December 9, 2026

Events of the day

• St Alypius the Stylite; St Innocent of Irkutsk; Dedication of the Church of Great-martyr George in Kiev

  Commemoration

Fasting

Fast day · Nativity Fast

Nativity Fast, Wednesday and Friday: xerophagy.

• Meat: not allowed
• Dairy & eggs: not allowed
• Fish: not allowed
• Oil: not allowed
• Wine: not allowed
• Xerophagy

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

  2 Timothy 4:9–22

  Show the text

  ⁹Be diligent to come to me soon,

  ¹⁰for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia; and Titus to Dalmatia.

  ¹¹Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.

  ¹²But I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

  ¹³Bring the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus when you come, and the books, especially the parchments.

  ¹⁴Alexander, the coppersmith, did much evil to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds,

  ¹⁵of whom you also must beware; for he greatly opposed our words.

  ¹⁶At my first defense, no one came to help me, but all left me. May it not be held against them.

  ¹⁷But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear. So I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

  ¹⁸And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me for his heavenly Kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

  ¹⁹Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the house of Onesiphorus.

  ²⁰Erastus remained at Corinth, but I left Trophimus at Miletus sick.

  ²¹Be diligent to come before winter. Eubulus salutes you, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.

  ²²The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

• Gospel

  Luke 18:15–17, 26–30

  Show the text

  ¹⁵They were also bringing their babies to him, that he might touch them. But when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

  ¹⁶Jesus summoned them, saying, “Allow the little children to come to me, and don’t hinder them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these.

  ¹⁷Most certainly, I tell you, whoever doesn’t receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.”

  ²⁶Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

  ²⁷But he said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

  ²⁸Peter said, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”

  ²⁹He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, for God’s Kingdom’s sake,

  ³⁰who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the world to come, eternal life.”

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

Saints and icons

• Holy Great-martyr George the Trophy-bearer
• Prayer of the day: The Trisagion