December 4, 2026

Events of the day

• Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple

  Twelve Great Feast

  The dedication of the three-year-old Mary to God in the Temple of Jerusalem; falls within the Nativity Fast, when fish is allowed.

Fasting

Fast day · Nativity Fast

Entry of the Theotokos: fish is allowed within the Nativity Fast.

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

• Vespers

  Composite reading — Exodus 40:1-5, 9-10, 16, 34-35

• Vespers

  Composite reading — 3 [1] Kings 8:1, 3-7, 9-11

• Vespers

  Ezekiel 43:27–44:4

• Matins Gospel

  Luke 1:39–49, 56

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  ³⁹Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,

  ⁴⁰and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

  ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

  ⁴²She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

  ⁴³Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

  ⁴⁴For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!

  ⁴⁵Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”

  ⁴⁶Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.

  ⁴⁷My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,

  ⁴⁸for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.

  ⁴⁹For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name.

  ⁵⁶Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house.

• Epistle · Entrance

  Hebrews 9:1–7

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  ¹Now indeed even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and an earthly sanctuary.

  ²For a tabernacle was prepared. In the first part were the lamp stand, the table, and the show bread; which is called the Holy Place.

  ³After the second veil was the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies,

  ⁴having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which was a golden pot holding the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;

  ⁵and above it cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat, of which things we can’t speak now in detail.

  ⁶Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services,

  ⁷but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offers for himself, and for the errors of the people.

• Epistle

  2 Timothy 1:1–2, 8–18

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  ¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus,

  ²to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

  ⁸Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God,

  ⁹who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal,

  ¹⁰but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Good News.

  ¹¹For this I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

  ¹²For this cause I also suffer these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day.

  ¹³Hold the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

  ¹⁴That good thing which was committed to you, guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

  ¹⁵This you know, that all who are in Asia turned away from me, of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.

  ¹⁶May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain,

  ¹⁷but when he was in Rome, he sought me diligently and found me

  ¹⁸(the Lord grant to him to find the Lord’s mercy in that day); and in how many things he served at Ephesus, you know very well.

• Gospel · Entrance

  Luke 10:38–42, 11:27–28

• Gospel

  Luke 16:15–18, 17:1–4

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  ¹⁵He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

  ¹⁶The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of God’s Kingdom is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

  ¹⁷But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tiny stroke of a pen in the law to fall.

  ¹⁸Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.

  ¹He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no occasions of stumbling should come, but woe to him through whom they come!

  ²It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.

  ³Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him.

  ⁴If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

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