Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord! Look to the Lord, and be strengthened; seek His face evermore.

Give thanks to the Lord, invoke His Name; make known among the nations His deeds.

Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord! Look to the Lord, and be strengthened; seek His face evermore.

Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that we who are chastising the flesh by fasting, may rejoice in this holy practice and thus, with earthly passions subdued, we may the more readily direct our thoughts to heavenly things.

Lesson from the book of Kings

In those days, a Sunamite woman came to Eliseus to Mount Carmel: and when the man of God saw her coming toward him, he said to Giezi his servant, Behold that Sunamitess. Go therefore to meet her, and say to her: Is it well with you, and with your husband, and with your son? And she answered, Well. And when she came to the man of God to the mount, she caught hold on his feet: and Giezi came to remove her. And the man of God said, Let her alone: for her soul is in anguish, and the Lord has hid it from me and has not told me. And she said to him, Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say to you: Do not deceive me? Then he said to Giezi, Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand and go. If any man meet you, salute him not: and if any man salute you, answer him not: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. But the mother of the child said, As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. He arose therefore, and followed her. But Giezi was gone before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child, and there was not voice nor sense: and he returned to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not risen. Eliseus therefore went into the house, and behold, the child lay dead on his bed: and going in he shut the door upon him, and upon the child: and prayed to the Lord. And he went up and lay upon the child: and he put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and he bowed himself upon him: and the child’s flesh grew warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house, once to and fro: and he went up and lay upon him: and the child gaped seven times, and opened his eyes. And he called Giezi, and said to him, Call this Sunamitess. And she being called, went in to him. And he said, Take up your son. She came and fell at his feet, and worshipped upon the ground: and took up her son, and went out, and Eliseus returned to Galgal.

Look, O Lord, to Your covenant; be not forever unmindful of the lives of Your afflicted ones.

Arise, O Lord; defend Your cause; remember the reproaches of Your servants.

Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Luke

At that time, Jesus went into a city called Naim; and His disciples and a large crowd went with Him. And as He drew near the gate of the town, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large gathering from the town was with her. And the Lord, seeing her, had compassion on her, and said to her, Do not weep. And He went up and touched the stretcher; and the bearers stood still. And He said, Young man, I say to you, arise. And he who was dead, sat up, and began to speak. And He gave him to his mother. But fear seized upon all, and they began to glorify God, saying, A great prophet has risen among us, and God has visited His people.

O Lord, make haste to help me. Let all those be put to shame who desire the ruin of Your servants.

Cleanse us, O merciful God, so that the prayers of Your Church, which we bring You as a pleasing gift, may be even more pleasing to You, once our hearts are purified.

O Lord, I will tell of Your singular justice. O God, You have taught me from my youth; and now that I am old and gray, O God, forsake me not.

O Lord, we beseech you, do not allow the heavenly gifts, which You have given for healing Your faithful people, to become a reason for condemning those who receive them.

Let us pray.

Bow your heads to God.

O God, teacher and ruler of Your people, drive out the sins that assail them, so that they may ever be pleasing to You and secure under Your protection.