January 12, 2026

Events of the day

• Martyr Anysia; St Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow

  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

  James 2:14–26

  Show the text

  ¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?

  ¹⁵And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,

  ¹⁶and one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it?

  ¹⁷Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.

  ¹⁸Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

  ¹⁹You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.

  ²⁰But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?

  ²¹Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

  ²²You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected.

  ²³So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.

  ²⁴You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith.

  ²⁵In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

  ²⁶For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

• Gospel

  Mark 12:13–17

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  ¹³They sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to him, that they might trap him with words.

  ¹⁴When they had come, they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and don’t defer to anyone; for you aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

  ¹⁵Shall we give, or shall we not give?” But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it.”

  ¹⁶They brought it. He said to them, “Whose is this image and inscription?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”

  ¹⁷Jesus answered them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” They marveled greatly at him.

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Morning prayer of St Macarius the Great