January 7, 2025

Events of the day

• Synaxis of the Forerunner and Baptist John

  Great Feast

• Afterfeast: Holy Theophany. The Baptism of the Lord

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 · Forerunner

  Acts 19:1–8

• Epistle

  Hebrews 4:1–13

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  ¹Let’s fear therefore, lest perhaps anyone of you should seem to have come short of a promise of entering into his rest.

  ²For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but the word they heard didn’t profit them, because it wasn’t mixed with faith by those who heard.

  ³For we who have believed do enter into that rest, even as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, they will not enter into my rest;” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

  ⁴For he has said this somewhere about the seventh day, “God rested on the seventh day from all his works;”

  ⁵and in this place again, “They will not enter into my rest.”

  ⁶Seeing therefore it remains that some should enter into it, and they to whom the good news was preached before failed to enter in because of disobedience,

  ⁷he again defines a certain day, today, saying through David so long a time afterward (just as has been said), “Today if you will hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.”

  ⁸For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day.

  ⁹There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

  ¹⁰For he who has entered into his rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from his.

  ¹¹Let’s therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience.

  ¹²For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

  ¹³There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.

• Gospel · Forerunner

  John 1:29–34

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  ²⁹The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

  ³⁰This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me.’

  ³¹I didn’t know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water: that he would be revealed to Israel.”

  ³²John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him.

  ³³I didn’t recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘On whomever you will see the Spirit descending and remaining on him is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’

  ³⁴I have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

• Gospel

  Luke 21:12–19

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  ¹²But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake.

  ¹³It will turn out as a testimony for you.

  ¹⁴Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how to answer,

  ¹⁵for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict.

  ¹⁶You will be handed over even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will cause some of you to be put to death.

  ¹⁷You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake.

  ¹⁸And not a hair of your head will perish.

  ¹⁹“By your endurance you will win your lives.

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: The Jesus Prayer