Saturday in the First Week of Lent
(Commemoration of Saint Theodore the Recruit)

The Lesson of the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Hebrews.
Hebrews §303 (1:1-12).
God, Who, at sundry times and in divers manners, spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all, in these days hath spoken to us by His Son, Whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the world. Who being the brightness of His glory, and the figure of His substance, and upholding all things by the word of His power, making purgation of sins, sitteth on the right hand of the majesty on high. Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels hath He said at any time: Thou art My Son, today have I begotten Thee? And again: I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son? And again, when He bringeth in the first begotten into the world, He saith: And let all the angels of God adore Him. And to the angels indeed He saith: He that maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire. But to the Son: Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of justice is the sceptre of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved justice, and hated iniquity: therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows. And: Thou in the beginning, O Lord, didst found the earth: and the works of Thy hands are the heavens. They shall perish, but Thou shalt continue: and they shall all grow old as a garment. And as a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the selfsame, and Thy years shall not fail.

II Timothy §292 (2:1-10).
My son Timothy: Be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus: and the things which thou hast heard of me by many witnesses, the same commend to faithful men, who shall be fit to teach others also. Labour as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No man, being a soldier to God, entangleth himself with secular businesses; that he may please him to whom he hath engaged himself. For he also that striveth for the mastery, is not crowned, except he strive lawfully. The husbandman, that laboureth, must first partake of the fruits. Understand what I say: for the Lord will give thee in all things understanding. Be mindful that the Lord Jesus Christ is risen again from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my gospel. Wherein I labour even unto bands, as an evildoer; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with heavenly glory.

The Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark.
Saint Mark §10 (2:23-3:5).
At that time: As the Lord walked through the corn fields on the sabbath, His disciples began to go forward, and to pluck the ears of corn. And the Pharisees said to Him: Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? And He said to them: Have you never read what David did when he had need, and was hungry himself, and they that were with him? How he went into the house of God, under Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the loaves of proposition, which was not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave to them who were with him? And He said to them: The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath also. And He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand. And they watched Him whether He would heal on the sabbath days; that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand: Stand up in the midst. And He saith to them: Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life, or to destroy? But they held their peace. And looking round about on them with anger, being grieved for the blindness of their hearts, He saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth: and his hand was restored unto him.

Saint John §52 (15:17-16:2).
The Lord said to His disciples: These things I command you, that you love one another. If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated Me before you. If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember My word that I said to you: The servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you: if they have kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake: because they know not Him who sent Me. If I had not come, and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. He that hateth Me, hateth My Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no other man hath done, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated both Me and My Father. But that the word may be fulfilled which is written in their law: They hated Me without cause. But when the Paraclete cometh, Whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, Who proceedeth from the Father, He shall give testimony of Me. And you shall give testimony, because you are with Me from the beginning. These things have I spoken to you, that you may not be scandalized. They will put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doth a service to God.