From the calendar, 2026.

Tuesday, August 4

Seven Sleepers of Ephesus

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

Appointed to be read.

At the
1. Epistle1 Corinthians 15:29–38
2. GospelMatthew 21:23–27

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Epistle.

1 Corinthians 15:29–38

1 min read

29Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?

30And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour?

31I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

32If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!'

33Do not be deceived: 'Evil company corrupts good habits.'

34Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

35But someone will say, 'How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?'

36Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.

37And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain.

38But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

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Gospel.

Matthew 21:23–27

1 min read

23Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, 'By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?'

24But Jesus answered and said to them, 'I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:

25The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?'

26And they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.'

27So they answered Jesus and said, 'We do not know.'

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In remembrance.

Seven Sleepers of EphesusRead the life

During a persecution of Christians under the Emperor Decius, these seven Christian youths hid themselves in a cave outside Ephesus. When they were discovered, their persecutors sealed them in the cave to die; but God instead sent them a miraculous, life-preserving sleep. There they rested for about two hundred years. In the time of the Emperor Theodosius the Younger (408-450), a heresy that denied the bodily Resurrection of the dead began to trouble the people. The Emperor prayed God to reveal the truth to the people. At this time, some shepherds removed the stones blocking the cave in order to build a sheep-pen. They discovered the seven youths, who awoke in full health and told their miraculous story. The miracle was told throughout the empire, and the Emperor himself came to Ephesus and spoke with the youths. A week later, they again fell asleep, this time in death.

Further.

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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.