October 30, 2026

Events of the day

• Prophet Hosea; Monk-martyr Andrew of Crete

  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

• Epistle

  Colossians 4:10–18

  Show the text

  ¹⁰Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you received commandments, “if he comes to you, receive him”),

  ¹¹and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for God’s Kingdom who are of the circumcision, men who have been a comfort to me.

  ¹²Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salutes you, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

  ¹³For I testify about him that he has great zeal for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for those in Hierapolis.

  ¹⁴Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.

  ¹⁵Greet the brothers who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the assembly that is in his house.

  ¹⁶When this letter has been read among you, cause it to be read also in the assembly of the Laodiceans, and that you also read the letter from Laodicea.

  ¹⁷Tell Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you fulfill it.”

  ¹⁸The salutation of me, Paul, with my own hand: remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.

• Gospel

  Luke 9:12–18

  Show the text

  ¹²The day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms, and lodge, and get food, for we are here in a deserted place.”

  ¹³But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people.”

  ¹⁴For they were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”

  ¹⁵They did so, and made them all sit down.

  ¹⁶He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.

  ¹⁷They ate and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.

  ¹⁸As he was praying alone, the disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?”

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Short penitential prayers