Daily Readings | Christ the Savior Orthodox Church

September 28, 2026

Ven. Chariton the Confessor

No Fast — Wine and Oil are Allowed

Commemorations

St Chariton the Confessor of Palestine (350) • Holy Prophet Baruch (6th c. BC) • Holy Martyr Vatslav (Wenceslas), King of the Czechs (929)

Wisdom of Solomon 5.15-6.3

¹⁵ But the righteous live forever. Their reward is in the Lord, and the care for them with the Most High. ¹⁶ Therefore they will receive the crown of royal dignity and the diadem of beauty from the Lord’s hand, because he will cover them with his right hand, and he will shield them with his arm. ¹⁷ He will take his zeal as complete armor, and will make the whole creation his weapons to punish his enemies: ¹⁸ He will put on righteousness as a breastplate, and will wear impartial judgment as a helmet. ¹⁹ He will take holiness as an invincible shield. ²⁰ He will sharpen stern wrath for a sword. The universe will go with him to fight against his frenzied foes. ²¹ Shafts of lightning will fly with true aim. They will leap to the mark from the clouds, as from a well-drawn bow. ²² Hailstones full of wrath will be hurled as from a catapult. The water of the sea will be angered against them. Rivers will sternly overwhelm them. ²³ A mighty wind will encounter them. It will winnow them away like a tempest. So lawlessness will make all the land desolate. Their evil-doing will overturn the thrones of princes. ¹ Hear therefore, you kings, and understand. Learn, you judges of the ends of the earth. ² Give ear, you rulers who have dominion over many people, and make your boast in multitudes of nations, ³ because your dominion was given to you from the Lord, and your sovereignty from the Most High. He will search out your works, and will inquire about your plans,

Wisdom of Solomon 3.1-9

¹ But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will touch them. ² In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died. Their departure was considered a disaster, ³ and their travel away from us ruin, but they are in peace. ⁴ For even if in the sight of men they are punished, their hope is full of immortality. ⁵ Having borne a little chastening, they will receive great good; because God tested them, and found them worthy of himself. ⁶ He tested them like gold in the furnace, and he accepted them as a whole burnt offering. ⁷ In the time of their visitation they will shine. They will run back and forth like sparks among stubble. ⁸ They will judge nations and have dominion over peoples. The Lord will reign over them forever. ⁹ Those who trust him will understand truth. The faithful will live with him in love, because grace and mercy are with his chosen ones.

Wisdom of Solomon 4.7-15

⁷ But a righteous man, even if he dies before his time, will be at rest. ⁸ For honorable old age is not that which stands in length of time, nor is its measure given by number of years, ⁹ but understanding is gray hair to men, and an unspotted life is ripe old age. ¹⁰ Being found well-pleasing to God, someone was loved. While living among sinners he was transported. ¹¹ He was caught away, lest evil should change his understanding, or guile deceive his soul. ¹² For the fascination of wickedness obscures the things which are good, and the whirl of desire perverts an innocent mind. ¹³ Being made perfect quickly, he filled a long time; ¹⁴ for his soul was pleasing to the Lord. Therefore he hurried out of the midst of wickedness. ¹⁵ But the peoples saw and didn’t understand, not considering this, that grace and mercy are with his chosen, and that he visits his holy ones;

Matthew 4.25-5.12

²⁵ Great multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan followed him. ¹ Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him. ² He opened his mouth and taught them, saying, ³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.5:3 Isaiah 57:15; 66:2 ⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.5:4 Isaiah 61:2; 66:10,13 ⁵ Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.5:5 Psalms 37:11 ⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. ⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. ⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. ¹⁰ Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. ¹¹ “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. ¹² Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Ephesians 4.25-32

²⁵ Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. ²⁶ “Be angry, and don’t sin.”4:26 Psalms 4:4 Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷ and don’t give place to the devil. ²⁸ Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need. ²⁹ Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear. ³⁰ Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

2 Corinthians 4.6-15

⁶ seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,”4:6 Genesis 1:3 who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ⁷ But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves. ⁸ We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair; ⁹ pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed; ¹⁰ always carrying in the body the putting to death of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh. ¹² So then death works in us, but life in you. ¹³ But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.”4:13 Psalms 116:10 We also believe, and therefore we also speak, ¹⁴ knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also through Jesus, and will present us with you. ¹⁵ For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

Luke 4.37-44

³⁷ News about him went out into every place of the surrounding region. ³⁸ He rose up from the synagogue and entered into Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a great fever, and they begged him to help her. ³⁹ He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she rose up and served them. ⁴⁰ When the sun was setting, all those who had any sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. ⁴¹ Demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” Rebuking them, he didn’t allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. ⁴² When it was day, he departed and went into an uninhabited place and the multitudes looked for him, and came to him, and held on to him, so that he wouldn’t go away from them. ⁴³ But he said to them, “I must preach the good news of God’s Kingdom to the other cities also. For this reason I have been sent.” ⁴⁴ He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

Luke 6.17-23

¹⁷ He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, ¹⁸ as well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits; and they were being healed. ¹⁹ All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out of him and healed them all. ²⁰ He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for God’s Kingdom is yours. ²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ²² Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. ²³ Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets.

St Chariton the Confessor of Palestine (350)

He was born in Iconium during the reign of Aurelian, and knew St Thecla. He was arrested, tortured and condemned to death for his Christian faith. But before his execution was carried out, the cruel Emperor Aurelian died, and Chariton was freed. He travelled to Jerusalem and took up the ascetical life in the Palestinian wilderness. Monks gathered around him, and in the course of his life he established three monastic communities in the Holy Land. He died in peace at a great age. According to the Prologue, the practice of tonsuring monks originated with St Chariton.

Holy Prophet Baruch (6th c. BC)

He was the disciple and scribe of the Prophet Jeremiah; his name means “blessed.” The prophetical book that bears his name is not included in the Protestant canon of scripture; if your Bible does not contain it, look for another Bible.

Holy Martyr Vatslav (Wenceslas), King of the Czechs (929)

“The grandson of St Ludmilla, he lived as king in spiritual striving in the Faith like the great ascetics, and strengthened the Orthodox faith among his people. He took care when sitting in judgement that no innocent man should suffer. In his zeal for the Christian faith and his love for his neighbour, holy Vatslav bought pagan children who had been sold as slaves and immediately baptised them, bringing them up as Christians. He translated St John’s Gospel into Czech and brought the relics of St Vitus and his grandmother, Ludmilla, to Prague. His brother Boleslav invited him to stay and killed him at his court. Immediately after this, Boleslav began to make German priests and to have the Liturgy celebrated in Latin. Holy Vatslav suffered in 929. His relics are preserved in Prague.” (Prologue) This is the “Good King Wenceslaus” of the popular Christmas carol.

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