February 24, 2033

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 · Forerunner

  Composite reading — Isaiah 40, 41, 45, 48, 54

• Vespers · Forerunner

  Composite reading — Malachi 3, 4

• Vespers · Forerunner

  Composite reading — Wisdom of Solomon 4, 5

• Matins Gospel · Forerunner

  Luke 7:17–30

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  ¹⁷This report went out concerning him in the whole of Judea, and in all the surrounding region.

  ¹⁸The disciples of John told him about all these things.

  ¹⁹John, calling to himself two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for another?”

  ²⁰When the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptizer has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?’ ”

  ²¹In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and to many who were blind he gave sight.

  ²²Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard: that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

  ²³Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.”

  ²⁴When John’s messengers had departed, he began to tell the multitudes about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

  ²⁵But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are gorgeously dressed, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts.

  ²⁶But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.

  ²⁷This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’

  ²⁸“For I tell you, among those who are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptizer, yet he who is least in God’s Kingdom is greater than he.”

  ²⁹When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they declared God to be just, having been baptized with John’s baptism.

  ³⁰But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God, not being baptized by him themselves.

• Epistle

  1 John 4:20–5:21

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  ²⁰If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

  ²¹This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.

  ¹Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. Whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him.

  ²By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments.

  ³For this is loving God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous.

  ⁴For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith.

  ⁵Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

  ⁶This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

  ⁷For there are three who testify:

  ⁸the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and the three agree as one.

  ⁹If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is God’s testimony which he has testified concerning his Son.

  ¹⁰He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who doesn’t believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son.

  ¹¹The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

  ¹²He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life.

  ¹³These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

  ¹⁴This is the boldness which we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us.

  ¹⁵And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.

  ¹⁶If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death. I don’t say that he should make a request concerning this.

  ¹⁷All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.

  ¹⁸We know that whoever is born of God doesn’t sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn’t touch him.

  ¹⁹We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

  ²⁰We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

  ²¹Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

• Epistle · Forerunner

  2 Corinthians 4:6–15

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  ⁶seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

  ⁷But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.

  ⁸We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair;

  ⁹pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed;

  ¹⁰always carrying in the body the putting to death of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

  ¹¹For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.

  ¹²So then death works in us, but life in you.

  ¹³But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.” We also believe, and therefore we also speak;

  ¹⁴knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will present us with you.

  ¹⁵For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

• Gospel

  Mark 15:1–15

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  ¹Immediately in the morning the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, bound Jesus, carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate.

  ²Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered, “So you say.”

  ³The chief priests accused him of many things.

  ⁴Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer? See how many things they testify against you!”

  ⁵But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate marveled.

  ⁶Now at the feast he used to release to them one prisoner, whom they asked of him.

  ⁷There was one called Barabbas, bound with his fellow insurgents, men who in the insurrection had committed murder.

  ⁸The multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do as he always did for them.

  ⁹Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

  ¹⁰For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up.

  ¹¹But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should release Barabbas to them instead.

  ¹²Pilate again asked them, “What then should I do to him whom you call the King of the Jews?”

  ¹³They cried out again, “Crucify him!”

  ¹⁴Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, “Crucify him!”

  ¹⁵Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and handed over Jesus, when he had flogged him, to be crucified.

• Gospel · Forerunner

  Matthew 11:2–15

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  ²Now when John heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples

  ³and said to him, “Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?”

  ⁴Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:

  ⁵the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

  ⁶Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.”

  ⁷As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

  ⁸But what did you go out to see? A man in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.

  ⁹But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.

  ¹⁰For this is he, of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’

  ¹¹Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.

  ¹²From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

  ¹³For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

  ¹⁴If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come.

  ¹⁵He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Prayer to the Holy Spirit “O Heavenly King”