Daily Readings | Christ the Savior Orthodox Church

September 20, 2026

16th Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday after Elevation

No Fast

Commemorations

Greatmartyr Eustathius and Martyr Theopistes • Martyrs Michael and Theodore of Chernigov • Holy Martyrs Hypatius and Andrew, Confessors of the Holy Icons (8th c.) • Sts Anastasius, Theodore, Euprepius and Anastasius the Younger, confessors and disciples of St Maximos the Confessor (7th c.)

Luke 24.12-35

¹² But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he departed to his home, wondering what had happened. ¹³ Behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ They talked with each other about all of these things which had happened. ¹⁵ While they talked and questioned together, Jesus himself came near, and went with them. ¹⁶ But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷ He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk, and are sad?” ¹⁸ One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things which have happened there in these days?” ¹⁹ He said to them, “What things?” They said to him, “The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; ²⁰ and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. ²¹ But we were hoping that it was he who would redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. ²² Also, certain women of our company amazed us, having arrived early at the tomb; ²³ and when they didn’t find his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. ²⁴ Some of us went to the tomb and found it just like the women had said, but they didn’t see him.” ²⁵ He said to them, “Foolish people, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Didn’t the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?” ²⁷ Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. ²⁸ They came near to the village where they were going, and he acted like he would go further. ²⁹ They urged him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is almost evening, and the day is almost over.” He went in to stay with them. ³⁰ When he had sat down at the table with them, he took the bread and gave thanks. Breaking it, he gave it to them. ³¹ Their eyes were opened and they recognized him; then he vanished out of their sight. ³² They said to one another, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us along the way, and while he opened the Scriptures to us?” ³³ They rose up that very hour, returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them, ³⁴ saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵ They related the things that happened along the way, and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

Galatians 2.16-20

¹⁶ yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law. ¹⁷ But if while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a servant of sin? Certainly not! ¹⁸ For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker. ¹⁹ For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.

2 Corinthians 6.1-10

¹ Working together, we entreat also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain. ² For he says, “At an acceptable time I listened to you. In a day of salvation I helped you.”6:2 Isaiah 49:8 Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. ³ We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed, ⁴ but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God: in great endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, ⁵ in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in fastings, ⁶ in pureness, in knowledge, in perseverance, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love, ⁷ in the word of truth, in the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, ⁸ by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report, as deceivers and yet true, ⁹ as unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold—we live, as punished and not killed, ¹⁰ as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

Mark 8.34-9.1

³⁴ He called the multitude to himself with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it. ³⁶ For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? ³⁷ For what will a man give in exchange for his life? ³⁸ For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” ¹ He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death until they see God’s Kingdom come with power.”

Matthew 25.14-30

¹⁴ “For it is like a man going into another country, who called his own servants and entrusted his goods to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶ Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. ¹⁷ In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two. ¹⁸ But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money. ¹⁹ “Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents in addition to them.’ ²¹ “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ ²² “He also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents in addition to them.’ ²³ “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ ²⁴ “He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow, and gathering where you didn’t scatter. ²⁵ I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’ ²⁶ “But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter. ²⁷ You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. ²⁸ Take away therefore the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. ²⁹ For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away. ³⁰ Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Great Martyr Eustathius (Eustace) Placidas, with his family (118)

Before baptism he was a renowned military commander under Trajan. While hunting in the woods, he met a great stag with a shining Cross between his antlers. Through the stag, the Lord spoke to Placidas (his pagan name) and told him to find a priest and be baptized into Christ. Returning home, he found that his wife Tatiana had also had a vision in which she was told to become a Christian. They were baptized, Placidas receiving the name Eustathius, and Tatiana the name Theopiste; their two sons were baptized with them. Eustathius and his family were almost immediately subjected to a series of grievous trials, in which all were separated from one another. After years of hardship they were re-united, and returned to Rome with honor when the Emperor sought out Eustathius to command his army once again. But when the Emperor Hadrian (who had succeeded Trajan) commanded them to worship the idols, all of them refused. They were put together into a large bronze ox which was heated white-hot in a fire. When their bodies were removed, they were found to be dead but intact. The Prologue concludes, ‘Thus this glorious general gave to Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and to God that which is God’s, and entered into the eternal Kingdom of Christ our God.’

Holy Martyrs Hypatius and Andrew, Confessors of the Holy Icons (8th c.)

They were friends from childhood, fellow-strugglers for holiness. Their godly way of life attracted the attention of the Bishop of Ephesus, who made Hypatius a bishop and Andrew a deacon and itinerant preacher. During the reign of Leo the Isaurian (714-41) they were both imprisoned for confessing the Orthodox faith and defending the veneration of the holy icons. They were subjected to various tortures, including having icons set afire on their heads in mockery of their faithfulness. They were executed near Constantinople and their bodies thrown to the dogs.

Sts Anastasius, Theodore, Euprepius and Anastasius the Younger, confessors and disciples of St Maximos the Confessor (7th c.)

These saints were disciples of St Maximos the Confessor (January 21) and suffered with him for their condemnation of the Monothelite doctrine promoted by the Emperor Constans II. Anastasius the elder (who had been the Papal representative to Constantinople) and Anastasius the younger were present at the Lateran Council called by St Martin, Pope of Rome (April 13), which condemned the Monothelite heresy. For this the Pope himself, and the two confessors named Anastasius, were seized by the Emperor. Along with St Maximos, the two endured many tortures; when St Maximos had his right hand cut off and his tongue cut out, Anastasius the elder suffered the same punishment. They, along with their fellow-disciples Euprepius and Theodore and St Maximos himself, were sent into exile to Lazica in the Caucasus, where all of them died. Euprepius died after one year; Saint Maximos after three years; Anastasius the younger a few days before St Maximos; Anastasius the elder after seven years of exile; and Theodore after twenty years. All remained steadfast until the end, and all are proclaimed as Confessors of the Faith.

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