November 21, 2026

Events of the day

• Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple

  Twelve Great Feast

  The dedication of the three-year-old Mary to God in the Temple of Jerusalem; falls within the Nativity Fast, when fish is allowed.

Fasting

Fast day · Nativity Fast

Entry of the Theotokos: fish is allowed within the Nativity Fast.

• Meat: not allowed
• Dairy & eggs: not allowed
• Fish: allowed
• Oil: allowed
• Wine: allowed

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 — Exodus 40:1-5, 9-10, 16, 34-35

• Vespers

  Composite reading — 3 [1] Kings 8:1, 3-7, 9-11

• Vespers

  Ezekiel 43:27–44:4

• Matins Gospel

  Luke 1:39–49, 56

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  ³⁹Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,

  ⁴⁰and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

  ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

  ⁴²She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

  ⁴³Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

  ⁴⁴For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!

  ⁴⁵Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”

  ⁴⁶Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.

  ⁴⁷My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,

  ⁴⁸for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.

  ⁴⁹For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name.

  ⁵⁶Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house.

• Epistle · Entrance

  Hebrews 9:1–7

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  ¹Now indeed even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and an earthly sanctuary.

  ²For a tabernacle was prepared. In the first part were the lamp stand, the table, and the show bread; which is called the Holy Place.

  ³After the second veil was the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies,

  ⁴having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which was a golden pot holding the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;

  ⁵and above it cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat, of which things we can’t speak now in detail.

  ⁶Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services,

  ⁷but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offers for himself, and for the errors of the people.

• Epistle

  Galatians 1:3–10

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  ³Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,

  ⁴who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father—

  ⁵to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

  ⁶I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”,

  ⁷but there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.

  ⁸But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.

  ⁹As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.

  ¹⁰For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.

• Gospel · Entrance

  Luke 10:38–42, 11:27–28

• Gospel

  Luke 9:57–62

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  ⁵⁷As they went on the way, a certain man said to him, “I want to follow you wherever you go, Lord.”

  ⁵⁸Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

  ⁵⁹He said to another, “Follow me!” But he said, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”

  ⁶⁰But Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce God’s Kingdom.”

  ⁶¹Another also said, “I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say good-bye to those who are at my house.”

  ⁶²But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom.”

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