December 24, 2024

Events of the day

• St Daniel the Stylite

  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

  1 Timothy 5:11–21

  Show the text

  ¹¹But refuse younger widows, for when they have grown wanton against Christ, they desire to marry,

  ¹²having condemnation, because they have rejected their first pledge.

  ¹³Besides, they also learn to be idle, going about from house to house. Not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.

  ¹⁴I desire therefore that the younger widows marry, bear children, rule the household, and give no occasion to the adversary for insulting.

  ¹⁵For already some have turned away after Satan.

  ¹⁶If any man or woman who believes has widows, let them relieve them, and don’t let the assembly be burdened, that it might relieve those who are widows indeed.

  ¹⁷Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching.

  ¹⁸For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox when it treads out the grain.” And, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

  ¹⁹Don’t receive an accusation against an elder, except at the word of two or three witnesses.

  ²⁰Those who sin, reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear.

  ²¹I command you in the sight of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the chosen angels, that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality.

• Gospel

  Mark 8:22–26

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  ²²He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him, and begged him to touch him.

  ²³He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spat on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.

  ²⁴He looked up, and said, “I see men; for I see them like trees walking.”

  ²⁵Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly.

  ²⁶He sent him away to his house, saying, “Don’t enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village.”

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: The Jesus Prayer