Readings for Common Classes of Saints According to the Ruthenians

 Introduction

Along with the unique liturgical readings given for some feasts, the Byzantine tradition (like most, if not all, liturgical traditions) also prescribes common sets of readings to be used for various classes of saints or general festal themes.  The readings and numbering arrangement given below are those of the Ruthenian practice, as found in David M. Petras, Common Typicon (Pittsburgh, PA: Byzantine Seminary Press, 2017), 90-101.  In Orthodox practice, these common readings are often found in the General Menaion, a few versions of which can be found online: Nicholas Orloff's 1862 version, John Peck's 2011 version, or the Russian Orthodox version found at St-Sergius.org.  Though the Common Typikon also provides Prokeimena and Alleluia verses, among other notes, I have simply recorded the main Scriptural readings here.

Regarding the Commons of each day of the week (Commons 18-23), these are related to the hymns of the Oktoechos, the 8-week cycle of basic hymns.  In the Oktoechos, each day of the week has its own theme (Sunday's, of course, being the Resurrection), which themes are consistent across all eight weeks.  The readings of these Commons relate to each theme from the Oktoechos.

Certain readings--either common or unique--are composed of verses scattered across multiple chapters of a book, and sometimes across multiple books.  These were deemed "Composite Readings" in the Basilian Sisters' Festal Menaion (Uniontown, PA: Sisters of St. Basil the Great, 1985).  (Note that this is distinct from the more popular Festal Menaion translated by Mother Mary and Archimandrite Kallistos Ware (London: Faber and Faber, 1969).)  A list of the Composite Readings can be found at the end of this post.  Please note that the exact numbering of included verses can vary across sources, especially because some sources only include partial verses.  I hope to do a deeper examination of the Composite Readings in the future.


Common 1: Theotokos

  • Vespers: Gen 28:10-17; Ez 43:27-44:4; Prv 9:1-11

  • Matins: Lk 1:39-49, 56

  • Liturgy: Phil 2:5-11 (or Heb 9:1-7); Lk 10:38-42, 11:27-28

Common 2: Holy Cross

  • Vespers: Ex 15:22-16:1; Prv 3:11-18; Is 60:11-16

  • Matins: Jn 12:28-36

  • Liturgy: 1 Cor 1:18-24; Jn 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30b-35a

Common 3: Angels

  • Vespers: Jos 5:13-15; Jgs 6:2, 7, 11-24; Is 14:7-20

  • Matins: Mt 13:24-30, 36b-43

  • Liturgy: Heb 2:2-10; Lk 10:16-21

Common 4: Prophets

  • Vespers: Wis 3:1-9; Wis 5:15-6:3; Wis 4:7, 16-17, 4:19-5:7

  • Matins: Mt 23:29-39

  • Liturgy: 1 Cor 14:20-25; Lk 11:47-12:1

Common 5: Apostles

  • For One Apostle:

    • Vespers: 1 Jn 3:21-4:6; 1 Jn 4:11-16; 1 Jn 4:20-5:5

    • Matins: Jn 21:15-25 (or Mt 9:36-10:8)

    • Liturgy: 1 Cor 4:9-16; Mt 9:36-10:8

  • For Two or More Apostles:

    • Vespers: 1 Pet 1:3-9; 1 Pet 1:13-19; 1 Pet 2:11-24

    • Matins: Jn 21:15-25 (or Lk 10:1-15)

    • Liturgy: 1 Cor 4:9-16; Lk 10:1-15 (or Lk 10:16-21)

Common 6: One Bishop (Hierarch)

  • Vespers: Prv 10:7, 6, 3:13-16, 8:6, 34-35, 4:12, 14, 17, 5-9, 1:23, 15:4 (Composite I); Prv 10:31-32, 11:2, 10:2, 11:7, 13:2, 9, 15:2, 14:33, 22:12, Wis 6:12-16, 7:30, 8:2-4, 7-9, 17-18, 21, 9:1-5, 10-11, 14 (Composite II); Prv 29:2, Wis 4:1, 14, 6:11, 17-18, 21-23, 7:15-16, 21-22, 26-27, 29, 10:9-10, 12, 7:30, 2:1, 10-17, 19-22, 15:1, 16:13, Prv 3:34 (Composite IV)

  • Matins: Jn 10:1-9

  • Liturgy: Heb 7:26-8:2; Jn 10:9-16

Common 7: Two or More Bishops (Hierarchs)

  • Vespers: Prv 10:7, 6, 3:13-16, 8:6, 34-35, 4:12, 14, 17, 5-9, 1:23, 15:4 (Composite I); Prv 10:31-32, 11:1, 2, 4, 3, 5-12 (Composite VI); Wis 4:7-15

  • Matins: Mt 5:14-19

  • Liturgy: Heb 13:17-21; Jn 10:1-9

Common 8: Venerables and Fools for Christ

  • Vespers: Wis 3:1-9; Wis 5:15-6:3; Wis 4:7-15

  • Matins: Mt 11:27-30

  • Liturgy: Gal 5:22-6:2; Lk 6:17-23

Common 9: One Martyr

  • Vespers: Is 43:9-14; Wis 3:1-9; Wis 4:7-15

  • Matins; Lk 12:2-12

  • Liturgy: 2 Tim 2:1-10; Jn 15:17-16:2

Common 10: Two or More Martyrs

  • Vespers: Is 43:9-14; Wis 3:1-9; Wis 5:15-6:3

  • Matins: Mt 10:16-22

  • Liturgy: Eph 6:10-17; Lk 21:12-19

Common 11: One Bishop-Martyr

  • Vespers: Is 43:9-14; Wis 3:1-9; Wis 5:15-6:3

  • Matins; Lk 12:32-40

  • Liturgy: Heb 13:7-16; Lk 12:32-40

Common 12: Two or More Bishop-Martyrs

  • Vespers: Is 43:9-14; Wis 3:1-9; Wis 5:15-6:3

  • Matins: Lk 12:32-40

  • Liturgy: Heb 5:4-10; Lk 6:17-23 (or Lk 10:22-24; or Lk 14:25-35)

Common 13: Venerable Martyrs

  • Vespers: Wis 3:1-9; Wis 5:15-6:3; Wis 4:7-15

  • Matins: Mk 8:34b-38

  • Liturgy:

    • One Venerable Martyr: 2 Tim 1:8-18; Mk 8:34b-38

    • Two or More Venerable Martyrs: Rom 8:28-39; Mt 10:32-33, 37-39, 19:27-30 (or Lk 12:8-12)

Common 14: Women Martyrs

  • Vespers: Is 43:9-14; Wis 3:1-9; Wis 5:15-6:3

  • Matins: Mt 15:21-28

  • Liturgy: 2 Cor 6:1-10 (or Gal 3:23-29); Mt 15:21-28 (or Mk 5:24-34)

Common 15: Venerable Women

  • Vespers:

    • One Venerable Woman: Wis 3:1-9; Wis 5:15-6:3; Wis 4:7-15

    • Two or More Venerable Women: Is 43:9-14; Wis 3:1-9; Wis 5:15-6:3

  • Matins: Mt 25:1-13

    • For Venerable Women Martyrs: Mt 15:21-28

  • Liturgy: Gal 3:23-29; Mt 25:1-13 (or Lk 7:36-50)

Common 16: Confessors

  • Vespers: Wis 3:1-9; Wis 5:15-6:3; Wis 4:7-15

  • Matins: Lk 12:8-12

  • Liturgy: Eph 6:10-17; Lk 12:8-12

Common 17: Unmercenary Healers

  • Vespers: Is 43:9-14; Wis 3:1-9; Wis 5:15-6:3

  • Matins: Mt 10:1, 5-8

  • Liturgy: 1 Cor 12:27-13:8; Mt 10:1, 5-8

Common 18: Mondays (cf. Common 3: Angels)

Common 19: Tuesday: John the Forerunner

  • Vespers: Is 40:1-3, 9, 41:17-18, 45:8, 48:20-21, 54:1 (Composite IX); Mal 3:1, Mk 1:2, Mal 3:1-3, 5-7, 12, 18, 17, 4:4-6 (Composite X); Wis 4:7, 16-17, 4:19-5:7 (Composite III)

  • Matins: Mt 11:2-15 (or Lk 7:17-30)

  • Liturgy: Acts 13:25-32; Jn 1:29-34

Common 20: Wednesday (cf. Common 1: Theotokos)

Common 21: Thursday (cf. Common 5: Apostles)

Common 22: Friday (cf. Common 2: Holy Cross)

Common 23: Saturday: Faithful Departed and All Saints

  • Liturgy: 1 Thes 4:13-17; Jn 5:24-30

Common 24: For the Departed

  • Monday Liturgy: Rom 14:6-9; Jn 5:17-24

  • Tuesday Liturgy: 1 Cor 15:39-45; Jn 5:24-30

  • Wednesday Liturgy: 2 Cor 5:1-10a; Jn 6:35-39

  • Thursday Liturgy: 1 Cor 15:20-28; Jn 6:40-44

  • Friday Liturgy: 1 Cor 15:47-57; Jn 6:48-54

  • Saturday Liturgy: 1 Thes 4:13-17; Jn 5:24-30



Composite Readings from the Festal Menaion


Composite I: Prv 10:7, 6, 3:13-16, 8:6, 34-35, 4:12, 14, 17, 5-9, 1:23, 15:4

Composite II: Prv 10:31-32, 11:2, 10:2, 11:7, 13:2, 9, 15:2, 14:33, 22:12, Wis 6:12-16, 7:30, 8:2-4, 7-9, 17-18, 21, 9:1-5, 10-11, 14

Composite III: Wis 4:7, 16-17, 4:19-5:7

Composite IV: Prv 29:2, Wis 4:1, 14, 6:11, 17-18, 21-23, 7:15-16, 21-22, 26-27, 29, 10:9-10, 12, 7:30, 2:1, 10-17, 19-22, 15:1, 16:13, Prv 3:34

Composite V: Ex 12:51, 13:1-3, 10-16, 22:29, Lev 12:1-4, 6, 8, Num 8:16-17

Composite VI: Prv 10:31-32, 11:1, 2, 4, 3, 5-12

Composite VII: Gen 17:15-17, 19, 18:11-14, 21:1-2, 4-8

Composite VIII: Jgs 13:2-8, 13-14, 17-18, 21

Composite IX: Is 40:1-3, 9, 41:17-18, 45:8, 48:20-21, 54:1

Composite X: Mal 3:1, Mk 1:2, Mal 3:1-3, 5-7, 12, 18, 17, 4:4-6



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