Feast of the Holy Chief Apostles Peter and Paul

29 June

Troparion, Tone 4.
O foremost of the Apostles and teachers of the world, entreat the Master of all to grant peace to the world and to our souls great mercy.

Glory. Now and ever.

Kontakion, Tone 2.
Into the enjoyment of repost and Thy good things, O Lord, Thou hast taken those steadfast heralds of God and preachers who were Thy chief disciples; for Thou hast accepted their labours and death as above all other offerings, O Thou Who alone knowest the secrets of our hearts.

Prokeimenon, Tone 8.
Psalm 18:5, 2.
Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world.
Verse: The heavens shew forth the glory of God: and the firmament declareth the work of His hands.

The Lesson of the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians.
II Corinthians §193 (11:21b-12:9).
Brethren: Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly), I dare also. They are Hebrews: so am I. They are Israelites: so am I. They are the seed of Abraham: so am I. They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as one less wise). I am more; in many more labours, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times did I receive forty stripes, save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea. In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren. In labour and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things which are without: my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I am not on fire? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I lie not. At Damascus, the governor of the nation under Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes, to apprehend me. And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and so escaped his hands. If I must glory (it is not expedient indeed), but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not; God knoweth), such a one caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth), that he was caught up into paradise, and heard secret words, which it is not granted to man to utter. For such an one I will glory; but for myself I will glory nothing, but in my infirmities. For though I should have a mind to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I will say the truth. But I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth in me, or any thing he heareth from me. And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me. For which thing thrice I besought the Lord, that it might depart from me. And He said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee; for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Alleluia, Tone 8.
Psalm 88:6, 8.
Alleluia.
Verse 1: The heavens shall confess Thy wonders, O Lord: and Thy truth in the church of the saints. Alleluia.
Verse 2: God is glorified in the assembly of the saints: great and terrible above all them that are about Him. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

The Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew.
Saint Matthew §67a (16:13-19).
At that time: Jesus came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and He asked His disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is? But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but My Father Who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.

In the place of “It is truly meet.”
Magnify, O my soul, the unbreakable rock and the chosen vessel of the Church of Christ, Peter and Paul!
Irmos: Thee, the all-glorious Bride and most holy Theotokos, who gavest birth to the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, do we magnify with hymns.

Communion.
Psalm 18:5.
Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.