March 9, 2027

Events of the day

• First and Second Finding of the Head of John the Forerunner

  Polyeleos rank

Fasting

No fast · Cheesefare Week

Cheesefare Week: no meat; dairy, eggs and fish are allowed every day.

• Meat: not allowed
• Dairy & eggs: 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 · Forerunner

  Composite reading — Isaiah 40, 41, 45, 48, 54

• Vespers · Forerunner

  Composite reading — Malachi 3, 4

• Vespers · Forerunner

  Composite reading — Wisdom of Solomon 4, 5

• Matins Gospel · Forerunner

  Luke 7:17–30

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  ¹⁷This report went out concerning him in the whole of Judea, and in all the surrounding region.

  ¹⁸The disciples of John told him about all these things.

  ¹⁹John, calling to himself two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for another?”

  ²⁰When the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptizer has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?’ ”

  ²¹In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and to many who were blind he gave sight.

  ²²Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard: that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

  ²³Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.”

  ²⁴When John’s messengers had departed, he began to tell the multitudes about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

  ²⁵But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are gorgeously dressed, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts.

  ²⁶But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.

  ²⁷This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’

  ²⁸“For I tell you, among those who are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptizer, yet he who is least in God’s Kingdom is greater than he.”

  ²⁹When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they declared God to be just, having been baptized with John’s baptism.

  ³⁰But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God, not being baptized by him themselves.

• Epistle

  Jude 1–10

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  ¹Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:

  ²Mercy to you and peace and love be multiplied.

  ³Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

  ⁴For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into indecency, and denying our only Master, God, and Lord, Jesus Christ.

  ⁵Now I desire to remind you, though you already know this, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who didn’t believe.

  ⁶Angels who didn’t keep their first domain, but deserted their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.

  ⁷Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, having in the same way as these given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are shown as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.

  ⁸Yet in the same way, these also in their dreaming defile the flesh, despise authority, and slander celestial beings.

  ⁹But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!”

  ¹⁰But these speak evil of whatever things they don’t know. They are destroyed in these things that they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason.

• Epistle · Forerunner

  2 Corinthians 4:6–15

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  ⁶seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

  ⁷But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.

  ⁸We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair;

  ⁹pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed;

  ¹⁰always carrying in the body the putting to death of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

  ¹¹For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.

  ¹²So then death works in us, but life in you.

  ¹³But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.” We also believe, and therefore we also speak;

  ¹⁴knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will present us with you.

  ¹⁵For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

• Gospel

  Luke 22:39–42, 45–23:1

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  ³⁹He came out and went, as his custom was, to the Mount of Olives. His disciples also followed him.

  ⁴⁰When he was at the place, he said to them, “Pray that you don’t enter into temptation.”

  ⁴¹He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and he knelt down and prayed,

  ⁴²saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

  ⁴⁵When he rose up from his prayer, he came to the disciples, and found them sleeping because of grief,

  ⁴⁶and said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

  ⁴⁷While he was still speaking, behold, a multitude, and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He came near to Jesus to kiss him.

  ⁴⁸But Jesus said to him, “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”

  ⁴⁹When those who were around him saw what was about to happen, they said to him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”

  ⁵⁰A certain one of them struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.

  ⁵¹But Jesus answered, “Let me at least do this”—and he touched his ear, and healed him.

  ⁵²Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and elders, who had come against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?

  ⁵³When I was with you in the temple daily, you didn’t stretch out your hands against me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

  ⁵⁴They seized him, and led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed from a distance.

  ⁵⁵When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard, and had sat down together, Peter sat among them.

  ⁵⁶A certain servant girl saw him as he sat in the light, and looking intently at him, said, “This man also was with him.”

  ⁵⁷He denied Jesus, saying, “Woman, I don’t know him.”

  ⁵⁸After a little while someone else saw him, and said, “You also are one of them!” But Peter answered, “Man, I am not!”

  ⁵⁹After about one hour passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Truly this man also was with him, for he is a Galilean!”

  ⁶⁰But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.

  ⁶¹The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the Lord’s word, how he said to him, “Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.”

  ⁶²He went out, and wept bitterly.

  ⁶³The men who held Jesus mocked him and beat him.

  ⁶⁴Having blindfolded him, they struck him on the face and asked him, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck you?”

  ⁶⁵They spoke many other things against him, insulting him.

  ⁶⁶As soon as it was day, the assembly of the elders of the people were gathered together, both chief priests and scribes, and they led him away into their council, saying,

  ⁶⁷“If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you won’t believe,

  ⁶⁸and if I ask, you will in no way answer me or let me go.

  ⁶⁹From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

  ⁷⁰They all said, “Are you then the Son of God?” He said to them, “You say it, because I am.”

  ⁷¹They said, “Why do we need any more witness? For we ourselves have heard from his own mouth!”

  ¹The whole company of them rose up and brought him before Pilate.

• Gospel · Forerunner

  Matthew 11:2–15

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  ²Now when John heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples

  ³and said to him, “Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?”

  ⁴Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:

  ⁵the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

  ⁶Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.”

  ⁷As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

  ⁸But what did you go out to see? A man in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.

  ⁹But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.

  ¹⁰For this is he, of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’

  ¹¹Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.

  ¹²From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

  ¹³For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

  ¹⁴If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come.

  ¹⁵He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: The Jesus Prayer