Friday December 20, 2024 / December 7, 2024
26th Week after Pentecost. Tone eight.
Nativity (St. Philip’s Fast). Fast.
St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan (397).
Venerable Nilus, monk, of Stolben Island (1554).
Venerable Anthony, abbot of Siya Monastery (Novgorod) (1556).
New Hieromartyrs Sergius, Andronic (1917).
New Hieromartyr Antonius priest (1918).
St. Ambrosius confessor, bishop of Kamenets-Podolsk (1932).
New Hieromartyrs Sergius, Michael and Sergius priests, Nicephore deacon and Hieromartyr Galaction and Gurias, Martyr John (1937).
New Hieromartyrs Peter and Basil priests (1941).
Venerable John, faster of the Kiev Caves (12th c.)..
Martyr Athenodorus of Mesopotamia (304).
Venerable Paul the Obedient.
St. Philothea of Turnovo (1060), whose relics are in Arges, Romania.
Icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir of Seligersk.
Venerable Gregory the Silent of Serbia, founder of Grigoriou Monastery, Mt. Athos (1405) (Greek).
Venerable Ignatius, monk, near Blachernae (Greek).
St. Bassa of Jerusalem, abbess (5th c.).
St. Diuma, bishop of the Mercians and Middle Anglians.
Martyr Neophytus (Greek).
Martyr Dometius (Greek).
Martyrs Isidore, Acepsimas and Leo (Greek).
The Scripture Readings
4
For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;
5
for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
6
If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.
7
But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.
8
For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
16
Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
37
And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.
38
Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.
1
Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover.
2
And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.
3
Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.
4
So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.
5
And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.
6
So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.
7
Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.
8
And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.”
Thursday Reading
1 Timothy 3:1-13
1
This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.
2
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;
3
not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
4
one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence
5
(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);
6
not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
7
Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8
Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money,
9
holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.
10
But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless.
11
Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
12
Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13
For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
28
Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.
29
Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.
30
When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.
31
So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
32
Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.
33
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.