2nd Sunday of the Cross
This Sunday's Summary
On this 2nd Sunday of the Cross, both readings speak of marriage. The tie between marriage and the cross is strong, you will see crosses everywhere in an Armenian Church wedding, reminding us that a good marriage and life consists of giving away one's self for love of God & others. In today's Epistle reading, Paul says the church and its members are married to God himself, so we should be humble and faithful. Jesus then reminds us in the Gospel reading that marriage is not primarily a human arrangement, but something God created from the beginning so that men and women would grow stronger in their love for God and each other.
This Sunday's Readings
Old Testament Reading
Isaiah 14:3-17
It shall come to pass in the day theLordgives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve,that youwill take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say:
“How the oppressor has ceased,
Thegoldencity ceased!
TheLordhas brokenthe staff of the wicked,
The scepter of the rulers;
He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke,
He who ruled the nations in anger,
Is persecutedandno one hinders.
The whole earth is at restandquiet;
They break forth into singing.
Indeed the cypress trees rejoice over you,
Andthe cedars of Lebanon,
Saying,‘Since youwere cut down,
No woodsman has come up against us.’
“Hellfrom beneath is excited about you,
To meetyouat your coming;
It stirs up the dead for you,
All the chief ones of the earth;
It has raised up from their thrones
All the kings of the nations.
They all shallspeak and say to you:
‘Have you also become as weak as we?
Have you become like us?
Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
Andthe sound of your stringed instruments;
The maggot is spread under you,
And worms cover you.’
“Howyou are fallen from heaven,
OLucifer, son of the morning!
Howyou are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on themount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
Yet youshall be brought down to Sheol,
To thelowest depths of the Pit.
“Those who see you will gaze at you,
Andconsider you,saying:
‘Isthis the man who made the earth tremble,
Who shook kingdoms,
Who made the world as a wilderness
And destroyed its cities,
Whodid not open the house of his prisoners?’
Epistle Reading
2 Corinthians 10:18-11:10
Fornot he who commends himself is approved, butwhom the Lord commends.
Oh, that you would bear with me in a littlefolly—and indeed you do bear with me.For I amjealous for you with godly jealousy. ForI have betrothed you to one husband,that I may presentyouasa chaste virgin to Christ.But I fear, lest somehow, asthe serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your mindsmay be corrupted from thesimplicity that is in Christ.For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, orifyou receive a different spirit which you have not received, or adifferent gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
For I consider thatI am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles.Even thoughI amuntrained in speech, yetI amnotin knowledge. Butwe havebeen thoroughly manifested among you in all things.
Did I commit sin inhumbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to youfree of charge?I robbed other churches, taking wagesfrom themto minister to you.And when I was present with you, and in need,I was a burden to no one, for what I lackedthe brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keepmyself.As the truth of Christ is in me,no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
Gospel Reading
Mark 10:1-12
ThenHe arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.
The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorcehiswife?” testing Him.
And He answered and said to them,“What did Moses command you?”
They said,“Moses permitteda manto write a certificate of divorce, and to dismissher.”
And Jesus answered and said to them,“Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you thisprecept.But from the beginning of the creation, God‘made them male and female.’‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the samematter.So He said to them,“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
This Sunday's Lesson Plans
Ages 5-8
Ages 9-14
Ages 14-17
This Sunday's Sermons & Videos
This Season's Saints
Tuesday, Sep 22
St. Shoushanik
Saturday, Sep 26
St. George
Saturday, Oct 03
Seventy-Two Disciples of Christ
Saturday, Oct 10
Holy Translators
Saturday, Oct 31
All Saints
Saturday, Nov 07