December 27, 2024

Events of the day

• Martyrs Thyrsus, Leucius and Callinicus

  Commemoration

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 1:1–2, 8–18

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  ¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus,

  ²to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

  ⁸Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God,

  ⁹who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal,

  ¹⁰but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Good News.

  ¹¹For this I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

  ¹²For this cause I also suffer these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day.

  ¹³Hold the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

  ¹⁴That good thing which was committed to you, guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

  ¹⁵This you know, that all who are in Asia turned away from me, of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.

  ¹⁶May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain,

  ¹⁷but when he was in Rome, he sought me diligently and found me

  ¹⁸(the Lord grant to him to find the Lord’s mercy in that day); and in how many things he served at Ephesus, you know very well.

• Gospel

  Mark 9:33–41

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  ³³He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?”

  ³⁴But they were silent, for they had disputed with one another on the way about who was the greatest.

  ³⁵He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.”

  ³⁶He took a little child, and set him in the middle of them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

  ³⁷“Whoever receives one such little child in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him who sent me.”

  ³⁸John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone who doesn’t follow us casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow us.”

  ³⁹But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me.

  ⁴⁰For whoever is not against us is on our side.

  ⁴¹For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ’s, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Short penitential prayers