September 1, 2026

Events of the day

• Beginning of the Indiction — the Church New Year

  Commemoration

  The church year begins on 1 September (Old Style).

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

  Isaiah 61:1–9

• Vespers

  Composite reading — Leviticus 26

• Vespers

  Wisdom of Solomon 4:7–15

• Epistle

  2 Corinthians 12:20–13:2

• Epistle · New Year

  1 Timothy 2:1–7

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  ¹I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks be made for all men:

  ²for kings and all who are in high places, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence.

  ³For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

  ⁴who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.

  ⁵For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

  ⁶who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony in its own times,

  ⁷to which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth in Christ, not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

• Epistle · St Simeon

  Colossians 3:12–16

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  ¹²Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;

  ¹³bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.

  ¹⁴Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.

  ¹⁵And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful.

  ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.

• Gospel

  Mark 4:24–34

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  ²⁴He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you who hear.

  ²⁵For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.”

  ²⁶He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,

  ²⁷and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, though he doesn’t know how.

  ²⁸For the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

  ²⁹But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

  ³⁰He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it?

  ³¹It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,

  ³²yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.”

  ³³With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.

  ³⁴Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

• Gospel · New Year

  Luke 4:16–22

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  ¹⁶He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

  ¹⁷The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,

  ¹⁸“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed,

  ¹⁹and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

  ²⁰He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.

  ²¹He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

  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?”

• Gospel · St Simeon

  Matthew 11:27–30

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  ²⁷All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him.

  ²⁸“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.

  ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.

  ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: The Jesus Prayer