December 20, 2030

Events of the day

No commemorations in the content package for this day yet

• Forefeast: Nativity of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ

Fasting

Fast day · Nativity Fast

Nativity Fast (from 20 Dec Old Style), Monday, 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

  2 Timothy 1:1–2, 8–18

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  ¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus,

  ²to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

  ⁸Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God,

  ⁹who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal,

  ¹⁰but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Good News.

  ¹¹For this I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

  ¹²For this cause I also suffer these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day.

  ¹³Hold the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

  ¹⁴That good thing which was committed to you, guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

  ¹⁵This you know, that all who are in Asia turned away from me, of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.

  ¹⁶May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain,

  ¹⁷but when he was in Rome, he sought me diligently and found me

  ¹⁸(the Lord grant to him to find the Lord’s mercy in that day); and in how many things he served at Ephesus, you know very well.

• Gospel

  Mark 10:23–32

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  ²³Jesus looked around, and said to his disciples, “How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!”

  ²⁴The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answered again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!

  ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.”

  ²⁶They were exceedingly astonished, saying to him, “Then who can be saved?”

  ²⁷Jesus, looking at them, said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.”

  ²⁸Peter began to tell him, “Behold, we have left all, and have followed you.”

  ²⁹Jesus said, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News,

  ³⁰but he will receive one hundred times more now in this time: houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land, with persecutions; and in the age to come eternal life.

  ³¹But many who are first will be last; and the last first.”

  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.

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

Saints and icons

• Prayer of the day: Short penitential prayers