Tuesday

August 29, 2023

29 August (Revised Julian) · 13th week after Pentecost

New Calendar (Revised Julian)

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Month calendar

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
Matins Gospel

Matthew 14:1–13

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¹At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus,
²and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptizer. He is risen from the dead. That is why these powers work in him.”
³For Herod had arrested John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife.
⁴For John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
⁵When he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
⁶But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced among them and pleased Herod.
⁷Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatever she should ask.
⁸She, being prompted by her mother, said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptizer.”
⁹The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths, and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given,
¹⁰and he sent and beheaded John in the prison.
¹¹His head was brought on a platter, and given to the young lady; and she brought it to her mother.
¹²His disciples came, and took the body, and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
¹³Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat, to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.
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

2 Corinthians 8:16–9:5

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¹⁶But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.
¹⁷For he indeed accepted our exhortation, but being himself very earnest, he went out to you of his own accord.
¹⁸We have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the Good News is known throughout all the assemblies.
¹⁹Not only so, but he was also appointed by the assemblies to travel with us in this grace, which is served by us to the glory of the Lord himself, and to show our readiness.
²⁰We are avoiding this, that any man should blame us concerning this abundance which is administered by us.
²¹Having regard for honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
²²We have sent with them our brother, whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence which he has in you.
²³As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for you. As for our brothers, they are the apostles of the assemblies, the glory of Christ.
²⁴Therefore show the proof of your love to them before the assemblies, and of our boasting on your behalf.
¹It is indeed unnecessary for me to write to you concerning the service to the saints,
²for I know your readiness, of which I boast on your behalf to those of Macedonia, that Achaia has been prepared for the past year. Your zeal has stirred up very many of them.
³But I have sent the brothers that our boasting on your behalf may not be in vain in this respect, that, just as I said, you may be prepared,
⁴lest by any means, if anyone from Macedonia comes there with me and finds you unprepared, we (to say nothing of you) would be disappointed in this confident boasting.
⁵I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brothers that they would go before to you and arrange ahead of time the generous gift that you promised before, that the same might be ready as a matter of generosity, and not of greediness.
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

Mark 3:13–19

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¹³He went up into the mountain, and called to himself those whom he wanted, and they went to him.
¹⁴He appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach,
¹⁵and to have authority to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:
¹⁶Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);
¹⁷James the son of Zebedee; and John, the brother of James, (whom he called Boanerges, which means, Sons of Thunder);
¹⁸Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot;
¹⁹and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Then he came into a house.

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

Saints and icons

Prayer of the day: The Jesus Prayer