December 23, 2024

Events of the day

• Martyrs Menas, Hermogenes and Eugraphus

  Commemoration

Fasting

Fast day · Nativity Fast

Nativity Fast, Monday: cooked food without oil.

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

  1 Timothy 5:1–10

• Gospel

  Mark 8:11–21

  Show the text

  ¹¹The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, and testing him.

  ¹²He sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

  ¹³He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side.

  ¹⁴They forgot to take bread; and they didn’t have more than one loaf in the boat with them.

  ¹⁵He warned them, saying, “Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”

  ¹⁶They reasoned with one another, saying, “It’s because we have no bread.”

  ¹⁷Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet, neither understand? Is your heart still hardened?

  ¹⁸Having eyes, don’t you see? Having ears, don’t you hear? Don’t you remember?

  ¹⁹When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Twelve.”

  ²⁰“When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Seven.”

  ²¹He asked them, “Don’t you understand yet?”

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Morning prayer of St Macarius the Great