Sunday

January 6, 2030

24 December (Old Style) · 32nd Sunday after Pentecost

Russian Orthodox Church (Old Calendar)

Old Style New Style

Month calendar

Events of the day

Monk-martyr Eugenia

Commemoration
Eve of the Nativity of Christ

Informational

Forefeast: Nativity of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ

Fasting

Fast day · Eve of the Nativity

Eve of the Nativity: strict fast (xerophagy); with oil on Saturday or Sunday.

Meat: not allowed
Dairy & eggs: not allowed
Fish: not allowed
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 · Sunday before Nativity

Hebrews 11:9–10, 17–23, 32–40

Show the text

⁹By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.
¹⁰For he looked for the city which has the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
¹⁷By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his one and only son,
¹⁸to whom it was said, “Your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac,”
¹⁹concluding that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did receive him back from the dead.
²⁰By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.
²¹By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
²²By faith, Joseph, when his end was near, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.
²³By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
³²What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,
³³who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
³⁴quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee.
³⁵Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
³⁶Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment.
³⁷They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated—
³⁸of whom the world was not worthy—wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and the holes of the earth.
³⁹These all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn’t receive the promise,
⁴⁰God having provided some better thing concerning us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Gospel · Sunday before Nativity

Matthew 1:1–25

Show the text

¹The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
²Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers.
³Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram.
⁴Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon. Nahshon became the father of Salmon.
⁵Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse.
⁶Jesse became the father of King David. David became the father of Solomon by her who had been Uriah’s wife.
⁷Solomon became the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam became the father of Abijah. Abijah became the father of Asa.
⁸Asa became the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat became the father of Joram. Joram became the father of Uzziah.
⁹Uzziah became the father of Jotham. Jotham became the father of Ahaz. Ahaz became the father of Hezekiah.
¹⁰Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh. Manasseh became the father of Amon. Amon became the father of Josiah.
¹¹Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the exile to Babylon.
¹²After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel.
¹³Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor.
¹⁴Azor became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim. Achim became the father of Eliud.
¹⁵Eliud became the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan. Matthan became the father of Jacob.
¹⁶Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
¹⁷So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the exile to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon to the Christ, fourteen generations.
¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this: After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
¹⁹Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly.
²⁰But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
²¹She shall give birth to a son. You shall name him Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”
²²Now all this has happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
²³“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel;” which is, being interpreted, “God with us.”
²⁴Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife to himself;
²⁵and didn’t know her sexually until she had given birth to her firstborn son. He named him Jesus.
Vespers

Genesis 1:1–13
Vespers

Numbers 24:2–3, 5–9, 17–18
Vespers

Micah 4:6–7; 5:2–4
Vespers

Isaiah 11:1–10
Vespers

Jeremiah (Baruch) 3:35–4:4)
Vespers

Daniel 2:31–36, 44–45
Vespers

Isaiah 9:6–7
Vespers

Isaiah 7:10–16; 8:1–4, 9–10
10th Matins Gospel

John 21:1–14

Show the text

¹After these things, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself this way.
²Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.
³Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.” They told him, “We are also coming with you.” They immediately went out, and entered into the boat. That night, they caught nothing.
⁴But when day had already come, Jesus stood on the beach, yet the disciples didn’t know that it was Jesus.
⁵Jesus therefore said to them, “Children, have you anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.”
⁶He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” They cast it therefore, and now they weren’t able to draw it in for the multitude of fish.
⁷That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself (for he was naked), and threw himself into the sea.
⁸But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits away), dragging the net full of fish.
⁹So when they got out on the land, they saw a fire of coals there, with fish and bread laid on it.
¹⁰Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”
¹¹Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of one hundred fifty-three great fish. Even though there were so many, the net wasn’t torn.
¹²Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast!” None of the disciples dared inquire of him, “Who are you?” knowing that it was the Lord.
¹³Then Jesus came and took the bread, gave it to them, and the fish likewise.
¹⁴This is now the third time that Jesus was revealed to his disciples after he had risen from the dead.
Epistle · at Vespers

Galatians 3:15–22

Show the text

¹⁵Brothers, speaking of human terms, though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void or adds to it.
¹⁶Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring. He doesn’t say, “To descendants”, as of many, but as of one, “To your offspring”, which is Christ.
¹⁷Now I say this: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Christ, the law, which came four hundred thirty years after, does not annul, so as to make the promise of no effect.
¹⁸For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise.
¹⁹Then why is there the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.
²⁰Now a mediator is not between one, but God is one.
²¹Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law.
²²But the Scripture imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Gospel · at Vespers

Luke 2:1–20

Show the text

¹Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.
²This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
³All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city.
⁴Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;
⁵to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.
⁶While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth.
⁷She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.
⁸There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.
⁹Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
¹⁰The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.
¹¹For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
¹²This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.”
¹³Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,
¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”
¹⁵When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
¹⁶They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough.
¹⁷When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child.
¹⁸All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds.
¹⁹But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.
²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.

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

Saints and icons

Prayer of the day: The Symbol of Faith (Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed)