December 13, 2028

Events of the day

• Holy Apostle Andrew the First-called

  Polyeleos rank

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

• Vespers

  1 Peter 1:1–2:6

• Vespers

  1 Peter 2:21–3:9

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  ²¹For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps,

  ²²who didn’t sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.”

  ²³When he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously.

  ²⁴He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds.

  ²⁵For you were going astray like sheep; but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

  ¹In the same way, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; so that, even if any don’t obey the Word, they may be won by the behavior of their wives without a word,

  ²seeing your pure behavior in fear.

  ³Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing;

  ⁴but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

  ⁵For this is how in the past, the holy women who hoped in God also adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands.

  ⁶So Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children you now are, if you do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.

  ⁷You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as also being joint heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

  ⁸Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous,

  ⁹not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult; but instead blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

• Vespers

  1 Peter 4:1–11

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  ¹Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

  ²that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

  ³For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.

  ⁴They think it is strange that you don’t run with them into the same excess of riot, blaspheming.

  ⁵They will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

  ⁶For to this end the Good News was preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed as men in the flesh, but live as to God in the spirit.

  ⁷But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer.

  ⁸And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.

  ⁹Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

  ¹⁰As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms.

  ¹¹If anyone speaks, let it be as it were the very words of God. If anyone serves, let it be as of the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

• Matins Gospel

  Matthew 4:18–23

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  ¹⁸Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

  ¹⁹He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men.”

  ²⁰They immediately left their nets and followed him.

  ²¹Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them.

  ²²They immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him.

  ²³Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.

• Epistle

  2 Timothy 4:9–22

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  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.

• Epistle · St Andrew

  1 Corinthians 4:9–16

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  ⁹For, I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last of all, like men sentenced to death. For we are made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men.

  ¹⁰We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You have honor, but we have dishonor.

  ¹¹Even to this present hour we hunger, thirst, are naked, are beaten, and have no certain dwelling place.

  ¹²We toil, working with our own hands. When people curse us, we bless. Being persecuted, we endure.

  ¹³Being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the dirt wiped off by all, even until now.

  ¹⁴I don’t write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

  ¹⁵For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, you don’t have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the Good News.

  ¹⁶I beg you therefore, be imitators of me.

• Gospel

  Luke 20:1–8

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  ¹On one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Good News, the priests and scribes came to him with the elders.

  ²They asked him, “Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?”

  ³He answered them, “I also will ask you one question. Tell me:

  ⁴the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?”

  ⁵They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’

  ⁶But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”

  ⁷They answered that they didn’t know where it was from.

  ⁸Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

• Gospel · St Andrew

  John 1:35–51

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  ³⁵Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples,

  ³⁶and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

  ³⁷The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

  ³⁸Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), “where are you staying?”

  ³⁹He said to them, “Come, and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour.

  ⁴⁰One of the two who heard John and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

  ⁴¹He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ).

  ⁴²He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by interpretation, Peter).

  ⁴³On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”

  ⁴⁴Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter.

  ⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

  ⁴⁶Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

  ⁴⁷Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”

  ⁴⁸Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

  ⁴⁹Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel!”

  ⁵⁰Jesus answered him, “Because I told you, ‘I saw you underneath the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these!”

  ⁵¹He said to him, “Most certainly, I tell you all, hereafter you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

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

Saints and icons

• Holy Apostle Andrew the First-called
• Prayer of the day: The Trisagion