--- title: "December 17, 2024 — Great-martyr Barbara | Church calendar" description: "Tuesday, December 17, 2024. 4 December (Old Style). Great-martyr Barbara; St John of Damascus. Fast day" url: "https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2024-12-17" language: "en" --- Tuesday # December 17, 2024 4 December (Old Style) · 26th week after Pentecost Russian Orthodox Church (Old Calendar) [Old Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2024-12-17) [New Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/new-style/2024-12-17) [Month calendar](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2024-12) [← December 16](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2024-12-16) [December 18 →](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2024-12-18) ## Events of the day - Great-martyr Barbara; St John of Damascus 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 1 Timothy 1:8–14 **Show the text** 8 But we know that the law is good, if a person uses it lawfully, 9 as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine, 11 according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. 12 I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service; 13 although I used to be a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. - Epistle · St Alexander Hebrews 13:7–16 **Show the text** 7 Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Don’t be carried away by various and strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by food, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the holy tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside of the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside of the gate. 13 Let’s therefore go out to him outside of the camp, bearing his reproach. 14 For we don’t have here an enduring city, but we seek that which is to come. 15 Through him, then, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name. 16 But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. - Gospel Luke 21:12–19 **Show the text** 12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13 It will turn out as a testimony for you. 14 Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict. 16 You will be handed over even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will cause some of you to be put to death. 17 You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake. 18 And not a hair of your head will perish. 19 “By your endurance you will win your lives. - Gospel · St Alexander Luke 12:32–40 **Show the text** 32 Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. 33 Sell that which you have, and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t fail, where no thief approaches, neither moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 35 “Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning. 36 Be like men watching for their lord, when he returns from the wedding feast; that when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him. 37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you that he will dress himself, make them recline, and will come and serve them. 38 They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch, and finds them so. 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don’t expect him.” Source: Orthocal: lectionary data — Slavic tradition, Julian calendar. Text: World English Bible. ## Saints and icons - Prayer of the day: [The Jesus Prayer](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/prayers/jesus-prayer)