December 22, 2034

Events of the day

• Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos by Righteous Anna

  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

• Epistle

  Hebrews 11:8, 11–16

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  ⁸By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went.

  ¹¹By faith, even Sarah herself received power to conceive, and she bore a child when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised.

  ¹²Therefore as many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as innumerable as the sand which is by the sea shore, were fathered by one man, and him as good as dead.

  ¹³These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

  ¹⁴For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.

  ¹⁵If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had enough time to return.

  ¹⁶But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

• Epistle · St Anna

  Galatians 4:22–31

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  ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant, and one by the free woman.

  ²³However, the son by the servant was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise.

  ²⁴These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar.

  ²⁵For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children.

  ²⁶But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

  ²⁷For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear. Break out and shout, you who don’t travail. For the desolate have more children than her who has a husband.”

  ²⁸Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

  ²⁹But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.

  ³⁰However what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.”

  ³¹So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant, but of the free woman.

• Gospel

  Luke 21:37–22:8

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  ³⁷Every day Jesus was teaching in the temple, and every night he would go out and spend the night on the mountain that is called Olivet.

  ³⁸All the people came early in the morning to him in the temple to hear him.

  ¹Now the feast of unleavened bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching.

  ²The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him to death, for they feared the people.

  ³Satan entered into Judas, who was also called Iscariot, who was counted with the twelve.

  ⁴He went away, and talked with the chief priests and captains about how he might deliver him to them.

  ⁵They were glad, and agreed to give him money.

  ⁶He consented, and sought an opportunity to deliver him to them in the absence of the multitude.

  ⁷The day of unleavened bread came, on which the Passover must be sacrificed.

  ⁸Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.”

• Gospel · St Anna

  Luke 8:16–21

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  ¹⁶“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container, or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light.

  ¹⁷For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed; nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.

  ¹⁸Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has.”

  ¹⁹His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd.

  ²⁰Some people told him, “Your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to see you.”

  ²¹But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it.”

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Short penitential prayers