From the calendar, 2027.

Wednesday, May 19

Hieromartyr Patrick, Bishop of Prusa

Wine & oilWine and oil are allowed. No meat, dairy, eggs or fish.

Appointed to be read.

At the
1. EpistleActs 8:18–25
2. GospelJohn 6:35–39

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Epistle.

Acts 8:18–25

1 min read

18And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,

19saying, 'Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.'

20But Peter said to him, 'Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!

21You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.

22Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

23For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.'

24Then Simon answered and said, 'Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.'

25So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

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Gospel.

John 6:35–39

1 min read

35And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

36But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.

37All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

39This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

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In remembrance.

Hieromartyr Patrick, Bishop of PrusaRead the life

‘Saint Patrick was Bishop of Prusa, a city in Bythinia (the present-day Brusa or Bursa). Because of his Christian faith, he was brought before Julius (or Julian) the Consul, who in his attempts to persuade Patrick to worship as he himself did, declared that thanks was owed to the gods for providing the hot springs welling up from the earth for the benefit of men. Saint Patrick answered that thanks for this was owed to our Lord Jesus Christ, and explained that when He, Who is God, created the earth, He made it with both fire and water, and the fire under the earth heats the water which wells up, producing hot springs; he then explained that there is another fire, which awaits the ungodly. Because of this, he was cast into the hot springs, but it was the soldiers who cast him in, and not he, who were harmed by the hot water.

Read the full life

Rt. Blv. Dimitry Donskoy

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.