Readings for 15 March 2027
2 March 2027 on the Old calendar
- Clean Monday: Beginning of Great Lent
- ✚Icon of the Mother of God ‘She who Reigns’ (1917)
Liturgical colour: purple
Gospel (Matins): Luke 1:39-49, 56
Translation: World English Bible
39Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah, 40and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! 45Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!” 46Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord. 47My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, 48for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed. 49For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name. 56Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house.
Old Testament (Vespers): Genesis 1:1-13
Translation: Brenton's English Septuagint
1In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth. 2But the earth was unsightly and unfurnished, and darkness was over the deep, and the Spirit of God moved over the water. 3And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. 4And God saw the light that it was good, and God divided between the light and the darkness. 5And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night, and there was evening and there was morning, the first day. 6And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water, and let it be a division between water and water, and it was so. 7And God made the firmament, and God divided between the water which was under the firmament and the water which was above the firmament. 8And God called the firmament Heaven, and God saw that it was good, and there was evening and there was morning, the second day. 9And God said, Let the water which is under the heaven be collected into one place, and let the dry land appear, and it was so. And the water which was under the heaven was collected into its places, and the dry land appeared. 10And God called the dry land Earth, and the gatherings of the waters he called Seas, and God saw that it was good. 11And God said, Let the earth bring forth the herb of grass bearing seed according to its kind and according to its likeness, and the fruit-tree bearing fruit whose seed is in it, according to its kind on the earth, and it was so. 12And the earth brought forth the herb of grass bearing seed according to its kind and according to its likeness, and the fruit tree bearing fruit whose seed is in it, according to its kind on the earth, and God saw that it was good. 13And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
Old Testament (Vespers): Proverbs 1:1-20
Translation: Brenton's English Septuagint
1The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, who reigned in Israel; 2to know wisdom and instruction, and to perceive words of understanding; 3to receive also hard sayings, and to understand true justice, and how to direct judgment; 4that he might give subtlety to the simple, and to the young man discernment and understanding. 5For by the hearing of these a wise man will be wiser, and the man of understanding will gain direction; 6and will understand a parable, and a dark speech; the sayings of the wise also, and riddles. 7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and there is good understanding to all that practise it: and piety toward God is the beginning of discernment; but the ungodly will set at nought wisdom and instruction. 8Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and reject not the rules of thy mother. 9For thou shalt receive for thine head a crown of graces, and a chain of gold round thy neck. 10My son, let not ungodly men lead thee astray, neither consent thou to them. 11If they should exhort thee, saying, Come with us, partake in blood, and let us unjustly hide the just man in the earth: 12and let us swallow him alive, as Hades would, and remove the memorial of him from the earth: 13let us seize on his valuable property, and let us fill our houses with spoils: 14but do thou cast in thy lot with us, and let us all provide a common purse, and let us have one pouch: 15go not in the way with them, but turn aside thy foot from their paths: 17for nets are not without cause spread for birds. 18For they that are concerned in murder store up evils for themselves; and the overthrow of transgressors is evil. 19These are the ways of all that perform lawless deeds; for by ungodliness they destroy their own life. 20Wisdom sings aloud in passages, and in the broad places speaks boldly.