--- title: "September 21, 2023 — Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos" description: "Thursday, September 21, 2023. 8 September (Old Style). Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. No fast" url: "https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2023-09-21" language: "en" --- Thursday # September 21, 2023 8 September (Old Style) · 16th week after Pentecost Russian Orthodox Church (Old Calendar) [Old Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2023-09-21) [New Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/new-style/2023-09-21) [Month calendar](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2023-09) [← September 20](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2023-09-20) [September 22 →](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2023-09-22) ## Events of the day - Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos Twelve Great Feast The birth of the Virgin Mary to the righteous Joachim and Anna; the first of the Twelve Great Feasts in the church year. ## 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 Genesis 28:10–17 - Vespers Ezekiel 43:27–44:4 - Vespers Proverbs 9:1–11 - Matins Gospel Luke 1:39–49, 56 **Show the text** 39 Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah, 40 and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!” 46 Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord. 47 My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed. 49 For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name. 56 Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house. - Epistle · Theotokos Philippians 2:5–11 **Show the text** 5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Epistle Ephesians 1:1–9 **Show the text** 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love, 5 having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire, 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved, 7 in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him - Gospel · Theotokos Luke 10:38–42, 11:27–28 - Gospel Mark 7:24–30 **Show the text** 24 From there he arose, and went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He entered into a house, and didn’t want anyone to know it, but he couldn’t escape notice. 25 For a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 He said to her, “For this saying, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 She went away to her house, and found the child having been laid on the bed, with the demon gone out. Source: Orthocal: lectionary data — Slavic tradition, Julian calendar. Text: World English Bible.