Wednesday, August 20, 2025
The Orthodox liturgical day, its saint, its tone, and its fast.
New Calendar
Commemorated today
- Prophet Samuel
- Hieromartyr Philip, Bishop of Heraklion, and those with him (2nd c.)
Today is a strict fast, no meat, dairy, fish, wine, or oil.
Old Calendar
Commemorated today
- Martyr Dometius of Persia
- Martyr Dometius of Persia (363) and two disciples
- Holy Martyrs Marinus the Soldier and Asterius the Senator (260)
- Our Holy Father Or (Horus) of the Thebaid (390)
- Our Holy Father Pimen the Much-Ailing (1110)
Today is a strict fast, no meat, dairy, fish, wine, or oil.
- Tone 1 of the Octoechos
- 10th Sunday after Pentecost
The day’s readings
Epistle2 Corinthians 3.4-11
3:4Such confidence we have through Christ toward God, 5not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God, 6who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face, which was passing away, 8won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory? 9For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10For most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses. 11For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
WEB, public domain
GospelMatthew 23.29-39
23:29“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous, 30and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ 31Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets. 32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna? 34Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. 36Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not! 38Behold, your house is left to you desolate. 39For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
WEB, public domain
The order and appointment of the readings follow the Orthodox lectionary. Come to the Liturgy to hear them proclaimed.