Thursday, October 16, 2087
Martyr Longinus the Centurion; Our Venerable Father Gall, Enlightener of Switzerland (640); The Two Soldiers martyred with Saint Longinus
Thursday of the 4th week of Luke
Tone 8. No fast. What this means
The Epistle
Ephesians 5:33–6:9
Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with a promise: 3“that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.”
4You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
5Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ, 6not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men, 8knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive the same good again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free.
9You masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.
The Gospel for Longinus the Centurion
Matthew 27:33–54
When they came to a place called “Golgotha”, that is to say, “The place of a skull,” 34they gave him sour wine to drink mixed with gall. When he had tasted it, he would not drink. 35When they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among them, casting lots, 36and they sat and watched him there. 37They set up over his head the accusation against him written, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
38Then there were two robbers crucified with him, one on his right hand and one on the left.
39Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads 40and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”
41Likewise the chief priests also mocking with the scribes, the Pharisees, and the elders, said, 42“He saved others, but he can’t save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let God deliver him now, if he wants him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44The robbers also who were crucified with him cast on him the same reproach.
45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lima sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
47Some of them who stood there, when they heard it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”
48Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave him a drink. 49The rest said, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”
50Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit.
51Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split. 52The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.
54Now the centurion and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were done, were terrified, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
Commemorated today
- Martyr Longinus the Centurion
- The Two Soldiers martyred with Saint Longinus
- Our Venerable Father Gall, Enlightener of Switzerland (640)
Hymns and lives of the saints are on the Online Chapel of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.