--- title: "January 3, 2026 (New Style) | Church calendar" description: "Saturday, January 3, 2026. 3 January (Revised Julian). No fast. The Orthodox Church calendar, icons, prayers, lives of saints and Church history on spas.life." url: "https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/new-style/2026-01-03" language: "en" --- Saturday # January 3, 2026 3 January (Revised Julian) · 30th week after Pentecost New Calendar (Revised Julian) [Old Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/2026-01-03) [New Style](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/new-style/2026-01-03) [Month calendar](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/new-style/2026-01) [← January 2](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/new-style/2026-01-02) [January 4 →](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/calendar/new-style/2026-01-04) ## Events of the day No commemorations in the content package for this day yet - Forefeast: Holy Theophany. The Baptism of the Lord ## Fasting No fast Christmastide (25 Dec – 4 Jan Old Style) is fast-free: no fasting. 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 Ephesians 5:1–8 **Show the text** 1 Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance. 3 But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints; 4 nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not appropriate, but rather giving of thanks. 5 Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. 7 Therefore don’t be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, - Epistle · Saturday before Theophany 1 Timothy 3:14–4:5 **Show the text** 14 These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly; 15 but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16 Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory. 1 But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron, 3 forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with thanksgiving. 5 For it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer. - Gospel Luke 17:3–10 **Show the text** 3 Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” 6 The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7 But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say when he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down at the table,’ 8 and will not rather tell him, ‘Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me, while I eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I think not. 10 Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.’ ” - Gospel · Saturday before Theophany Matthew 3:1–11 **Show the text** 1 In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make the way of the Lord ready! Make his paths straight!” 4 Now John himself wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him. 6 They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! 9 Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 “Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit. Source: Orthocal: lectionary data — Slavic tradition, New Calendar (OCA practice). Text: World English Bible. ## Saints and icons - Prayer of the day: [Prayer for the departed](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/prayers/departed)