October 7, 2026

Events of the day

• Protomartyr and Equal-to-the-Apostles Thecla

  Commemoration

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

  Isaiah 43:9–14

• Vespers

  Wisdom of Solomon 3:1–9

• Vespers

  Wisdom of Solomon 5:15–6:3

• Matins Gospel

  Luke 12:2–12

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  ²But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.

  ³Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light. What you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

  ⁴“I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

  ⁵But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

  ⁶“Aren’t five sparrows sold for two assaria coins? Not one of them is forgotten by God.

  ⁷But the very hairs of your head are all counted. Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.

  ⁸“I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God;

  ⁹but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of God’s angels.

  ¹⁰Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

  ¹¹When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don’t be anxious how or what you will answer, or what you will say;

  ¹²for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”

• Epistle

  Philippians 1:12–20

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  ¹²Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News,

  ¹³so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ,

  ¹⁴and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.

  ¹⁵Some indeed preach Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will.

  ¹⁶The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains;

  ¹⁷but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News.

  ¹⁸What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, yes, and will rejoice.

  ¹⁹For I know that this will turn out to my salvation, through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

  ²⁰according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.

• Epistle · New Martyrs

  Romans 8:28–39

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  ²⁸We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.

  ²⁹For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

  ³⁰Whom he predestined, those he also called. Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified, those he also glorified.

  ³¹What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

  ³²He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things?

  ³³Who could bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies.

  ³⁴Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

  ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

  ³⁶Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

  ³⁷No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

  ³⁸For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

  ³⁹nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

• Gospel

  Luke 4:1–15

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  ¹Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness

  ²for forty days, being tempted by the devil. He ate nothing in those days. Afterward, when they were completed, he was hungry.

  ³The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

  ⁴Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ”

  ⁵The devil, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

  ⁶The devil said to him, “I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want.

  ⁷If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours.”

  ⁸Jesus answered him, “Get behind me Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’ ”

  ⁹He led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here,

  ¹⁰for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;’

  ¹¹and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

  ¹²Jesus answering, said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

  ¹³When the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until another time.

  ¹⁴Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area.

  ¹⁵He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

• Gospel · New Martyrs

  Luke 21:12–19

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  ¹²But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake.

  ¹³It will turn out as a testimony for you.

  ¹⁴Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how to answer,

  ¹⁵for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict.

  ¹⁶You will be handed over even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will cause some of you to be put to death.

  ¹⁷You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake.

  ¹⁸And not a hair of your head will perish.

  ¹⁹“By your endurance you will win your lives.

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: The Trisagion