Tuesday of the 6th week.

The Gospel of Matthew, conceived 52b

The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; And while the people were asleep, his enemy came, and sowed tares among the wheat, and departed. When the greenery sprang up and the fruit appeared, then the tares also appeared. And when the householder's servants came, they said to him, "Lord! Did you not sow good seed in your field? whence then are the tares on it? And he said to them, The enemy man has done this. And the slaves said to him, "Do you want us to go and choose them?" But he said, "No, lest you pick up the tares and pull up the wheat with them, let both grow together until the harvest; And at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares, and bind them into sheaves to burn them, and gather the wheat into my garner. And His disciples came to Him, and said, Explain to us the parable of the tares in the field. And he answered and said unto them, He that soweth good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the sons of the Kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Therefore as they gather tares and burn with fire, so shall it be at the end of this world: the Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all the temptations and those who work iniquity, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!

Matthew 13:24-30, 36b-43

To the Angels, at Matins.

The Gospel of Matthew, conceived 53

The Lord said this parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which, although it is the least of all seeds, yet when it grows it is greater than all grains and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air fly and take refuge in its branches. He said to them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and put into three measures of flour, until everything was leavened." All these things Jesus spoke to the people in parables, and did not speak to them without a parable, that it might be fulfilled that which was spoken through the prophet, who said, I will open my mouth in parables; I will speak the hidden things from the foundation of the world. Then Jesus sent the people away, and went into the house.

Matthew 13:31–36a

Wednesday 6 weeks.

On the eve of the Nativity of Christ, at vespers,

performed separately from the Liturgy (on Saturday and Sunday).

The Gospel of Matthew, conceived 54

In those days, Jesus sent the people away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, and said, Explain to us the parable of the tares in the field. And he answered and said unto them, He that soweth good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the sons of the Kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Therefore as they gather tares and burn with fire, so shall it be at the end of this world: the Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all the temptations and those who work iniquity, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!

Matthew 13:36–43