BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://stmichaeltx.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20250309T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20251102T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20260308T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20261101T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20270314T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20271107T070000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260404T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260404T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052205Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052205Z UID:10001731-1775260800-1775347140@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Lazarus Saturday DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/04/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Lazarus Saturday; George the Righteous of Maleon; Righteous Plato the Studite; Theonas\, Archbishop of Thessaloniki\, Founder and Renovator of the Sacred Monastery of Saint Anastasia of Pharmakolytria\, Halkidiki; Nicetas the Hieromartyr\, Struggler of Serrai (1808); Theodoulos and Agathopous of Thessaloniki; Righteous Zosimas\nFast Day (Wine and Oil Allowed) \nEpistle Reading: St. Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews 12:28-29; 13:1-8\nBRETHREN\, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken\, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship\, with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers\, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison\, as though in prison with them; and those who are ill-treated\, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all\, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for God will judge the immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money\, and be content with what you have; for he has said\, “I will never fail you nor forsake you.” Hence we can confidently say\, “The Lord is my helper\, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?” Remember your leaders\, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life\, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. \nGospel Reading: John 11:1-45\nAt that time\, a certain man was ill\, Lazaros of Bethany\, from the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair\, whose brother Lazaros was ill. So the sisters sent to him\, saying\, “Lord\, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said\, “This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God\, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.” \nNow Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazaros. So when he heard that he was ill\, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples\, “Let us go into Judea again.” The disciples said to him\, “Rabbi\, the Jews were but now seeking to stone you\, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered\, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any one walks in the day\, he does not stumble\, because he sees the light of this world. But if any one walks in the night\, he stumbles\, because the light is not in him.” Thus he spoke\, and then he said to them\, “Our friend Lazaros has fallen asleep\, but I go to awake him out of sleep.” The disciples said to him\, “Lord\, if he has fallen asleep\, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death\, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly\, “Lazaros is dead; and for your sake I am glad that I was not there\, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Thomas\, called the Twin\, said to his fellow disciples\, “Let us also go\, that we may die with him.” \nNow when Jesus came\, he found that Lazaros had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem\, about two miles off\, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming\, she went and met him\, while Mary sat in the house. Martha said to Jesus\, “Lord\, if you had been here\, my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God\, God will give you.” Jesus said to her\, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him\, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her\, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me\, though he die\, yet shall he live\, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him\, “Yes\, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ\, the Son of God\, he who is coming into the world.” \nWhen she had said this\, she went and called her sister Mary\, saying quietly\, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it\, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village\, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house\, consoling her\, saw Mary rise quickly and go out\, they followed her\, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Then Mary\, when she came where Jesus was and saw him\, fell at his feet\, saying to him\, “Lord\, if you had been here\, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping\, and the Jews who came with her also weeping\, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled; and he said\, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him\, “Lord\, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said\, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said\, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” \nThen Jesus\, deeply moved again\, came to the tomb; it was a cave\, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said\, “Take away the stone.” Martha\, the sister of the dead man\, said to him\, “Lord\, by this time there will be an odor\, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her\, “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said\, “Father\, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you have heard me always\, but I have said this on account of the people standing by\, that they may believe that you did send me.” When he had said this\, he cried with a loud voice\, “Lazaros\, come out.” The dead man came out\, his hands and feet bound with bandages\, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them\, “Unbind him\, and let him go.” Many of the Jews therefore\, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did\, believed in him. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/lazarus-saturday-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260404T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260404T193000 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20260228T215851Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T215853Z UID:10002249-1775325600-1775331000@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Vespers DESCRIPTION:Vespers is the evening prayer service that marks the beginning of the liturgical day in the Orthodox tradition\, following the biblical pattern of the day starting at sunset. This contemplative service includes psalms\, hymns\, and prayers that reflect on the day’s events and prepare the soul for the coming Sunday worship. It offers a peaceful moment to pause and reconnect spiritually. Join us for this beautiful evening service. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/vespers-2-2/2026-04-04/ LOCATION:Saint Michael Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church\, 690 North 15th Street\, Beaumont\, TX\, 77702\, United States CATEGORIES:Services ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://stmichaeltx.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/vespers.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260405T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260405T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052206Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052206Z UID:10001732-1775347200-1775433540@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Palm Sunday DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/05/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Palm Sunday; Monk-Martyrs Claudius\, Diodore\, Victor\, Victorinus\, Pappias\, Nicephorus\, and Serapion; Theodora the Righteous of Thessaloniki; Agathopodes and Theodulos the Martyrs; George the new Martyr\nFast Day (Fish Allowed) \nMatins Gospel Reading: Matthew 21:1-11; 15-17\nAt that time\, when Jesus drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage\, to the Mount of Olives\, he sent two disciples\, saying to them\, “Go into the village opposite you\, and immediately you will find a donkey tied\, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If any one says anything to you\, you shall say\, ‘The Lord has need of them\,’ and he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet\, saying\, \n“Tell the daughter of Zion\,\nBehold\, your king is coming to you\,\nhumble and mounted on a donkey\,\nand on a colt\, the foal of a donkey.” \nThe disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt\, and put their garments on them\, and he sat thereon. Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road\, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted\, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem\, all the city was stirred\, saying\, “Who is this?” And the crowds said\, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.” But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did\, and the children crying out in the temple\, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant; and they said to him\, “Do you hear what they are saying?” And Jesus said to them\, “Yes; have you never read\, \n‘Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings\,\nyou have brought perfect praise’?” \nAnd leaving them\, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there. \nEpistle Reading: St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians 4:4-9\nBRETHREN\, rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say\, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything\, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God\, which passes all understanding\, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally\, brethren\, whatever is true\, whatever is honorable\, whatever is just\, whatever is pure\, whatever is lovely\, whatever is gracious\, if there is any excellence\, if there is anything worthy of praise\, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me\, do; and the God of peace will be with you. \nGospel Reading: John 12:1-18\nSix days before Passover\, Jesus came to Bethany\, where Lazaros was\, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; Martha served\, and Lazaros was one of those at table with him. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot\, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him)\, said “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said\, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief\, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it. Jesus said\, “Let her alone\, let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you\, but you do not always have me.” \nWhen the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there\, they came\, not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazaros\, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazaros also to death\, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. \nThe next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him\, crying\, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord\, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it; as it is written\, “Fear not\, daughter of Zion; behold\, your king is coming\, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified\, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazaros out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/palm-sunday-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260405T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260405T220000 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250423T043348Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251218T215143Z UID:10000516-1775379600-1775426400@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Orthros (Matins) DESCRIPTION:Orthros\, also known as Matins\, is the morning prayer service that prepares the faithful for the Divine Liturgy. This serene service features the chanting of psalms\, hymns\, and a Gospel reading specific to the day\, creating a reverent atmosphere for worship. It serves as a spiritual prelude\, drawing participants into the sacred rhythm of the Orthodox liturgical day. Join us to begin your Sunday with prayer and praise. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/orthros-matins/2026-04-05/ LOCATION:Saint Michael Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church\, 690 North 15th Street\, Beaumont\, TX\, 77702\, United States CATEGORIES:Services ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://stmichaeltx.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/royal-doors.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260405T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260405T130000 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250423T044131Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250911T230814Z UID:10000777-1775383200-1775394000@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Divine Liturgy DESCRIPTION:The Divine Liturgy is the central act of worship in the Orthodox Church\, where the faithful gather to participate in the Holy Eucharist. This sacred service includes scripture readings\, prayers\, and hymns\, culminating in the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ\, uniting believers with Christ and the global Orthodox community. It is a profound expression of faith\, celebrated with reverence and joy. All are welcome to experience this cornerstone of Orthodox life. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/divine-liturgy/2026-04-05/ LOCATION:Saint Michael Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church\, 690 North 15th Street\, Beaumont\, TX\, 77702\, United States CATEGORIES:Services ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://stmichaeltx.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/st-michael-featured-22.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260406T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260406T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052206Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052206Z UID:10001733-1775433600-1775519940@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Holy Monday DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/06/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Holy Monday; Eutychius\, Patriarch of Constantinople; 120 Martyrs of Persia; Gregory of Sinai; Platonis the Nun of Nisibis\nStrict Fast \nGospel Reading: Matthew 21:18-43\nAt that time\, as Jesus was returning to the city\, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside he went to it\, and found nothing on it but leaves only. And he said to it\, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. When the disciples saw it they marveled\, saying\, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” And Jesus answered them\, “Truly\, I say to you\, if you have faith and never doubt\, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree\, but even if you say to this mountain\, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea\,’ it will be done. And whatever you ask in prayer\, you will receive\, if you have faith. ” And when he entered the temple\, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching\, and said\, “By what authority are you doing these things\, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered them\, “I also will ask you a question; and if you tell me the answer\, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John\, whence was it? From heaven or from men?” And they argued with one another\, “If we say\, ‘From heaven\,’ he will say to us\, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say\, ‘From men\,’ we are afraid of the multitude; for all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus\, “We do not know.” And he said to them\, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said\, ‘Son\, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered\, ‘I will not’; but afterward he repented and went. And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered\, ‘I go\, sir\,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said\, “The first.” Jesus said to them\, “Truly\, I say to you\, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness\, and you did not believe him\, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it\, you did not afterward repent and believe him. \n“Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it\, and dug a wine press in it\, and built a tower\, and let it out to tenants\, and went into another country. When the season of fruit drew near\, he sent his servants to the tenants\, to get his fruit; and the tenants took his servants and beat one\, killed another\, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants\, more than the first; and they did the same to them. Afterward he sent his son to them\, saying\, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son\, they said to themselves\, ‘This is the heir; come\, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard\, and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes\, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him\, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death\, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them\, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord’s doing\, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you\, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it.” \nGospel Reading: Matthew 24:3-35\nAt that time\, as Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives\, the disciples came to him privately\, saying\, “Tell us\, when will this be\, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” And Jesus answered them\, “Take heed that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name\, saying\, ‘I am the Christ\,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place\, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation\, and kingdom against kingdom\, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the sufferings. \nThen they will deliver you up to tribulation\, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away\, and betray one another\, and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because wickedness is multiplied\, most men’s love will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world\, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come. \nSo when you see the desolating sacrilege spoken of by the prophet Daniel\, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)\, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; let him who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to take his mantle. And alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation\, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now\, no\, and never will be. And if those days had not been shortened\, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you\, ‘Lo\, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders\, so as to lead astray\, if possible\, even the elect. Lo\, I have told you beforehand. So\, if they say to you\, ‘Lo\, he is in the wilderness\,’ do not go out; if they say\, ‘Lo\, he is in the inner rooms\,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west\, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Wherever the body is\, there the eagles will be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened\, and the moon will not give its light\, and the stars will fall from heaven\, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven\, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn\, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call\, and they will gather his elect from the four winds\, from one end of heaven to the other. \nFrom the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves\, you know that summer is near. So also\, when you see all these things\, you know that he is near\, at the very gates. Truly\, I say to you\, this generation will not pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away\, but my words will not pass away.” URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/holy-monday-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260407T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260407T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052206Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052206Z UID:10001734-1775520000-1775606340@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Holy Tuesday DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/07/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Holy Tuesday; Calliopus and Akylina the Martyrs; George\, Bishop of Mytilene; Gerasimos the God-Bearer of Byzantium; Righteous Father Savvas the New of Kalymnos; Tikhon\, Patriarch of Moscow and Enlightener of North America\nStrict Fast \nGospel Reading: Matthew 22:15-46; 23:1-39\nAt that time\, the Pharisees went and took counsel against Jesus\, how to entangle him in his talk. And they sent their disciples to him\, along with the Herodians\, saying\, “Teacher\, we know that you are true\, and teach the way of God truthfully\, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men. Tell us\, then\, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar\, or not?” But Jesus\, aware of their malice\, said\, “Why put me to the test\, you hypocrites? Show me the money for the tax.” And they brought him a coin. And Jesus said to them\, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said\, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them\, “Render\, therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s\, and to God the things that are God’s. ” When they heard it\, they marveled; and they left him and went away. \nThe same day the Sadducees came to him\, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him a question saying\, “Teacher\, Moses said\, ‘If a man dies\, having no children\, his brother must marry the widow\, and raise up children for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married\, and died\, and having no children left his wife to his brother. So too the second and third\, down to the seventh. After them all\, the woman died. In the resurrection\, therefore\, to which of the seven will she be wife? For they all had her.” \nBut Jesus answered them\, “You are wrong\, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage\, but are like angels of God in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead\, have you not read what was said to you by God\, ‘I am the God of Abraham\, and the God of Isaac\, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead\, but of the living.” And when the crowd heard it\, they were astonished at his teaching. \nBut when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees\, they came together. And one of them\, a lawyer\, asked him a question\, to test him. “Teacher\, which is the great commandment in the law?” And he said to him\, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart\, and with all your soul\, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.” \nNow while the Pharisees were gathered together\, Jesus asked them a question\, saying: “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him\, “The son of David.” He said to them\, “How is it then that David\, inspired by the Spirit\, calls him Lord\, saying\, ‘The Lord said to my Lord\, sit at my right hand\, till I put your enemies under your feet’? If David thus calls him Lord\, how is he his son?” And no one was able to answer him a word\, nor from that day did any one dare to ask him any more questions. \nThen said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples\, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you\, but not what they do; for they preach but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens\, hard to bear\, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long\, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues\, and salutations in the market places\, and being called rabbi by men\, but you are not to be called rabbi\, for you have one teacher\, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on earth\, for you have one Father\, who is in heaven. Neither be called masters\, for you have one master\, the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled\, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. \n“But woe to you\, scribes and Pharisees\, hypocrites! for you devour widows’ houses and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation. Woe to you\, scribes and Pharisees\, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves\, nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you\, scribes and Pharisees\, hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to make a single proselyte\, and when he becomes a proselyte\, you make him twice as much a child of Gehenna as yourselves. \n“Woe to you\, blind guides\, who say\, ‘If any one swears by the temple\, it is nothing; but if any one swears by the gold of the temple\, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater\, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say\, ‘If any one swears by the altar\, it is nothing; but if any one swears by the gift that is on the altar\, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind men! For which is greater\, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So he who swears by the altar\, swears by it and by everything on it; and he who swears by the temple\, swears by it and by him who dwells in it; and he who swears by heaven\, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it. \n“Woe to you\, scribes and Pharisees\, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cumin\, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law\, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides\, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! “Woe to you\, scribes and Pharisees\, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate\, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity. You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate\, that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you\, scribes and Pharisees\, hypocrites! for you are like white-washed tombs\, which outwardly appear beautiful\, but within they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear to men\, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe to you\, scribes and Pharisees\, hypocrites! for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous\, saying\, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers\, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you witness against yourselves\, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up\, then\, the measure of your fathers. You serpents\, you brood of vipers\, how are you to escape being sentenced to Gehenna? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes\, some of whom you will kill and crucify\, and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town\, that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth\, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachiah\, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly\, I say to you\, all this will come upon this generation. \n“O Jerusalem\, Jerusalem\, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings\, and you would not! Behold\, your house is forsaken and desolate. For I tell you\, you will not see me again\, until you say\, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'” \nGospel Reading: Matthew 24:36-51; 25:1-46; 26:1-2\nThe Lord said to his disciples\, “Of that day and hour no one knows\, not even the angels of heaven\, but the Father only. As were the days of Noah\, so will be the coming of the Son of man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking\, marrying and giving in marriage\, until the day when Noah entered the ark\, and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away\, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Then two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left. Watch therefore\, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this\, that if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming\, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect. \n“Who then is the faithful and wise servant\, whom his master has set over his household\, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing. Truly\, I say to you\, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself\, ‘My master is delayed\,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants\, and eats and drinks with the drunken\, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know\, and will cut him in pieces\, and put him with the hypocrites; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. \n“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish\, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps\, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed\, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight there was a cry\, ‘Behold\, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise\, ‘Give us some of your oil\, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied\, ‘Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy\, the bridegroom came\, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. Afterward the other maidens came also\, saying\, ‘Lord\, Lord\, open to us.’ But he replied\, ‘Truly\, I say to you\, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore\, for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man shall come. \n“For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents\, to another two\, to another one\, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also\, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward\, bringing five talents more\, saying\, ‘Master\, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him\, ‘Well done\, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little\, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward\, saying\, ‘Master\, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him\, ‘Well done\, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little\, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward\, saying\, ‘Master\, I knew you to be a hard man\, reaping where you did not sow\, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid\, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him\, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed\, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers\, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him\, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to every one who has will more be given\, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not\, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.’ \n“When the Son of man comes in his glory\, and all the angels with him\, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations\, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats\, and he will place the sheep at his right hand\, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand\, ‘Come\, O blessed of my Father\, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food\, I was thirsty and you gave me drink\, I was a stranger and you welcomed me\, I was naked and you clothed me\, I 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 you hungry and feed you\, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you\, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them\, ‘Truly\, I say to you\, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren\, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand\, ‘Depart from me\, you cursed\, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food\, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink\, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me\, naked and you did not clothe me\, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer\, ‘Lord\, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison\, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them\, ‘Truly\, I say to you\, as you did it not to one of the least of these\, you did it not to me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment\, but the righteous into eternal life.” \nWhen Jesus had finished all these sayings\, he said to his disciples\, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming\, and the Son of man will be delivered up to be crucified.” URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/holy-tuesday-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260408T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260408T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052206Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052206Z UID:10001735-1775606400-1775692740@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Holy Wednesday DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/08/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Holy Wednesday; The Holy Apostles of the Seventy Herodion\, Agabus\, Rufus\, Asyncritus\, Phlegon\, and Hermes; The Holy New Martyr John the Ship-Builder who was martyred in Kos; Rufus the Obedient of the Kiev Caves; Celestine\, Pope of Rome\nStrict Fast \nGospel Reading: John 12:17-50\nAt that time\, the crowd that had been with Jesus when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. The Pharisees then said to one another\, “You see that you can do nothing; look\, the world has gone after him.” \nNow among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip\, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee\, and said to him\, “Sir\, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew went with Philip and they told Jesus. And Jesus answered them\, “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. Truly\, truly\, I say to you\, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies\, it remains alone; but if it dies\, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it\, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If any one serves me\, he must follow me; and where I am\, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me\, the Father will honor him. \n“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father\, save me from this hour’? No\, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father\, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven\, “I have glorified it\, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said\, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered\, “This voice has come for your sake\, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world\, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; and I\, when I am lifted up from the earth\, will draw all men to myself.” He said this to show by what death he was to die. The crowd answered him\, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains for ever. How can you say that the Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?” Jesus said to them\, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light\, lest the darkness overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the light\, believe in the light\, that you may become sons of light.” \nWhen Jesus had said this\, he departed and hid himself from them. Though he had done so many signs before them\, yet they did not believe in him; it was that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord\, who has believed our report\, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Therefore they could not believe. For Isaiah again said\, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart\, lest they should see with their eyes and perceive with their heart\, and turn for me to heal them.” Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless many even of the authorities believed in him\, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it\, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. \nAnd Jesus cried out and said\, “He who believes in me\, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And he who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as light into the world\, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If any one hears my sayings and does not keep them\, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say\, therefore\, I say as the Father has bidden me.” \nGospel Reading: Matthew 26:6-16\nWhen Jesus was at Bethany at the house of Simon the leper\, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment and she poured it on his head\, as he sat at table. But when the disciples saw it\, they were indignant\, saying\, “Why this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for a large sum\, and given to the poor.” But Jesus\, aware of this\, said to them\, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you\, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly\, I say to you wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world\, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” Then one of the twelve\, who was called Judas Iscariot\, went to the chief priests and said\, “What will you give me if I deliver him to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/holy-wednesday-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260409T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260409T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052211Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052211Z UID:10001736-1775692800-1775779140@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Holy Thursday DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/09/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Holy Thursday; The Holy Martyr Eupsychius of Caesarea; Raphael\, Nicholas\, Irene\, & Olympias of Mytilene; Vadim the Righteous of Persia\nFast Day (Wine and Oil Allowed) \nMatins Gospel Reading: Luke 22:1-39\nAt that time\, the feast of Unleavened Bread drew near\, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put Jesus to death. For they feared the people. Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot\, who was of the number of the twelve; he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad\, and engaged to give him money. So he agreed\, and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of the multitude. Then came the day of Unleavened Bread\, on which the passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So he sent Peter and John\, saying\, “Go and prepare the passover for us\, that we may eat it.” They said to him\, “Where will you have us prepare it?” He said to them\, “Behold\, when you have entered the city\, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house which he enters\, and tell the householder\, ‘The Teacher says to you\, Where is the guest room\, where I am to eat the passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished; there make ready.” And they went\, and found it as he had told them; and they prepared the passover. And when the hour came\, he sat at table\, and the apostles with him. And he said to them. “I have earnestly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you I shall never eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup\, and when he had given thanks he said\, “Take this\, and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. ” And he took bread\, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them\, saying\, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after supper\, saying\, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of man goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” And they began to question one another\, which of them it was that would do this. A dispute also arose among them\, which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them\, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather let the greatest among you become as the youngest\, and the leader as one who serves. For which is the greater\, one who sits at table\, or one who serves? Is it not the one who sits at table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have continued with me in my trials; and I assign to you\, as my Father assigned to me\, a kingdom\, that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom\, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Simon\, Simon\, behold\, Satan demanded to have you\, that he might sift you like wheat\, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again\, strengthen your brethren.” And he said to him\, “Lord\, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” He said\, “I tell you\, Peter\, the cock will not crow this day\, until you three times deny that you know me. ” And he said to them\, “When I sent you out with no purse or bag or sandals\, did you lack anything?” They said\, “Nothing.” He said to them\, “But now\, let him who has a purse take it\, and likewise a bag. And let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy one. For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me\, “And he was reckoned with transgressors’; for what is written about me has its fulfillment.” And they said\, “Look\, Lord\, here are two swords. ” And he said to them\, “It is enough.”\n And he came out\, and went\, as was his custom\, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. \nEpistle Reading: St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 11:23-32\nBRETHREN\, I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you\, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread\, and when he had given thanks\, he broke it\, and said\, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup\, after supper\, saying\, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this\, as often as you drink it\, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup\, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. \nWhoever\, therefore\, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself\, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill\, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly\, we should not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord\, we are chastened so that we may not be condemned along with the world. \nGospel Reading: Matthew 26:1-20; John 13:3-17; Matthew 26:21-39; Luke 22:43-44; Matthew 26:40-75; 27:1-2\nThe Lord said to his disciples\, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming\, and the Son of man will be delivered up to be crucified.” \nThen the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest\, who was called Caiaphas\, and took counsel together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said\, “Not during the feast\, lest there be a tumult among the people.” \nNow when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper\, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment\, and she poured it on his head\, as he sat at table. But when the disciples saw it\, they were indignant\, saying\, “Why this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for a large sum\, and given to the poor.” \nBut Jesus\, aware of this\, said to them\, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. \nFor you always have the poor with you\, but you will not always have me. \nIn pouring this ointment on my body she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly\, I say to you\, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world\, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” \nThen one of the twelve\, who was called Judas Iscariot\, went to the chief priests and said\, “What will you give me if I deliver him to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. \nNow on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus\, saying\, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said\, “Go into the city to a certain one\, and say to him\, ‘The Teacher says\, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them\, and they prepared the Passover. When it was evening\, he sat at table with the twelve disciples. \nJesus\, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands\, and that he had come from God and was going to God\, rose from supper\, laid aside his garments\, and girded himself with a towel. Then he poured water into a basin\, and began to wash the disciples’ feet\, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. \nHe came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him\, “Lord\, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him\, “What I am doing you do not know now\, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him\, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him\, “If I do not wash you\, you have no part in me.” Simon Peter said to him\, “Lord\, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him\, “He who has bathed does not need to wash\, except for his feet\, but he is clean all over; and you are clean\, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said\, “You are not all clean.” \nWhen he had washed their feet\, and taken his garments\, and resumed his place\, he said to them\, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right\, for so I am. If I then\, your Lord and Teacher\, have washed your feet\, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example\, that you also should do as I have done to you. Truly\, truly\, I say to you\, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things\, blessed are you if you do them. \nAnd as they were eating\, he said\, “Truly\, I say to you\, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful\, and began to say to him one after another\, “Is it I\, Lord?” He answered\, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me\, will betray me. The Son of man goes as it is written of him\, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas\, who betrayed him\, said\, “Is it I\, Master?” He said to him\, “You have said so.” \nNow as they were eating\, Jesus took bread\, and blessed\, and broke it\, and gave it to the disciples and said\, “Take\, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup\, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them\, saying\, “Drink of it\, all of you; for this is my blood of the new covenant\, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” \nAnd when they had sung a hymn\, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them\, “You will all fall away because of me this night; for it is written\, ‘I will strike the shepherd\, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up\, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter declared to him\, “Though they all fall away because of you\, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him\, “Truly\, I say to you\, this very night\, before the cock crows\, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him\, “Even if I must die with you\, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples. \nThen Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane\, and he said to his disciples\, “Sit here\, while I go yonder and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee\, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them\, “My soul is very sorrowful\, even to death; remain here\, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed\, “My Father\, if it be possible\, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless\, not as I will\, but as you will.” \nAnd there appeared to him an angel from heaven\, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down upon the ground. \nAnd rising from prayer\, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter\, “So\, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing\, but the flesh is weak.” Again\, for the second time\, he went away and prayed\, “My Father\, if this cannot pass unless I drink it\, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping\, for their eyes were heavy. So\, leaving them again\, he went away and prayed for the third time\, saying the same words. Then he came to the disciples and said to them\, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold\, the hour is at hand\, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise\, let us be going; see\, my betrayer is at hand.” \nWhile he was still speaking\, Judas came\, one of the twelve\, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs\, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign\, saying\, “The one I shall kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said\, “Hail\, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him\, “Friend\, why are you here?” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold\, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword\, and struck the slave of the high priest\, and cut off his ear. \nThen Jesus said to him\, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father\, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the scriptures be fulfilled\, that it must be so?” \nAt that hour Jesus said to the crowds\, “Have you come out as against a robber\, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching\, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place\, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. \nThen those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest\, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. But Peter followed him at a distance\, as far as the courtyard of the high priest\, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death\, but they found none\, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said\, “This fellow said\, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God\, and to build it in three days.'” \nAnd the high priest stood up and said\, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him\, “I adjure you by the living God\, tell us if you are the Christ\, the Son of God.” \nJesus said to him\, “You have said so. But I tell you\, hereafter you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power\, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes\, and said\, “He has uttered blasphemy. Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?” They answered\, “He deserves death.” Then they spat in his face\, and struck him; and some slapped him\, saying\, “Prophesy to us\, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?” \nNow Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a maid came up to him\, and said\, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all\, saying\, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the porch\, another maid saw him\, and she said to the bystanders\, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath\, “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter\, “Certainly you are also one of them\, for your accent betrays you.” \nThen he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear\, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the cock crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus\, “Before the cock crows\, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. \nWhen morning came\, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death; and they bound him and led him away and delivered him to Pilate the governor. \nERROR: Twelve Gospels URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/holy-thursday-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260410T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260410T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052211Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052211Z UID:10001737-1775779200-1775865540@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Holy Friday DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/10/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Holy Friday; Terence and his Companions beheaded at Carthage; 150 and more Righteous Martyr Fathers of the Sacred Monastery of Pantocrator Daou Pentelis; Gregory V\, the Holy Martyr and Patriarch of Constantinople; Holy Father Theonas\, Archbishop of Thessolonica; Miltiades\, Pope of Rome\nStrict Fast \nEpistle Reading: St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 5:6-8\nBRETHREN\, a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump\, as you really are unleavened. For Christ\, our paschal lamb\, has been sacrificed. Let us\, therefore\, celebrate the festival\, not with the old leaven\, the leaven of malice and evil\, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (Galatians 3.13-14) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law\, having become a curse for us – for it is written\, “Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree” – that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles\, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. \nGospel Reading: Matthew 27:62-66\nOn the next day\, that is\, after the day of Preparation\, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said\, “Sir\, we remember how that impostor said\, while he was still alive\, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Therefore order the sepulcher to be made secure until the third day\, lest his disciples go and steal him away\, and tell the people\, ‘He has risen from the dead\,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them\, “You have a guard of soldiers; go\, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the sepulcher secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/holy-friday-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260411T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260411T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052211Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052211Z UID:10001738-1775865600-1775951940@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Holy Saturday DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/11/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Holy Saturday; Hieromartyr Antipas\, Bishop of Pergamum; Pharmuthios the Anchorite; Guthlac the Hermit of Crowland\nStrict Fast \nMatins Gospel Reading: Matthew 27:62-66\nOn the next day\, that is\, after the day of Preparation\, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said\, “Sir\, we remember how that impostor said\, while he was still alive\, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Therefore order the sepulcher to be made secure until the third day\, lest his disciples go and steal him away\, and tell the people\, ‘He has risen from the dead\,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them\, “You have a guard of soldiers; go\, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the sepulcher secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. \nEpistle Reading: St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans 6:3-11\nBrethren\, all who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death. We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death\, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father\, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His\, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the sinful body might be destroyed\, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For he who has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ\, we believe that we shall also live with Him. For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. The death He died He died to sin\, once for all\, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. \nGospel Reading: Matthew 28:1-20\nAfter the sabbath\, toward the dawn of the first day of the week\, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulcher. And behold\, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone\, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning\, and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women\, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has risen\, as he said. Come\, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead\, and behold\, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. Lo\, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy\, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold\, Jesus met them and said\, “Hail!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them\, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee\, and there they will see me.” \nWhile they were going\, behold\, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel\, they gave a sum of money to the soldiers and said\, “Tell people\, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears\, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed; and this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. \nNow the eleven disciples went to Galilee\, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them\, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations\, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit\, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo\, I am with you always\, to the close of the age. Amen.” URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/holy-saturday-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260411T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260411T193000 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20260228T215851Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T215853Z UID:10002250-1775930400-1775935800@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Vespers DESCRIPTION:Vespers is the evening prayer service that marks the beginning of the liturgical day in the Orthodox tradition\, following the biblical pattern of the day starting at sunset. This contemplative service includes psalms\, hymns\, and prayers that reflect on the day’s events and prepare the soul for the coming Sunday worship. It offers a peaceful moment to pause and reconnect spiritually. Join us for this beautiful evening service. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/vespers-2-2/2026-04-11/ LOCATION:Saint Michael Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church\, 690 North 15th Street\, Beaumont\, TX\, 77702\, United States CATEGORIES:Services ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://stmichaeltx.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/vespers.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260412T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260412T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052212Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052212Z UID:10001739-1775952000-1776038340@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Great and Holy Pascha DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/12/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Great and Holy Pascha; Basil the Confessor\, Bishop of Parium; Sergius II\, Patriarch of Constantinople; Anthousa the Righteous of Constantinople; Akakios of Kavsokalyvia\nFast Free \nMatins Gospel Reading: Mark 16:1-8\nWhen the Sabbath was past\, Mary Magdalene\, and Mary the mother of James and Salome\, bought spices\, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another\, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?” And looking up\, they saw that the stone was rolled back – it was very large. And entering the tomb\, they saw a young man sitting on the right side\, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them\, “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth\, who was crucified. He has risen\, He is not here; see the place where they laid Him. But go\, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him\, as He told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb\, for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone\, for they were afraid. \nEpistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 1:1-8\nIn the first book\, O Theophilos\, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach\, until the day when he was taken up\, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs\, appearing to them during forty days\, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem\, but to wait for the promise of the Father\, which\, he said\, “you heard from me\, for John baptized with water\, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” \nSo when they had come together\, they asked him\, “Lord\, will you at this time restore the kingdom of lsrael?” He said to them\, “it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” \nGospel Reading: John 1:1-17\nIn the beginning was the Word\, and the Word was with God\, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him\, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life\, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness\, and the darkness has not overcome it. \nThere was a man sent from God\, whose name was John. He came for testimony\, to bear witness to the light\, that all might believe through him. He was not the light\, but came to bear witness to the light. \nThe true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world\, and the world was made through him\, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home\, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him\, who believed in his name\, he gave power to become children of God; who were born\, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man\, but of God. \nAnd the Word became flesh and dwelt among us\, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory\, glory as of the only Son from the Father. (John bore witness to him\, and cried\, “This was he of whom I said\, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me\, for he was before me.'”) And from his fullness have we all received\, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/great-and-holy-pascha-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260412T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260412T220000 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250423T043348Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251218T215143Z UID:10000517-1775984400-1776031200@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Orthros (Matins) DESCRIPTION:Orthros\, also known as Matins\, is the morning prayer service that prepares the faithful for the Divine Liturgy. This serene service features the chanting of psalms\, hymns\, and a Gospel reading specific to the day\, creating a reverent atmosphere for worship. It serves as a spiritual prelude\, drawing participants into the sacred rhythm of the Orthodox liturgical day. Join us to begin your Sunday with prayer and praise. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/orthros-matins/2026-04-12/ LOCATION:Saint Michael Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church\, 690 North 15th Street\, Beaumont\, TX\, 77702\, United States CATEGORIES:Services ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://stmichaeltx.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/royal-doors.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260412T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260412T130000 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250423T044131Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250911T230814Z UID:10000778-1775988000-1775998800@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Divine Liturgy DESCRIPTION:The Divine Liturgy is the central act of worship in the Orthodox Church\, where the faithful gather to participate in the Holy Eucharist. This sacred service includes scripture readings\, prayers\, and hymns\, culminating in the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ\, uniting believers with Christ and the global Orthodox community. It is a profound expression of faith\, celebrated with reverence and joy. All are welcome to experience this cornerstone of Orthodox life. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/divine-liturgy/2026-04-12/ LOCATION:Saint Michael Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church\, 690 North 15th Street\, Beaumont\, TX\, 77702\, United States CATEGORIES:Services ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://stmichaeltx.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/st-michael-featured-22.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260413T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260413T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052212Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052212Z UID:10001740-1776038400-1776124740@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Renewal Monday DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/13/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Renewal Monday; Martin the Confessor\, Pope of Rome; Theodosios the Martyr; Zoilos the Martyr\nFast Free \nEpistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 1:12-17\, 21-26\nIn those days\, the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet\, which is near Jerusalem\, a sabbath day’s journey away; and when they had entered\, they went up to the upper room\, where they were staying\, Peter and John and James and Andrew\, Philip and Thomas\, Bartholomew and Matthew\, James the son of Alphaios and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer\, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus\, and with his brothers. \nIn those days Peter stood up among the brethren (the company of persons was in all about a hundred and twenty)\, and said\, “Brethren\, the scripture had to be fulfilled\, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David\, concerning Judas who was guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us\, and was allotted his share in this ministry. “So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us\, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us — one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” \nAnd they put forward two\, Joseph called Barsabbas\, who was surnamed Justos\, and Matthias. And they prayed and said\, “Lord\, who knowest the hearts of all men\, show which one of these two thou hast chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside\, to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them\, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles. \nGospel Reading: John 1:18-28\nNo one has ever seen God; the only-begotten Son\, who is in the bosom of the Father\, he has made him known. \nAnd this is the testimony of John\, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him\, “Who are you?” He confessed\, he did not deny\, but confessed\, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him\, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said\, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” And he answered\, “No.” They said to him then\, “Who are you? let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said\, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness\, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord\,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” \nNow they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him\, “Then why are you baptizing\, if you are neither the Christ\, nor Elijah\, nor the prophet?” John answered them\, “I baptize with water; but among you stands one whom you do not know\, even he who comes after me\, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan\, where John was baptizing. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/renewal-monday-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260414T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260414T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052220Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052220Z UID:10001741-1776124800-1776211140@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Renewal Tuesday: The Commemoration of Saints Raphael\, Nicholas\, Irene\, and the Other Newly-revealed Martyrs of Lesbos DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/14/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Renewal Tuesday: The Commemoration of Saints Raphael\, Nicholas\, Irene\, and the Other Newly-revealed Martyrs of Lesbos; Aristarchus\, Pudens\, Trophimus the Apostles of the 70; Thomais the Martyr of Alexandria; Ardalion the Actor and Martyr; Demetrios the New-Martyr of Arcadia\nFast Free \nEpistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 2:14-21\nIn those days\, Peter\, standing with the eleven\, lifted up his voice and addressed them\, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem\, let this be known to you\, and give ear to my words. For these men are not drunk\, as you suppose\, since it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days it shall be\, God declares\, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh\, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy\, and your young men shall see visions\, and your old men shall dream dreams; yea\, and on my menservants and my maid servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth beneath\, blood\, and fire\, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood\, before the day of the Lord comes\, the great and manifest day. And it shall be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'” \nGospel Reading: Luke 24:12-35\nAt that time\, [Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in\, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened. That very day] two of them were going to a village named Emmaus\, about seven miles from Jerusalem\, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together\, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him. And He said to them\, “What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?” and they stood still\, looking sad. Then one of them\, named Cleopas\, answered Him\, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And He said to them\, “What things?” And they said to him\, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth\, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people\, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered Him up to be condemned to death\, and crucified Him. But we had hoped that He was the one to redeem Israel. Yes\, and besides all this\, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover\, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find His body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels\, who said that He was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb\, and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.” And He said to them\, “O foolish men\, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was not it necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into this glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the prophets\, He interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further\, but they constrained Him\, saying\, “Stay with us\, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So He went in to stay with them. When He was at table with them\, He took the bread and blessed\, and broke it\, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished out of their sight. They said to each other\, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road\, while He opened to us the scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them\, who said\, “The Lord has risen indeed\, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road and how He was known to them in the breaking of the bread. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/renewal-tuesday-the-commemoration-of-saints-raphael-nicholas-irene-and-the-other-newly-revealed-martyrs-of-lesbos-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260415T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260415T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052221Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052221Z UID:10001742-1776211200-1776297540@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Renewal Wednesday DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/15/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Renewal Wednesday; Crescens the Martyr; Leonidas\, Bishop of Athens; Michael the New Martyr of Smyrna; The 9 Monk-martyrs of Corinth; Padarn\, Bishop and Founder of Llandabarn Fawr\nFast Free \nEpistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 2:22-38\nIn those days\, Peter said to the people\, “Men of Israel\, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth\, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst\, as you yourselves know this Jesus\, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God\, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. But God raised him up\, having loosed the pangs of death\, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him\, ‘I saw the Lord always before me\, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad\, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope. For thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades\, nor let thy Holy One see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt make me full of gladness with thy presence.’ \n“Brethren\, I may say to you confidently of the patriarch David that he both died and was buried\, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet\, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne\, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ\, that he was not abandoned to Hades\, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up\, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God\, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit\, he has poured out this which you see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens; but he himself says\, ‘The Lord said to my Lord\, Sit at my right hand\, till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet.’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ\, this Jesus whom you crucified.” \nNow when they heard this they were cut to the heart\, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles\, “Brethren\, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them\, “Repent\, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ.” \nGospel Reading: John 1:35-51\nAt that time\, John was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as he walked\, and said\, “Behold\, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this\, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned\, and saw them following\, and said to them\, “What do you seek?” And they said to him\, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher)\, “where are you staying?” He said to them\, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying; and they stayed with him that day\, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak\, and followed him\, was Andrew\, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon\, and said to him\, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said\, “So you are Simon the son of Jonah [John]? You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). \nThe next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and said to him\, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida\, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael\, and said to him\, “We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote\, Jesus of Nazareth\, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him\, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him\, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him\, and said of him\, “Behold\, an Israelite indeed\, in whom is no guile!” Nathanael said to him\, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him\, “Before Philip called you\, when you were under the fig tree\, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him\, “Rabbi\, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him\, “Because I said to you\, I saw you under the fig tree\, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” And he said to him\, “Truly\, truly\, I say to you\, you will see heaven opened\, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/renewal-wednesday-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260416T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260416T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052221Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052221Z UID:10001743-1776297600-1776383940@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Renewal Thursday DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/16/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Renewal Thursday; Agape\, Chionia\, and Irene\, the Holy Martyrs; Righteous Amphilochios of Patmos; Leonidas and Charissa\, Nike\, Galene\, Kallida\, Nounenchia\, Vasilissa\, and Theodora the Martyrs\nFast Free \nEpistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 2:38-43\nIn those days\, Peter said to the people\, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off\, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.” And he testified with many other words and exhorted them\, saying\, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized\, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship\, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. \nGospel Reading: John 3:1-15\nAt that time\, there was a man of the Pharisees\, named Nikodemos\, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him\, “Rabbi\, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do\, unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him\, “Truly\, truly\, I say to you\, unless one is born from above\, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nikodemos said to him\, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered\, “Truly\, truly\, I say to you\, unless one is born of water and the Spirit\, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh\, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you\, ‘You must be born from above.’ The Spirit blows where it wills\, and you hear the sound of it\, and you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nikodemos said to him\, “How can this be?” Jesus answered him\, “Are you a teacher of Israel\, and yet you do not understand this? Truly\, truly\, I say to you\, we speak of what we know\, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe\, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven\, the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness\, so must the Son of man be lifted up\, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/renewal-thursday-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260417T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260417T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052221Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052221Z UID:10001744-1776384000-1776470340@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Renewal Friday: Theotokos of the Life-giving Spring DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/17/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Renewal Friday: Theotokos of the Life-giving Spring; Symeon the Holy Martyr\, Bishop of Persepolis\, and those with him; Makarios\, Bishop of Corinth; Agapetos of Rome; Hadrian the New-Martyr; Donnan\, Abbot of Eigg\, and the Monk-Martyrs with him\nFast Free \nEpistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 3:1-8\nIn those days\, Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer\, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried\, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful to ask alms of those who entered the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple\, he asked for alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him\, with John\, and said\, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention upon them\, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said\, “I have no silver and gold\, but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth\, walk.” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and walked and entered the temple with them\, walking and leaping and praising God. \nGospel Reading: John 2:12-22\nAt that time\, Jesus came to Capernaum with his mother and his brothers and his disciples; and there they stayed for a few days. \nThe Passover of the Jews was at hand\, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons\, and the money-changers at their business. And making a whip of cords\, he drove them all\, with the sheep and oxen\, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons\, “Take these things away; you shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written\, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him\, “What sign have you to show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them\, “Destroy this temple\, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said\, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple\, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead\, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/renewal-friday-theotokos-of-the-life-giving-spring/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260418T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260418T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052221Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052221Z UID:10001745-1776470400-1776556740@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Renewal Saturday DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/18/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Renewal Saturday; Holy Father John the Righteous\, disciple of St. Gregory of Decapolis; Euthemios the Enlightener of Karelia; Cosmas\, Bishop of Calcydon; John the New Martyr of Epiros; Athanasia the Wonderworker of Aegina\nFast Free \nEpistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 3:11-16\nIn those days\, while the healed lame man clung to Peter and John\, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s\, astounded. And when Peter saw it he addressed the people\, “Men of Israel\, why do you wonder at this\, or why do you stare at us\, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob\, the God of our fathers\, glorified his servant Jesus\, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate\, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One\, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you\, and killed the Author of life\, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name\, by faith in his name\, has made this man strong whom you see and know; and the faith which is through him has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.” \nGospel Reading: John 3:22-33\nAt that time\, Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea; there He remained with them and baptized. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim\, because there was much water there; and people came and were baptized. For John had not yet been put in prison. \nNow a discussion arose between John’s disciples and a Jew over purifying. And they came to John\, and said to him\, “Rabbi\, he who was with you beyond the Jordan\, to whom you bore witness\, here he is\, baptizing\, and all are going to him.” John answered\, “No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness\, that I said\, I am not the Christ\, but I have been sent before Him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom\, who stands and hears him\, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice; therefore this joy of mine is now full. He must increase\, but I must decrease. \n“He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth\, and of the earth he speaks; he who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard\, yet no one receives his testimony; he who receives his testimony sets his seal to this\, that God is true.” URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/renewal-saturday-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260418T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260418T193000 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20260228T215851Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T215853Z UID:10002251-1776535200-1776540600@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Vespers DESCRIPTION:Vespers is the evening prayer service that marks the beginning of the liturgical day in the Orthodox tradition\, following the biblical pattern of the day starting at sunset. This contemplative service includes psalms\, hymns\, and prayers that reflect on the day’s events and prepare the soul for the coming Sunday worship. It offers a peaceful moment to pause and reconnect spiritually. Join us for this beautiful evening service. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/vespers-2-2/2026-04-18/ LOCATION:Saint Michael Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church\, 690 North 15th Street\, Beaumont\, TX\, 77702\, United States CATEGORIES:Services ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://stmichaeltx.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/vespers.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260419T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260419T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052235Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052235Z UID:10001746-1776556800-1776643140@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Thomas Sunday DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/19/2026\nSaints and Feasts: Thomas Sunday; Martyrs Emmanuel\, Theodore\, George\, Michael and the other George of Samothrace; The Holy Hieromartyr Paphnutius; Tryphon\, Patriarch of Constantinople; George the Confessor; Aelphege the Hieromartyr of Canterbury\nMatins Gospel Reading: Matthew 28:16-20\nAt that time\, the eleven disciples went to Galilee\, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them\, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations\, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit\, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo\, I am with you always\, to the close of the age. Amen.” \nEpistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 5:12-20\nIn those days\, many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them\, but the people held them in high honor. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord\, multitudes both of men and women\, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets\, and laid them on beds and pallets\, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem\, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits\, and they were all healed. But the high priest rose up and all who were with him\, that is\, the party of the Sadducees\, and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said\, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” \nGospel Reading: John 20:19-31\nOn the evening of that day\, the first day of the week\, the doors being shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews\, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them\, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this\, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again\, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me\, even so I send you.” And when He had said this\, He breathed on them and said to them\, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any\, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any\, they are retained.” Now Thomas\, one of the twelve\, called the Twin\, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him\, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them\, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails\, and place my finger in the mark of the nails\, and place my hand in His side\, I will not believe.” Eight days later\, His disciples were again in the house\, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut\, but Jesus came and stood among them and said\, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas\, “Put your finger here\, and see My hands; and put out your hand\, and place it in My side; do not be faithless\, but believing.” Thomas answered Him\, “My Lord and My God!” Jesus said to him\, “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples\, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ\, the Son of God\, and that believing\, you may have life in His name. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/thomas-sunday-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260419T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260419T220000 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250423T043348Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251218T215143Z UID:10000518-1776589200-1776636000@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Orthros (Matins) DESCRIPTION:Orthros\, also known as Matins\, is the morning prayer service that prepares the faithful for the Divine Liturgy. This serene service features the chanting of psalms\, hymns\, and a Gospel reading specific to the day\, creating a reverent atmosphere for worship. It serves as a spiritual prelude\, drawing participants into the sacred rhythm of the Orthodox liturgical day. Join us to begin your Sunday with prayer and praise. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/orthros-matins/2026-04-19/ LOCATION:Saint Michael Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church\, 690 North 15th Street\, Beaumont\, TX\, 77702\, United States CATEGORIES:Services ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://stmichaeltx.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/royal-doors.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260419T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260419T130000 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250423T044131Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250911T230814Z UID:10000779-1776592800-1776603600@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:Divine Liturgy DESCRIPTION:The Divine Liturgy is the central act of worship in the Orthodox Church\, where the faithful gather to participate in the Holy Eucharist. This sacred service includes scripture readings\, prayers\, and hymns\, culminating in the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ\, uniting believers with Christ and the global Orthodox community. It is a profound expression of faith\, celebrated with reverence and joy. All are welcome to experience this cornerstone of Orthodox life. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/divine-liturgy/2026-04-19/ LOCATION:Saint Michael Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church\, 690 North 15th Street\, Beaumont\, TX\, 77702\, United States CATEGORIES:Services ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://stmichaeltx.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/st-michael-featured-22.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260420T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260420T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052236Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052236Z UID:10001747-1776643200-1776729540@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:2nd Monday after Pascha DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/20/2026\nSaints and Feasts: 2nd Monday after Pascha; Theodore the Trichinas; Zacchaeus the Apostle of Caesaria; Gregory & Anastasios\, Patriarchs of Antioch; Athanasios\, Founder of the Monastery of Meteora\nEpistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 3:19-26\nIn those days\, Peter said to the people\, “Repent and turn again\, that your sins may be blotted out\, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord\, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you\, Jesus\, whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. Moses said\, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised me up. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ And all the prophets who have spoken\, from Samuel and those who came afterwards\, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God gave to your fathers\, saying to Abraham\, ‘And in your posterity shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God\, having raised up his servant\, sent him to you first\, to bless you in turning every one of you from your wickedness.” \nGospel Reading: John 2:1-11\nAt that time\, there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee\, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the wedding\, with his disciples. When the wine gave out\, the mother of Jesus said to him\, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her\, “O woman\, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants\, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now six stone jars were standing there\, for the Jewish rites of purification\, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them\, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them\, “Now draw some out\, and take it to the steward of the feast.” So they took it. When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine\, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew)\, the steward of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him\, “Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely\, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” This\, the first of his signs\, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee\, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/2nd-monday-after-pascha-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260421T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260421T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052236Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052236Z UID:10001748-1776729600-1776815940@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:2nd Tuesday after Pascha DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/21/2026\nSaints and Feasts: 2nd Tuesday after Pascha; The Holy Hieromartyr Januarius and Those With Him; Our Holy Father Maximian\, Patriarch of Constantinople; Theodore the Holy Martyr & his mother Philippa of Perge; Alexandra the Martyr; Anastasios the Monk of Sinai; Beuno\, Abbot of Clynnog\nEpistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 4:1-10\nIn those days\, while the apostles were speaking to the people\, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them\, annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the morrow\, for it was already evening. But many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to about five thousand. \nOn the morrow their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem\, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander\, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst\, they inquired\, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter\, filled with the Holy Spirit\, said to them\, “Rulers of the people and elders\, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a cripple\, by what means this man has been healed\, be it known to you all\, and to all the people of Israel\, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth\, whom you crucified\, whom God raised from the dead\, by him this man is standing before you well.” \nGospel Reading: John 3:16-21\nThe Lord said to his disciples: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son\, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world\, not to condemn the world\, but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already\, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment\, that the light has come into the world\, and men loved darkness rather than light\, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light\, and does not come to the light\, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light\, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.” URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/2nd-tuesday-after-pascha-2/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260422T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260422T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052236Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052236Z UID:10001749-1776816000-1776902340@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:2nd Wednesday after Pascha DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/22/2026\nSaints and Feasts: 2nd Wednesday after Pascha; Theodore of Sykeon; Nathaniel\, Luke\, & Clemente the Apostles; Gregory Gravanos of Nisyros; Nearchos the Martyr\nFast Day (Wine and Oil Allowed) \nEpistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 4:13-22\nIn those days\, when the Jews saw the boldness of Peter and John\, and perceived that they were uneducated\, common men\, they wondered; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man that had been healed standing beside them\, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council\, they conferred with one another\, saying\, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is manifest to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem\, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people\, let us warn them to speak no more to any one in this name.” So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them\, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God\, you must judge; for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” And when they had further threatened them\, they let them go\, finding no way to punish them\, because of the people; for all men praised God for what had happened. For the man on whom the sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old. \nGospel Reading: John 5:17-24\nThe Lord said to the Jews who came to him: “My Father is working still\, and I am working.” This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him\, because he not only broke the sabbath but also called God his own Father\, making himself equal with God. \nJesus said to them\, “Truly\, truly\, I say to you\, the Son can do nothing of his own accord\, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does\, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son\, and shows him all that he himself is doing; and greater works than these he will show him\, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life\, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. The Father judges no one\, but has given all judgment to the Son\, that all may honor the Son\, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly\, truly\, I say to you\, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me\, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment\, but has passed from death to life.” URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/2nd-wednesday-after-pascha/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260423T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260423T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052236Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052236Z UID:10001750-1776902400-1776988740@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:George the Great Martyr and Triumphant DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/23/2026\nSaints and Feasts: George the Great Martyr and Triumphant\nMatins Gospel Reading: Luke 21:12-19\nThe Lord said to his disciples\, “Beware of men who will lay their hands on you and persecute you\, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons\, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be a time for you to bear testimony. Settle it therefore in your minds\, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom\, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends\, and some of you they will put to death; you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.” \nEpistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11\nAbout that time\, Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword; and when he saw that it pleased the Jews\, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him\, he put him in prison\, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him\, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the Church. \nThe very night when Herod was about to bring him out\, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers\, bound with two chains\, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison; and behold\, an angel of the Lord appeared\, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him\, saying\, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him\, “Wrap your mantle around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him; he did not know that what was done by the angel was real\, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard\, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened to them of its own accord\, and they went out and passed on through one street; and immediately the angel left him. And Peter came to himself\, and said\, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” \nGospel Reading: John 15:17-27; 16:1-2\nThe Lord said to his disciples: “This I command you\, to love one another. If the world hates you\, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world\, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world\, but I chose you out of the world\, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you\, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me\, they will persecute you; if they kept my word\, they will keep yours also. But all this they will do to you on my account\, because they do not know 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 who hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did\, they would not have sin; but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. It is to fulfill the word that is written in their law\, ‘They hated me without a cause.’ \nBut when the Counselor comes\, whom I shall send to you from the Father\, even the Spirit of truth\, who proceeds from the Father\, he will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses\, because you have been with me from the beginning. I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed\, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.” URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/george-the-great-martyr-and-triumphant/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260424T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260424T235900 DTSTAMP:20260404T171128 CREATED:20250811T052250Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T052250Z UID:10001751-1776988800-1777075140@stmichaeltx.org SUMMARY:2nd Friday after Pascha DESCRIPTION:Saints\, Feasts\, and Readings for 04/24/2026\nSaints and Feasts: 2nd Friday after Pascha; Elizabeth the Wonderworker; Savvas the General of Rome; Nicholas the New-Martyr of Magnesia; Mellitus\, Archbishop of Canterbury\nFast Day (Wine and Oil Allowed) \nEpistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 5:1-11\nIn those days\, a man named Ananias with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property\, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back some of the proceeds\, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said\, “Ananias\, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold\, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold\, was it not at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” When Ananias heard these words\, he fell down and died. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours his wife came in\, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her\, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said\, “Yes\, for so much.” But Peter said to her\, “How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Hark\, the feet of those that have buried your husband are at the door\, and they will carry you out.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead\, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church\, and upon all who heard of these things. \nGospel Reading: John 5:30-47; 6:1-2\nThe Lord said to the Jews who came to him: “I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear\, I judge; and my judgment is just\, because I seek not my own will but the will of the Father who sent me. If I bear witness to myself\, my testimony is not true; there is another who bears witness to me\, and I know that the testimony which he bears to me is true. You sent to John\, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp\, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has granted me to accomplish\, these very works which I am doing\, bear me witness that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness to me. His voice you have never heard\, his form you have never seen; and you do not have his word abiding in you\, for you do not believe him whom he has sent. You search the scriptures\, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me; yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from men. But I know that you have not the love of God within you. I have come in my Father’s name\, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name\, him you will receive. How can you believe\, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; it is Moses who accuses you\, on whom you set your hope. If you believed Moses\, you would believe me\, for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings\, how will you believe my words?” \nAfter this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee\, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a multitude followed him\, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased. URL:https://stmichaeltx.org/event/2nd-friday-after-pascha/ CATEGORIES:Liturgical Calendar END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR