Friday

May 21, 2027

8 May (Old Style) · 3rd week of Pascha

Russian Orthodox Church (Old Calendar)

Old Style New Style

Month calendar

Events of the day

Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian; St Arsenius the Great

Polyeleos rank

Afterfeast: Pascha. The Bright Resurrection of Christ

Fasting

Fast day · Wednesday / Friday

Wednesday and Friday from Thomas Sunday to Pentecost: fish is allowed.

Meat: not allowed
Dairy & eggs: not 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

1 John 3:21–4:6

Show the text

²¹Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God;
²²so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.
²³This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded.
²⁴He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.
¹Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
²By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
³and every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already.
⁴You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.
⁵They are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them.
⁶We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God doesn’t listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
Vespers

1 John 4:11–16
Vespers

1 John 4:20–5:5
Matins Gospel

John 21:15–25

Show the text

¹⁵So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
¹⁶He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?” Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, “Do you have affection for me?” He said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
¹⁸Most certainly I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you don’t want to go.”
¹⁹Now he said this, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. When he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
²⁰Then Peter, turning around, saw a disciple following. This was the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who had also leaned on Jesus’ breast at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”
²¹Peter seeing him, said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”
²²Jesus said to him, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.”
²³This saying therefore went out among the brothers, that this disciple wouldn’t die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to him that he wouldn’t die, but, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you?”
²⁴This is the disciple who testifies about these things, and wrote these things. We know that his witness is true.
²⁵There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they would all be written, I suppose that even the world itself wouldn’t have room for the books that would be written.
Epistle

Acts 8:40–9:19

Show the text

⁴⁰But Philip was found at Azotus. Passing through, he preached the Good News to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.
¹But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
²and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
³As he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him.
⁴He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
⁵He said, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
⁶But rise up and enter into the city, then you will be told what you must do.”
⁷The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one.
⁸Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
⁹He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.
¹⁰Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” He said, “Behold, it’s me, Lord.”
¹¹The Lord said to him, “Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judah for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying,
¹²and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.”
¹³But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem.
¹⁴Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”
¹⁵But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel.
¹⁶For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
¹⁷Ananias departed and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
¹⁸Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized.
¹⁹He took food and was strengthened. Saul stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus.
Epistle · St John

1 John 1:1–7
Gospel

John 6:48–54

Show the text

⁴⁸I am the bread of life.
⁴⁹Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died.
⁵⁰This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die.
⁵¹I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
⁵²The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
⁵³Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don’t have life in yourselves.
⁵⁴He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
Gospel · St John

John 19:25–27, 21:24–25

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

Saints and icons

Prayer of the day: Short penitential prayers