ORTHROS

Monday, January 5, 2026

The Orthodox liturgical day, its saint, its tone, and its fast.

New Calendar

Commemorated today

  • Eve of Theophany
  • Holy Martyrs Theopemptus and Theonas (ca. 290)
  • Our Venerable Mother Syncletike (4th c.)

Today is a strict fast, no meat, dairy, fish, wine, or oil.

Old Calendar

Commemorated today

  • Holy Ten Martyrs of Crete
  • Our Venerable Father Paul, Archbishop of Neocaesarea (4th c.)
  • Our Holy Father Nahum of Ochrid, Wonderworker and Enlightener of the Slavs (ca. 900)

Today is a fast-free day, all foods are permitted.

  • The Paschal season

Readings, New Calendar

1st Hour, ProphecyIsaiah 35.1-10

35:1Be glad, thou thirsty desert: let the wilderness exult, and flower as the lily. 2And the desert places of Jordan shall blossom and rejoice; the glory of Libanus has been given to it, and the honour of Carmel; and my people shall see the glory of the Lord, and the majesty of God. 3Be strong, ye relaxed hands and palsied knees. 4Comfort one another, ye faint-hearted; be strong, fear not; behold, our God renders judgment, and he will render it; he will come and save us. 5Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall hear. 6Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the stammerers shall speak plainly; for water has burst forth in the desert, and a channel of water in a thirsty land. 7And the dry land shall become pools, and a fountain of water shall be poured into the thirsty land; there shall there be a joy of birds, ready habitations and marshes. 8There shall be there a pure way, and it shall be called a holy way; and there shall not pass by there any unclean person, neither shall there be there an unclean way; but the dispersed shall walk on it, and they shall not go astray. 9And there shall be no lion there, neither shall any evil beast go up upon it, nor at all be found there; but the redeemed and gathered on the Lord's behalf, shall walk in it, 10and shall return, and come to Sion with joy, and everlasting joy shall be over their head; for on their head shall be praise and exultation, and joy shall take possession of them: sorrow and pain, and groaning have fled away.

Brenton LXX, public domain

1st Hour, EpistleActs 13.25-33

13:25As John was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, one comes after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ 26“Brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you. 27For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they didn’t know him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed. 29When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30But God raised him from the dead, 31and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. 32We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers, 33that God has fulfilled this to us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father.’

WEB, public domain

1st Hour, GospelMatthew 3.1-11

3:1In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” 3For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make the way of the Lord ready! Make his paths straight!” 4Now John himself wore clothing made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him. 6They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. 7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! 9Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire. 11“I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.

WEB, public domain

3rd Hour, ProphecyIsaiah 1.16-20

1:16Wash you, be clean; remove your iniquities from your souls before mine eyes; cease from your iniquities; 17learn to do well; diligently seek judgment, deliver him that is suffering wrong, plead for the orphan, and obtain justice for the widow. 18And come, let us reason together, saith the Lord: and though your sins be as purple, I will make them white as snow; and though they be as scarlet, I will make them white as wool. 19And if ye be willing, and hearken to me, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20but if ye be not willing, nor hearken to me, a sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken this.

Brenton LXX, public domain

3rd Hour, EpistleActs 19.1-8

19:1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus and found certain disciples. 2He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said to him, “No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3He said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4Paul said, “John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Christ Jesus.” 5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke with other languages and prophesied. 7They were about twelve men in all. 8He entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning God’s Kingdom.

WEB, public domain

3rd Hour, GospelMark 1.1-8

1:1The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2As it is written in the prophets, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you: 3the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’” 4John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. 5All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins. 6John was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. 7He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen. 8I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”

WEB, public domain

6th Hour, ProphecyIsaiah 12.3-6

12:3Draw ye therefore water with joy out of the wells of salvation. 4And in that day thou shalt say, Sing to the Lord, call aloud upon his name, proclaim his glorious deeds among the Gentiles; make mention that his name is exalted. 5Sing praise to the name of the Lord; for he has done great things: declare this in all the earth. 6Exalt and rejoice, ye that dwell in Sion: for the Holy One of Israel is exalted in the midst of her.

Brenton LXX, public domain

6th Hour, EpistleRomans 6.3-11

6:3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; 6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. 7For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, 9knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him! 10For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. 11Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

WEB, public domain

6th Hour, GospelMark 1.9-15

1:9In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11A voice came out of the sky, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 12Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness. 13He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals; and the angels were serving him. 14Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”

WEB, public domain

9th Hour, ProphecyIsaiah 49.8-15

49:8Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I succoured thee: and I have formed thee, and given thee for a covenant of the nations, to establish the earth, and to cause to inherit the desert heritages: 9saying to them that are in bonds, Go forth; and bidding them that are in darkness shew themselves. They shall be fed in all the ways, and in all the paths shall be their pasture. 10They shall not hunger, neither shall they thirst; neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; but he that has mercy on them shall comfort them, and by fountains of waters shall he lead them. 11And I will make every mountain a way, and every path a pasture to them. 12Behold, these shall come from far: and these from the north and the west, and others from the land of the Persians. 13Rejoice, ye heavens; and let the earth be glad: let the mountains break forth with joy; for the Lord has had mercy on his people, and has comforted the lowly ones of his people. 14But Sion said, The Lord has forsaken me, and, The Lord has forgotten me. 15Will a woman forget her child, so as not to have compassion upon the offspring of her womb? but if a woman should even forget these, yet I will not forget thee, saith the Lord.

Brenton LXX, public domain

9th Hour, EpistleTitus 2.11-14, 3.4-7

2:11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age; 13looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works. 3:4But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, 5not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior; 7that being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

WEB, public domain

9th Hour, GospelMatthew 3.13-17

3:13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14But John would have hindered him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?” 15But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. 16Jesus, when he was baptized, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him. 17Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

WEB, public domain

VespersGenesis 1.1-13

1:1In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth. 2But the earth was unsightly and unfurnished, and darkness was over the deep, and the Spirit of God moved over the water. 3And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. 4And God saw the light that it was good, and God divided between the light and the darkness. 5And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night, and there was evening and there was morning, the first day. 6And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water, and let it be a division between water and water, and it was so. 7And God made the firmament, and God divided between the water which was under the firmament and the water which was above the firmament. 8And God called the firmament Heaven, and God saw that it was good, and there was evening and there was morning, the second day. 9And God said, Let the water which is under the heaven be collected into one place, and let the dry land appear, and it was so. And the water which was under the heaven was collected into its places, and the dry land appeared. 10And God called the dry land Earth, and the gatherings of the waters he called Seas, and God saw that it was good. 11And God said, Let the earth bring forth the herb of grass bearing seed according to its kind and according to its likeness, and the fruit-tree bearing fruit whose seed is in it, according to its kind on the earth, and it was so. 12And the earth brought forth the herb of grass bearing seed according to its kind and according to its likeness, and the fruit tree bearing fruit whose seed is in it, according to its kind on the earth, and God saw that it was good. 13And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

Brenton LXX, public domain

VespersExodus 14.15-18, 21-23, 27-29

14:15And the Lord said to Moses, Why criest thou to me? speak to the children of Israel, and let them proceed. 16And do thou lift up thy rod, and stretch forth thy hand over the sea, and divide it, and let the children of Israel enter into the midst of the sea on the dry land. 17And lo! I will harden the heart of Pharao and of all the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them; and I will be glorified upon Pharao, and on all his host, and on his chariots and his horses. 18And all the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I am glorified upon Pharao and upon his chariots and his horses. 21And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the Lord carried back the sea with a strong south wind all the night, and made the sea dry, and the water was divided. 22And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the water of it was a wall on the right hand and a wall on the left. 23And the Egyptians pursued them and went in after them, and every horse of Pharao, and his chariots, and his horsemen, into the midst of the sea. 27And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the water returned to its place toward day; and the Egyptians fled from the water, and the Lord shook off the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28And the water returned and covered the chariots and the riders, and all the forces of Pharao, who entered after them into the sea: and there was not left of them even one. 29But the children of Israel went along dry land in the midst of the sea, and the water was to them a wall on the right hand, and a wall on the left.

Brenton LXX, public domain

VespersExodus 15.22-16.1

15:22So Moses brought up the children of Israel from the Red Sea, and brought them into the wilderness of Sur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water to drink. 23And they came to Merrha, and could not drink of Merrha, for it was bitter; therefore he named the name of that place, Bitterness. 24And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? 25And Moses cried to the Lord, and the Lord shewed him a tree, and he cast it into the water, and the water was sweetened: there he established to him ordinances and judgments, and there he proved him, 26and said, If thou wilt indeed hear the voice of the Lord thy God, and do things pleasing before him, and wilt hearken to his commands, and keep all his ordinances, no disease which I have brought upon the Egyptians will I bring upon thee, for I am the Lord thy God that heals thee. 27And they came to Ælim, and there were there twelve fountains of water, and seventy stems of palm-trees; and they encamped there by the waters. 16:1And they departed from Ælim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Ælim and Sina; and on the fifteenth day, in the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt,

Brenton LXX, public domain

VespersJoshua 3.7-8, 15-17

3:7And the Lord said to Joshua, This day do I begin to exalt thee before all the children of Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so will I also be with thee. 8And now charge the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, As soon as ye shall enter on a part of the water of Jordan, then ye shall stand in Jordan. 15And when the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord entered upon Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord were dipped in part of the water of Jordan; (now Jordan overflowed all its banks about the time of wheat harvest:) 16then the waters that came down from above stopped; there stood one solid heap very far off, as far as the region of Kariathiarim, and the lower part came down to the sea of Araba, the salt sea, till it completely failed; and the people stood opposite Jericho. 17And the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry land in the midst of Jordan; and all the children of Israel went through on dry land, until all the people had completely gone over Jordan.

Brenton LXX, public domain

VespersIsaiah 1.16-20

1:16Wash you, be clean; remove your iniquities from your souls before mine eyes; cease from your iniquities; 17learn to do well; diligently seek judgment, deliver him that is suffering wrong, plead for the orphan, and obtain justice for the widow. 18And come, let us reason together, saith the Lord: and though your sins be as purple, I will make them white as snow; and though they be as scarlet, I will make them white as wool. 19And if ye be willing, and hearken to me, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20but if ye be not willing, nor hearken to me, a sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken this.

Brenton LXX, public domain

VespersGenesis 32.1-10

32:1And Laban rose up in the morning, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them; and Laban having turned back, departed to his place. 2And Jacob departed for his journey; and having looked up, he saw the host of God encamped; and the angels of God met him. 3And Jacob said, when he saw them, This is the Camp of God; and he called the name of that place, Encampments. 4And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother to the land of Seir, to the country of Edom. 5And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye say to my lord Esau: Thus saith thy servant Jacob; I have sojourned with Laban and tarried until now. 6And there were born to me oxen, and asses, and sheep, and men-servants and women-servants; and I sent to tell my lord Esau, that thy servant might find grace in thy sight. 7And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and lo! he comes to meet thee, and four hundred men with him. 8And Jacob was greatly terrified, and was perplexed; and he divided the people that was with him, and the cows, and the camels, and the sheep, into two camps. 9And Jacob said, If Esau should come to one camp, and smite it, the other camp shall be in safety. 10And Jacob said, God of my father Abraam, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, thou art he that said to me, Depart quickly to the land of thy birth, and I will do thee good.

Brenton LXX, public domain

VespersExodus 2.5-10

2:5And the daughter of Pharao came down to the river to bathe; and her maids walked by the river's side, and having seen the ark in the ooze, she sent her maid, and took it up. 6And having opened it, she sees the babe weeping in the ark: and the daughter of Pharao had compassion on it, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. 7And his sister said to the daughter of Pharao, Wilt thou that I call to thee a nurse of the Hebrews, and shall she suckle the child for thee? 8And the daughter of Pharao said, Go: and the young woman went, and called the mother of the child. 9And the daughter of Pharao said to her, Take care of this child, and suckle it for me, and I will give thee the wages; and the woman took the child, and suckled it. 10And when the boy was grown, she brought him to the daughter of Pharao, and he became her son; and she called his name, Moses, saying, I took him out of the water.

Brenton LXX, public domain

VespersJudges 6.36-40

6:36And Gedeon said to God, If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said, 37behold, I put the fleece of wool in the threshing-floor: if there be dew on the fleece only, and drought on all the ground, I shall know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said. 38And it was so: and he rose up early in the morning, and wrung the fleece, and dew dropped from the fleece, a bowl full of water. 39And Gedeon said to God, Let not, I pray thee, thine anger be kindled with me, and I will speak yet once; I will even yet make one trial more with the fleece: let now the drought be upon the fleece only, and let there be dew on all the ground. 40And God did so in that night; and there was drought on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.

Brenton LXX, public domain

Vespers3[1] Kings 18.30-39

18:30And Eliu said to the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near to him. 31And Eliu took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, as the Lord spoke to him, saying, Israel shall be thy name. 32And he built up the stones in the name of the Lord, and repaired the altar that had been broken down; and he made a trench that would hold two measures of seed round about the altar. 33And he piled the cleft wood on the altar which he had made, and divided the whole-burnt-offering, and laid it on the wood, and laid it in order on the altar, and said, Fetch me four pitchers of water, and pour it on the whole-burnt-offering, and on the wood. And they did so. 34And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. 35And the water ran round about the altar, and they filled the trench with water. 36And Eliu cried aloud to heaven, and said, Lord God of Abraam, and Isaac, and Israel, answer me, O Lord, answer me this day by fire, and let all this people know that thou art the Lord, the God of Israel, and I am thy servant, and for thy sake I have wrought these works. 37Hear me, O Lord, hear me, and let this people know that thou art the Lord God, and thou hast turned back the heart of this people. 38Then fire fell from the Lord out of heaven, and devoured the whole-burnt-offerings, and the wood and the water that was in the trench, and the fire licked up the stones and the earth. 39And all the people fell upon their faces, and said, Truly the Lord is God; he is God.

Brenton LXX, public domain

VespersIsaiah 49.8-15

49:8Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I succoured thee: and I have formed thee, and given thee for a covenant of the nations, to establish the earth, and to cause to inherit the desert heritages: 9saying to them that are in bonds, Go forth; and bidding them that are in darkness shew themselves. They shall be fed in all the ways, and in all the paths shall be their pasture. 10They shall not hunger, neither shall they thirst; neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; but he that has mercy on them shall comfort them, and by fountains of waters shall he lead them. 11And I will make every mountain a way, and every path a pasture to them. 12Behold, these shall come from far: and these from the north and the west, and others from the land of the Persians. 13Rejoice, ye heavens; and let the earth be glad: let the mountains break forth with joy; for the Lord has had mercy on his people, and has comforted the lowly ones of his people. 14But Sion said, The Lord has forsaken me, and, The Lord has forgotten me. 15Will a woman forget her child, so as not to have compassion upon the offspring of her womb? but if a woman should even forget these, yet I will not forget thee, saith the Lord.

Brenton LXX, public domain

Epistle1 Corinthians 9.19-27

9:19For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law; 21to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law. 22To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. 23Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it. 24Don’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, so that you may win. 25Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. 26I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air, 27but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.

WEB, public domain

GospelLuke 3.1-18

3:1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. 3He came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for remission of sins. 4As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight. 5Every valley will be filled. Every mountain and hill will be brought low. The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth. 6All flesh will see God’s salvation.’” 7He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Therefore produce fruits worthy of repentance, and don’t begin to say among yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father;’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones! 9Even now the ax also lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” 10The multitudes asked him, “What then must we do?” 11He answered them, “He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. He who has food, let him do likewise.” 12Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what must we do?” 13He said to them, “Collect no more than that which is appointed to you.” 14Soldiers also asked him, saying, “What about us? What must we do?” He said to them, “Extort from no one by violence, neither accuse anyone wrongfully. Be content with your wages.” 15As the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he was the Christ, 16John answered them all, “I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18Then with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people,

WEB, public domain

Great Blessing of WatersIsaiah 35.1-10

35:1Be glad, thou thirsty desert: let the wilderness exult, and flower as the lily. 2And the desert places of Jordan shall blossom and rejoice; the glory of Libanus has been given to it, and the honour of Carmel; and my people shall see the glory of the Lord, and the majesty of God. 3Be strong, ye relaxed hands and palsied knees. 4Comfort one another, ye faint-hearted; be strong, fear not; behold, our God renders judgment, and he will render it; he will come and save us. 5Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall hear. 6Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the stammerers shall speak plainly; for water has burst forth in the desert, and a channel of water in a thirsty land. 7And the dry land shall become pools, and a fountain of water shall be poured into the thirsty land; there shall there be a joy of birds, ready habitations and marshes. 8There shall be there a pure way, and it shall be called a holy way; and there shall not pass by there any unclean person, neither shall there be there an unclean way; but the dispersed shall walk on it, and they shall not go astray. 9And there shall be no lion there, neither shall any evil beast go up upon it, nor at all be found there; but the redeemed and gathered on the Lord's behalf, shall walk in it, 10and shall return, and come to Sion with joy, and everlasting joy shall be over their head; for on their head shall be praise and exultation, and joy shall take possession of them: sorrow and pain, and groaning have fled away.

Brenton LXX, public domain

Great Blessing of WatersIsaiah 55.1-13

55:1Ye that thirst, go to the water, and all that have no money, go and buy; and eat and drink wine and fat without money or price. 2Wherefore do ye value at the price of money, and give your labour for that which will not satisfy? hearken to me, and ye shall eat that which is good, and your soul shall feast itself on good things. 3Give heed with your ears, and follow my ways: hearken to me, and your soul shall live in prosperity; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, the sure mercies of David. 4Behold, I have made him a testimony among the Gentiles, a prince and commander to the Gentiles. 5Nations which know thee not, shall call upon thee, and peoples which are not acquainted with thee, shall flee to thee for refuge, for the sake of the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel; for he has glorified thee. 6Seek ye the Lord, and when ye find him, call upon him; and when he shall draw nigh to you, 7let the ungodly leave his ways, and the transgressor his counsels: and let him return to the Lord, and he shall find mercy; for he shall abundantly pardon your sins. 8For my counsels are not as your counsels, nor are my ways as your ways, saith the Lord. 9But as the heaven is distant from the earth, so is my way distant from your ways, and your thoughts from my mind. 10For as rain shall come down, or snow, from heaven, and shall not return until it have saturated the earth, and it bring forth, and bud, and give seed to the sower, and bread for food: 11so shall my word be, whatever shall proceed out of my mouth, it shall by no means turn back, until all the things which I willed shall have been accomplished; and I will make thy ways prosperous, and will effect my commands. 12For ye shall go forth with joy, and shall be taught with gladness: for the mountains and the hills shall exult to welcome you with joy, and all the trees of the field shall applaud with their branches. 13And instead of the bramble shall come up the cypress, and instead of the nettle shall come up the myrtle: and the Lord shall be for a name, and for an everlasting sign, and shall not fail.

Brenton LXX, public domain

Great Blessing of WatersIsaiah 12.3-6

12:3Draw ye therefore water with joy out of the wells of salvation. 4And in that day thou shalt say, Sing to the Lord, call aloud upon his name, proclaim his glorious deeds among the Gentiles; make mention that his name is exalted. 5Sing praise to the name of the Lord; for he has done great things: declare this in all the earth. 6Exalt and rejoice, ye that dwell in Sion: for the Holy One of Israel is exalted in the midst of her.

Brenton LXX, public domain

Great Blessing of Waters1 Corinthians 10.1-4

10:1Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3and all ate the same spiritual food; 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.

WEB, public domain

Great Blessing of WatersMark 1.9-11

1:9In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11A voice came out of the sky, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

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

EpistleHebrews 11.17-23, 27-31

11:17By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his only born son, 18to whom it was said, “Your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac,” 19concluding that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did receive him back from the dead. 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. 21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones. 23By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. 28By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch them. 29By faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do so, they were swallowed up. 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. 31By faith Rahab the prostitute didn’t perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies in peace.

WEB, public domain

GospelMark 10.46-52

10:46They came to Jericho. As he went out from Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road. 47When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!” 48Many rebuked him, that he should be quiet, but he cried out much more, “You son of David, have mercy on me!” 49Jesus stood still and said, “Call him.” They called the blind man, saying to him, “Cheer up! Get up. He is calling you!” 50He, casting away his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. 51Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “Rabboni, that I may see again.” 52Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your faith has made you well.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the way.

WEB, public domain

The order and appointment of the readings follow the Orthodox lectionary. Come to the Liturgy to hear them proclaimed.

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