Daily Readings | Christ the Savior Orthodox Church

September 12, 2026

Saturday before Elevation

No Fast — Wine and Oil are Allowed

Commemorations

Hieromartyr Autonomus, Bishop in Italy • Our Holy Father Athanasius the Elder of Vysotsk (early 15th c.), and his disciple Athanasius the Younger (1395)

1 Corinthians 2.6-9

⁶ We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown, yet a wisdom not of this world nor of the rulers of this world who are coming to nothing. ⁷ But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory, ⁸ which none of the rulers of this world has known. For had they known it, they wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹ But as it is written, “Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, which didn’t enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him.”2:9 Isaiah 64:4

1 Corinthians 4.17-5.5

¹⁷ Because of this I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every assembly. ¹⁸ Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. ¹⁹ But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing. And I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. ²⁰ For God’s Kingdom is not in word, but in power. ²¹ What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness? ¹ It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that one has his father’s wife. ² You are arrogant, and didn’t mourn instead, that he who had done this deed might be removed from among you. ³ For I most certainly, as being absent in body but present in spirit, have already, as though I were present, judged him who has done this thing. ⁴ In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together with my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁵ you are to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Philippians 2.5-11

⁵ Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross. ⁹ Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Matthew 10.37-11.1

³⁷ He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me. ³⁸ He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me isn’t worthy of me. ³⁹ He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. ⁴⁰ “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. ⁴¹ He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. He who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴² Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.” ¹ When Jesus had finished directing his twelve disciples, he departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.

Matthew 24.1-13

¹ Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. ² But he answered them, “You see all of these things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down.” ³ As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” ⁴ Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. ⁵ For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray. ⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ But all these things are the beginning of birth pains. ⁹ “Then they will deliver you up to oppression and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake. ¹⁰ Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another. ¹¹ Many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray. ¹² Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But he who endures to the end will be saved.

Luke 10.38-42, 11.27-28

³⁸ As they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came up to him, and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister left me to serve alone? Ask her therefore to help me.” ⁴¹ Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, ⁴² but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.” ²⁷ It came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!” ²⁸ But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it.”

Hieromartyr Autonomus, bishop of Italy (313)

He fled from Italy to Bithynia during Diocletian’s persecutions. In Bithynia he converted so many pagans to faith in Christ that those whose hearts remained hard rose up against him and, while he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Archangel Michael, slew him at the altar, killing many other worshipers with him. Two hundred years after his death, he appeared to a soldier named John, who unearthed his relics and found them to be completely incorrupt.

Our Holy Father Athanasius the Elder of Vysotsk (early 15th c.), and his disciple Athanasius the Younger (1395)

He was reared in piety by his father, a priest in Novgorod. One day, hearing the words of the Gospel, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me, he renounced the world and entered the Monastery of St Sergius of Radonezh. He became St Sergius’ disciple and, after a few years, became known for his virtue and his knowledge of Scripture. In 1374, with the blessing of his spiritual father, he founded the Monastery of Vysotsk, becoming its first abbot. After heading the monastery for fourteen years, he traveled to Kiev and then, in 1401, to the Monastery of the Stoudion in Constantinople. There he devoted himself to translating books from Greek to Slavonic, sending his translations back to his monastery in Russia. It was he who translated the Jerusalem Typikon and several collections of the writings of the Fathers of the Church, immeasurably enriching the life of the Church in Russia. He reposed in peace in Constantinople.

His disciple Athanasius the Younger was made Abbot of Vysotsk on the elder’s departure for Constantinople, and served as Abbot for eight years, reposing in peace in 1395. He was called ‘perfect in fasting, strong in self-restraint, zealous in prayer, patient in privations and tribulations.’ The Synaxarion says that “He taught his monks to keep careful watch on every movement of the heart so as to drive away every thought displeasing to God.”

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