From the calendar, 2025.

Monday, December 22

Greatmartyr Anastasia and Companions

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

Appointed to be read.

At the
1. EpistleHebrews 3:5–11, 17–19
2. GospelMark 9:42–10:1

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Epistle.

Hebrews 3:5–11, 17–19

1 min read

5And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward,

6but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

7Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: 'Today, if you will hear His voice,

8Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,

9Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years.

10Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, 'They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.'

11So I swore in My wrath,

17Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?

18And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?

19So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

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Gospel.

Mark 9:42–10:1

1 min read

42'But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.

43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—

44where 'Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.'

45And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—

46where 'Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.'

47And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire—

48where 'Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.'

49'For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.

50Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.'

10:1Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.

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In remembrance.

Greatmartyr Anastasia and CompanionsRead the life

She was born in Rome to a wealthy and prominent family. Though her father Pretexatus was a pagan, her mother Fausta instructed her in the things of God. Her father married her against her will to Publius, a prodigal and impious man lacking in Christian or pagan virtue. Anastasia was in the custom of dressing herself as a poor working woman and going out by night to visit and comfort the many Christians in prison (this was the time of Diocletian’s persecution). When Publius discovered this, he was furious that his wife was demeaning herself by consorting with the despised Christians, and had his wife locked in the house with so little food that she came close to death by starvation. She was able to get a letter to her spiritual father Chrysogonus, who was also in prison, and their correspondence helped to sustain her through her ordeal.

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Further.

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

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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.