Thursday August 20, 2026 / August 7, 2026
12th Week after Pentecost. Tone two.
Dormition (Theotokos) Fast. By Monastic Charter: Food without Oil
Martyr Dometius of Persia (363) and two disciples.
Translation of the relics (1832) of St. Metrophanes, first bishop of Voronezh (1703).
Venerable Anthony of Optina (1865).
New Hieromartyrs Alexander, Peter, Michael, John, Demetrius and Alexis priests, Elisey deacon and Hieromartyr Athanasius (1937).
New Hieromartyr Basil priest (1938).
Venerable Poemen (Pimen) the Much-ailing of the Kiev Caves (1110).
Venerable Pimen, faster of the Kiev Caves (13th c.).
Venerable Mercurius, bishop of Smolensk (Kiev Caves) (1239).
Martyrs Marinus the Soldier and Asterius the Senator at Caesarea in Palestine (260).
Venerable Hor (Horus) of the Thebaid (390).
Virgin Potamia of Alexandria.
Venerable Theodosius the New, healer of Peloponnesus (862) (Greek).
St. Hierotheus of Hungary (10th c.).
St. Stephen I king of Hungary (1038).
Venerable Dometius of Philotheou, Mt. Athos (16th c.).
St. Theodora of Sihla (18th c.) (Romania).
Holy Ten Thousand Ascetics of Thebes (Greek).
Hieromartyr Narcissus, patriarch of Jerusalem (213) (Greek).
Venerable Hyperechius of The Paradise (Greek).
Venerable Sozon of Nicomedia (Greek).
Venerable Nicanor, wonderworker of Mt. Callistratus (1519) (Greek).
Martyr Afra of Augsburg (304).
The Scripture Readings
John 10:1-9 Matins Gospel
1
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2
But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3
To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4
And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
5
Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.
6
Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.
7
Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8
All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
9
I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
2 Corinthians 7:1-10
1
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2
Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one.
3
I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.
4
Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.
5
For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.
6
Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,
7
and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.
8
For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while.
9
Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.
10
For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
Mark 1:29-35
29
Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30
But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.
31
So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.
32
At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.
33
And the whole city was gathered together at the door.
34
Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.
35
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
Hebrews 7:26-8:2 St. Metrophanes
26
For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;
27
who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
28
For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.
1
Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2
a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
John 10:9-16 St. Metrophanes
9
I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
12
But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
13
The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.
14
I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
15
As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.