May 16, 2025

Events of the day

• Martyrs Timothy and Maura; St Theodosius of the Kiev Caves

  Polyeleos rank

• Afterfeast: Pascha. The Bright Resurrection of Christ
• Afterfeast: Mid-Pentecost

Fasting

Fast day · Wednesday / Friday

Wednesday and Friday from Thomas Sunday to Pentecost: fish is allowed.

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

  Wisdom of Solomon 5:15–6:3

• Vespers

  Wisdom of Solomon 3:1–9

• Vespers

  Wisdom of Solomon 4:7–15

• Matins Gospel

  Luke 6:17–23

  Show the text

  ¹⁷He came down with them, and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;

  ¹⁸as well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and they were being healed.

  ¹⁹All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out of him and healed them all.

  ²⁰He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, “Blessed are you who are poor, God’s Kingdom is yours.

  ²¹Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

  ²²Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.

  ²³Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets.

• Epistle

  Acts 10:44–11:10

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  ⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word.

  ⁴⁵They of the circumcision who believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was also poured out on the Gentiles.

  ⁴⁶For they heard them speaking in other languages and magnifying God. Then Peter answered,

  ⁴⁷“Can anyone forbid these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just like us.”

  ⁴⁸He commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay some days.

  ¹Now the apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

  ²When Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him,

  ³saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them!”

  ⁴But Peter began, and explained to them in order, saying,

  ⁵“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: a certain container descending, like it was a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. It came as far as me.

  ⁶When I had looked intently at it, I considered, and saw the four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky.

  ⁷I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter, kill and eat!’

  ⁸But I said, ‘Not so, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.’

  ⁹But a voice answered me the second time out of heaven, ‘What God has cleansed, don’t you call unclean.’

  ¹⁰This was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

• Epistle · St Theodosius

  Hebrews 13:7–16

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  ⁷Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.

  ⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

  ⁹Don’t be carried away by various and strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by food, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.

  ¹⁰We have an altar from which those who serve the holy tabernacle have no right to eat.

  ¹¹For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside of the camp.

  ¹²Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside of the gate.

  ¹³Let’s therefore go out to him outside of the camp, bearing his reproach.

  ¹⁴For we don’t have here an enduring city, but we seek that which is to come.

  ¹⁵Through him, then, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.

  ¹⁶But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

• Gospel

  John 8:21–30

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  ²¹Jesus said therefore again to them, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins. Where I go, you can’t come.”

  ²²The Jews therefore said, “Will he kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come’?”

  ²³He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world.

  ²⁴I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

  ²⁵They said therefore to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.

  ²⁶I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.”

  ²⁷They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father.

  ²⁸Jesus therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things.

  ²⁹He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

  ³⁰As he spoke these things, many believed in him.

• Gospel · St Theodosius

  Matthew 11:27–30

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  ²⁷All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him.

  ²⁸“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.

  ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.

  ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Short penitential prayers