December 22, 2022

Events of the day

• Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos by Righteous Anna

  Polyeleos rank

Fasting

Fast day · Nativity Fast

Nativity Fast, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: fish is allowed.

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

By the Typikon (ch. 33) Tuesday and Thursday of the Apostles' and Nativity Fasts call for oil and wine only, fish only for a saint with a polyeleos; lay practice per the ROC calendar allows fish.

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

• Epistle

  Titus 1:5–2:1

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  ⁵I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you,

  ⁶if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior.

  ⁷For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward, not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain;

  ⁸but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled,

  ⁹holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him.

  ¹⁰For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

  ¹¹whose mouths must be stopped: men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake.

  ¹²One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons.”

  ¹³This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

  ¹⁴not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

  ¹⁵To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

  ¹⁶They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

  ¹But say the things which fit sound doctrine,

• Epistle · St Anna

  Galatians 4:22–31

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  ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant, and one by the free woman.

  ²³However, the son by the servant was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise.

  ²⁴These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar.

  ²⁵For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children.

  ²⁶But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

  ²⁷For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear. Break out and shout, you who don’t travail. For the desolate have more children than her who has a husband.”

  ²⁸Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

  ²⁹But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.

  ³⁰However what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.”

  ³¹So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant, but of the free woman.

• Gospel

  Luke 21:28–33

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  ²⁸But when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”

  ²⁹He told them a parable. “See the fig tree and all the trees.

  ³⁰When they are already budding, you see it and know by your own selves that the summer is already near.

  ³¹Even so you also, when you see these things happening, know that God’s Kingdom is near.

  ³²Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things are accomplished.

  ³³Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.

• Gospel · St Anna

  Luke 8:16–21

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  ¹⁶“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container, or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light.

  ¹⁷For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed; nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.

  ¹⁸Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has.”

  ¹⁹His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd.

  ²⁰Some people told him, “Your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to see you.”

  ²¹But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it.”

Source: Orthocal: lectionary data — Slavic tradition, Julian calendar. Text: World English Bible.

Saints and icons

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