September 8, 2034

Events of the day

• Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos

  Twelve Great Feast

  The birth of the Virgin Mary to the righteous Joachim and Anna; the first of the Twelve Great Feasts in the church year.

Fasting

Fast day · Wednesday / Friday

A great feast on Wednesday or Friday: 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

  Genesis 28:10–17

• Vespers

  Ezekiel 43:27–44:4

• Vespers

  Proverbs 9:1–11

• Matins Gospel

  Luke 1:39–49, 56

  Show the text

  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 · Theotokos

  Philippians 2:5–11

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  ⁵Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,

  ⁶who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,

  ⁷but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.

  ⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.

  ⁹Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name,

  ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,

  ¹¹and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

• Epistle

  Galatians 4:8–21

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  ⁸However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods.

  ⁹But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?

  ¹⁰You observe days, months, seasons, and years.

  ¹¹I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.

  ¹²I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong,

  ¹³but you know that because of weakness in the flesh I preached the Good News to you the first time.

  ¹⁴That which was a temptation to you in my flesh, you didn’t despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

  ¹⁵What was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

  ¹⁶So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

  ¹⁷They zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them.

  ¹⁸But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you.

  ¹⁹My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you—

  ²⁰but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

  ²¹Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, don’t you listen to the law?

• Gospel · Theotokos

  Luke 10:38–42, 11:27–28

• Gospel

  Mark 6:45–53

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  ⁴⁵Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the multitude away.

  ⁴⁶After he had taken leave of them, he went up the mountain to pray.

  ⁴⁷When evening had come, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land.

  ⁴⁸Seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary to them, about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and he would have passed by them,

  ⁴⁹but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;

  ⁵⁰for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he immediately spoke with them, and said to them, “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid.”

  ⁵¹He got into the boat with them; and the wind ceased, and they were very amazed among themselves, and marveled;

  ⁵²for they hadn’t understood about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

  ⁵³When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore.

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