October 18, 2026

Events of the day

No commemorations in the content package for this day yet

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

  1 John 1:1–7

• Vespers

  James 1:1–12

• Vespers

  Jude 1–7, 17–25

• 9th Matins Gospel

  John 20:19–31

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  ¹⁹When therefore it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”

  ²⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord.

  ²¹Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.”

  ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit!

  ²³If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”

  ²⁴But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, wasn’t with them when Jesus came.

  ²⁵The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

  ²⁶After eight days again his disciples were inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the middle, and said, “Peace be to you.”

  ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.”

  ²⁸Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

  ²⁹Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.”

  ³⁰Therefore Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book;

  ³¹but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

• Epistle

  Galatians 1:11–19

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  ¹¹But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man.

  ¹²For I didn’t receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.

  ¹³For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and ravaged it.

  ¹⁴I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

  ¹⁵But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace

  ¹⁶to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood,

  ¹⁷nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus.

  ¹⁸Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days.

  ¹⁹But of the other apostles I saw no one except James, the Lord’s brother.

• Epistle · St Luke

  Colossians 4:5–9, 14, 18

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  ⁵Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.

  ⁶Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

  ⁷All my affairs will be made known to you by Tychicus, the beloved brother, faithful servant, and fellow bondservant in the Lord.

  ⁸I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts,

  ⁹together with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you everything that is going on here.

  ¹⁴Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.

  ¹⁸The salutation of me, Paul, with my own hand: remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.

• Gospel

  Luke 8:5–15

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  ⁵“The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.

  ⁶Other seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

  ⁷Other fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it, and choked it.

  ⁸Other fell into the good ground, and grew, and produced one hundred times as much fruit.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

  ⁹Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?”

  ¹⁰He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom, but to the rest in parables; that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’

  ¹¹Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

  ¹²Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.

  ¹³Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.

  ¹⁴That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

  ¹⁵Those in the good ground, these are those who with an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and produce fruit with perseverance.

• Gospel · St Luke

  Luke 10:16–21

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  ¹⁶Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

  ¹⁷The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”

  ¹⁸He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven.

  ¹⁹Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you.

  ²⁰Nevertheless, don’t rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

  ²¹In that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight.”

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: The Symbol of Faith (Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed)