Friday February 20, 2026 / February 7, 2026
Cheesefare week (Maslenitsa) – fast-free. Tone three.
Maslenitsa. Meat is excluded
Venerable Parthenius, bishop of Lampsacus on the Hellespont (4th c.).
Venerable Luke of Mt. Steirion (953).
New Hieromartyr Barlaam, archbishop of Perm (1937).
New Hieromartyr Alexander priest (1938).
New Hieromartyr Alexis priest (1942).
The 1,003 Martyrs of Nicomedia (303).
Venerable Mastridia of Jerusalem, woman ascetic of the desert (ca. 580).
Six Martyrs of Phrygia (305) (Greek).
Venerable Peter of Monombateia (Greek).
St. Aprionus, bishop of Cyprus (Greek).
New Martyr George of Crete (1861) (Greek).
Martyr Theopemptus and Synodia (Greek).
St. Avgul, bishop of Brittany, who suffered under Diocletian (ca. 305).
St. Roman, bishop of Kilmaronen.
St. Richard, father of Saints Willibald, Wunnibald and Walburga.
The Scripture Readings
Zechariah 8:7-17 (6th Hour)
7
Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country;
8
and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people and I will be their God, in faithfulness
9
Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of prophets, since the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
10
For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in; for I set every man against his fellow.
11
But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, says the Lord of hosts.
12
For there shall be a sowing of peace; the vine shall yield its fruit, and the ground shall give its increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
13
And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”
14
For thus says the Lord of hosts: “As I purposed to do evil to you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the Lord of hosts,
15
so again have I purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not.
16
These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another, render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace,
17
do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, says the Lord.”
Zechariah 8:19-23 (Vespers)
19
Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love truth and peace.
20
Thus says the Lord of Hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come, Inhabitants of many cities;
21
The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, “Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord, And seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will go also.”
22
Yes, many peoples and strong nations Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, And to pray before the Lord.’
23
Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. ‘