July 20, 2026

Events of the day

• Holy Prophet Elijah

  Polyeleos rank

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

  Composite reading — 3 [1] Kings 17.1-23

• Vespers

  Composite reading — 3 [1] Kings 18, 19

• Vespers

  Composite reading — 3 [1] Kings 19.19, 20, 21; 4 [2] Kings 2.1,6-14

• Matins Gospel

  Luke 4:22–30

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  ²²All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

  ²³He said to them, “Doubtless you will tell me this parable, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.’ ”

  ²⁴He said, “Most certainly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.

  ²⁵But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land.

  ²⁶Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

  ²⁷There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian.”

  ²⁸They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things.

  ²⁹They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff.

  ³⁰But he, passing through the middle of them, went his way.

• Epistle

  1 Corinthians 9:13–18

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  ¹³Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar?

  ¹⁴Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.

  ¹⁵But I have used none of these things, and I don’t write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void.

  ¹⁶For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about; for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me if I don’t preach the Good News.

  ¹⁷For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.

  ¹⁸What then is my reward? That when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.

• Epistle · Prophet Elijah

  James 5:10–20

• Gospel

  Matthew 16:1–6

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  ¹The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

  ²But he answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’

  ³In the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can’t discern the signs of the times!

  ⁴An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” He left them, and departed.

  ⁵The disciples came to the other side and had forgotten to take bread.

  ⁶Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

• Gospel · Prophet Elijah

  Luke 4:22–30

  Show the text

  ²²All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

  ²³He said to them, “Doubtless you will tell me this parable, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.’ ”

  ²⁴He said, “Most certainly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.

  ²⁵But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land.

  ²⁶Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

  ²⁷There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian.”

  ²⁸They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things.

  ²⁹They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff.

  ³⁰But he, passing through the middle of them, went his way.

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Morning prayer of St Macarius the Great