March 25, 2029

Events of the day

• Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos

  Twelve Great Feast

  The Archangel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary the birth of the Saviour. Fish is allowed if the feast falls in Great Lent (except Holy Week).

• Fifth Sunday of Great Lent. St Mary of Egypt

  Commemoration

Fasting

Fast day · Great Lent

Annunciation in Great Lent: 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 · Annunciation

  Genesis 28:10–17

• Vespers · Annunciation

  Ezekiel 43:27–44:4

• Vespers · Annunciation

  Proverbs 9:1–11

• Vespers · Annunciation

  Exodus 3:1–8

• Vespers · Annunciation

  Proverbs 8:22–30

• Matins Gospel · Annunciation

  Luke 1:39–49, 56

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  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

  Hebrews 9:11–14

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  ¹¹But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation,

  ¹²nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption.

  ¹³For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh,

  ¹⁴how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without defect to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

• Epistle · St Mary

  Galatians 3:23–29

• Epistle · Annunciation

  Hebrews 2:11–18

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  ¹¹For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers,

  ¹²saying, “I will declare your name to my brothers. Among the congregation I will sing your praise.”

  ¹³Again, “I will put my trust in him.” Again, “Behold, here I am with the children whom God has given me.”

  ¹⁴Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

  ¹⁵and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

  ¹⁶For most certainly, he doesn’t give help to angels, but he gives help to the offspring of Abraham.

  ¹⁷Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.

  ¹⁸For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

• Gospel

  Mark 10:32–45

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  ³²They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus was going in front of them, and they were amazed; and those who followed were afraid. He again took the twelve, and began to tell them the things that were going to happen to him.

  ³³“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death, and will deliver him to the Gentiles.

  ³⁴They will mock him, spit on him, scourge him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”

  ³⁵James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came near to him, saying, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we will ask.”

  ³⁶He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”

  ³⁷They said to him, “Grant to us that we may sit, one at your right hand, and one at your left hand, in your glory.”

  ³⁸But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

  ³⁹They said to him, “We are able.” Jesus said to them, “You shall indeed drink the cup that I drink, and you shall be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with;

  ⁴⁰but to sit at my right hand and at my left hand is not mine to give, but for whom it has been prepared.”

  ⁴¹When the ten heard it, they began to be indignant toward James and John.

  ⁴²Jesus summoned them, and said to them, “You know that they who are recognized as rulers over the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

  ⁴³But it shall not be so among you, but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant.

  ⁴⁴Whoever of you wants to become first among you, shall be bondservant of all.

  ⁴⁵For the Son of Man also came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

• Gospel · St Mary

  Luke 7:36–50

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  ³⁶One of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. He entered into the Pharisee’s house, and sat at the table.

  ³⁷Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment.

  ³⁸Standing behind at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

  ³⁹Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner.”

  ⁴⁰Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” He said, “Teacher, say on.”

  ⁴¹“A certain lender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

  ⁴²When they couldn’t pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?”

  ⁴³Simon answered, “He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most.” He said to him, “You have judged correctly.”

  ⁴⁴Turning to the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head.

  ⁴⁵You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet.

  ⁴⁶You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.

  ⁴⁷Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”

  ⁴⁸He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

  ⁴⁹Those who sat at the table with him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

  ⁵⁰He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

• Gospel · Annunciation

  Luke 1:24–38

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  ²⁴After these days Elizabeth his wife conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying,

  ²⁵“Thus has the Lord done to me in the days in which he looked at me, to take away my reproach among men.”

  ²⁶Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

  ²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary.

  ²⁸Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”

  ²⁹But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.

  ³⁰The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

  ³¹Behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and shall name him ‘Jesus.’

  ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

  ³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.”

  ³⁴Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?”

  ³⁵The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.

  ³⁶Behold, Elizabeth your relative also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

  ³⁷For nothing spoken by God is impossible.”

  ³⁸Mary said, “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” The angel departed from her.

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

Saints and icons

• St Mary of Egypt
• Prayer of the day: Troparion of the Annunciation