Sundays of St Matthew

The Sundays of St. Matthew constitute a significant portion of the Orthodox liturgical year, occurring during the warmer months. This period focuses on the teachings and miracles of Christ as recorded by the Evangelist Matthew.

Here is the breakdown of when these readings occur and how the weeks are determined.

1. When do the Sundays of St. Matthew take place?

The cycle of St. Matthew begins immediately following the great feast of Pentecost.

• Start Date: The reading of Matthew begins on the Monday of the Holy Spirit (the day after Pentecost). Therefore, the 1st Sunday of St. Matthew is always the Sunday of All Saints (the Sunday after Pentecost).

• Duration: This period spans the entire summer, usually lasting for about 17 weeks.

• End Date: The cycle concludes with the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14th. After the Sunday following the Exaltation, the Church switches to the Gospel of Luke (the "Lukan Jump" mentioned previously).

2. How the Weeks are Determined

Unlike the pre-Lenten period, the Sundays of St. Matthew generally follow a sequential order based on the weeks after Pentecost.

• The Pentecost Count: The weeks are often referred to as "The Nth Sunday after Pentecost" or "The Nth Sunday of Matthew."

• Sequential Reading: The Gospel is read continuously chapter by chapter, though some jumps occur to ensure specific parables are read.

• The 17-Week Cycle: There are 17 defined Gospel readings for this period. However, because the date of Easter (and thus Pentecost) is movable, the number of Sundays between Pentecost and the Exaltation of the Cross varies every year.

  • If Easter is late: There are fewer Sundays available, so some later Matthew readings are omitted or read during weekdays.

  • If Easter is early: There are more Sundays than Matthew readings. In this case, "Lucas" readings are sometimes borrowed and read early to fill the gap before September 14th.

3. Key Orthodox Readings (Gospel of Matthew)

The Gospel of Matthew emphasizes Christ as the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets, focusing heavily on the Kingdom of Heaven.

• 1st Sunday (All Saints): Acknowledgement of Christ before men (Matt. 10:32-33; 37-38; 19:27-30)

• 2nd Sunday: Call of the First Disciples (Matt. 4:18-23)

• 3rd Sunday: On Serving Two Masters / Do not Worry (Matt. 6:22-33)

• 4th Sunday: The Centurion’s Servant (Matt. 8:5-13)

• 5th Sunday: The Gadarene Demoniacs (Matt. 8:28-9:1)

• 6th Sunday: Healing of the Paralytic (Matt. 9:1-8)

• 7th Sunday: Healing of Two Blind Men & a Mute (Matt. 9:27-35)

• 8th Sunday: Feeding of the Five Thousand (Matt. 14:14-22)

• 9th Sunday: Jesus Walks on Water (Matt. 14:22-34)

• 10th Sunday: Healing of the Epileptic Boy (Matt. 17:14-23)

• 11th Sunday: Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matt. 18:23-35)

• 12th Sunday: The Rich Young Ruler (Matt. 19:16-26)

• 13th Sunday: Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Matt. 21:33-42)

• 14th Sunday: Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Matt. 22:1-14)

• 15th Sunday: The Great Commandment (Matt. 22:35-46)

• 16th Sunday: Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-30)

• 17th Sunday: The Canaanite Woman (Matt. 15:21-28)

The Bridge Between Matthew and Luke

The Gospel of Matthew is read throughout the summer, but it does not just seamlessly turn into the 1st Sunday of Luke. The transition is anchored by the Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14).

Because this feast is so central to the faith, the Church suspends the regular Gospel sequence for the Sundays immediately surrounding it, inserting readings from John and Mark to bridge the gap:

• The Sunday Before the Holy Cross: * Reading: John 3:13-17

  • Theme: Christ speaks to Nicodemus, foreshadowing His crucifixion by referencing Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness ("For God so loved the world...").

• The Sunday After the Holy Cross: * Reading: Mark 8:34–9:1

  • Theme: A call to action for the faithful to "deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me."