December 16, 2020

Events of the day

• Prophet Zephaniah; St Sabbas of Storozhi, Zvenigorod

  Polyeleos rank

Fasting

Fast day · Nativity Fast

Nativity Fast, Wednesday and Friday: xerophagy.

• Meat: not allowed
• Dairy & eggs: not allowed
• Fish: not allowed
• Oil: not allowed
• Wine: not allowed
• Xerophagy

Food rules are reference church information. Agree your personal measure of fasting with a priest; consult a doctor if you are ill.

Readings of the day

• Epistle

  2 Timothy 4:9–22

  Show the text

  ⁹Be diligent to come to me soon,

  ¹⁰for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia; and Titus to Dalmatia.

  ¹¹Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.

  ¹²But I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

  ¹³Bring the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus when you come, and the books, especially the parchments.

  ¹⁴Alexander, the coppersmith, did much evil to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds,

  ¹⁵of whom you also must beware; for he greatly opposed our words.

  ¹⁶At my first defense, no one came to help me, but all left me. May it not be held against them.

  ¹⁷But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear. So I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

  ¹⁸And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me for his heavenly Kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

  ¹⁹Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the house of Onesiphorus.

  ²⁰Erastus remained at Corinth, but I left Trophimus at Miletus sick.

  ²¹Be diligent to come before winter. Eubulus salutes you, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.

  ²²The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

• Gospel

  Luke 20:1–8

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  ¹On one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Good News, the priests and scribes came to him with the elders.

  ²They asked him, “Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?”

  ³He answered them, “I also will ask you one question. Tell me:

  ⁴the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?”

  ⁵They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’

  ⁶But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”

  ⁷They answered that they didn’t know where it was from.

  ⁸Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Source: Orthocal: lectionary data — Slavic tradition, Julian calendar. Text: World English Bible.

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: The Trisagion