Monday December 22, 2025 / December 9, 2025
29th Week after Pentecost. Tone three.
Nativity (St. Philip’s Fast). Oil Allowed
The Conception by St. Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos.
New Hieromartyr Vladimir priest (1919).
New Hieromartyr Vladimir priest and Virgin-martyr Ephrosia (1920).
New Hieromartyrs Basil and Alexander priests (1937).
New Martyr Priest Sergius Mechev of Moscow (1941).
Prophetess Anna (Hannah) (1100 B.C.), mother of the Prophet Samuel.
Saint Sophronios, Archbishop of Cyprus (6th C).
Venerable Stephen the “New Light” of Constantinople (912).
Icon of the Mother of God, named “Unexpected Joy”.
Martyr Narses of Persia (Greek).
St. Valeria of Aquitaine (2nd c.).
Martyr Sositheus of Persia (553).
Martyr Isaak (Greek).
The Scripture Readings
5
And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward,
6
but 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.
7
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice,
8
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9
Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years.
10
Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’
11
So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
17
Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?
18
And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?
19
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
11
Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.
12
But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”
13
And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.
14
Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.
15
Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16
And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
17
But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?
18
Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?
19
When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up? They said to Him, “Twelve.”
20
Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up? And they said, “Seven.”
21
So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”
Galatians 4:22-31 St. Anna
22
For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.
23
But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,
24
which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar-
25
or this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children-
26
but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27
For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.”
28
Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
29
But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.
30
Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”
31
So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.
Luke 8:16-21 St. Anna
16
No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.
17
For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.
18
Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.
19
Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.
20
And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.”
21
But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”