December 31, 2026

Events of the day

• Martyr Sebastian and his companions

  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

• Epistle

  James 1:19–27

• Gospel

  Mark 9:10–16

  Show the text

  ¹⁰They kept this saying to themselves, questioning what the “rising from the dead” meant.

  ¹¹They asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

  ¹²He said to them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and restores all things. How is it written about the Son of Man, that he should suffer many things and be despised?

  ¹³But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they have also done to him whatever they wanted to, even as it is written about him.”

  ¹⁴Coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and scribes questioning them.

  ¹⁵Immediately all the multitude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running to him, greeted him.

  ¹⁶He asked the scribes, “What are you asking them?”

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Prayer to the Holy Spirit “O Heavenly King”