December 13, 2026

Events of the day

• Holy Apostle Andrew the First-called

  Polyeleos rank

Fasting

Fast day · Nativity Fast

Nativity Fast, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: fish is allowed.

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

By the Typikon (ch. 33) Tuesday and Thursday of the Apostles' and Nativity Fasts call for oil and wine only, fish only for a saint with a polyeleos; lay practice per the ROC calendar allows fish.

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

  1 Peter 1:1–2:6

• Vespers

  1 Peter 2:21–3:9

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  ²¹For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps,

  ²²who didn’t sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.”

  ²³When he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously.

  ²⁴He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds.

  ²⁵For you were going astray like sheep; but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

  ¹In the same way, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; so that, even if any don’t obey the Word, they may be won by the behavior of their wives without a word,

  ²seeing your pure behavior in fear.

  ³Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing;

  ⁴but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

  ⁵For this is how in the past, the holy women who hoped in God also adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands.

  ⁶So Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children you now are, if you do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.

  ⁷You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as also being joint heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

  ⁸Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous,

  ⁹not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult; but instead blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

• Vespers

  1 Peter 4:1–11

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  ¹Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

  ²that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

  ³For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.

  ⁴They think it is strange that you don’t run with them into the same excess of riot, blaspheming.

  ⁵They will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

  ⁶For to this end the Good News was preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed as men in the flesh, but live as to God in the spirit.

  ⁷But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer.

  ⁸And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.

  ⁹Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

  ¹⁰As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms.

  ¹¹If anyone speaks, let it be as it were the very words of God. If anyone serves, let it be as of the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

• 6th Matins Gospel

  Luke 24:36–53

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  ³⁶As they said these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”

  ³⁷But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

  ³⁸He said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts?

  ³⁹See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”

  ⁴⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

  ⁴¹While they still didn’t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”

  ⁴²They gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.

  ⁴³He took them, and ate in front of them.

  ⁴⁴He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.”

  ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures.

  ⁴⁶He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

  ⁴⁷and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

  ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things.

  ⁴⁹Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.”

  ⁵⁰He led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

  ⁵¹While he blessed them, he withdrew from them, and was carried up into heaven.

  ⁵²They worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

  ⁵³and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

• Epistle

  Colossians 1:12–18

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  ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,

  ¹³who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love,

  ¹⁴in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.

  ¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

  ¹⁶For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him.

  ¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

  ¹⁸He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.

• Epistle · St Andrew

  1 Corinthians 4:9–16

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  ⁹For, I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last of all, like men sentenced to death. For we are made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men.

  ¹⁰We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You have honor, but we have dishonor.

  ¹¹Even to this present hour we hunger, thirst, are naked, are beaten, and have no certain dwelling place.

  ¹²We toil, working with our own hands. When people curse us, we bless. Being persecuted, we endure.

  ¹³Being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the dirt wiped off by all, even until now.

  ¹⁴I don’t write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

  ¹⁵For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, you don’t have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the Good News.

  ¹⁶I beg you therefore, be imitators of me.

• Gospel

  Luke 13:10–17

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  ¹⁰He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day.

  ¹¹Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years. She was bent over, and could in no way straighten herself up.

  ¹²When Jesus saw her, he called her, and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.”

  ¹³He laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight and glorified God.

  ¹⁴The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, “There are six days in which men ought to work. Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day!”

  ¹⁵Therefore the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you free his ox or his donkey from the stall on the Sabbath, and lead him away to water?

  ¹⁶Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan had bound eighteen long years, be freed from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”

  ¹⁷As he said these things, all his adversaries were disappointed and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

• Gospel · St Andrew

  John 1:35–51

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  ³⁵Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples,

  ³⁶and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

  ³⁷The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

  ³⁸Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), “where are you staying?”

  ³⁹He said to them, “Come, and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour.

  ⁴⁰One of the two who heard John and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

  ⁴¹He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ).

  ⁴²He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by interpretation, Peter).

  ⁴³On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”

  ⁴⁴Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter.

  ⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

  ⁴⁶Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

  ⁴⁷Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”

  ⁴⁸Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

  ⁴⁹Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel!”

  ⁵⁰Jesus answered him, “Because I told you, ‘I saw you underneath the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these!”

  ⁵¹He said to him, “Most certainly, I tell you all, hereafter you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

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

Saints and icons

• Holy Apostle Andrew the First-called
• Prayer of the day: The Symbol of Faith (Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed)