Sunday, November 15th, is the twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost. On this day we commemorate:
Holy Martyrs and Confessors Gurias, Samonas, and Habibus, of Edessa (299-306)
Martyrs Elpidius, Marcellus, and Eustochius, who suffered under Julian the Apostate (4th c.)
Martyr Dēmḗtrios of Thrace (ca. 307)
Ven. Paísii (Paisius) Velichkovsky (1794)
“Fragrant Flower” Icon of the Mother of God.
Readings for Sunday, November 15th:
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14
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
15
having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
16
and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
17
And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.
18
For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
19
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
21
in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
22
in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
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25
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26
He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27
So he answered and said, “’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”
28
And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
29
But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30
Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31
Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32
Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.
33
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.
34
So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35
On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’
36
So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
37
And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
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.