February 7, 2034

Events of the day

• St Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople

  Polyeleos rank

Fasting

No fast

No fast today.

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 — Proverbs 10, 3, 8

• Vespers

  Composite reading — Proverbs 10; Wisdom of Solomon 6, 7, 8, 9

• Vespers

  Wisdom of Solomon 4:7–15

• Matins Gospel

  John 10:1–9

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  ¹“Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, is a thief and a robber.

  ²But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

  ³The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.

  ⁴Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

  ⁵They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.”

  ⁶Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them.

  ⁷Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door.

  ⁸All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them.

  ⁹I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.

• Epistle

  1 John 3:10–20

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  ¹⁰In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother.

  ¹¹For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;

  ¹²unlike Cain, who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

  ¹³Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

  ¹⁴We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death.

  ¹⁵Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.

  ¹⁶By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

  ¹⁷But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him?

  ¹⁸My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.

  ¹⁹And by this we know that we are of the truth, and persuade our hearts before him,

  ²⁰because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

• Epistle · St Gregory

  1 Corinthians 12:7–11

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  ⁷But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all.

  ⁸For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit;

  ⁹to another faith, by the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit;

  ¹⁰and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages.

  ¹¹But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires.

• Gospel

  Mark 14:10–42

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  ¹⁰Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests, that he might deliver him to them.

  ¹¹They, when they heard it, were glad, and promised to give him money. He sought how he might conveniently deliver him.

  ¹²On the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Passover, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare that you may eat the Passover?”

  ¹³He sent two of his disciples, and said to them, “Go into the city, and there you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him,

  ¹⁴and wherever he enters in, tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’

  ¹⁵He will himself show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Get ready for us there.”

  ¹⁶His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found things as he had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

  ¹⁷When it was evening he came with the twelve.

  ¹⁸As they sat and were eating, Jesus said, “Most certainly I tell you, one of you will betray me—he who eats with me.”

  ¹⁹They began to be sorrowful, and to ask him one by one, “Surely not I?” And another said, “Surely not I?”

  ²⁰He answered them, “It is one of the twelve, he who dips with me in the dish.

  ²¹For the Son of Man goes, even as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”

  ²²As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had blessed, he broke it, and gave to them, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body.”

  ²³He took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave to them. They all drank of it.

  ²⁴He said to them, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many.

  ²⁵Most certainly I tell you, I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it anew in God’s Kingdom.”

  ²⁶When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

  ²⁷Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’

  ²⁸However, after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee.”

  ²⁹But Peter said to him, “Although all will be offended, yet I will not.”

  ³⁰Jesus said to him, “Most certainly I tell you, that you today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

  ³¹But he spoke all the more, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” They all said the same thing.

  ³²They came to a place which was named Gethsemane. He said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I pray.”

  ³³He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be greatly troubled and distressed.

  ³⁴He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch.”

  ³⁵He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him.

  ³⁶He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Please remove this cup from me. However, not what I desire, but what you desire.”

  ³⁷He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you watch one hour?

  ³⁸Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

  ³⁹Again he went away, and prayed, saying the same words.

  ⁴⁰Again he returned, and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they didn’t know what to answer him.

  ⁴¹He came the third time, and said to them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest. It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

  ⁴²Arise! Let’s get going. Behold: he who betrays me is at hand.”

• Gospel · St Gregory

  John 10:9–16

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  ⁹I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.

  ¹⁰The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

  ¹¹I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

  ¹²He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them.

  ¹³The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep.

  ¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own;

  ¹⁵even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.

  ¹⁶I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.

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

Saints and icons

• St Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople
• Prayer of the day: The Jesus Prayer