September 1, 2031

Events of the day

• Beginning of the Indiction — the Church New Year

  Commemoration

  The church year begins on 1 September (Old Style).

Fasting

No fast

No fast today.

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

  Isaiah 61:1–9

• Vespers

  Composite reading — Leviticus 26

• Vespers

  Wisdom of Solomon 4:7–15

• Epistle

  2 Corinthians 12:10–19

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  ¹⁰Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, and in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.

  ¹¹I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for I am in no way inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing.

  ¹²Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you in all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty works.

  ¹³For what is there in which you were made inferior to the rest of the assemblies, unless it is that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong.

  ¹⁴Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I seek not your possessions, but you. For the children ought not to save up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

  ¹⁵I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?

  ¹⁶Even so, I myself didn’t burden you. “But, being crafty, I caught you with deception.”

  ¹⁷Did I take advantage of you by anyone of those whom I have sent to you?

  ¹⁸I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Didn’t we walk in the same spirit? Didn’t we walk in the same steps?

  ¹⁹Again, do you think that we are excusing ourselves to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying.

• Epistle · New Year

  1 Timothy 2:1–7

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  ¹I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks be made for all men:

  ²for kings and all who are in high places, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence.

  ³For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

  ⁴who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.

  ⁵For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

  ⁶who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony in its own times,

  ⁷to which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth in Christ, not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

• Epistle · St Simeon

  Colossians 3:12–16

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  ¹²Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;

  ¹³bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.

  ¹⁴Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.

  ¹⁵And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful.

  ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.

• Gospel

  Mark 4:10–23

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  ¹⁰When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.

  ¹¹He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,

  ¹²that ‘seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’ ”

  ¹³He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?

  ¹⁴The farmer sows the word.

  ¹⁵The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

  ¹⁶These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.

  ¹⁷They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.

  ¹⁸Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word,

  ¹⁹and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

  ²⁰Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”

  ²¹He said to them, “Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand?

  ²²For there is nothing hidden, except that it should be made known; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light.

  ²³If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.”

• Gospel · New Year

  Luke 4:16–22

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  ¹⁶He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

  ¹⁷The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,

  ¹⁸“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed,

  ¹⁹and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

  ²⁰He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.

  ²¹He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

  ²²All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

• Gospel · St Simeon

  Matthew 11:27–30

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  ²⁷All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him.

  ²⁸“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.

  ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.

  ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

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