Old Testament Reading
1 Kings 19:11–21
And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus... So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah... Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered to him.
Epistle Reading
1 Corinthians 1:18–25
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Holy Gospel Reading
Luke 5:1–11
On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
About the Day's Readings
Old Testament (1 Kings 19:11–21): The prophet Elijah, exhausted by his labors and fleeing for his life, expects to encounter God in overwhelming displays of earthly power—in the shattering wind, the earthquake, and the fire. Yet the Lord reveals Himself not in these dramatic forces, but in the gentle, low whisper of His spoken Word. Reassured by this Word of grace, Elijah is sent back into his vocation to anoint his successor, Elisha, who immediately leaves his oxen behind to follow the call.
Epistle (1 Corinthians 1:18–25): To a world obsessed with human wisdom, intellectual prestige, and miraculous signs, St. Paul declares that the preaching of Christ crucified is absolute folly to the perishing. Yet, this "foolishness" of God is the ultimate display of His power. True wisdom is found not in human calculation, but in the message of the Cross, which shatters human pride and delivers eternal salvation to those who are being saved.
Holy Gospel (Luke 5:1–11): After a night of fruitless, exhausting labor on the Lake of Gennesaret, Simon Peter and his companions wash their empty nets. Stepping into the boat, Jesus commands them to launch back into the deep water at midday—defying all professional human expertise. When Peter submits entirely to Christ's spoken Word, the nets tear with an overwhelming, miraculous catch. Confronted by this divine majesty, Peter confesses his sinfulness, only to receive Christ’s comforting absolution: “Do not be afraid.” Forgiven and restored, the fishermen leave their nets, their boats, and their earthly livelihoods behind to follow Jesus as fishers of men.
