Today in the Church calendar

Events of the day

• Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos

  Great Feast

  The appearance of the Theotokos in the Blachernae church of Constantinople (10th century); especially beloved in Russia.

• Apostle Ananias; St Romanos the Melodist

  Commemoration

Fasting

Fast day · Wednesday / Friday

A great feast on Wednesday or Friday: 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

  Genesis 28:10–17

• Vespers

  Ezekiel 43:27–44:4

• Vespers

  Proverbs 9:1–11

• Matins Gospel

  Luke 1:39–49, 56

  Show the text

  ³⁹Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,

  ⁴⁰and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

  ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

  ⁴²She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

  ⁴³Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

  ⁴⁴For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!

  ⁴⁵Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”

  ⁴⁶Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.

  ⁴⁷My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,

  ⁴⁸for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.

  ⁴⁹For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name.

  ⁵⁶Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house.

• Epistle

  Philippians 2:24–30

  Show the text

  ²⁴But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly.

  ²⁵But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need,

  ²⁶since he longed for you all, and was very troubled because you had heard that he was sick.

  ²⁷For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow.

  ²⁸I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

  ²⁹Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such people in honor,

  ³⁰because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

• Epistle · Protection

  Hebrews 9:1–7

  Show the text

  ¹Now indeed even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and an earthly sanctuary.

  ²For a tabernacle was prepared. In the first part were the lamp stand, the table, and the show bread; which is called the Holy Place.

  ³After the second veil was the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies,

  ⁴having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which was a golden pot holding the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;

  ⁵and above it cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat, of which things we can’t speak now in detail.

  ⁶Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services,

  ⁷but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offers for himself, and for the errors of the people.

• Gospel

  Luke 5:33–39

  Show the text

  ³³They said to him, “Why do John’s disciples often fast and pray, likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?”

  ³⁴He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?

  ³⁵But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast in those days.”

  ³⁶He also told a parable to them. “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old.

  ³⁷No one puts new wine into old wine skins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed.

  ³⁸But new wine must be put into fresh wine skins, and both are preserved.

  ³⁹No man having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”

• Gospel · Protection

  Luke 10:38–42, 11:27–28

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

Events of the day

• Hieromartyr Cyprian and Martyr Justina; Blessed Andrew the Fool-for-Christ

  Commemoration

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

• Epistle

  Philippians 3:1–8

  Show the text

  ¹Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.

  ²Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the false circumcision.

  ³For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;

  ⁴though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more:

  ⁵circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;

  ⁶concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

  ⁷However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ.

  ⁸Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ

• Gospel

  Luke 6:12–19

  Show the text

  ¹²In these days, he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God.

  ¹³When it was day, he called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles:

  ¹⁴Simon, whom he also named Peter; Andrew, his brother; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew;

  ¹⁵Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Simon, who was called the Zealot;

  ¹⁶Judas the son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who also became a traitor.

  ¹⁷He came down with them, and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;

  ¹⁸as well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and they were being healed.

  ¹⁹All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out of him and healed them all.

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Prayer to the Holy Spirit “O Heavenly King”

Events of the day

• Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite

  Commemoration

Fasting

Fast day · Wednesday / Friday

Wednesday and Friday: fast without meat, dairy or eggs. Whether fish is allowed depends on the day's feast — check the church calendar.

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

• Epistle

  Philippians 3:8–19

  Show the text

  ⁸Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ

  ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith,

  ¹⁰that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death,

  ¹¹if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

  ¹²Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

  ¹³Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do: forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,

  ¹⁴I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

  ¹⁵Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you.

  ¹⁶Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let’s walk by the same rule. Let’s be of the same mind.

  ¹⁷Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.

  ¹⁸For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ,

  ¹⁹whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.

• Gospel

  Luke 6:17–23

  Show the text

  ¹⁷He came down with them, and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;

  ¹⁸as well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and they were being healed.

  ¹⁹All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out of him and healed them all.

  ²⁰He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, “Blessed are you who are poor, God’s Kingdom is yours.

  ²¹Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

  ²²Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.

  ²³Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets.

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Short penitential prayers

Events of the day

No commemorations in the content package for this day yet

Fasting

Fast day · Wednesday / Friday

Wednesday and Friday: fast without meat, dairy or eggs. Whether fish is allowed depends on the day's feast — check the church calendar.

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

• Epistle

  Philippians 2:24–30

  Show the text

  ²⁴But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly.

  ²⁵But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need,

  ²⁶since he longed for you all, and was very troubled because you had heard that he was sick.

  ²⁷For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow.

  ²⁸I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

  ²⁹Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such people in honor,

  ³⁰because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

• Gospel

  Luke 8:22–25

  Show the text

  ²²Now on one of those days, he entered into a boat, himself and his disciples, and he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out.

  ²³But as they sailed, he fell asleep. A wind storm came down on the lake, and they were taking on dangerous amounts of water.

  ²⁴They came to him, and awoke him, saying, “Master, master, we are dying!” He awoke, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they ceased, and it was calm.

  ²⁵He said to them, “Where is your faith?” Being afraid they marveled, saying to one another, “Who is this then, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”

Source: Orthocal: lectionary data — Slavic tradition, New Calendar (OCA practice). Text: World English Bible.

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: The Trisagion

Events of the day

No commemorations in the content package for this day yet

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

• Epistle

  Philippians 3:1–8

  Show the text

  ¹Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.

  ²Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the false circumcision.

  ³For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;

  ⁴though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more:

  ⁵circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;

  ⁶concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

  ⁷However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ.

  ⁸Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ

• Gospel

  Luke 9:7–11

  Show the text

  ⁷Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him; and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead,

  ⁸and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.

  ⁹Herod said, “I beheaded John, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” He sought to see him.

  ¹⁰The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. He took them and withdrew apart to a desert region of a city called Bethsaida.

  ¹¹But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them of God’s Kingdom, and he cured those who needed healing.

Source: Orthocal: lectionary data — Slavic tradition, New Calendar (OCA practice). Text: World English Bible.

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Prayer to the Holy Spirit “O Heavenly King”

Events of the day

No commemorations in the content package for this day yet

Fasting

Fast day · Wednesday / Friday

Wednesday and Friday: fast without meat, dairy or eggs. Whether fish is allowed depends on the day's feast — check the church calendar.

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

• Epistle

  Philippians 3:8–19

  Show the text

  ⁸Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ

  ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith,

  ¹⁰that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death,

  ¹¹if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

  ¹²Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

  ¹³Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do: forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,

  ¹⁴I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

  ¹⁵Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you.

  ¹⁶Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let’s walk by the same rule. Let’s be of the same mind.

  ¹⁷Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.

  ¹⁸For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ,

  ¹⁹whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.

• Gospel

  Luke 9:12–18

  Show the text

  ¹²The day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms, and lodge, and get food, for we are here in a deserted place.”

  ¹³But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people.”

  ¹⁴For they were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”

  ¹⁵They did so, and made them all sit down.

  ¹⁶He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.

  ¹⁷They ate and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.

  ¹⁸As he was praying alone, the disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?”

Source: Orthocal: lectionary data — Slavic tradition, New Calendar (OCA practice). Text: World English Bible.

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Short penitential prayers