Sunday

January 18, 2026

5 January (Old Style) · 32nd Sunday after Pentecost

Russian Orthodox Church (Old Calendar)

Old Style New Style

Month calendar

Events of the day

Eve of Theophany

Informational

A strict fast day; the Great Blessing of Water.

Forefeast: Holy Theophany. The Baptism of the Lord

Fasting

Fast day · Eve of Theophany

Eve of Theophany: strict fast; with oil on Saturday or Sunday.

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

Epistle · Sunday before Theophany

2 Timothy 4:5–8

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⁵But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry.
⁶For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure has come.
⁷I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.
⁸From now on, the crown of righteousness is stored up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.
Gospel · Sunday before Theophany

Mark 1:1–8

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¹The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
²As it is written in the prophets, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you:
³the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’ ”
⁴John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins.
⁵All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.
⁶John was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey.
⁷He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen.
⁸I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”
Vespers

Genesis 1:1–13
Vespers

Exodus 14:15–18, 21–23, 27–29
Vespers

Exodus 15:22–16:1
Vespers

Joshua 3:7–8, 15–17
Vespers

4[2] Kings 2:6–14
Vespers

4[2] Kings 5:9–14
Vespers

Isaiah 1:16–20
Vespers

Genesis 32:1–10
Vespers

Exodus 2:5–10
Vespers

Judges 6:36–40
Vespers

3[1] Kings 18:30–39
Vespers

4[2] Kings 2:19–22
Vespers

Isaiah 49:8–15
10th Matins Gospel

John 21:1–14

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¹After these things, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself this way.
²Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.
³Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.” They told him, “We are also coming with you.” They immediately went out, and entered into the boat. That night, they caught nothing.
⁴But when day had already come, Jesus stood on the beach, yet the disciples didn’t know that it was Jesus.
⁵Jesus therefore said to them, “Children, have you anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.”
⁶He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” They cast it therefore, and now they weren’t able to draw it in for the multitude of fish.
⁷That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself (for he was naked), and threw himself into the sea.
⁸But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits away), dragging the net full of fish.
⁹So when they got out on the land, they saw a fire of coals there, with fish and bread laid on it.
¹⁰Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”
¹¹Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of one hundred fifty-three great fish. Even though there were so many, the net wasn’t torn.
¹²Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast!” None of the disciples dared inquire of him, “Who are you?” knowing that it was the Lord.
¹³Then Jesus came and took the bread, gave it to them, and the fish likewise.
¹⁴This is now the third time that Jesus was revealed to his disciples after he had risen from the dead.
Epistle · at Vespers

1 Corinthians 9:19–27

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¹⁹For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
²⁰To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;
²¹to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law.
²²To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.
²³Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it.
²⁴Don’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, that you may win.
²⁵Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.
²⁶I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air,
²⁷but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.
Gospel · at Vespers

Luke 3:1–18

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¹Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
²in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.
³He came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for remission of sins.
⁴As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.
⁵Every valley will be filled. Every mountain and hill will be brought low. The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth.
⁶All flesh will see God’s salvation.’ ”
⁷He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
⁸Therefore produce fruits worthy of repentance, and don’t begin to say among yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father;’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones!
⁹Even now the ax also lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.”
¹⁰The multitudes asked him, “What then must we do?”
¹¹He answered them, “He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. He who has food, let him do likewise.”
¹²Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what must we do?”
¹³He said to them, “Collect no more than that which is appointed to you.”
¹⁴Soldiers also asked him, saying, “What about us? What must we do?” He said to them, “Extort from no one by violence, neither accuse anyone wrongfully. Be content with your wages.”
¹⁵As the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he was the Christ,
¹⁶John answered them all, “I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire,
¹⁷whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
¹⁸Then with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people,
Great Blessing of Waters

Isaiah 35:1–10
Great Blessing of Waters

Isaiah 55:1–13
Great Blessing of Waters

Isaiah 12:3–6
Great Blessing of Waters · Epistle

1 Corinthians 10:1–4

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¹Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
²and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
³and all ate the same spiritual food;
⁴and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.
Great Blessing of Waters · Gospel

Mark 1:9–11

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⁹In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
¹⁰Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting, and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
¹¹A voice came out of the sky, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

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

Saints and icons

Prayer of the day: The Symbol of Faith (Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed)