St. Michael the Archangel

Liturgical Day

Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Tuesday of the 14th Week
Strict Fast
Today we commemorate:
Daily Readings
Epistle Reading
St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 4:1-13

رسالة بولس الى العبرانيين 4: 1-13

Brethren, while the promise of entering his rest remains, let us fear lest any of you be judged to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them; but the message which they heard did not benefit them, because it did not meet with faith in the hearers. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, "As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall never enter my rest,'" although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way, "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works." And again in this place he said, "They shall never enter my rest." Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he sets a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, "Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later of another day. So then, there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God; for whoever enters God's rest also ceases from his labors as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, that no one fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

يَُّا إِخْوَة، لِنَخَفْ، أَنَّهُ مَعَ بَقَاءِ وَعْدٍ بِالدُّخُولِ إِلَى رَاحَتِهِ، يُرَى أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ أَنَّهُ قَدْ خَابَ مِنْهُ! لأَنَّنَا نَحْنُ أَيْضاً قَدْ بُشِّرْنَا كَمَا أُولَئِكَ، لَكِنْ لَمْ تَنْفَعْ كَلِمَةُ الْخَبَرِ أُولَئِكَ. إِذْ لَمْ تَكُنْ مُمْتَزِجَةً بِالإِيمَانِ فِي الَّذِينَ سَمِعُوا. لأَنَّنَا نَحْنُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نَدْخُلُ الرَّاحَةَ، كَمَا قَالَ: ((حَتَّى أَقْسَمْتُ فِي غَضَبِي لَنْ يَدْخُلُوا رَاحَتِي!)) مَعَ كَوْنِ الأَعْمَالِ قَدْ أُكْمِلَتْ مُنْذُ تَأْسِيسِ الْعَالَمِ. لأَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي مَوْضِعٍ عَنِ السَّابِعِ: ((وَاسْتَرَاحَ اللهُ فِي الْيَوْمِ السَّابِعِ مِنْ جَمِيعِ أَعْمَالِهِ)). وَفِي هَذَا أَيْضاً: ((لَنْ يَدْخُلُوا رَاحَتِي)). فَإِذْ بَقِيَ أَنَّ قَوْماً يَدْخُلُونَهَا، وَالَّذِينَ بُشِّرُوا أَوَّلاً لَمْ يَدْخُلُوا لِسَبَبِ الْعِصْيَانِ، يُعَيِّنُ أَيْضاً يَوْماً قَائِلاً فِي دَاوُدَ: ((الْيَوْمَ)) بَعْدَ زَمَانٍ هَذَا مِقْدَارُهُ، كَمَا قِيلَ: ((الْيَوْمَ إِنْ سَمِعْتُمْ صَوْتَهُ فَلاَ تُقَسُّوا قُلُوبَكُمْ)). لأَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ يَشُوعُ قَدْ أَرَاحَهُمْ لَمَا تَكَلَّمَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ عَنْ يَوْمٍ آخَرَ. إِذاً بَقِيَتْ رَاحَةٌ لِشَعْبِ اللهِ! لأَنَّ الَّذِي دَخَلَ رَاحَتَهُ اسْتَرَاحَ هُوَ أَيْضاً مِنْ أَعْمَالِهِ، كَمَا اللهُ مِنْ أَعْمَالِهِ. فَلْنَجْتَهِدْ أَنْ نَدْخُلَ تِلْكَ الرَّاحَةَ، لِئَلاَّ يَسْقُطَ أَحَدٌ فِي عِبْرَةِ الْعِصْيَانِ هَذِهِ عَيْنِهَا. لأَنَّ كَلِمَةَ اللهِ حَيَّةٌ وَفَعَّالَةٌ وَأَمْضَى مِنْ كُلِّ سَيْفٍ ذِي حَدَّيْنِ، وَخَارِقَةٌ إِلَى مَفْرَقِ النَّفْسِ وَالرُّوحِ وَالْمَفَاصِلِ وَالْمِخَاخِ، وَمُمَيِّزَةٌ أَفْكَارَ الْقَلْبِ وَنِيَّاتِهِ. وَلَيْسَتْ خَلِيقَةٌ غَيْرَ ظَاهِرَةٍ قُدَّامَهُ، بَلْ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ عُرْيَانٌ وَمَكْشُوفٌ لِعَيْنَيْ ذَلِكَ الَّذِي مَعَهُ أَمْرُنَا.

Gospel Reading
Mark 10:2-12

مرقس 10: 2-12

At that time, the Pharisees came up to Jesus and in order to test him, asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away." But Jesus said to them, "For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder." And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

2فَي ذلك الزمان تَقَدَّمَ الْفَرِّيسِيُّونَ إلى يسوع وَسَأَلُوهُ: ((هَلْ يَحِلُّ لِلرَّجُلِ أَنْ يُطَلِّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ؟)) لِيُجَرِّبُوهُ.3فَأَجَابَ وقَالَ لَهُمْ: ((بِمَاذَا أَوْصَاكُمْ مُوسَى؟)) 4فَقَالُوا: ((مُوسَى أَذِنَ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ كِتَابُ طَلاَقٍ، فَتُطَلَّقُ)). 5فَأَجَابَ يَسُوعُ وقَالَ لَهُمْ: ((مِنْ أَجْلِ قَسَاوَةِ قُلُوبِكُمْ كَتَبَ لَكُمْ هَذِهِ الْوَصِيَّةَ، 6وَلَكِنْ مِنْ بَدْءِ الْخَلِيقَةِ، ذَكَراً وَأُنْثَى خَلَقَهُمَا اللَّهُ. 7مِنْ أَجْلِ هَذَا يَتْرُكُ الرَّجُلُ أَبَاهُ وَأُمَّهُ وَيَلْتَصِقُ بِامْرَأَتِهِ، 8وَيَكُونُ الاِثْنَانِ جَسَداً وَاحِداً. إِذاً لَيْسَا بَعْدُ اثْنَيْنِ بَلْ جَسَدٌ وَاحِدٌ. 9فَالَّذِي جَمَعَهُ اللَّهُ لاَ يُفَرِّقْهُ إِنْسَانٌ)). 10ثُمَّ فِي الْبَيْتِ سَأَلَهُ تَلاَمِيذُهُ أَيْضاً عَنْ ذَلِكَ، 11فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: ((مَنْ طَلَّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ وَتَزَوَّجَ بِأُخْرَى يَزْنِي عَلَيْهَا. 12وَإِنْ طَلَّقَتِ امْرَأَةٌ زَوْجَهَا وَتَزَوَّجَتْ بِآخَرَ تَزْنِي)). 

 

 

The readings and listing of saints for the day are calculated by and made available through the Online Chapel of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (www.goarch.org/chapel). The scripture readings in English are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.