Saturday January 10, 2026 / December 28, 2025
31st Week after Pentecost. Tone five.
Sviatki. Fast-free
Saturday after the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ
The 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia, including Glycerius, Zeno, Theophilus, Dorotheus, Mardonius, Migdonius, Indes, Gorgonius, Peter, Euthymius, and the virgins Agape, Domna, Theophila and others (302).
St. Cornelius, monk of Krypets Monastery in Pskov (1903).
New Hieromartyrs Nikodim, bishop of Belgorod and Arcadius deacon (1918).
New Hieromartyr Alexander priest (1920).
New Hieromartyrs Theoctistus, Leonid, Nicholas priests (1937).
New Hieromartyr Aretha priest (1938).
Venerable Ignatius, monk, of Loma (Vologda) (1591).
Apostle Nicanor the Deacon (34).
Venerable Simon the Myrrh-gusher, founder of Simonopetra Monastery, Mt. Athos (1287).
Venerable Babylas of Tarsus in Cilicia.
Martyr Secundus (Greek).
The Scripture Readings
3
We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4
since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;
5
because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,
6
which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;
3
Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4
And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.
5
And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6
So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
7
And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’?
8
But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’?
9
Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.
10
So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’
Romans 8:3-9 Martyrs
3
For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4
that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6
For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
8
So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
Luke 10:19-21 Martyrs
19
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.
21
In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.
1 Timothy 6:11-16 Saturday After the Nativity
11
But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
12
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
13
I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate,
14
that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing,
15
which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
16
who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
Matthew 12:15-21 Saturday After the Nativity
15
But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.
16
Yet He warned them not to make Him known,
17
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
18
Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.
19
He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20
A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory;
21
And in His name Gentiles will trust.”