Greek Orthodox Church of Saints Theodore, Townsville

31/05/2026

30/05/2026

𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟑𝟏 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔🙏 𝐻𝑜𝑙𝑦 𝑃𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡

✝ Κυριακή Η' τῆς Πεντηκοστής
Ἑρμείας Μάρτυς
Εὐστάθιος, Πατριάρχης Κωνσταντινουπόλεως
Εὐσέβιος καί Χαραλάμπος Μάρτυρες

✝ Holy Pentecost;
Hermias the Martyr at Comana;
Eustathios, Patriarch of Constantinople;
Eusebius and Haralambos the Monk-martyrs

Matins Gospel Reading: John 20:19-23
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were gathered, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Epistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11
WHEN THE DAY of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontos and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

Gospel Reading: John 7:37-52; 8:12
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'” Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered them, “Are you led astray, you also? Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed.” Nikodemos, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee.” Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

29/05/2026

𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟑𝟎 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔🙏 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑠

Όρθρος & Θεία Λειτουργία 𝟖:𝟏𝟓π.μ. -
𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝟖:𝟏𝟓𝐚𝐦 -

✝ Τῳ Σάββατῳ πρὸ της Πεντηκοστής
Ὁσίου Ἰσαακίου, Ἡγουμένου τῆς Μονῆς τῶν Δαλμάτων
Μακρίνα, γιαγιά τοῦ Ἁγίου Βασιλείου
Ὅσιος Βαρλαὰμ
Ἅγιος Νατάλιος
Ἐμμέλεια, μήτηρ τοῦ Βασιλείου τοῦ Μεγάλου

✝ The Saturday of Souls;
Isaacius, Abbot of the Monastery of Dalmatus;
Macrina, grandmother of St. Basil the Great;
Barlaam the Monk of Caesarea;
Natalios the Martyr;
Emilia, mother of Saint Basil the Great

Epistle Reading: St. Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians 4:13-17
But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord.

Gospel Reading: John 21:14-25
At that time, Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. And he said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go.” (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, “Follow me.” Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had lain close to his breast at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!” The saying spread abroad among the brethren that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

28/05/2026

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟗 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔🙏 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑝𝑜𝑑𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝑙𝑦 𝐴𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛
🍇 Nηστεια | Επιτρέπεται το κρασί και το λάδι. Αποφύγετε το κρέας, τα ψάρια, τα γαλακτοκομικά και τα αυγά.
🍇Fast Day | Wine and oil are allowed. Refrain from meat, fish, dairy, and eggs.

✝ Ἀπόδοσις τῆς Εορτῆς τῆς Ἀναλήψεως
Ὁσιομάρτυς Θεοδοσία της Τύρου
Ὁσιομάρτυς Θεοδοσία Kωνσταντινουπολιτίσσης
Καστορίᾳ Ἁγίων ἑπτά Νεάθλων Μαρτύρων
Νεομαρτύρος Ανδρέου Αργέντου
Ἰωάννης τῆς Σμύρνης, Νεομάρτυς

✝ The Apodosis of the Feast of the Holy Ascension;
Theodosia the Virgin-Martyr of Tyre;
Theodosia, Virgin-Martyr of Constantinople;
Seven New Martyrs of Kastoria;
Andrew the New Martyr of Argentes;
John of Smyrna the New Martyr

Epistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 27:1-44; 28:1
IN THOSE DAYS, when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort, named Julius. And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchos, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. And putting to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. And when we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and put us on board. We sailed slowly for a number of days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidos, and as the wind did not allow us to go on, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.

As much time had been lost, and the voyage was already dangerous because the fast had already gone by, Paul advised them, saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” But the centurion paid more attention to the captain and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to put to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, looking northeast and southeast, and winter there.

And when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close inshore. But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land; and when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven. And running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the boat; after hoisting it up, they took measures to undergird the ship; then, fearing that they should run on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and so were driven. As we were violently storm-tossed, they began next day to throw cargo overboard; and the third day they cast with their own hands the tackle of the ship. And when neither sun nor stars appeared for many a day, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.

As they had been long without food, Paul then came forward among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and should not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. I now bid you take heart; for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and lo, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we shall have to run on some island.”

When the fourteenth night had come, as we were drifting across the sea of Adria, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. So they sounded and found twenty fathoms; a little farther on they sounded again and found fifteen fathoms. And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let out four anchors from the stern, and prayed for the day to come. And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, ‘Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let it go.

As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. Therefore I urge you to take some food; it will give you strength, since not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” And when he had said this, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. (We were in all two hundred and seventy-six persons in the ship.) And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to bring the ship ashore. So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders; then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. But striking a shoal they ran the vessel aground; the bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was broken up by the surf. The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape; but the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their purpose. He ordered those who could swim to throw themselves overboard first and make for the land, and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all escaped to land.

After we had escaped, we then learned that the island was called Malta.

Gospel Reading: John 17:18-26
At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, “As you, Father, did send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.

“I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory which you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which you have given me in your love for me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you; and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

27/05/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟖 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔🙏 7𝑡ℎ 𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑃𝑎𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑎

✝ Τῃ Πέμπτη της H΄ Εβδομάδος
Hieromartyr Eutychius, Bishop of Melitene
Nikitas, Bishop of Chalcedon
Helikonis the Martyr
Heladios the Hieromartyr of the East
Zacharias the New Martyr

✝ 7th Thursday after Pascha
Hieromartyr Eutychius, Bishop of Melitene;
Nikitas, Bishop of Chalcedon;
Helikonis the Martyr;
Heladios the Hieromartyr of the East;
Zacharias the New Martyr

Epistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 25:13-19
IN THOSE DAYS, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus. And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix; and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews gave information about him, asking for sentence against him. I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up any one before the accused met the accusers face to face, and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. When therefore they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in. When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed; but they had certain points of dispute with him about their own superstition and about one Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.”

Gospel Reading: John 16:23-33
The Lord said to his disciples, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name. Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

“I have said this to you in figures; the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures but tell you plainly of the Father. In that day you will ask in my name; and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from the Father. I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure! Now we know that you know all things, and need none to question you; by this we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, every man to his home, and will leave me alone; yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace.”

26/05/2026

𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟕 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔🙏 7𝑡ℎ 𝑊𝑒𝑑𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑃𝑎𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑎
🍇 Nηστεια | Επιτρέπεται το κρασί και το λάδι. Αποφύγετε το κρέας, τα ψάρια, τα γαλακτοκομικά και τα αυγά.
🍇Fast Day | Wine and oil are allowed. Refrain from meat, fish, dairy, and eggs.

✝ Τῃ Τετάρτῃ της H΄ Εβδομάδος
Ἱερομάρτυς Ἑλλάδιος
Ἰωάννης ὁ Ὁμολογητής Ρώσος
Θεοδώρα καί Δίδυμος
Βεδέας ὁ Ὁμολογητής

✝ 7th Wednesday after Pascha
The Holy Hieromartyr Helladius;
John the Russian of Evia;
Theodora the Virgin-martyr & Didymos the Martyr;
Venerable Bede

Epistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 23:1-11
IN THOSE DAYS, Paul, looking intently at the council, said, “Brethren, I have lived before God in all good conscience up to this day.” And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God shall strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” And Paul said, “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ” But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am on trial.” And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. Then a great clamor arose; and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also at Rome.”

Gospel Reading: John 16:15-23
The Lord said to his disciples, “All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

“A little while, and you will see me no more; again a little while, and you will see me.” Some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’? ” They said, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he means.” Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him; so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’? Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being is born into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day, you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name.”

25/05/2026

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟔 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔🙏 7𝑡ℎ 𝑇𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑃𝑎𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑎

✝ Τῃ Τρίτῃ της H΄ Εβδομάδος
Κάρπος καὶ Ἀλφαῖος ἐκ τῶν 70
Νεομάρτυρος Ἀλεξάνδρου ἐκ Θεσσαλονίκης
Γεώργιος ὁ Νέος τῆς Σοφίας
Αὐγουστίνος Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Καντουαρίας

✝ 7th Tuesday after Pascha
Carpos and Alphaeus, Apostles of the 70;
Alexandros the New Martyr of Thessaloniki;
George the New of Sofia;
Augustine, Archbishop of Canterbury

Epistle Reading: Acts of the Apostles 21:26-32
IN THOSE DAYS, Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself with them and went into the temple, to give notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for every one of them. When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, who had seen him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd, and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching men everywhere against the people and the law and this place; moreover he also brought Greeks into the temple, and he has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimos the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then all the city was aroused, and the people ran together; they seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. And as they were trying to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. He at once took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them; and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

Gospel Reading: John 16:2-13
The Lord said to his disciples, “The hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them.

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

“I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.”