What are the Sunday readings of the month of Thout about?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In the Coptic liturgical rite, all Sunday readings throughout the liturgical year center on one overarching theme: The Work of the Holy Trinity in the Church. This broad theme is arranged according to the Pauline blessing: the love of God the Father, the grace of His only-begotten Son, and the communion and gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Sunday readings of the month of Thout focus specifically on:

The Love of God the Father for Mankind

As Thout begins the Coptic ecclesiastical year (following the Feast of Nayrouz), the Church dedicates this first month to contemplating how God the Father initiated salvation out of His profound love for humanity, sending His precursors, extending forgiveness, and calling man into repentance and fellowship with Him.

The four Sundays of Thout develop this theme through the liturgical readings:

1. First Sunday of Thout:

• Theme: The Annunciation of the Birth of the Forerunner (Preparation of God’s Love)
• Gospel (Luke 1:1–25): The annunciation of the birth of St. John the Baptist to Zacharias the priest. It demonstrates God the Father's loving preparation for the salvation of humanity by preparing the way for the Incarnation of the Word.

1. Second Sunday of Thout:

• Theme: The Calling and Fruit of Repentance
• Gospel (Luke 7:36–50 or related pericopes depending on the Katameros cycle, often the sinful woman at the feet of Christ): The manifestation of the Father's boundless love through the acceptance of repentant souls, the forgiveness of many sins, and the restoration of humanity to grace.

1. Third Sunday of Thout:

• Theme: God's Mercy and Acceptance of the Sinner
• Gospel (Luke 19:1–10): The story of Zacchaeus the tax collector, highlighting that the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost, fulfilling the Father's desire that none should perish.

1. Fourth Sunday of Thout:

• Theme: The Call to Follow and Abide in Divine Love
• Gospel (Luke 9:44–50 or related calling passages): Emphasizes humility, acceptance of the little ones, and receiving the message of the Kingdom, showing how the Father's love gathers all into His fold.

If a major or minor Lordly feast, such as the Feast of the Cross on 17 Thout, falls on a Sunday, the specific readings of that feast take precedence over the regular Sunday Katameros readings.