From the calendar, 2025.

Monday, December 1

Prophet Nahum

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

Appointed to be read.

At the
1. Epistle1 Timothy 1:1–7
2. GospelLuke 19:37–44

Ask about these readings in Study

Epistle.

1 Timothy 1:1–7

1 min read

1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,

2To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

3As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

4nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.

5Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,

6from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk,

7desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

Open in the Reader

Gospel.

Luke 19:37–44

1 min read

37Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen,

38saying: ''Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!'

39And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, 'Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.'

40But He answered and said to them, 'I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.'

41Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,

42saying, 'If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

43For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side,

44and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.'

Open in the Reader

In remembrance.

Prophet NahumRead the life

He was a Galilean of the tribe of Simeon. The Old Testament book that bears his name foretells the destruction of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, by the Medes, and the restoration of the Kingdom of Judah; all of this came to pass. Nahum is counted as the seventh of the Minor Prophets. He reposed in peace. His name means ‘consolation’ or ‘repose.’

Five of the Prophets (Nahum, Habbakuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, and Daniel) are commemorated in December. At one time a Feast of the Twelve Prophets was celebrated on December 4 at the Church of the Resurrection, but this feast is no longer on the calendar. The days leading up to Christ’s Nativity contain many commemorations of the faithful remnant of Israel, all of whose hopes were fulfilled in the birth of the Messiah.

Saint Philaret the Merciful of Constantinople (762)Read the life

He was a wealthy landed gentleman who lived in the countryside near Constantinople during the reign of the Empress Irene. God had given him great wealth and a large family with which to enjoy his later years in contentment. A true lover of God, he gave without hesitation to all the poor and needy who came to him, and freely offered hospitality to every traveler passing through his lands.

But his fortunes changed dramatically, and after a series of disasters he was reduced to poverty, with only a small piece of land, a pair of oxen, a donkey, a horse, a cow and a calf and a few beehives to sustain himself and his family. Without complaint, he took up the life of a simple farmer, laboring to support his family with his few means.

Read the full life

Our Venerable Father Eligius (Eloi), Bishop of Noyon (660)Read the life

He was born to a Christian family near Limoges in Gaul (modern-day France) in 588. He became a goldsmith, worked for the royal mint, and in time became a trusted counselor of King Chlothar II. Despite (or because of) the honors and riches that surrounded him, Eligius came to despise all of them and gave away all his property but what he considered essential for everyday life. He devoted all his income to almsgiving and to ransoming prisoners of all nationalities from the slave markets. Many of these became his attendants and disciples in gratitude. Eligius’ compassion became so well-known that when visitors asked for directions to his house, they would be told, ‘Look for the house surrounded by a crowd of beggars. That is where Lord Eligius lives.’ The Saint washed the feet of the poor who came to him, served them at his own table and fed himself on what they left.

Read the full life

Further.

The Library

The Fathers, the services and the lives of the saints.

Study

Ask a question about a passage. Answers cite their sources.

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.