April 30, 2024

Events of the day

• Great and Holy Tuesday

  Commemoration

  Holy Week: a distinct period of strict fasting following Great Lent.

Fasting

Fast day · Holy Week

Holy Week (Monday–Wednesday): xerophagy.

• Meat: not allowed
• Dairy & eggs: not allowed
• Fish: not allowed
• Oil: not allowed
• Wine: not allowed
• Xerophagy

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

• Gospel · Bridegroom

  Matthew 22:15–23:39

• 6th Hour

  Ezekiel 1:21–28 (–2:1 LXX)

• Vespers

  Exodus 2:5–10

• Vespers

  Job 1:13–22

• Vespers · St James

  James 1:1–12

• Vespers · St James

  James 1:13–27

• Vespers · St James

  James 2:1–13

  Show the text

  ¹My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality.

  ²For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in,

  ³and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing and say, “Sit here in a good place;” and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”

  ⁴haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

  ⁵Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him?

  ⁶But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?

  ⁷Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?

  ⁸However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.

  ⁹But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

  ¹⁰For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

  ¹¹For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

  ¹²So speak and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of freedom.

  ¹³For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

• Matins Gospel

  John 21:15–25

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  ¹⁵So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

  ¹⁶He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

  ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?” Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, “Do you have affection for me?” He said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

  ¹⁸Most certainly I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you don’t want to go.”

  ¹⁹Now he said this, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. When he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

  ²⁰Then Peter, turning around, saw a disciple following. This was the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who had also leaned on Jesus’ breast at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”

  ²¹Peter seeing him, said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”

  ²²Jesus said to him, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.”

  ²³This saying therefore went out among the brothers, that this disciple wouldn’t die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to him that he wouldn’t die, but, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you?”

  ²⁴This is the disciple who testifies about these things, and wrote these things. We know that his witness is true.

  ²⁵There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they would all be written, I suppose that even the world itself wouldn’t have room for the books that would be written.

• Epistle · St James

  Acts 12:1–11

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  ¹Now about that time, King Herod stretched out his hands to oppress some of the assembly.

  ²He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.

  ³When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This was during the days of unleavened bread.

  ⁴When he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

  ⁵Peter therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the assembly to God for him.

  ⁶The same night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Guards in front of the door kept the prison.

  ⁷And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side, and woke him up, saying, “Stand up quickly!” His chains fell off his hands.

  ⁸The angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” He did so. He said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”

  ⁹And he went out and followed him. He didn’t know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision.

  ¹⁰When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out, and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

  ¹¹When Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Jewish people were expecting.”

• Gospel · Presanctified

  Matthew 24:36–26:2

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  ³⁶But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

  ³⁷“As the days of Noah were, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

  ³⁸For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship,

  ³⁹and they didn’t know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

  ⁴⁰Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left.

  ⁴¹Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one will be left.

  ⁴²Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes.

  ⁴³But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

  ⁴⁴Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come.

  ⁴⁵“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?

  ⁴⁶Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes.

  ⁴⁷Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.

  ⁴⁸But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’

  ⁴⁹and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards,

  ⁵⁰the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it, and in an hour when he doesn’t know it,

  ⁵¹and will cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.

  ¹“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.

  ²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

  ³Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them,

  ⁴but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

  ⁵Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

  ⁶But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’

  ⁷Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

  ⁸The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

  ⁹But the wise answered, saying, ‘What if there isn’t enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’

  ¹⁰While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.

  ¹¹Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’

  ¹²But he answered, ‘Most certainly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

  ¹³Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

  ¹⁴“For it is like a man, going into another country, who called his own servants, and entrusted his goods to them.

  ¹⁵To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.

  ¹⁶Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.

  ¹⁷In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two.

  ¹⁸But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

  ¹⁹“Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reconciled accounts with them.

  ²⁰He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents in addition to them.’

  ²¹“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

  ²²“He also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents in addition to them.’

  ²³“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

  ²⁴“He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow, and gathering where you didn’t scatter.

  ²⁵I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’

  ²⁶“But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter.

  ²⁷You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest.

  ²⁸Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.

  ²⁹For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away.

  ³⁰Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

  ³¹“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

  ³²Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

  ³³He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

  ³⁴Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

  ³⁵for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in.

  ³⁶I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.’

  ³⁷“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink?

  ³⁸When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you?

  ³⁹When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’

  ⁴⁰“The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

  ⁴¹Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;

  ⁴²for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;

  ⁴³I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

  ⁴⁴“Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’

  ⁴⁵“Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’

  ⁴⁶These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

  ¹When Jesus had finished all these words, he said to his disciples,

  ²“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

• Gospel · St James

  Luke 5:1–11

  Show the text

  ¹Now while the multitude pressed on him and heard the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret.

  ²He saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

  ³He entered into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.

  ⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch.”

  ⁵Simon answered him, “Master, we worked all night, and took nothing; but at your word I will let down the net.”

  ⁶When they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking.

  ⁷They beckoned to their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. They came, and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

  ⁸But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.”

  ⁹For he was amazed, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had caught;

  ¹⁰and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be catching people alive.”

  ¹¹When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything, and followed him.

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

Saints and icons

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