February 7, 2025

Events of the day

• St Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople

  Polyeleos rank

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

• Vespers

  Composite reading — Proverbs 10, 3, 8

• Vespers

  Composite reading — Proverbs 10; Wisdom of Solomon 6, 7, 8, 9

• Vespers

  Wisdom of Solomon 4:7–15

• Matins Gospel

  John 10:1–9

  Show the text

  ¹“Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, is a thief and a robber.

  ²But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

  ³The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.

  ⁴Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

  ⁵They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.”

  ⁶Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them.

  ⁷Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door.

  ⁸All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them.

  ⁹I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.

• Epistle

  2 Peter 1:1–10

  Show the text

  ¹Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

  ²Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

  ³seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue,

  ⁴by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust.

  ⁵Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge;

  ⁶and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control perseverance; and in perseverance godliness;

  ⁷and in godliness brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love.

  ⁸For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to not be idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  ⁹For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.

  ¹⁰Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.

• Epistle · St Gregory

  1 Corinthians 12:7–11

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  ⁷But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all.

  ⁸For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit;

  ⁹to another faith, by the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit;

  ¹⁰and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages.

  ¹¹But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires.

• Gospel

  Mark 13:1–8

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  ¹As he went out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, see what kind of stones and what kind of buildings!”

  ²Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone on another, which will not be thrown down.”

  ³As he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,

  ⁴“Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are all about to be fulfilled?”

  ⁵Jesus, answering, began to tell them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray.

  ⁶For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and will lead many astray.

  ⁷“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be troubled. For those must happen, but the end is not yet.

  ⁸For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines and troubles. These things are the beginning of birth pains.

• Gospel · St Gregory

  John 10:9–16

  Show the text

  ⁹I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.

  ¹⁰The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

  ¹¹I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

  ¹²He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them.

  ¹³The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep.

  ¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own;

  ¹⁵even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.

  ¹⁶I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.

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

Saints and icons

• St Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople
• Prayer of the day: Short penitential prayers