January 16, 2027

Events of the day

• Prophet Malachi; Martyr Gordius

  Commemoration

• Forefeast: Holy Theophany. The Baptism of the Lord

Fasting

No fast

Christmastide (25 Dec – 4 Jan Old Style) is fast-free: no fasting.

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

  Ephesians 1:16–23

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  ¹⁶don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,

  ¹⁷that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him,

  ¹⁸having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

  ¹⁹and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might

  ²⁰which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,

  ²¹far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come.

  ²²He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly,

  ²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

• Epistle · Saturday before Theophany

  1 Timothy 3:14–4:5

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  ¹⁴These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;

  ¹⁵but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

  ¹⁶Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.

  ¹But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,

  ²through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron,

  ³forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

  ⁴For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with thanksgiving.

  ⁵For it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer.

• Gospel

  Luke 17:3–10

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  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.”

  ⁵The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

  ⁶The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

  ⁷But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say when he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down at the table,’

  ⁸and will not rather tell him, ‘Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me, while I eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink’?

  ⁹Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I think not.

  ¹⁰Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.’ ”

• Gospel · Saturday before Theophany

  Matthew 3:1–11

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  ¹In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,

  ²“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”

  ³For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make the way of the Lord ready! Make his paths straight!”

  ⁴Now John himself wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

  ⁵Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him.

  ⁶They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

  ⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

  ⁸Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance!

  ⁹Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

  ¹⁰“Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire.

  ¹¹I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Prayer for the departed