Wednesday 9 weeks.

March 9, to the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste.

The Gospel of Matthew, conceived 81

In those days, when Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took away the twelve disciples on the way, and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be delivered up to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death. and they shall deliver him up to the Gentiles to be mocked, and scourged, and crucified; and on the third day he will rise again. Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Him with her sons, bowing down and asking Him for something. He said to her, "What do you want?" She said to Him, "Tell these two of my sons to sit with You, one on Your right hand, and the other on Your left, in Your kingdom." Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you are asking." Can you drink the cup that I will drink, or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? They say to Him, "We can." And he said to them, "You will drink my cup, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to let me sit on my right hand and on my left, it does not depend on me, but on whom my Father has prepared." Hearing this, the other ten disciples were indignant with the two brothers. And Jesus called them, and said, "You know that the princes of the nations rule over them, and the nobles rule over them; but let it not be so among you: but whoever wants to be great among you, let him be your servant; and whoever wants to be first among you, let him be your servant; for the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Matthew 20:17–28

Thursday, 9th week.

The Gospel of Matthew, conceived 82

In the days when Jesus came out of Jericho, a multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the wayside, hearing that Jesus was passing by, began to cry out: "Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!" The people forced them to be silent; but they began to cry out even louder: "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" And Jesus stopped, and called them, and said, What do you want of me? They said to Him, "Lord! that our eyes may be opened. And Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes saw and they followed him.

Matthew 20:29–34

Saturday, 12th week.

The Gospel of Matthew, conceived 83a

In those days, when Jesus drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethpage to the Mount of Olives, then He sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village that is right before you; and immediately you will find a donkey tied up, and a young ass with it; when you have untied it, bring it to me; and if anyone says anything to you, answer that the Lord has need of them; and immediately he will send them. Yet all this was done, that it might be fulfilled that which was spoken through the prophet, who says: Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you meek, sitting on an ass and a colt, the son of a foal. The disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them: they brought the donkey and the colt and the colt and put their garments on them, and he sat on top of them. A multitude of people spread their garments along the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them along the way; And the people who preceded and accompanied cried out, Hosanna to the Son of David! blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! And when he entered into Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred, saying, Who is this? And the people said, "This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." And when the chief priests and the scribes saw the miracles which he had wrought, and the children crying out in the temple, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David! They were indignant, and said to Him, Do you hear what they say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yes! Have you never read: Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast arranged praise? And having left them, he went out of the city to Bethany, and there he spent the night.

Matthew 21:1-11; 15–17

Sunday of Vai, at Matins.