Daily Readings | Christ the Savior Orthodox Church

August 30, 2026

13th Sunday after Pentecost

No Fast

Commemorations

Ss Alexander, John, Paul, Pats. Constantinople • Trans. Rel. St Alexander Nevsky • Synaxis of Serbian Hierarchs

Mark 16.1-8

¹ When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint him. ² Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. ³ They were saying among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” ⁴ for it was very big. Looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back. ⁵ Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. ⁶ He said to them, “Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him! ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.’” ⁸ They went out, and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come on them. They said nothing to anyone; for they were afraid.

1 Corinthians 16.13-24

¹³ Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong! ¹⁴ Let all that you do be done in love. ¹⁵ Now I beg you, brothers—you know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have set themselves to serve the saints— ¹⁶ that you also be in subjection to such, and to everyone who helps in the work and labors. ¹⁷ I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus; for that which was lacking on your part, they supplied. ¹⁸ For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge those who are like that. ¹⁹ The assemblies of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, together with the assembly that is in their house. ²⁰ All the brothers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. ²¹ This greeting is by me, Paul, with my own hand. ²² If any man doesn’t love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be cursed. Come, Lord! ²³ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. ²⁴ My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 21.33-42

³³ “Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country. ³⁴ When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit. ³⁵ The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. ³⁶ Again, he sent other servants more than the first; and they treated them the same way. ³⁷ But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸ But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and seize his inheritance.’ ³⁹ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard, then killed him. ⁴⁰ When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?” ⁴¹ They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers who will give him the fruit in its season.” ⁴² Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes’?21:42 Psalms 118:22-23

Synaxis of Serbian Hierarchs

On this day are commemorated seventeen holy Serbian hierarchs, beginning with St Sava (Sabbas), first Archbishop of Serbia and Equal to the Apostles. They are:

St Sava, first Archbishop of Serbia, Equal to the Apostles
Arsenius, his successor
Sava II, son of King Stephen the First-Crowned
Nicodemus, who lived on the Holy Mountain, was abbot of Hilandar Monastery there and Archbishop of Serbia
Joannicius, patriarch from 1346-1349
Ephraim, chosen as patriarch against his will in 1376. He crowned Prince Lazar, then renounced the patriarchal throne and retired into solitude
Spiridon, his successor (+1388)
Macarius, a great restorer of old churches and monasteries; printed many Church books (+1574)
Gabriel, a nobleman by birth. The Prologue says that he ‘took part in the Moscow Council under Patriarch Nikhon, because of which he was tortured by the Turks for treason and hanged in 1656.’
In addition, Eustace, Jacob, Danilo, Sava III, Gregory, John, Maxim and Nikhon.

The vital connection between the Serbian church and the Holy Mountain is obvious here; many of these hierarchs lived and struggled on Mt Athos.

Sts Alexander (340), John (595), and Paul the New (784), patriarchs of Constantinople

St Alexander took part in the First Ecumenical Council as delegate of Patriarch Metrophanes, who was too frail to attend; and succeeded Metrophanes on the Patriarchal throne. By his prayer to God that the Church might be spared the schemings of Arius, Arius was struck dead.

St John is, by one account, St John the Faster (Sept. 2), who reposed in 595; by another, St John Scholasticus (Feb. 21), who reposed in 577.

St Paul was Patriarch for five years, then renounced the Patriarchal throne to take the Great Schema.

Scripture from the World English Bible (Orthodox Edition). Calendar data courtesy of Orthocal.info.