---
title: "December 31, 2027 — Martyr Sebastian and his companions"
description: "Friday, December 31, 2027. 18 December (Old Style). Martyr Sebastian and his companions. Fast day"
url: "https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2027-12-31"
language: "en"
---

Friday

# December 31, 2027

18 December (Old Style) · 28th week after Pentecost

Russian Orthodox Church (Old Calendar)

[Old Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2027-12-31) [New Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/new-style/2027-12-31)

[Month calendar](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2027-12)

[← December 30](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2027-12-30) [January 1 →](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2028-01-01)

## Events of the day

- Martyr Sebastian and his companions

  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

  Titus 1:15–2:10

  **Show the text**

  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,

  2 that older men should be temperate, sensible, sober minded, sound in faith, in love, and in perseverance:

  3 and that older women likewise be reverent in behavior, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good,

  4 that they may train the young wives to love their husbands, to love their children,

  5 to be sober minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that God’s word may not be blasphemed.

  6 Likewise, exhort the younger men to be sober minded.

  7 In all things be showing yourself an example of good works. In your teaching, be showing integrity, seriousness, incorruptibility,

  8 and soundness of speech that can’t be condemned, that he who opposes you may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say about us.

  9 Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters and to be well-pleasing in all things, not contradicting,

  10 not stealing, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, in all things.

- Gospel

  Mark 9:33–41

  **Show the text**

  33 He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?”

  34 But they were silent, for they had disputed with one another on the way about who was the greatest.

  35 He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.”

  36 He took a little child, and set him in the middle of them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

  37 “Whoever receives one such little child in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him who sent me.”

  38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone who doesn’t follow us casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow us.”

  39 But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me.

  40 For whoever is not against us is on our side.

  41 For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ’s, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.

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)