---
title: "December 21, 2023 — St Patapius | Church calendar"
description: "Thursday, December 21, 2023. 8 December (Old Style). St Patapius. Fast day"
url: "https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2023-12-21"
language: "en"
---

Thursday

# December 21, 2023

8 December (Old Style) · 29th week after Pentecost

Russian Orthodox Church (Old Calendar)

[Old Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2023-12-21) [New Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/new-style/2023-12-21)

[Month calendar](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2023-12)

[← December 20](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2023-12-20) [December 22 →](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2023-12-22)

## Events of the day

- St Patapius

  Commemoration

## 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

  Hebrews 7:1–6

  **Show the text**

  1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

  2 to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, “king of righteousness”, and then also “king of Salem”, which means “king of peace”,

  3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God), remains a priest continually.

  4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best plunder.

  5 They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham,

  6 but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises.

- Gospel

  Luke 21:28–33

  **Show the text**

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

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

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

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

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

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

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”](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/prayers/heavenly-king)