From the calendar, 2028.
Tuesday, September 26
Repose of St John the Theologian
Fish allowedFish, wine and oil are allowed. No meat, dairy or eggs.
Epistle.
Ephesians 2:19–3:7
1 min read
19Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,
21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
22in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
3:1For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—
2if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,
3how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already,
4by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
5which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:
6that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
7of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
Epistle.
1 John 4:12–19
1 min read
12No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
13By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
16And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
17Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
19We love Him because He first loved us.
Gospel.
Luke 5:12–16
1 min read
12Jesus Cleanses a Leper And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.'
13Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, 'I am willing; be cleansed.' Immediately the leprosy left him.
14And He charged him to tell no one, 'But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.'
15However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.
16So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
Gospel.
John 19:25–27, 21:24–25
1 min read
25Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
26When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold your son!'
27Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold your mother!' And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
21:24This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.
25And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
Matins Gospel.
John 21:15–25
2 min read
15So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to him, 'Feed My lambs.'
16He said to him again a second time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to him, 'Tend My sheep.'
17He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?' Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, 'Do you love Me?' And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed My sheep.'
18Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.'
19This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, 'Follow Me.'
20Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, 'Lord, who is the one who betrays You?'
21Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, 'But Lord, what about this man?'
22Jesus said to him, 'If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.'
23Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, 'If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?'
24This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.
25And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
Vespers Epistle.
1 John 3:21–4:6
1 min read
21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
22And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
23And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
24Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
4:1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
4You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
5They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.
6We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Vespers Epistle.
1 John 4:11–16
1 min read
11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
13By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
16And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Vespers Epistle.
1 John 4:20–5:5
1 min read
20If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
21And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
5:1Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.
3For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
4For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
5Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
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.