Wednesday, November 5, 2025
The Orthodox liturgical day, its saint, its tone, and its fast.
New Calendar
Commemorated today
- Martyrs Galacteon and Wife Epistemis
- Repose St Jonah of Novgorod
- Holy Martyrs Galaction and Episteme (ca. 250)
- Holy Apostles Patrobas, Hermas, Linus, Gaius and Philologus
- Our Holy Father Gregory the Confessor, Patriarch of Alexandria (early 9th c.)
Today is a strict fast, no meat, dairy, fish, wine, or oil.
Old Calendar
St. James, the Brother of the LordFirst bishop of Jerusalem, writer of the Epistle · 1st c.
Also commemorated
- Saint Macarius the Roman of Mesopotamia (?)
Today is a strict fast, no meat, dairy, fish, wine, or oil.
- Tone 4 of the Octoechos
- 21th Sunday after Pentecost
Readings, New Calendar
EpistleColossians 3.17-4.1
3:17Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 18Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be bitter against them. 20Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord. 21Fathers, don’t provoke your children, so that they won’t be discouraged. 22Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not just when they are looking, as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. 23And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25But he who does wrong will receive again for the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality. 4:1Masters, give to your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
WEB, public domain
GospelLuke 11.42-46
11:42But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and God’s love. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. 43Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces. 44Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like hidden graves, and the men who walk over them don’t know it.” 45One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying this you insult us also.” 46He said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won’t even lift one finger to help carry those burdens.
WEB, public domain
The order and appointment of the readings follow the Orthodox lectionary. Come to the Liturgy to hear them proclaimed.
Readings, Old Calendar
EpistleColossians 3.17-4.1
3:17Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 18Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be bitter against them. 20Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord. 21Fathers, don’t provoke your children, so that they won’t be discouraged. 22Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not just when they are looking, as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. 23And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25But he who does wrong will receive again for the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality. 4:1Masters, give to your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
WEB, public domain
EpistleGalatians 1.11-19
1:11But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man. 12For I didn’t receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ. 13For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and ravaged it. 14I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace, 16to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus. 18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19But of the other apostles I saw no one except James, the Lord’s brother.
WEB, public domain
GospelLuke 11.9-13
11:9“I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened. 11“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he won’t give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12Or if he asks for an egg, he won’t give him a scorpion, will he? 13If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
WEB, public domain
GospelMatthew 13.54-58
13:54Coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56Aren’t all of his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all of these things?” 57They were offended by him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and in his own house.” 58He didn’t do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
WEB, public domain
The order and appointment of the readings follow the Orthodox lectionary. Come to the Liturgy to hear them proclaimed.