32nd SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST — Tone 7. Ss. Athanasius the Great (373) and Cyril (444), Archbishops of Alexandria.
Tone 7 Troparion (Resurrection)
By Your Cross You destroyed death. To the thief You opened Paradise. For the Myrrhbearers You changed weeping into joy. And You commanded Your disciples, O Christ God, to proclaim that You are risen,// granting the world great mercy.
Tone 4 Troparion (St Nicholas)
The truth of your deeds has revealed you to your flock as a rule of faith, an image of meekness and a teacher of self-control; your humility exalted you; your poverty enriched you.// O Father Bishop Nicholas, pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved.
Tone 3 Troparion (Sts. Athanasius and Cyril)
You shone forth with works of Orthodoxy and quenched all heresy, and became victorious trophy-bearers, hierarchs Athanasius and Cyril. You enriched all things with piety and greatly adorned the Church, and worthily found Christ God,// Who grants His great mercy to all.
Tone 7 Kontakion (Resurrection)
The dominion of death can no longer hold men captive, for Christ descended, shattering and destroying its powers. Hell is bound, while the Prophets rejoice and cry: “The Savior has come to those in faith;//enter, you faithful, into the Resurrection!”
Tone 3 Kontakion (St. Nicholas)
You proved yourself to be be a holy priest, O Nicholas. You served God in Myra and lived the gospel of Christ. You offered your life for your people, And rescued the innocent from death. Therefore God has glorified you as a trustworthy guide of things divine.
Tone 4 Kontakion (Sts. Athanasius and Cyril)
Athanasius and Cyril, great hierarchs of true piety, and noble champions of the Church of Christ, Preserve all who sing:// “O Compassionate Lord, save those who honor You!”
Tone 6 Kontakion (Steadfast Protectress)
Steadfast Protectress of Christians, Constant Advocate before the Creator; despise not the cry of us sinners, but in your goodness come speedily to help us who call on you in faith. Hasten to hear our petition and to intercede for us, O Theotokos, for you always protect those who honor you!
Tone 7 Prokeimenon (Resurrection)
The Lord shall give strength to His people. / The Lord shall bless His people with peace. (Ps. 28:11)
V. Offer to the Lord, O you sons of God! Offer young rams to the Lord! (Ps. 28:1a)
1 Timothy 1:15-17 (Epistle)
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 7
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
V. It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Your Name, O Most High. (Ps. 91:1)
V. To declare Your mercy in the morning, and Your truth by night. (Ps. 91:2a)
Luke 18:35-43 (Gospel)
Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Saint Athanasius the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria
Athanasius was born in Alexandria in the year 296, and from his early childhood he had an inclination to the spiritual life. He was a deacon to Archbishop Alexander and accompanied him to the First Ecumenical Council [Nicaea, 325]. It was at this Council that Athanasius became renowned for his knowledge of, devotion to, and zeal for Orthodoxy. He contributed greatly to the destruction of the heresy of Arius and the strengthening of Orthodoxy. He wrote the Symbol of Faith [the Creed] which was adopted at the Council. Following the death of Alexander, Athanasius was elected Archbishop of Alexandria. He remained in his calling as Archbishop of Alexandria for forty years, although not for the entire time on the archiepiscopal throne. With few exceptions, he was persecuted by heretics throughout his life. Of the emperors, he was persecuted the most by Constantius, Julian and Valens; of the bishops, by Eusebius of Nicomedia and many others; and of heretics in general, by Arius and his followers. Athanasius was forced to hide from his persecutors at various times: once in a well, once in a grave, and sometimes in private homes or in the deserts. Twice he was forced to flee to Rome. Only for a while before his death did he live peacefully, as a good shepherd among his good flock, who truly loved him. Few are the saints who were so mercilessly slandered and so criminally persecuted as was St. Athanasius. His great soul patiently endured all for the love of Christ and, in the end, emerged victorious from this entire terrible and long-lasting struggle. For counsel, for comfort and for moral support, Athanasius often visited St. Anthony the Great, whom he respected as his spiritual father. A man who formulated the greatest truth, Athanasius had much to suffer for that truth—until the Lord gave him repose in His Kingdom as His faithful servant, in the year 373.
— Velimirovic, Saint Nikolai. The Prologue of Ohrid
Saint Athanasius the Great and Saint Cyril, Archbishops of Alexandria
Saints Athanasius and Cyril were Archbishops of Alexandria. These wise teachers of truth and defenders of Christ’s Church share a joint Feast in recognition of their dogmatic writings which affirm the truth of the Orthodox Faith, correctly interpret the Holy Scripture, and censure the delusions of the heretics.
St Cyril was the nephew of Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria, who educated him from his youth. He succeeded to his uncle’s position in 412, but was deposed through the intrigues of the Nestorian heretics. He later resumed his See, however.
St Cyril presided at the Third Ecumenical Council in 431, which censured the Nestorian blasphemy against the Most Holy Theotokos. His wise words demonstrated the error of their false doctrine.
St Cyril departed to the Lord in the year 444, and is also commemorated on June 9 (the day of his repose).
REFLECTION
To the question, “Why did the Son of God appear on earth in a human body and not in another form of creation?” the brilliant St. Athanasius replied in this manner: “If they ask why He did not appear in some other, better form of creation—for example, as the sun or the moon, or the stars or fire, or the wind—but just as a man, let them know that the Lord did not come to show Himself, but to heal and teach sufferers. For to reveal Himself only to amaze the viewers would mean to come for a show. It was necessary for the Healer and the Teacher, not only to come, but to serve for the benefit of the suffering ones, and to reveal Himself in such a way that this revelation would be bearable for the sufferers. Not one single creature was in error in the eyes of God, except man alone: neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the sky, nor the stars, nor the water, nor the wind betrayed their ranks. On the contrary, knowing their Creator and their King—the Word—they all remained as they were created. Only human beings separated themselves from good and replaced truth with deceit; and the honor belonging to God (as well as the knowledge about Him) they transferred to devils and to men carved out of stone [idols]. What, therefore, is so unbelievable in this, that the Logos appeared as a man to save mankind?” Indeed, we also ask the unbelievers of our day: “In what form would you wish God to appear, if not as a man?”
— Velimirovic, Saint Nikolai. The Prologue of Ohrid
On victory over the world
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).
The Conqueror of the world, the One and Only, with these words teaches His followers not to fear the world. Indeed, the world appears very strong; however, is not the One Who created the world stronger than the world? The world is very frightening for him who does not know that God rules the world, and that He has the authority to hold it in existence as long as He wills and to return it into nonexistence whenever He wills. But to him who knows this, the world is not frightening. Compared to Christ the Lord, this world is as a fabric woven of weakness itself; while in Christ the Lord, there is not a single weakness. To him who does not know this, the world is frightening; but he who knows it has no fear of the world. The world has loaned us a body, and because of this it wants to acquire our soul. How can the world overpower us if we stand as soldiers of the Conqueror of the world? The Conqueror of the world gives us weapons for the battle. By His example He teaches us how to fight, reveals the hidden enemy, shows us the path of attack and retreat, holds us in His hand, protects us under His wing, preserves us with His Life-giving Body, and gives us to drink of His Life-giving Blood. Moreover, He encourages us by crying out: “Take courage!” Brethren, what then can the world do when its defeat is sealed by the victory of Christ? O Lord, the Conqueror of the world and our victorious Commander, be close to us always, that we may not become frightened; and direct us, that we may always be close to Thee in heart, mind and soul. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
— Velimirovic, Saint Nikolai. The Prologue of Ohrid
Let Every Breath Praise the Lord
This name (Jesus Christ) must be firmly implanted in our life. We should cry out the name of Christ night and day. The Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me” is a confession of Christ’s name and simultaneously a petition for mercy. What is better than this? We should confess Christ’s name and fill the atmosphere with the beauty of His divinity, and, in following, we should ask the Lord to be merciful “upon our sins.” When a Christian, and especially a monk, asks for mercy and forgiveness, when he says, “Lord Jesus Christ, save me,” how can Christ possibly ignore this person and not send him His gifts? How can such a person not come to know His Light? How can he not experience rapture of the mind? How can he not cry within the Light, within the superbrilliant darkness of the Divine Radiance? How is it possible for him not to discover Christ—just as He is—within this Light? Of course, at the onset of our journey to confess and establish the name of God, the benefit is not immediately apparent. We will encounter difficulty; we will realize that it requires an effort and struggle on our part. This is due to the opposing legions of demons who want us to stop. The initial difficulty of prayer will cease, nonetheless, and during the period of verbal invocation of the Divine name, we will feel Christ’s consolation. Subsequently, when the Prayer is continuously accompanied by our careful way of life, in due time, God will also visit us, and we will see the benefit, which we are unaware of presently. It is impossible for the eyes of the soul not to open.
As we stated at the beginning of our talk, vigils must consistently accompany the Prayer. We must hold vigil without fail. We must remain watchful by implementing prayer, contemplation, and all-round abstinence. All-around abstinence entails restraining our five senses, our mouth, and, above all, our imagination. We should not allow our mind to race freely all over the world. When we talk without end, how can our mind remain serene? Likewise, if we keep silent but allow our mind to roam freely, how will it have the ability and the clarity to ascend to the theoria of God? Hence, comprehensive abstinence and general attention are mandatory. We should pay attention to what we say, to what we think, to how we conduct ourselves with each other, to how we keep our obedience. “Do we sincerely fear God? Do we obey our conscience? Do we examine our conscience? Does it reproach us for any of our thoughts or actions?
Do we take spiritual inventory? Do we say the Prayer frequently? Where does our mind drift? How much did I speak today? With whom did I speak? Did I say anything inappropriate?” When we examine ourselves in this manner, the gauge, the “computer,” will reveal if we have criticized someone, or spoken unnecessarily; if we became angry, or did not complete our work correctly; if we were negligent, did not wake up for vigil, or wasted time dwelling on absurd thoughts.
— Ephraim, Elder. The Art of Salvation
On Inner Peace
You must strive to have peace in your homes. Peace starts with each one of us. When we have peace in us, we spread it around to others. You can see for yourself that there are very few humble and meek souls on the earth—but also that they are truly blessed. They will not be offended if you insult them in any way. Whatever way you treat them, they are quiet and peaceful and they are truly sorrowed because you are in such spiritual torment.
— Smiljanic, Ana. Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: the Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica
His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon Announces Sanctity of Life Sunday, January 25, 2026
SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA]
His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon has designated Sunday, January 25, 2026, as Sanctity of Life Sunday for the Orthodox Church in America, in conjunction with the annual March for Life in Washington, DC, which will take place on Friday, January 23, 2026.
His Beatitude’s archpastoral message is provided below. Liturgical prayers and petitions for Sanctity of Life Sunday, as well as additional resources, are available on the OCA Sanctity of Life Resource Page.
Orthodox Christians are also invited to gather for the March for Life. As in previous years, Orthodox participation is being coordinated by Orthodox Christians for Life.
On Friday, January 23, the day will begin with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at 8 AM at St. Nicholas Cathedral, followed by a breakfast reception. Participants will then gather at the National Mall. At 12:30 PM, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon will lead the faithful in prayer for the Service of Supplication for an End to Abortion, prior to the beginning of the March for Life, which concludes at the Supreme Court.
All are invited to join His Beatitude and Orthodox faithful from across the nation in prayerfully remembering the victims of abortion and bearing witness to the sanctity of human life.
For more information, including locations and the full schedule of events, please visit the Orthodox Christians for Life website.
To the clergy, monastics, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America, beloved children in the Lord:
Glory to Jesus Christ!
During these winter months, the Church celebrates a number of feasts dedicated to the appearing of the Lord in the flesh.
At his Nativity, he is born an infant, with all the needs of an infant; he requires his Mother’s nourishment, warmth, and care, and also his foster-father’s protection.
At his Baptism, he enters into the rushing waters of this world, into the cascading elements of creation, into the onrushing flow of life, into the change and flux of the present age.
At his Meeting in the temple, he enters into the religious and cultural life of his people while also already showing himself to be the Fulfillment of their deepest religious yearnings, the Salvation for whom they have longed.
Our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, becoming incarnate and appearing in the world, did so in order to fill every aspect of our life with himself. He has willed to be present in our basic weakness and our everyday needs; to be present among all the changes and cycles of nature and history that swirl around us; to be present in the highest aspirations of human culture, which reach beyond this life and grasp at the undying life of the age to come.
In the midst of this luminous season of feasts, we also mark our annual Sanctity of Life Sunday. Reflecting on the meaning of the sanctity of life in light of the great feasts that we have celebrated and will soon celebrate, we realize that the Lord has come so that we might have life and have it more abundantly, not just in the age to come, but in this present age as well.
Therefore, every moment of human life, from conception to natural death, is infinitely precious, because every moment of human life, every facet of human existence—except for sin—has been hallowed by the presence of the Lord. Every phase of life, every circumstance, is an opportunity to encounter the Lord.
Our Orthodox Christian understanding of the sanctity of all human life is not, therefore, a cold and abstract principle, but an affirmation of the love of the living God revealed in Jesus Christ. This is a love that opens up the fullness of life’s possibilities at every moment, fills the world with meaning, and offers the promise of renewal for individuals, communities, and entire cultures.
Therefore, as we mark this Sanctity of Life Sunday, we pray not just for legal protections for all human beings, from conception to natural death. We also pray that our entire culture would be oriented toward the physical and spiritual well-being of all people in all phases of life so that, without undue fear or trouble, in peace and health, all of us may experience this life as a place of encounter with the radiant and life-giving Love of God, Jesus Christ incarnate in human flesh.
To him who gave us life in the beginning, who sustains our life in this world and desires to fill it with himself, and who willed to save us and lead us to everlasting life in the age to come, our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, be all thanks and adoration, together with his Father and his All-holy Spirit: now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Yours in Christ,
+Tikhon
Archbishop of Washington
Sunday Bulletin January 11, 2026