Sunday January 11, 2026 / December 29, 2025
31st Sunday after Pentecost. Tone six.
Sviatki. Fast-free
Sunday after the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, holy ancestors.
Righteous Joseph the Betrothed, Holy Righteous David the King, and James the Brother of the Lord (movable holiday on the Sunday after the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ).
The 14,000 Infants (Holy Innocents) slain by Herod at Bethlehem (1st c.).
Venerable Marcellus, abbot of the monastery of the Unsleeping Ones (485).
St.Basiliscus the Hesychast of Siberia (1824).
New Hieromartyr Theodosius priests (1938).
Virgin-martyrs Natalia, Natalia, Eudokia, Anna, Matrona, Barbara, Anna, Eudokia, Ephrosia, Agrippina and Natalia (1942).
Venerable Mark the Grave-digger of the Kiev Caves (11th c.).
Sts. Theophilus and John of the Kiev Caves (11th-12th c.).
Venerable Theophilus of Luga and Omutch (1412).
Venerable Laurence of Chernigov (1950).
Venerable Thaddeus, confessor, of the Studion (818).
Venerable Benjamin, monk, of Nitria in Egypt (392).
Venerable Athenodorus, disciple of St. Pachomius the Great (4th c.).
St. George, bishop of Nicomedia (9th c.).
St. Trophimus, first bishop of Aries (3rd c.).
Commemoration of all Orthodox Christians who died from hunger, thirst, the sword, and freezing.
The Scripture Readings
John 20:19-31 (9th Matins Gospel)
19
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
20
When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
22
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
23
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.
24
Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
25
The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26
And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”
27
Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
28
And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
29
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;
31
but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
Galatians 1:11-19 Sunday After
11
But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12
For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
13
For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.
14
And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15
But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace,
16
to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,
17
nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
18
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.
19
But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.
Matthew 2:13-23 Sunday After
11
But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12
For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
13
For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.
14
And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15
But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace,
16
to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,
17
nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
18
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.
19
But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.
