord—that the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does separate, let her remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.

To the rest I say—I and not the Lord—that if any believer has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.

Alleluia, Tone 6

verse: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; he shall delight exceedingly in His commandments.

verse: His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth. (Psalm 111:1,2)

Gospel

Matthew 14:1-13

At that time Herod the ruler heard reports about Jesus; and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead, and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Though Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. The head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother. His disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went and told Jesus.

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.

Communion Hymn

Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 32:1)