---
title: "December 29, 2023 — Prophet Haggai | Church calendar"
description: "Friday, December 29, 2023. 16 December (Old Style). Prophet Haggai. Fast day"
url: "https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2023-12-29"
language: "en"
---

Friday

# December 29, 2023

16 December (Old Style) · 30th week after Pentecost

Russian Orthodox Church (Old Calendar)

[Old Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2023-12-29) [New Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/new-style/2023-12-29)

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

[← December 28](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2023-12-28) [December 30 →](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2023-12-30)

## Events of the day

- Prophet Haggai

  Commemoration

## Fasting

Fast day · Nativity Fast

Nativity Fast, Wednesday and Friday: xerophagy.

- Meat: not allowed
- Dairy & eggs: not allowed
- Fish: not allowed
- Oil: not allowed
- Wine: not allowed
- Xerophagy

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 11:8, 11–16

  **Show the text**

  8 By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went.

  11 By faith, even Sarah herself received power to conceive, and she bore a child when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised.

  12 Therefore as many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as innumerable as the sand which is by the sea shore, were fathered by one man, and him as good as dead.

  13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

  14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.

  15 If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had enough time to return.

  16 But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

- Gospel

  Mark 9:33–41

  **Show the text**

  33 He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?”

  34 But they were silent, for they had disputed with one another on the way about who was the greatest.

  35 He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.”

  36 He took a little child, and set him in the middle of them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

  37 “Whoever receives one such little child in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him who sent me.”

  38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone who doesn’t follow us casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow us.”

  39 But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me.

  40 For whoever is not against us is on our side.

  41 For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ’s, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.

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

## Saints and icons

- Prayer of the day: [Short penitential prayers](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/prayers/penitential-short)