The Lord said to His disciples, "Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass away until all these things come to pass; heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but only My Father alone; but as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of Man: for as in the days before the flood they ate and drank, and married and were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and did not think until the flood came and destroyed them all, so shall the coming of the Son of man be. then there will be two in the field: one is taken, and the other is left; two grinders in millstones: one is taken, and the other is left. Watch therefore, for you do not know at what hour your Lord is coming. But you know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have been awake and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Wherefore ye also be ready, for at an hour ye think not, the Son of man shall come.

Matthew 24:34–44

Saturday of the 16th week.

The Gospel of Matthew, conceived 102

The Lord said to His disciples, "Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but only My Father alone; but as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of Man: for as in the days before the flood they ate and drank, and married and were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and did not think until the flood came and destroyed them all, so shall the coming of the Son of man be. then there will be two in the field: one is taken, and the other is left; two grinders in millstones: one is taken, and the other is left. Watch therefore, for you do not know at what hour your Lord is coming. But you know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have been awake and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Wherefore ye also be ready, for at an hour ye think not, the Son of man shall come. Who, then, is the faithful and discreet servant whom his master has set over his servants, to give them food in season? Blessed is the servant whom his master finds, when he comes, doing so; verily I say unto you, that he shall set him over all his possessions. But if that servant, being angry, says in his heart, "My lord will not come soon, and begins to beat his fellows, and to eat and drink with drunkards," then the lord of that servant will come in a day when he does not expect, and in an hour when he does not think, and will cut him in pieces, and will subject him to the same fate as the hypocrites. there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the kingdom of heaven will be like unto the ten virgins, who, taking their lamps, went out to meet the bridegroom. Of these, five were wise and five were foolish. The foolish took their lamps, and did not take oil with them. And the wise ones, together with their lamps, took the oil in their vessels. And when the bridegroom tarried, they all dozed off and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry: "Behold, the bridegroom is coming, come out to meet him." Then all the virgins arose, and straightened their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us your oil, for our lamps are going out. And the wise answered, "In order that there may be no shortage both among us and among you, it is better to go to those who sell and buy for yourselves." And when they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him to the wedding feast, and the doors were shut. then the other virgins come and say: Lord! God! open to us. And he answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, I know ye not. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. For He will act as a man who, going to a foreign country, called his servants, and entrusted to them his possessions: and to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability; and immediately departed. He who received five talents went and used them in business and acquired the other five talents; in the same way, he who received two talents acquired the other two; And he who received one talent went and buried it in the ground, and hid his master's money. After a long time, the lord of those servants comes and demands an account from them. And he who had received the five talents came and brought the other five talents, and said, "Lord! Five talents thou hast given me; behold, the other five talents I have gained with them. His master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant! in a few things you have been faithful, I will set you over many; enter into the joy of your master. He who had received the two talents also came and said, "Lord! Two talents thou hast given me; behold, the other two talents I have acquired with them. His master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant! in a few things you have been faithful, I will set you over many; enter into the joy of your master. And he who had received one talent came and said, "Lord! I knew thee that thou art a cruel man, that thou reapest where thou hast not sown, and that thou hast gathered where thou hast not scattered, and that thou hast gone and hid thy talent in the ground; Here's yours for you. And his lord answered and said to him, "Wicked servant and slothful! Thou knowest that I reap where I have not sown, and I gather where I have not scattered; therefore it behooved thee to give my money to the merchants, and when I came, I would have received mine with profit; Therefore, take a talent from him and give it to him who has ten talents, for to everyone who has it will be given and will be multiplied, but from him who does not have it will be taken away even that which he has. but cast the worthless servant into outer darkness: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Having said this, he exclaimed: "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!" But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory, and all nations will be gathered before Him; and separate one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those who are on His right hand, "Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave Me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you received me; I was naked, and you clothed me; was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer Him, "Lord! when did we see Thee hungry, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave them to drink? when did we see Thee as a stranger, and received Thee? Or naked, and clothed? when we saw Thee sick, or in prison, and came to Thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then he will say also to those on the left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and you did not give me to drink; I was a stranger, and they did not receive Me; I was naked, and they did not clothe me; I am sick and in prison, and have not visited me. Then they also will answer and say to Him, "Lord! when did we see Thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not serve Thee? Then shall he answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have not done it unto one of the least of these, ye have not done it unto me. And these shall go away into eternal punishment, and the righteous into eternal life. When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, "You know that in two days there will be the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."

Matthew 24:36–26:2

Great Tuesday, at the Liturgy.

The Gospel of Matthew, conceived 103

The Lord said to His disciples, "Watch, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come." But you know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have been awake and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Wherefore ye also be ready, for at an hour ye think not, the Son of man shall come. Who, then, is the faithful and discreet servant whom his master has set over his servants, to give them food in season? Blessed is the servant whom his master finds, when he comes, doing so; verily I say unto you, that he shall set him over all his possessions.

Matthew 24:42–47

September 30, to Gregory, the Enlightener of Armenia.

The Gospel of Matthew, conceived 104

The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven shall be like unto the ten virgins, who, taking their lamps, went out to meet the bridegroom." Of these, five were wise and five were foolish. The foolish took their lamps, and did not take oil with them. And the wise ones, together with their lamps, took the oil in their vessels. And when the bridegroom tarried, they all dozed off and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry: "Behold, the bridegroom is coming, come out to meet him." Then all the virgins arose, and straightened their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us your oil, for our lamps are going out. And the wise answered, "In order that there may be no shortage both among us and among you, it is better to go to those who sell and buy for yourselves." And when they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him to the wedding feast, and the doors were shut. then the other virgins come and say: Lord! God! open to us. And he answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, I know ye not. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

Matthew 25:1-13