November 29, 2027

Events of the day

• Apostle and Evangelist Matthew

  Polyeleos rank

Fasting

Fast day · Nativity Fast

Nativity Fast, Monday: cooked food without oil.

• Meat: not allowed
• Dairy & eggs: not allowed
• Fish: not allowed
• Oil: not allowed
• Wine: not 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 Peter 1:1–2:6

• Vespers

  1 Peter 2:21–3:9

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  ²¹For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps,

  ²²who didn’t sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.”

  ²³When he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously.

  ²⁴He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds.

  ²⁵For you were going astray like sheep; but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

  ¹In the same way, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; so that, even if any don’t obey the Word, they may be won by the behavior of their wives without a word,

  ²seeing your pure behavior in fear.

  ³Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing;

  ⁴but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

  ⁵For this is how in the past, the holy women who hoped in God also adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands.

  ⁶So Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children you now are, if you do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.

  ⁷You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as also being joint heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

  ⁸Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous,

  ⁹not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult; but instead blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

• Vespers

  1 Peter 4:1–11

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  ¹Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

  ²that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

  ³For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.

  ⁴They think it is strange that you don’t run with them into the same excess of riot, blaspheming.

  ⁵They will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

  ⁶For to this end the Good News was preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed as men in the flesh, but live as to God in the spirit.

  ⁷But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer.

  ⁸And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.

  ⁹Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

  ¹⁰As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms.

  ¹¹If anyone speaks, let it be as it were the very words of God. If anyone serves, let it be as of the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

• Matins Gospel

  John 21:15–25

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  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 · St Matthew

  1 Corinthians 4:9–16

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  ⁹For, I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last of all, like men sentenced to death. For we are made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men.

  ¹⁰We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You have honor, but we have dishonor.

  ¹¹Even to this present hour we hunger, thirst, are naked, are beaten, and have no certain dwelling place.

  ¹²We toil, working with our own hands. When people curse us, we bless. Being persecuted, we endure.

  ¹³Being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the dirt wiped off by all, even until now.

  ¹⁴I don’t write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

  ¹⁵For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, you don’t have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the Good News.

  ¹⁶I beg you therefore, be imitators of me.

• Epistle

  1 Thessalonians 2:20–3:8

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  ²⁰For you are our glory and our joy.

  ¹Therefore when we couldn’t stand it any longer, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone,

  ²and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in the Good News of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith,

  ³that no one would be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to this task.

  ⁴For most certainly, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction, even as it happened, and you know.

  ⁵For this cause I also, when I couldn’t stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain.

  ⁶But when Timothy came just now to us from you, and brought us glad news of your faith and love, and that you have good memories of us always, longing to see us, even as we also long to see you,

  ⁷for this cause, brothers, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith.

  ⁸For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.

• Gospel · St Matthew

  Matthew 9:9–13

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  ⁹As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him.

  ¹⁰As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.

  ¹¹When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

  ¹²When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.

  ¹³But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

• Gospel

  Luke 14:12–15

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  ¹²He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you make a dinner or a supper, don’t call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your kinsmen, nor rich neighbors, or perhaps they might also return the favor, and pay you back.

  ¹³But when you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind;

  ¹⁴and you will be blessed, because they don’t have the resources to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.”

  ¹⁵When one of those who sat at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is he who will feast in God’s Kingdom!”

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Morning prayer of St Macarius the Great