May 21, 2031

Events of the day

• Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian; St Arsenius the Great

  Polyeleos rank

• Leave-taking of the feast: Pascha. The Bright Resurrection of Christ
• Forefeast: Ascension of the Lord

Fasting

Fast day · Wednesday / Friday

Wednesday and Friday from Thomas Sunday to Pentecost: fish is allowed.

• Meat: not allowed
• Dairy & eggs: not allowed
• Fish: 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

• Vespers

  1 John 3:21–4:6

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  ²¹Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God;

  ²²so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

  ²³This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded.

  ²⁴He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

  ¹Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

  ²By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,

  ³and every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already.

  ⁴You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.

  ⁵They are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them.

  ⁶We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God doesn’t listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

• Vespers

  1 John 4:11–16

• Vespers

  1 John 4:20–5:5

• Matins Gospel

  John 21:15–25

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  ¹⁵So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

  ¹⁶He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

  ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?” Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, “Do you have affection for me?” He said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

  ¹⁸Most certainly I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you don’t want to go.”

  ¹⁹Now he said this, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. When he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

  ²⁰Then Peter, turning around, saw a disciple following. This was the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who had also leaned on Jesus’ breast at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”

  ²¹Peter seeing him, said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”

  ²²Jesus said to him, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.”

  ²³This saying therefore went out among the brothers, that this disciple wouldn’t die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to him that he wouldn’t die, but, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you?”

  ²⁴This is the disciple who testifies about these things, and wrote these things. We know that his witness is true.

  ²⁵There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they would all be written, I suppose that even the world itself wouldn’t have room for the books that would be written.

• Epistle

  Acts 18:22–28

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  ²²When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the assembly, and went down to Antioch.

  ²³Having spent some time there, he departed, and went through the region of Galatia, and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples.

  ²⁴Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus. He was mighty in the Scriptures.

  ²⁵This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John.

  ²⁶He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside, and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

  ²⁷When he had determined to pass over into Achaia, the brothers encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him. When he had come, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace;

  ²⁸for he powerfully refuted the Jews, publicly showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

• Epistle · St John

  1 John 1:1–7

• Gospel

  John 12:36–47

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  ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light.” Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.

  ³⁷But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn’t believe in him,

  ³⁸that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, “Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

  ³⁹For this cause they couldn’t believe, for Isaiah said again,

  ⁴⁰“He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.”

  ⁴¹Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him.

  ⁴²Nevertheless even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue,

  ⁴³for they loved men’s praise more than God’s praise.

  ⁴⁴Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me.

  ⁴⁵He who sees me sees him who sent me.

  ⁴⁶I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness.

  ⁴⁷If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

• Gospel · St John

  John 19:25–27, 21:24–25

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: The Trisagion