November 29, 2025

Events of the day

• Apostle and Evangelist Matthew

  Polyeleos rank

Fasting

Fast day · Nativity Fast

Nativity Fast, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: fish is allowed.

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

By the Typikon (ch. 33) Tuesday and Thursday of the Apostles' and Nativity Fasts call for oil and wine only, fish only for a saint with a polyeleos; lay practice per the ROC calendar allows fish.

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

  1 Peter 1:1–2:6

• Vespers

  1 Peter 2:21–3:9

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  ²¹For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps,

  ²²who didn’t sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.”

  ²³When he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously.

  ²⁴He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds.

  ²⁵For you were going astray like sheep; but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

  ¹In the same way, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; so that, even if any don’t obey the Word, they may be won by the behavior of their wives without a word,

  ²seeing your pure behavior in fear.

  ³Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing;

  ⁴but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

  ⁵For this is how in the past, the holy women who hoped in God also adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands.

  ⁶So Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children you now are, if you do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.

  ⁷You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as also being joint heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

  ⁸Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous,

  ⁹not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult; but instead blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

• Vespers

  1 Peter 4:1–11

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  ¹Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

  ²that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

  ³For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.

  ⁴They think it is strange that you don’t run with them into the same excess of riot, blaspheming.

  ⁵They will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

  ⁶For to this end the Good News was preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed as men in the flesh, but live as to God in the spirit.

  ⁷But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer.

  ⁸And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.

  ⁹Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

  ¹⁰As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms.

  ¹¹If anyone speaks, let it be as it were the very words of God. If anyone serves, let it be as of the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

• Matins Gospel

  John 21:15–25

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  ¹⁵So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

  ¹⁶He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

  ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?” Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, “Do you have affection for me?” He said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

  ¹⁸Most certainly I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you don’t want to go.”

  ¹⁹Now he said this, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. When he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

  ²⁰Then Peter, turning around, saw a disciple following. This was the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who had also leaned on Jesus’ breast at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”

  ²¹Peter seeing him, said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”

  ²²Jesus said to him, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.”

  ²³This saying therefore went out among the brothers, that this disciple wouldn’t die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to him that he wouldn’t die, but, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you?”

  ²⁴This is the disciple who testifies about these things, and wrote these things. We know that his witness is true.

  ²⁵There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they would all be written, I suppose that even the world itself wouldn’t have room for the books that would be written.

• Epistle · St Matthew

  1 Corinthians 4:9–16

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  ⁹For, I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last of all, like men sentenced to death. For we are made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men.

  ¹⁰We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You have honor, but we have dishonor.

  ¹¹Even to this present hour we hunger, thirst, are naked, are beaten, and have no certain dwelling place.

  ¹²We toil, working with our own hands. When people curse us, we bless. Being persecuted, we endure.

  ¹³Being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the dirt wiped off by all, even until now.

  ¹⁴I don’t write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

  ¹⁵For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, you don’t have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the Good News.

  ¹⁶I beg you therefore, be imitators of me.

• Epistle

  Galatians 1:3–10

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  ³Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,

  ⁴who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father—

  ⁵to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

  ⁶I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”,

  ⁷but there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.

  ⁸But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.

  ⁹As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.

  ¹⁰For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.

• Gospel · St Matthew

  Matthew 9:9–13

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  ⁹As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him.

  ¹⁰As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.

  ¹¹When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

  ¹²When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.

  ¹³But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

• Gospel

  Luke 9:57–62

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  ⁵⁷As they went on the way, a certain man said to him, “I want to follow you wherever you go, Lord.”

  ⁵⁸Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

  ⁵⁹He said to another, “Follow me!” But he said, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”

  ⁶⁰But Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce God’s Kingdom.”

  ⁶¹Another also said, “I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say good-bye to those who are at my house.”

  ⁶²But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom.”

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Prayer for the departed