December 9, 2030

Events of the day

No commemorations in the content package for this day yet

Fasting

Fast day · Nativity Fast

Nativity Fast, Monday: cooked food without oil.

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

• Epistle

  1 Timothy 1:1–7

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  ¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope;

  ²to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

  ³As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine,

  ⁴and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes, rather than God’s stewardship, which is in faith—

  ⁵but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith,

  ⁶from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned away to vain talking,

  ⁷desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor about what they strongly affirm.

• 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

  Mark 8:11–21

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  ¹¹The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, and testing him.

  ¹²He sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

  ¹³He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side.

  ¹⁴They forgot to take bread; and they didn’t have more than one loaf in the boat with them.

  ¹⁵He warned them, saying, “Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”

  ¹⁶They reasoned with one another, saying, “It’s because we have no bread.”

  ¹⁷Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet, neither understand? Is your heart still hardened?

  ¹⁸Having eyes, don’t you see? Having ears, don’t you hear? Don’t you remember?

  ¹⁹When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Twelve.”

  ²⁰“When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Seven.”

  ²¹He asked them, “Don’t you understand yet?”

• 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, New Calendar (OCA practice). Text: World English Bible.

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Morning prayer of St Macarius the Great