From the calendar, 2026.
Friday, January 30
Synaxis 3 Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom
Fish allowedFish, wine and oil are allowed. No meat, dairy or eggs.
Epistle.
2 Peter 1:1–10
1 min read
1Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
3as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
4by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
6to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
7to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
8For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
10Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
Epistle.
Hebrews 13:7–16
1 min read
7Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.
8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
9Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
10We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
11For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp.
12Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
13Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
14For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.
15Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
16But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Gospel.
Mark 13:1–8
1 min read
1Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, 'Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!'
2And Jesus answered and said to him, 'Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.'
3Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,
4'Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?'
5And Jesus, answering them, began to say: 'Take heed that no one deceives you.
6For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.
7But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.
8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.
Gospel.
Matthew 5:14–19
1 min read
14'You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
17'Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
18For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
19Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matins Gospel.
John 10:9–16
1 min read
9I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
12But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
13The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.
14I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
15As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
16And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
Vespers Old Testament.
Deuteronomy 1:8–11, 15–17
1 min read
8Behold, I am delivering the land in your presence; go in and inherit the land I swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give it to them and their seed after them.'
9'So I spoke to you at that time, saying, 'I alone am not able to bear you.
10The Lord your God multiplied you, and here you are today, as the stars of heaven in multitude.
11May the Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless you, just as He said.
15So I took from you wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men and made them leaders over you: leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens; judges to interpret the law for you.
16'Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the resident alien with him.
17You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall judge the small and the great; you shall not shrink before any man's presence, for the judgment is God's. The case too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.'
Vespers Old Testament.
Deuteronomy 10:14–21
1 min read
14Indeed, heaven and heaven of heaven belong to the Lord your God, also the earth and everything in it.
15The Lord chose your fathers to love them; and He chose their seed after them, you above all nations, as it is this day.
16Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.
17For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.
18He administers justice for the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, and loves the resident alien, giving him food and clothing.
19Therefore, love the resident aliens, for you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt.
20You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and hold fast to Him, and take oaths in His name.
21He is your boast and your God, who did these great and glorious things for you, the things you saw with your own eyes.
Vespers Old Testament.
Wisdom of Solomon 3:1–9
1 min read
1But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, And no torture will ever touch them.
2In the eyes of the undiscerning they seemed to have died, And their departure was considered to be misfortune,
3And their passage from us to be their destruction; But they are at peace.
4For though in man's view they were punished, Their hope is full of immortality.
5Though chastened in a few things, Great kindness will be shown them, For God tested them and found them worthy of Himself.
6He tested them like gold in a furnace And accepted them as a whole burnt offering.
7In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, And they will run about like sparks through straw.
8They will judge nations and rule over peoples, And the Lord shall reign over them unto the ages.
9Those who trust in Him will understand truth, And the faithful shall continue with Him in love, Because grace and mercy are upon His elect.
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.