March 12, 2034

Events of the day

• St Procopius the Decapolite, Confessor

  Commemoration

• Third Sunday of Great Lent. Veneration of the Cross

  Commemoration

Fasting

Fast day · Great Lent

Great Lent, Saturday and Sunday: food with oil and wine.

• 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 · St Raphael

  Composite reading — Proverbs 10, 3, 8

• Vespers · St Raphael

  Proverbs 10:31–11:12

• Vespers · St Raphael

  Wisdom of Solomon 4:7–15

• 6th Matins Gospel

  Luke 24:36–53

  Show the text

  ³⁶As they said these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”

  ³⁷But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

  ³⁸He said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts?

  ³⁹See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”

  ⁴⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

  ⁴¹While they still didn’t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”

  ⁴²They gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.

  ⁴³He took them, and ate in front of them.

  ⁴⁴He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.”

  ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures.

  ⁴⁶He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

  ⁴⁷and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

  ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things.

  ⁴⁹Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.”

  ⁵⁰He led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

  ⁵¹While he blessed them, he withdrew from them, and was carried up into heaven.

  ⁵²They worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

  ⁵³and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

• Epistle

  Hebrews 4:14–5:6

  Show the text

  ¹⁴Having then a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let’s hold tightly to our confession.

  ¹⁵For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.

  ¹⁶Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need.

  ¹For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

  ²The high priest can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, because he himself is also surrounded with weakness.

  ³Because of this, he must offer sacrifices for sins for the people, as well as for himself.

  ⁴Nobody takes this honor on himself, but he is called by God, just like Aaron was.

  ⁵So also Christ didn’t glorify himself to be made a high priest, but it was he who said to him, “You are my Son. Today I have become your father.”

  ⁶As he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

• Epistle · St Raphael

  Hebrews 13:17–21

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  ¹⁷Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.

  ¹⁸Pray for us, for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things.

  ¹⁹I strongly urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you sooner.

  ²⁰Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus,

  ²¹make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

• Gospel

  Mark 8:34–9:1

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  ³⁴He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them, “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

  ³⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it.

  ³⁶For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?

  ³⁷For what will a man give in exchange for his life?

  ³⁸For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in his Father’s glory, with the holy angels.”

  ¹He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death until they see God’s Kingdom come with power.”

• Gospel · St Raphael

  John 10:9–16

  Show the text

  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

• Prayer of the day: Prayer of St Ephrem the Syrian