September 8, 2023

Events of the day

• Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos

  Twelve Great Feast

  The birth of the Virgin Mary to the righteous Joachim and Anna; the first of the Twelve Great Feasts in the church year.

Fasting

Fast day · Wednesday / Friday

A great feast on Wednesday or Friday: 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

  Genesis 28:10–17

• Vespers

  Ezekiel 43:27–44:4

• Vespers

  Proverbs 9:1–11

• Matins Gospel

  Luke 1:39–49, 56

  Show the text

  ³⁹Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,

  ⁴⁰and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

  ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

  ⁴²She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

  ⁴³Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

  ⁴⁴For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!

  ⁴⁵Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”

  ⁴⁶Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.

  ⁴⁷My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,

  ⁴⁸for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.

  ⁴⁹For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name.

  ⁵⁶Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house.

• Epistle · Theotokos

  Philippians 2:5–11

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  ⁵Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,

  ⁶who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,

  ⁷but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.

  ⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.

  ⁹Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name,

  ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,

  ¹¹and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

• Epistle

  Galatians 2:6–10

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  ⁶But from those who were reputed to be important—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God doesn’t show partiality to man—they, I say, who were respected imparted nothing to me,

  ⁷but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcised—

  ⁸for he who worked through Peter in the apostleship with the circumcised also worked through me with the Gentiles—

  ⁹and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, those who were reputed to be pillars, gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision.

  ¹⁰They only asked us to remember the poor—which very thing I was also zealous to do.

• Gospel · Theotokos

  Luke 10:38–42, 11:27–28

• Gospel

  Mark 5:22–24, 35–6:1

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  ²²Behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came; and seeing him, he fell at his feet,

  ²³and begged him much, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made healthy, and live.”

  ²⁴He went with him, and a great multitude followed him, and they pressed upon him on all sides.

  ³⁵While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler’s house saying, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?”

  ³⁶But Jesus, when he heard the message spoken, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.”

  ³⁷He allowed no one to follow him, except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.

  ³⁸He came to the synagogue ruler’s house, and he saw an uproar, weeping, and great wailing.

  ³⁹When he had entered in, he said to them, “Why do you make an uproar and weep? The child is not dead, but is asleep.”

  ⁴⁰They ridiculed him. But he, having put them all out, took the father of the child, her mother, and those who were with him, and went in where the child was lying.

  ⁴¹Taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha cumi!” which means, being interpreted, “Girl, I tell you, get up!”

  ⁴²Immediately the girl rose up and walked, for she was twelve years old. They were amazed with great amazement.

  ⁴³He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and commanded that something should be given to her to eat.

  ¹He went out from there. He came into his own country, and his disciples followed him.

Source: Orthocal: lectionary data — Slavic tradition, New Calendar (OCA practice). Text: World English Bible.