Friday, August 21, 2026
The Orthodox liturgical day, its saint, its tone, and its fast.
New Calendar
Commemorated today
- Apostle Thaddeus of the Seventy
- Avram, Archimandrite of Smolensk
- Apostle Thaddeus of the Seventy (44)
- Holy Martyrs Bassa and her sons Theognis, Agapios, and Pistis (4th c.)
- Holy Forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
Today is a strict fast, no meat, dairy, fish, wine, or oil.
Old Calendar
Commemorated today
- St Emilian the Confessor
- St Emilian the Confessor, bishop of Cyzicus (820)
- St Myron the Wonderworker, Bishop of Crete (350)
- St Gregory of Sinai (Mt Athos) (1346)
Today is a strict fast, no meat, dairy, fish, wine, or oil.
- Tone 2 of the Octoechos
- 11th Sunday after Pentecost
The day’s readings
Epistle2 Corinthians 7.10-16
7:10For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death. 11For behold, this same thing, that you were grieved in a godly way, what earnest care it worked in you. Yes, what defense, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and vindication! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be pure in the matter. 12So although I wrote to you, I wrote not for his cause that did the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered the wrong, but that your earnest care for us might be revealed in you in the sight of God. 13Therefore we have been comforted. In our comfort we rejoiced the more exceedingly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14For if in anything I have boasted to him on your behalf, I was not disappointed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth. 15His affection is more abundantly toward you, while he remembers all of your obedience, how with fear and trembling you received him. 16I rejoice that in everything I am confident concerning you.
WEB, public domain
GospelMark 2.18-22
2:18John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don’t fast?” 19Jesus said to them, “Can the groomsmen fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they can’t fast. 20But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or else the patch shrinks and the new tears away from the old, and a worse hole is made. 22No one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the skins, and the wine pours out, and the skins will be destroyed; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins.”
WEB, public domain
The order and appointment of the readings follow the Orthodox lectionary. Come to the Liturgy to hear them proclaimed.