May 21, 2026

Events of the day

• Ascension of the Lord

  Twelve Great Feast

  On the fortieth day after Pascha Christ ascends into heaven from the Mount of Olives.

• Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian; St Arsenius the Great

  Polyeleos rank

Fasting

No fast

No fast today.

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

  Isaiah 2:2–3

• Vespers

  Composite reading — Isaiah 62.10-63.3, 7-9

• Vespers

  Composite reading — Zechariah 14.1, 4, 8-11

• Vespers

  1 John 3:21–4:6

  Show the text

  ²¹Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God;

  ²²so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

  ²³This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded.

  ²⁴He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

  ¹Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

  ²By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,

  ³and every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already.

  ⁴You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.

  ⁵They are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them.

  ⁶We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God doesn’t listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

• Vespers

  1 John 4:11–16

• Vespers

  1 John 4:20–5:5

• Matins Gospel

  Mark 16:9–20

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  ⁹Now when he had risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.

  ¹⁰She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

  ¹¹When they heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they disbelieved.

  ¹²After these things he was revealed in another form to two of them, as they walked, on their way into the country.

  ¹³They went away and told it to the rest. They didn’t believe them, either.

  ¹⁴Afterward he was revealed to the eleven themselves as they sat at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they didn’t believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

  ¹⁵He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation.

  ¹⁶He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned.

  ¹⁷These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages;

  ¹⁸they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

  ¹⁹So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

  ²⁰They went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.

• Matins Gospel

  John 21:15–25

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  ¹⁵So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

  ¹⁶He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

  ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?” Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, “Do you have affection for me?” He said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

  ¹⁸Most certainly I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you don’t want to go.”

  ¹⁹Now he said this, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. When he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

  ²⁰Then Peter, turning around, saw a disciple following. This was the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who had also leaned on Jesus’ breast at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”

  ²¹Peter seeing him, said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”

  ²²Jesus said to him, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.”

  ²³This saying therefore went out among the brothers, that this disciple wouldn’t die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to him that he wouldn’t die, but, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you?”

  ²⁴This is the disciple who testifies about these things, and wrote these things. We know that his witness is true.

  ²⁵There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they would all be written, I suppose that even the world itself wouldn’t have room for the books that would be written.

• Epistle

  Acts 1:1–12

• Epistle · St John

  1 John 1:1–7

• Gospel

  Luke 24:36–53

  Show the text

  ³⁶As they said these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”

  ³⁷But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

  ³⁸He said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts?

  ³⁹See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”

  ⁴⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

  ⁴¹While they still didn’t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”

  ⁴²They gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.

  ⁴³He took them, and ate in front of them.

  ⁴⁴He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.”

  ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures.

  ⁴⁶He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

  ⁴⁷and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

  ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things.

  ⁴⁹Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.”

  ⁵⁰He led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

  ⁵¹While he blessed them, he withdrew from them, and was carried up into heaven.

  ⁵²They worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

  ⁵³and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

• Gospel · St John

  John 19:25–27, 21:24–25

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