Thursday
January 1, 2026
1 January (Revised Julian) · 30th week after Pentecost
New Calendar (Revised Julian)
Events of the day
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Circumcision of the Lord. St Basil the Great
Great Feast
The Circumcision of the Christ Child on the eighth day, and the memory of St Basil the Great; Old-Calendar civil New Year.
Fasting
No fast
Christmastide (25 Dec – 4 Jan Old Style) is fast-free: no fasting.
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
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Vespers
Composite reading — Genesis 17.1-2, 4, 5-7, 8, 9-10, 11-12, 14
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Vespers
Proverbs 8:22–30
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Vespers
Proverbs 10:31–11:12
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Matins Gospel
John 10:9–16
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9I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.
10The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.
11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them.
13The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep.
14I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own;
15even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.
16I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.
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Epistle · Circumcision
Colossians 2:8–12
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8Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.
9For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily,
10and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power.
11In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ,
12having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
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Epistle · St Basil
Hebrews 7:26–8:2
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26For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself.
28For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath which came after the law appoints a Son forever who has been perfected.
1Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this. We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2a servant of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.
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Gospel · Circumcision
Luke 2:20–21, 40–52
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20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.
21When eight days were fulfilled for the circumcision of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
40The child was growing, and was becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
41His parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover.
42When he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast,
43and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and his mother didn’t know it,
44but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day’s journey, and they looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances.
45When they didn’t find him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for him.
46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the middle of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking them questions.
47All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48When they saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I were anxiously looking for you.”
49He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
50They didn’t understand the saying which he spoke to them.
51And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth. He was subject to them, and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
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Gospel · St Basil
Luke 6:17–23
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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, New Calendar (OCA practice). Text: World English Bible.