Sunday, 31 August 2025

12th Sunday after Pentecost

133 days after Pascha · Tone 3 · Liturgy · No Fast

Saints commemorated

★ Placing of the Honourable Cincture of the Most Holy Theotokos

The Orthodox Church keeps as a feast on this day the placing of the venerable Cincture, or Sash, of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Church of the Mother of God at Chalcoprateia in Constantinople, and afterwards in the Church of the Mother of God at Blachernae. According to ancient tradition, after her dormition the Theotokos let down her cincture from heaven into the hands of the Apostle Thomas, in token that her body had been translated to glory; the cincture was preserved by the faithful in Jerusalem and there transmitted from generation to generation, until in the reign of the Emperor Arcadius (395-408) it was brought to Constantinople and laid up in a precious reliquary in the Chalcoprateia Church. Under the Emperor Leo the Wise (886-912) the reliquary was opened and the sash was placed upon the empress Zoe, who was healed of an unclean spirit; the empress in gratitude embroidered the sash with golden threads, and the sealing of the reliquary was henceforth marked by an annual feast. Portions of the precious cincture are preserved on Mount Athos at the monastery of Vatopedi and at other places, where they continue to bestow many graces. The feast is the last of the moveable cycle of the ecclesiastical year, which begins on 1 September.

★ The Placing of the Sash of the Most Holy Theotokos (395-408? 886- 912?)

At the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, her sash came into the possession of the Apostle Thomas and after various transfers came to Cappadocia. It was later taken from there to Constantinople, where it was kept in a sealed casket in the Church of the Theotokos at Blachernae, at the time of the Emperor Arcadius (395-408). The casket was not opened until the reign of the Emperor Leo the Wise (886-912), when the Empress Zoe, who was ill, had a vision in which she was told to have the sash placed upon her. The Emperor obtained the blessing of the Patriarch, the sash was placed upon the Empress, and she was immediately healed. Some accounts say that today’s feast celebrates the bringing of the sash to Constantinople; others that it commemorates the miraculous healing of the Empress.

Holy Hieromartyr Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage

Saint Cyprian was born about the year 200 at Carthage in North Africa to a wealthy and noble pagan family, and was given a brilliant education in rhetoric and philosophy. After many years as a celebrated teacher he was converted to Christ in middle life by the priest Caecilius, who became his spiritual father. Distributing his goods to the poor, he was soon ordained priest and within two years, in 248, was elected Bishop of Carthage. As bishop he led his Church through the great persecution of the Emperor Decius, withdrawing for a time so as to govern by letters, and afterwards through the controversies over the reception of the lapsed and the validity of heretical baptism. His writings, including On the Unity of the Church and a wealth of pastoral letters, are a foundation of Latin theology of the Church and the episcopate. Under the persecution of the Emperor Valerian he was banished, and at last on 14 September 258, he was beheaded with the sword outside Carthage, the first bishop of the African Church to be crowned with martyrdom. The Orthodox Church honours his memory on the thirty first of August, the day of his ordination.

Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne

Saint Aidan was an Irish monk of Iona who became the apostle of Northumbria in northern Britain. After the death of King Edwin in 633 the Christian faith newly planted in that kingdom was almost overthrown, until the holy King Oswald, who had himself been baptised on Iona, asked the brethren of that monastery for a missionary to lead his people back to Christ. Saint Aidan was sent in 635 and was given by the king the island of Lindisfarne, near the royal stronghold of Bamburgh, for his episcopal seat. From there he founded the famous Lindisfarne monastery, trained native English clergy and travelled tirelessly through the north on foot, accompanied often by the king himself who served as his interpreter. He was a man of profound humility, almsgiving and prayer, who gave to the poor whatever he received from the rich, who freed the slaves of his land with money paid by his patrons, and who would not ride on a horse where he could walk among his people. He fell asleep in the Lord on 31 August 651 at Bamburgh, leaning against a beam of the church which by tradition has never since been consumed by fire.

Saint Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople

Saint Gennadius served as Patriarch of Constantinople from 458 to 471, during the reigns of the Emperors Leo I and Anastasius. Renowned for his profound knowledge of Holy Scripture, he was the author of commentaries on the books of the prophets and on the epistles of Saint Paul, fragments of which are preserved in the catenae of the fathers. As patriarch he was a careful guardian of the canons of the Church, particularly in his concern that those ordained to the priesthood should be of true learning and piety; he convened a council at Constantinople in 459 against simony, requiring that no man receive holy orders for money under pain of deposition. After thirteen years on the throne he reposed in peace, and is honoured among the holy hierarchs of the great Church.

Also commemorated: Sash of the Theotokos

Daily readings

1st Matins Gospel

Matthew — Matthew 28.16-20

¹⁶Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

¹⁶But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them. ¹⁷And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. ¹⁷And when they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. ¹⁸And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:

¹⁹Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: ²⁰Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. ²⁰teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

Epistle

weekly cycle

1 Corinthians — 1 Corinthians 15.1-11

¹Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand,

¹Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; ²by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. ²By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. ³For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; ³For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; ⁴and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures; ⁴And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: ⁵and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; ⁵And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: ⁶After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. ⁶then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; ⁷After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. ⁷then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; ⁸and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also. ⁸And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ⁹For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ⁹For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. ¹⁰But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. ¹¹Whether then it be I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. ¹¹Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Matthew — Matthew 19.16-26

¹⁶And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

¹⁶And behold, one came to him and said, Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? ¹⁷And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. ¹⁷And he said unto him, Why askest thou me concerning that which is good? One there is who is good: but if thou wouldest enter into life, keep the commandments. ¹⁸He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, ¹⁸He saith unto him, Which? And Jesus said, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, ¹⁹Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ¹⁹Honor thy father and thy mother; and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. ²⁰The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? ²⁰The young man saith unto him, All these things have I observed: what lack I yet? ²¹Jesus said unto him, If thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell that which thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. ²¹Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. ²²But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sorrowful; for he was one that had great possessions. ²²But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

²³Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

²³And Jesus said unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. ²⁴And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. ²⁵When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? ²⁵And when the disciples heard it, they were astonished exceedingly, saying, Who then can be saved? ²⁶But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. ²⁶And Jesus looking upon them said to them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.