--- title: "October 16, 2026 — Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite" description: "Friday, October 16, 2026. 3 October (Old Style). Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite. Fast day" url: "https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2026-10-16" language: "en" --- Friday # October 16, 2026 3 October (Old Style) · 20th week after Pentecost Russian Orthodox Church (Old Calendar) [Old Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2026-10-16) [New Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/new-style/2026-10-16) [Month calendar](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2026-10) [← October 15](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2026-10-15) [October 17 →](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2026-10-17) ## Events of the day - Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite Commemoration ## Fasting Fast day · Wednesday / Friday Wednesday and Friday: fast without meat, dairy or eggs. Whether fish is allowed depends on the day's feast — check the church calendar. - Meat: not allowed - Dairy & eggs: not allowed - Fish: not specified - Oil: allowed - Wine: allowed 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 Philippians 3:8–19 **Show the text** 8 Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith, 10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death, 11 if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do: forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let’s walk by the same rule. Let’s be of the same mind. 17 Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example. 18 For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things. - 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. 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)