Friday, March 31, 2028

The Orthodox liturgical day, its saint, its tone, and its fast.

On Friday, March 31, 2028, Orthodox Christians on the New Calendar remember St Innocent of Moscow; St Hypatius of Gangra; and St Jonah of Moscow. It is a strict fast day. On the Old Calendar the same day remembers St Cyril of Jerusalem and St Nikolai of Ochrid. It is a strict fast day.

The saints of the day

Name days on the New Calendar: Hypatius, Innocent

  • Tone 7 of the Octoechos
  • 5th Week of Great Lent

Readings, New Calendar

Matins GospelJohn 10.1-9

10:1“Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.”

6Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them. 7Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door. 8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out and will find pasture.

WEB, public domain

6th HourIsaiah 45.11-17

45:11For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, who has formed the things that are to come, Enquire of me concerning my sons, and concerning the works of my hands command me. 12I have made the earth, and man upon it: I with my hand have established the heaven; I have given commandment to all the stars. 13I have raised him up to be a king with righteousness, and all his ways are right: he shall build my city, and shall turn the captivity of my people, not for ransoms, nor for rewards, saith the Lord of hosts.

14Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Egypt has laboured for thee; and the merchandise of the Ethiopians, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall pass over to thee, and shall be thy servants; and they shall follow after thee bound in fetters, and shall pass over to thee, and shall do obeisance to thee, and make supplication to thee: because God is in thee; and there is no God beside thee, O Lord. 15For thou art God, yet we knew it not, the God of Israel, the Saviour. 16All that are opposed to him shall be ashamed and confounded, and shall walk in shame: ye isles, keep a feast to me. 17Israel is saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation: they shall not be ashamed nor confounded for evermore.

Brenton LXX, public domain

VespersGenesis 22.1-18

22:1And it came to pass after these things that God tempted Abraam, and said to him, Abraam, Abraam; and he said, Lo! I am here. 2And he said, Take thy son, the beloved one, whom thou hast loved—Isaac, and go into the high land, and offer him there for a whole-burnt-offering on one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 3And Abraam rose up in the morning and saddled his ass, and he took with him two servants, and Isaac his son, and having split wood for a whole-burnt-offering, he arose and departed, and came to the place of which God spoke to him, 4on the third day; and Abraam having lifted up his eyes, saw the place afar off.

5And Abraam said to his servants, Sit ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will proceed thus far, and having worshipped we will return to you. 6And Abraam took the wood of the whole-burnt-offering, and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took into his hands both the fire and the knife, and the two went together. 7And Isaac said to Abraam his father, Father. And he said, What is it, son? And he said, Behold the fire and the wood, where is the sheep for a whole-burnt-offering?

8And Abraam said, God will provide himself a sheep for a whole-burnt-offering, my son. And both having gone together, 9came to the place which God spoke of to him; and there Abraam built the altar, and laid the wood on it, and having bound the feet of Isaac his son together, he laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10And Abraam stretched forth his hand to take the knife to slay his son. 11And an angel of the Lord called him out of heaven, and said, Abraam, Abraam. And he said, Behold, I am here.

12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the child, neither do anything to him, for now I know that thou fearest God, and for my sake thou hast not spared thy beloved son. 13And Abraam lifted up his eyes and beheld, and lo! a ram caught by his horns in a plant of Sabec; and Abraam went and took the ram, and offered him up for a whole-burnt-offering in the place of Isaac his son. 14And Abraam called the name of that place, The Lord hath seen; that they might say to-day, In the mount the Lord was seen.

15And an angel of the Lord called Abraam the second time out of heaven, 16saying, I have sworn by myself, says the Lord, because thou hast done this thing, and on my account hast not spared thy beloved son, 17surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is by the shore of the sea, and thy seed shall inherit the cities of their enemies. 18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast hearkened to my voice.

Brenton LXX, public domain

VespersProverbs 17.17-18.5

17:17Have thou a friend for every time, and let brethren be useful in distress; for on this account are they born. 18A foolish man applauds and rejoices over himself, as he also that becomes surety would make himself responsible for his own friends. 19A lover of sin rejoices in strifes; 20and the hard-hearted man comes not in for good. A man of a changeful tongue will fall into mischiefs; 21and the heart of a fool is grief to its possessor. A father rejoices not over an uninstructed son; but a wise son gladdens his mother.

22A glad heart promotes health; but the bones of a sorrowful man dry up. 23The ways of a man who unjustly receives gifts in his bosom do not prosper; and an ungodly man perverts the ways of righteousness. 24The countenance of a wise man is sensible; but the eyes of a fool go to the ends of the earth. 25A foolish son is a cause of anger to his father, and grief to her that bore him. 26It is not right to punish a righteous man, nor is it holy to plot against righteous princes.

27He that forbears to utter a hard word is discreet, and a patient man is wise. 28Wisdom shall be imputed to a fool who asks after wisdom: and he who holds his peace shall seem to be sensible. 18:1A man who wishes to separate from friends seeks excuses; but at all times he will be liable to reproach. 2A senseless man feels no need of wisdom, for he is rather led by folly. 3When an ungodly man comes into a depth of evils, he despises them; but dishonour and reproach come upon him.

4A word in the heart of a man is a deep water, and a river and fountain of life spring forth. 5It is not good to accept the person of the ungodly, nor is it holy to pervert justice in judgment.

Brenton LXX, public domain

EpistleHebrews 7.26-8.2

7:26For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself. 28For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son forever who has been perfected. 8:1Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2a servant of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, not man.

WEB, public domain

GospelJohn 10.9-16

10:9I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out and will find pasture. 10The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. 11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them.

13The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own; 15even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.

WEB, public domain

The order and appointment of the readings follow the Orthodox lectionary. Come to the Liturgy to hear them proclaimed.

Readings, Old Calendar

6th HourIsaiah 45.11-17

45:11For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, who has formed the things that are to come, Enquire of me concerning my sons, and concerning the works of my hands command me. 12I have made the earth, and man upon it: I with my hand have established the heaven; I have given commandment to all the stars. 13I have raised him up to be a king with righteousness, and all his ways are right: he shall build my city, and shall turn the captivity of my people, not for ransoms, nor for rewards, saith the Lord of hosts.

14Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Egypt has laboured for thee; and the merchandise of the Ethiopians, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall pass over to thee, and shall be thy servants; and they shall follow after thee bound in fetters, and shall pass over to thee, and shall do obeisance to thee, and make supplication to thee: because God is in thee; and there is no God beside thee, O Lord. 15For thou art God, yet we knew it not, the God of Israel, the Saviour. 16All that are opposed to him shall be ashamed and confounded, and shall walk in shame: ye isles, keep a feast to me. 17Israel is saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation: they shall not be ashamed nor confounded for evermore.

Brenton LXX, public domain

VespersGenesis 22.1-18

22:1And it came to pass after these things that God tempted Abraam, and said to him, Abraam, Abraam; and he said, Lo! I am here. 2And he said, Take thy son, the beloved one, whom thou hast loved—Isaac, and go into the high land, and offer him there for a whole-burnt-offering on one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 3And Abraam rose up in the morning and saddled his ass, and he took with him two servants, and Isaac his son, and having split wood for a whole-burnt-offering, he arose and departed, and came to the place of which God spoke to him, 4on the third day; and Abraam having lifted up his eyes, saw the place afar off.

5And Abraam said to his servants, Sit ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will proceed thus far, and having worshipped we will return to you. 6And Abraam took the wood of the whole-burnt-offering, and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took into his hands both the fire and the knife, and the two went together. 7And Isaac said to Abraam his father, Father. And he said, What is it, son? And he said, Behold the fire and the wood, where is the sheep for a whole-burnt-offering?

8And Abraam said, God will provide himself a sheep for a whole-burnt-offering, my son. And both having gone together, 9came to the place which God spoke of to him; and there Abraam built the altar, and laid the wood on it, and having bound the feet of Isaac his son together, he laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10And Abraam stretched forth his hand to take the knife to slay his son. 11And an angel of the Lord called him out of heaven, and said, Abraam, Abraam. And he said, Behold, I am here.

12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the child, neither do anything to him, for now I know that thou fearest God, and for my sake thou hast not spared thy beloved son. 13And Abraam lifted up his eyes and beheld, and lo! a ram caught by his horns in a plant of Sabec; and Abraam went and took the ram, and offered him up for a whole-burnt-offering in the place of Isaac his son. 14And Abraam called the name of that place, The Lord hath seen; that they might say to-day, In the mount the Lord was seen.

15And an angel of the Lord called Abraam the second time out of heaven, 16saying, I have sworn by myself, says the Lord, because thou hast done this thing, and on my account hast not spared thy beloved son, 17surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is by the shore of the sea, and thy seed shall inherit the cities of their enemies. 18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast hearkened to my voice.

Brenton LXX, public domain

VespersProverbs 17.17-18.5

17:17Have thou a friend for every time, and let brethren be useful in distress; for on this account are they born. 18A foolish man applauds and rejoices over himself, as he also that becomes surety would make himself responsible for his own friends. 19A lover of sin rejoices in strifes; 20and the hard-hearted man comes not in for good. A man of a changeful tongue will fall into mischiefs; 21and the heart of a fool is grief to its possessor. A father rejoices not over an uninstructed son; but a wise son gladdens his mother.

22A glad heart promotes health; but the bones of a sorrowful man dry up. 23The ways of a man who unjustly receives gifts in his bosom do not prosper; and an ungodly man perverts the ways of righteousness. 24The countenance of a wise man is sensible; but the eyes of a fool go to the ends of the earth. 25A foolish son is a cause of anger to his father, and grief to her that bore him. 26It is not right to punish a righteous man, nor is it holy to plot against righteous princes.

27He that forbears to utter a hard word is discreet, and a patient man is wise. 28Wisdom shall be imputed to a fool who asks after wisdom: and he who holds his peace shall seem to be sensible. 18:1A man who wishes to separate from friends seeks excuses; but at all times he will be liable to reproach. 2A senseless man feels no need of wisdom, for he is rather led by folly. 3When an ungodly man comes into a depth of evils, he despises them; but dishonour and reproach come upon him.

4A word in the heart of a man is a deep water, and a river and fountain of life spring forth. 5It is not good to accept the person of the ungodly, nor is it holy to pervert justice in judgment.

Brenton LXX, public domain

The order and appointment of the readings follow the Orthodox lectionary. Come to the Liturgy to hear them proclaimed.

Questions

What does the Orthodox Church remember on Friday, March 31, 2028?

  • On the New Calendar, St Innocent of Moscow; St Hypatius of Gangra; and St Jonah of Moscow.
  • On the Old Calendar, St Cyril of Jerusalem and St Nikolai of Ochrid.

Is Friday, March 31, 2028 a fast day in the Orthodox Church?

Yes.

  • On the New Calendar it is a strict fast day.
  • On the Old Calendar it is a strict fast day.

What are the Orthodox readings for Friday, March 31, 2028?

On the New Calendar:

  • The Matins Gospel is John 10.1-9.
  • At the 6th Hour, the reading is Isaiah 45.11-17.
  • At Vespers, the readings are Genesis 22.1-18 and Proverbs 17.17-18.5.
  • The Epistle is Hebrews 7.26-8.2 and the Gospel is John 10.9-16.

On the Old Calendar:

  • No Epistle or Gospel is appointed.
  • At the 6th Hour, the reading is Isaiah 45.11-17.
  • At Vespers, the readings are Genesis 22.1-18 and Proverbs 17.17-18.5.

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