--- title: "December 18, 2025 — St Sabbas the Sanctified" description: "Thursday, December 18, 2025. 5 December (Old Style). St Sabbas the Sanctified. Fast day" url: "https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2025-12-18" language: "en" --- Thursday # December 18, 2025 5 December (Old Style) · 28th week after Pentecost Russian Orthodox Church (Old Calendar) [Old Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2025-12-18) [New Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/new-style/2025-12-18) [Month calendar](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2025-12) [← December 17](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2025-12-17) [December 19 →](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2025-12-19) ## Events of the day - St Sabbas the Sanctified 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 - Vespers Wisdom of Solomon 3:1–9 - Vespers Wisdom of Solomon 5:15–6:3 - Vespers Wisdom of Solomon 4:7–15 - Matins Gospel Luke 6:17–23 **Show the text** 17 He came down with them, and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; 18 as well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and they were being healed. 19 All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out of him and healed them all. 20 He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, “Blessed are you who are poor, God’s Kingdom is yours. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets. - Epistle Titus 1:5–2:1 **Show the text** 5 I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you, 6 if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior. 7 For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward, not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain; 8 but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him. 10 For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped: men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake. 12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 16 They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work. 1 But say the things which fit sound doctrine, - Epistle · St Sabbas Galatians 5:22–6:2 **Show the text** 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let’s not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another. 1 Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also aren’t tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. - 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. - Gospel · St Sabas Matthew 11:27–30 **Show the text** 27 All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 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)