November 24, 2023

Events of the day

• Great-martyr Menas; St Theodore the Studite; Blessed Maximus the Fool-for-Christ of Moscow

  Polyeleos rank

Fasting

Fast day · Wednesday / Friday

Wednesday and Friday: fast without meat, dairy or eggs. Whether fish is allowed depends on the day's feast — check the church calendar.

• Meat: not allowed
• Dairy & eggs: not allowed
• Fish: not specified
• 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

• Epistle

  2 Thessalonians 3:6–18

  Show the text

  ⁶Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in rebellion, and not after the tradition which they received from us.

  ⁷For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn’t behave ourselves rebelliously among you,

  ⁸neither did we eat bread from anyone’s hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you,

  ⁹not because we don’t have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us.

  ¹⁰For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: “If anyone is not willing to work, don’t let him eat.”

  ¹¹For we hear of some who walk among you in rebellion, who don’t work at all, but are busybodies.

  ¹²Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they work with quietness and eat their own bread.

  ¹³But you, brothers, don’t be weary in doing what is right.

  ¹⁴If any man doesn’t obey our word in this letter, note that man, that you have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed.

  ¹⁵Don’t count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

  ¹⁶Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.

  ¹⁷The greeting of me, Paul, with my own hand, which is the sign in every letter: this is how I write.

  ¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

• Gospel

  Luke 13:31–35

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  ³¹On that same day, some Pharisees came, saying to him, “Get out of here, and go away, for Herod wants to kill you.”

  ³²He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I complete my mission.

  ³³Nevertheless I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, for it can’t be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.’

  ³⁴“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you refused!

  ³⁵Behold, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Short penitential prayers