January 11, 2025

Events of the day

• The 14,000 Holy Innocents slain by Herod in Bethlehem; St Marcellus

  Commemoration

• Afterfeast: Nativity of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ

Fasting

No fast

Christmastide (25 Dec – 4 Jan Old Style) is fast-free: no fasting.

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 · Saturday after Nativity

  1 Timothy 6:11–16

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  ¹¹But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

  ¹²Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.

  ¹³I command you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession,

  ¹⁴that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

  ¹⁵which in its own times he will show, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.

  ¹⁶He alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.

• Epistle

  Ephesians 2:11–13

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  ¹¹Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision” (in the flesh, made by hands),

  ¹²that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

  ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.

• Gospel · Saturday after Nativity

  Matthew 12:15–21

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  ¹⁵Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all,

  ¹⁶and commanded them that they should not make him known:

  ¹⁷that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

  ¹⁸“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him. He will proclaim justice to the nations.

  ¹⁹He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.

  ²⁰He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory.

  ²¹In his name, the nations will hope.”

• Gospel

  Luke 17:3–10

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  ³Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him.

  ⁴If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

  ⁵The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

  ⁶The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

  ⁷But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say when he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down at the table,’

  ⁸and will not rather tell him, ‘Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me, while I eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink’?

  ⁹Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I think not.

  ¹⁰Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.’ ”

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Prayer for the departed