April 7 - Hebrews 6:13-20; Hebrews 2:11-18

As I mentioned on Monday, this upcoming Sunday we have two readings: for the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent and for the Feast of Annunciation, which you will find below.

Epistle reading for the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent

Brothers and sisters, when God made a promise to Abraham, because He had no one greater by whom to swear, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Human beings, of course, swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all dispute. In the same way, when God desired to show even more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of His purpose, He guaranteed it by an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God would prove false, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Epistle reading for the Feast of Annunciation

Brothers and sisters, the One Who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, “I will proclaim Your Name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise You” (Psalm 22:22). And again, “I will put my trust in Him,” and again, “Here am I and the children whom God has given me” (Isaiah 8:17-18).
Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that He did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore He had to become like His brothers and sisters in every respect, so that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because He Himself was tested by what He suffered, He is able to help those who are being tested.