December 20, 2026

Events of the day

• St Ambrose, Bishop of Milan; St Nilus of Stolobnoye

  Commemoration

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

• 7th Matins Gospel

  John 20:1–10

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  ¹Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw the stone taken away from the tomb.

  ²Therefore she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid him!”

  ³Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they went toward the tomb.

  ⁴They both ran together. The other disciple outran Peter, and came to the tomb first.

  ⁵Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying, yet he didn’t enter in.

  ⁶Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying,

  ⁷and the cloth that had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself.

  ⁸So then the other disciple who came first to the tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed.

  ⁹For as yet they didn’t know the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

  ¹⁰So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

• Epistle

  Colossians 3:12–16

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  ¹²Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;

  ¹³bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.

  ¹⁴Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.

  ¹⁵And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful.

  ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.

• Gospel

  Luke 17:12–19

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  ¹²As he entered into a certain village, ten men who were lepers met him, who stood at a distance.

  ¹³They lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

  ¹⁴When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” As they went, they were cleansed.

  ¹⁵One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice.

  ¹⁶He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan.

  ¹⁷Jesus answered, “Weren’t the ten cleansed? But where are the nine?

  ¹⁸Were there none found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?”

  ¹⁹Then he said to him, “Get up, and go your way. Your faith has healed you.”

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)