The Nativity of the Theotokos - 9/8/26
On Tuesday, September 8th, we celebrate the The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady, Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary as well as the Icons of the Mother of God:
“Kursk-Root” Icon of the Sign (1259)
“Pochaev” (1559)
“Kholmsk”,
and others.
Readings for Tuesday, September 8th:
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21
I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
1
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?
2
This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3
Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
4
Have you suffered so many things in vain – if indeed it was in vain?
5
Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? –
6
just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
7
Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.
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1
Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.
2
And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!
3
Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.
4
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”
5
Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
6
And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
7
And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.
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5
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6
who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7
but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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38
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.
39
And 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 approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
41
And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
42
But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
27
And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”
28
But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
The Holy Scriptures are part of the Church’s Holy Tradition. Metropolitan Kallistos Ware of blessed memory wrote:
In the words of Father Alexander Schmemann, “A Christian is the one who, wherever he looks, finds everywhere Christ, and rejoices in Him.” This is true in particular of the biblical Christian. Wherever he looks, on every page, he finds everywhere Christ.
See Metropolitan Ware’s article How to Read the Bible for more on an Orthodox approach to scripture.