From the calendar, 2025.

Wednesday, November 26

Ven. Alypius the Stylite

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

Appointed to be read.

At the
1. Epistle2 Thessalonians 2:1–12
2. GospelLuke 18:15–17, 26–30

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Epistle.

2 Thessalonians 2:1–12

2 min read

1Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,

2not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.

3Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

4who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

5Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?

6And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.

7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.

8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

9The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

10and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,

12that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

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Gospel.

Luke 18:15–17, 26–30

1 min read

15Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

16But Jesus called them to Him and said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

17Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.'

26And those who heard it said, 'Who then can be saved?'

27But He said, 'The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.'

28Then Peter said, 'See, we have left all and followed You.'

29So He said to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

30who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.'

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In remembrance.

Ven. Alypius the StyliteRead the life

He was from Adrianopolis in Bythinia, and took up the ascetical life at a young age. After many spiritual struggles he took up residence on a pillar, where he dwelt for fifty-three years. Crowds came to seek his intercession and counsel, and in time a women’s monastery was founded near the pillar. At times an unearthly light was seen to radiate from the top of the pillar, accompanied by thunder and lightning. He owned nothing, and once threw his only tunic down to a poor man in need, leaving himself completely exposed to the elements until a recluse dwelling nearby saw his condition and came to his help. After fifty-three years, Alypius suffered a stroke which paralyzed half his body, but he continued to live on the pillar for another fourteen years, giving up his soul to God at the age of ninety-nine.

Our Holy Father Innocent, Bishop of Irkutsk (1731)Read the life

He was descended from a noble family near Chernigov. He became a monk at the Lavra of the Kiev Caves in 1706 and in 1721 was consecrated bishop. He was sent as a missionary to China but, due to political complications, could not gain entry into the country and settled temporarily near Lake Baikal in Siberia. He and his companions soon ran out of money and were forced to live for a time on alms and by day- labor. Rather than become discouraged, Saint Innocent made use of this time to learn the native language and found a school for the local Mongol people, many of whom he brought to the faith. In 1722 he was appointed Bishop of Irkutsk, a diocese that covered all the huge area of eastern Siberia. At the time of his appointment there were only about thirty churches in the whole diocese.

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St Nikon Metanoite ("Repent!") (ca. 1000)Read the life

He was born about 930 to a pious and wealthy family near Trebizond. Once, making an inspection of the family’s estates, he was so affected by the wretched conditions of the poor fieldworkers that he despaired of happiness in this world and determined to live a monastic life. After years spent in a monastery, where he shone in obedience, prayer and self-denial, the Saint was given leave to travel in the ministry of the Gospel of Christ. For three years he wandered the East, without home or possessions, crying to everyone he met, “Repent!” and proclaiming with tears the message of salvation in Christ. He then spent seven years in Crete, then went to Greece, walking barefoot from place to place, preaching repentance and becoming so well known that he acquired the nickname “Metanoite,” meaning “Repent!”

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Holy New Martyr George of Chios (1897)Read the life

He was born of Christian parents on Chios. As a boy he was caught stealing melons from a garden with some companions. Brought before the Turkish judge, in fear of punishment he agreed to become a Muslim with the name Ahmed. (This was common practice under the Turkokratia: a Christian brought before the courts would be offered his freedom in return for conversion to Islam. Many gave in.) He returned home, weeping and lamenting his apostasy, and his parents put him (now aged ten) in the care of a good Christian woman to strengthen him in the faith and hide him from the Turkish authorities. At the age of twenty-one he was engaged to a young woman of the town, but quarreled with her brother who, knowing George’s past, went to the authorities and denounced him as an apostate from Islam.

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Further.

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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.