September 11, 2033

Events of the day

• Beheading of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John

  Great Feast

  Commemoration of the martyrdom of John the Baptist. A strict fast day.

Fasting

Fast day · Beheading of the Forerunner

Beheading of the Forerunner: strict fast, food with oil.

• Meat: not allowed
• Dairy & eggs: not allowed
• Fish: not 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

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

• Vespers

  Composite reading — Malachi 3, 4

• Vespers

  Composite reading — Wisdom of Solomon 4, 5

• 2nd Matins Gospel

  Mark 16:1–8

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  ¹When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him.

  ²Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

  ³They were saying among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”

  ⁴for it was very big. Looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back.

  ⁵Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed.

  ⁶He said to them, “Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him!

  ⁷But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.’ ”

  ⁸They went out, and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come on them. They said nothing to anyone; for they were afraid.

• Epistle · Forerunner

  Acts 13:25–33

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  ²⁵As John was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, one comes after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

  ²⁶Brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you.

  ²⁷For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they didn’t know him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.

  ²⁸Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.

  ²⁹When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb.

  ³⁰But God raised him from the dead,

  ³¹and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people.

  ³²We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers,

  ³³that God has fulfilled this to us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father.’

• Epistle

  1 Corinthians 16:13–24

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  ¹³Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong!

  ¹⁴Let all that you do be done in love.

  ¹⁵Now I beg you, brothers—you know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have set themselves to serve the saints—

  ¹⁶that you also be in subjection to such, and to everyone who helps in the work and labors.

  ¹⁷I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus; for that which was lacking on your part, they supplied.

  ¹⁸For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge those who are like that.

  ¹⁹The assemblies of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you much in the Lord, together with the assembly that is in their house.

  ²⁰All the brothers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

  ²¹This greeting is by me, Paul, with my own hand.

  ²²If any man doesn’t love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be cursed. Come, Lord!

  ²³The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

  ²⁴My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.

• Gospel · Forerunner

  Mark 6:14–30

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  ¹⁴King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, “John the Baptizer has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”

  ¹⁵But others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, or like one of the prophets.”

  ¹⁶But Herod, when he heard this, said, “This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen from the dead.”

  ¹⁷For Herod himself had sent out and arrested John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for he had married her.

  ¹⁸For John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

  ¹⁹Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him, but she couldn’t,

  ²⁰for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly.

  ²¹Then a convenient day came, that Herod on his birthday made a supper for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.

  ²²When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.”

  ²³He swore to her, “Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”

  ²⁴She went out, and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” She said, “The head of John the Baptizer.”

  ²⁵She came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter.”

  ²⁶The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he didn’t wish to refuse her.

  ²⁷Immediately the king sent out a soldier of his guard, and commanded to bring John’s head, and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

  ²⁸and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the young lady; and the young lady gave it to her mother.

  ²⁹When his disciples heard this, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

  ³⁰The apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and they told him all things, whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught.

• Gospel

  Matthew 21:33–42

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  ³³“Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household, who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country.

  ³⁴When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his fruit.

  ³⁵The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

  ³⁶Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they treated them the same way.

  ³⁷But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

  ³⁸But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and seize his inheritance.’

  ³⁹So they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

  ⁴⁰When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”

  ⁴¹They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers, who will give him the fruit in its season.”

  ⁴²Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes?’

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: The Symbol of Faith (Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed)