October 4, 2024

Events of the day

• Apostle Quadratus; Finding of the relics of St Dimitry of Rostov

  Polyeleos rank

• Leave-taking of the feast: Exaltation of the Precious and Life-giving Cross

Fasting

Fast day · Wednesday / Friday

Wednesday and Friday: fast without meat, dairy or eggs. Whether fish is allowed depends on the day's feast — check the church calendar.

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

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

  Galatians 4:8–21

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  ⁸However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods.

  ⁹But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?

  ¹⁰You observe days, months, seasons, and years.

  ¹¹I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.

  ¹²I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong,

  ¹³but you know that because of weakness in the flesh I preached the Good News to you the first time.

  ¹⁴That which was a temptation to you in my flesh, you didn’t despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

  ¹⁵What was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

  ¹⁶So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

  ¹⁷They zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them.

  ¹⁸But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you.

  ¹⁹My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you—

  ²⁰but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

  ²¹Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, don’t you listen to the law?

• Gospel

  Luke 4:22–30

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  ²²All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

  ²³He said to them, “Doubtless you will tell me this parable, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.’ ”

  ²⁴He said, “Most certainly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.

  ²⁵But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land.

  ²⁶Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

  ²⁷There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian.”

  ²⁸They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things.

  ²⁹They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff.

  ³⁰But he, passing through the middle of them, went his way.

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Short penitential prayers