August 15, 2024

Events of the day

• Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

  Twelve Great Feast

  The falling asleep of the Mother of God and her translation to heaven. Ends the two-week Dormition Fast.

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

  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 · Dormition

  Philippians 2:5–11

  Show the text

  ⁵Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,

  ⁶who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,

  ⁷but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.

  ⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.

  ⁹Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name,

  ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,

  ¹¹and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

• Epistle

  1 Corinthians 10:28–11:7

  Show the text

  ²⁸But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” don’t eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience. For “the earth is the Lord’s, with all its fullness.”

  ²⁹Conscience, I say, not your own, but the other’s conscience. For why is my liberty judged by another conscience?

  ³⁰If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced for something I give thanks for?

  ³¹Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

  ³²Give no occasion for stumbling, whether to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the assembly of God;

  ³³even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved.

  ¹Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.

  ²Now I praise you, brothers, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm the traditions, even as I delivered them to you.

  ³But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

  ⁴Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.

  ⁵But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonors her head. For it is one and the same thing as if she were shaved.

  ⁶For if a woman is not covered, let her hair also be cut off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or be shaved, let her be covered.

  ⁷For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man.

• Gospel · Dormition

  Luke 10:38–42, 11:27–28

• Gospel

  Matthew 16:24–28

  Show the text

  ²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

  ²⁵For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it.

  ²⁶For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?

  ²⁷For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds.

  ²⁸Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Troparion of the Dormition