Sundays of St John

The Sundays of St. John cover the most joyous season of the Orthodox year, known as the Pentecostarion. This period is dedicated to the Resurrection and the divinity of Christ, which is why the Gospel of John—the most theological of the four Gospels—is read almost exclusively during this time.

Here is the breakdown for the Sundays of St. John, how they are determined, and on the left the Sunday bulletins from the Archdiocese of Thyateira.

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

The reading of the Gospel of John begins on the holiest day of the year: Pascha (Easter Sunday).

• Start Date: The cycle begins at the Divine Liturgy on Easter Sunday.

• Duration: This period lasts for 50 days, concluding with the feast of Pentecost.

• The "Season of Light": Unlike the other periods which focus on parables or moral teachings, this season focuses on who Christ is (the Word, the Light, the Water of Life) and the sacraments (Baptism, Illumination).

2. How the Weeks are Determined

The timing of these Sundays is entirely dependent on the date of Pascha.

• The Paschal Cycle: The Sundays are counted sequentially starting from Easter.

• Fixed Sequence: Because the period between Easter and Pentecost is always exactly 7 weeks, these Sundays do not vary in their order or theme. The "Sunday of the Samaritan Woman" will always be the 5th Sunday after Easter, regardless of the calendar date.

3. Key Orthodox Readings (Gospel of John)

This period features some of the most profound encounters in the New Testament.

• Holy and Great Sunday of Pascha: The Prologue (John 1:1-17).

  • Theme: "In the beginning was the Word..."—Proclaiming the eternal divinity of the Risen Christ.

• 2nd Sunday (Thomas Sunday): The Doubting of Thomas (John 20:19-31).

  • Theme: The blessing of those who have "not seen and yet believe."

• 3rd Sunday (Myrrh-bearing Women): (Exception: Mark 15:43–16:8).

  • Note: While this falls in the season of John, the reading is from Mark to recount the historical narrative of the women finding the empty tomb.

• 4th Sunday (Sunday of the Paralytic): Healing at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-15).

  • Theme: Christ as the healer of long-standing infirmities; baptismal symbolism.

• 5th Sunday (Sunday of the Samaritan Woman): The Woman at the Well (John 4:5-42).

  • Theme: Christ as the "Living Water"; worship in Spirit and Truth.

• 6th Sunday (Sunday of the Blind Man): Healing of the Man Born Blind (John 9:1-38).

  • Theme: Spiritual illumination vs. spiritual blindness; Christ as the Light of the World.

• 7th Sunday (Fathers of the 1st Ecumenical Council): High Priestly Prayer (John 17:1-13).

  • Theme: Christ prays for the unity of His Church ("that they may be one").

• 8th Sunday (Holy Pentecost): The Descent of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-52; 8:12).

  • Theme: The promise of the Spirit; rivers of living water flowing from the heart.

These linked readings to the left are the "Word of Our Lord" Sunday Bulletins provided by the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain.

Underlined Text: If the text is underlined, a PDF file is linked. You can click these to immediately access and download the bulletin.

Highlighted Text: If the text is specifically highlighted, this indicates the message or bulletin is directly from our Archbishop or Patriarch.