From the calendar, 2025.

Friday, October 17

Prophet Hosea

Strict fastNo meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil.

Appointed to be read.

At the
1. EpistlePhilippians 1:27–2:4
2. GospelLuke 9:12–18

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Epistle.

Philippians 1:27–2:4

1 min read

27Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,

28and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.

29For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

30having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.

2:1Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,

2fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

3Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

4Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

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Gospel.

Luke 9:12–18

1 min read

12When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, 'Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.'

13But He said to them, 'You give them something to eat.'

14And they said, 'We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.' For there were about five thousand men.

15Then He said to His disciples, 'Make them sit down in groups of fifty.' And they did so, and made them all sit down.

16Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.

17So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.

18And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, 'Who do the crowds say that I am?'

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In remembrance.

Prophet HoseaRead the life

His name means “God is Help.” He is the first and earliest of the twelve Minor Prophets. At the Lord’s command he married a harlot, who was repeatedly unfaithful to him despite his love and faithfulness toward her. In his prophetic writings he shows this marriage as an image of God’s faithful care for His unfaithful people.

Monastic Martyr Andrew of Crete

Holy Martyrs Cosmas and Damian, the Unmercenaries of Cilicia (4th c.)Read the life

The Church commemorates three pairs of brothers named Cosmas and Damian, all counted among the Unmercenary Physicians. The first reposed in peace and are commemorated on November 1; the second were stoned to death in Rome, and are commemorated on July 1; the third pair, commemorated today, were Arab doctors. They embraced the Christian faith together and thereafter cared for the sick in the name of the Lord Jesus, performing many miraculous healings. They were handed over to the governor Lysias by jealous pagans. When the governor accused them of healing by sorcery, they replied ‘We have no sort of magic, nor use any, but we have the power of Christ to save us and all who call upon His holy Name.’ The governor first attempted to bribe them to deny Christ then, when this was useless, subjected them to many tortures. Finally they were beheaded.

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What this is.

The Scripture the Orthodox Church reads each day, the saints it remembers, and a study aid that answers from Scripture and the Fathers and shows its sources.

Divine Liturgy. The Church's main service, at which Holy Communion is given. Its Epistle and Gospel are what most people mean by the day's readings.

Matins. The morning service of praise. On Sundays and feasts it has a Gospel of its own.

Vespers. The evening service. The Church's day begins at sunset, so a feast's Vespers is served the evening before.

Hours. Short services of psalms and prayer at set times of the day: the First, Third, Sixth and Ninth Hours.

Tone. The hymns of the week are sung in one of eight tones, or melodies, which follow each other week by week.

New Calendar. Fixed feasts are kept on the civil date, as in the OCA and the Antiochian Archdiocese. Churches on the Old Calendar keep them 13 days later. Pascha is the same for both.